Bob discusses the landscaping of a home with Kevin Kalman, general contractor of I'On, and Josh Garvin a Low Country landscape contractor.

Bob discusses landscaping and the stone terrace with Ruth Foster, landscape consultant. They stand in the diamond shaped courtyard with a series of diamond shaped planters. The first is filmed with herbs, the second with roses and the third a perennial garden. The fourth and outermost garden is a white garbed with maroon accents to match the trim on the Victorian�s windows. Ruth added sandy loam from a farm, as much of the soil on Martha�s Vineyard is almost a sandy beach type soil. In the herb garden she plants Lavender, Thyme, Basil, Parsley, Chives and Artimesia, which is in all the beds to tie them together. Ruth also selects a Japanese Red Maple and �New Dawn� climbing roses to highlight the garden. Bob then meets up with Fred Portinier, the hardscape consultant. He started with a baseline and worked his way out from the house using bluestone and a base of native island stone dust, gently sloping out to the driveway.

Angela Polo from the University of Florida's Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program is on hand to show how the Punta Gorda yard exemplifies the nine principles of their program: right plant, right place, efficient watering, recycling, protecting the waterfront, reducing stormwater runoff, attracting wildlife, managing fertilizers, and managing pests. Bob and Angela discuss the soil in Punta Gorda, which is typical of new Florida construction and is sandy with no percolation or drainage. Bob talks about the native palm of Florida, the Sabal Palm or Cabbage Palm as it is commonly called, as an example of selecting the right plant for the right place. Brian Kendzior from Sun Scape Landscaping explains the landscape design for this large corner lot with screening for privacy, minimized functional lawn areas, and large beds. Kendzior talks with Bob about addressing hurricane issues and landscaping so that the home and surrounding areas are protected from damaged landscaping and wind-borne plant debris. He explains how landscapers have reduced the size of plantings near the house and moved to sturdy, native plants to reduce hurricane damage. Kendzior also talks about plant selection and maintenance. Sustainable planting tends toward native plants that require low maintenance and thrive in natural conditions. To that end, the irrigation system provided by Toro uses a pressure compensating watering system that uses weep holes to water perimeter plants. Polo also adds that raised beds will be installed by the canal, preventing turf from going right to the edge of the bulkhead. This reduces the chance of runoff from fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides into the waterway.

Bob takes a tour of the completed landscaping in this episode. Landscape designer Ruth Foster has created a Colonial-themed design. Foster chose to keep a magnificent white pine at the front of the yard and combined it with birch trees in the nearby less formal capability garden. Along the front of the yard Foster had planted a half dozen crabapples that will bloom white in the spring. The centerpiece of the landscape is the Elizabethan garden, guarded by two cedar trees at the front of the yard, almost like sentries. The garden itself is edged with flowers, such as rhododendrons and lilacs, as well as favorites like the roses. In addition, Foster has constructed a raised diamond-shaped bed with a topiary in the middle of the garden.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. It s not uncommon to find beautiful woodwork with coat after coat of paint obscuring its detail, especially in older homes. For a new paint job that does your woodwork justice, stripping the old paint is your best option.

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