Vibrant Home and Garden
by Susan Blitch Bozeman, AA, University of Georgia and Andrea Wise Davis, ΓΠ, Virginia Tech
I love the interior design business. It may not be rocket science, but I am helping create the heart of the home.
The home is where every family starts and ends its day. It is where souls are nurtured and
batteries recharged. Making a house a home, a place that embraces you and says “welcome,
please come in, relax and enjoy,” is my goal for every client. That is my reward and what
motivates me. So, I am thrilled with the opportunity to share with my Phi Mu sisters some
of what I’ve learned over the years of working with clients.
When working with a client, I try to incorporate several key philosophies into the design process:
Every room in your home should be used. No room should be “off limits.” Even with children and pets, a house should be a comfortable home.
Do not save your fine things (such as good silver and china and fine linens) for special occasions – enjoy them today.
Measure twice, cut once. In other words, be very sure of your specifications or limitations before tearing a wall down or buying a piece of furniture that may not fit. Make sure you have done your homework before it’s too late to avoid what could be a costly mistake.
Use your personal possessions to make your home uniquely yours. Matching everything is too predictable. Using different textures and shades of the same color make a room much more interesting and evolved.
Do not skimp on the “bones” of your room. Be prepared to spend on major items such as beautiful floors or antique beams, for example, which will set the tone of the room. Also a few quality antiques will last a lifetime and continue to appreciate.
Most of all, enjoy your decorating project and don’t be afraid to make a mistake! A wall can always be repainted if the color doesn’t work quite the way you intended. A professional interior designer can, in the long run, save you from costly missteps and help you in making that house your home.
A graduate of the University of Georgia, Susan Blitch Bozeman, ΑΑ, of Susan B.
Bozeman Designs, Inc., lives in Atlanta, Ga., with her husband. They have one son who is currently attending The University of Alabama. Susan’s work has been featured in publications such as Southern Living, South Carolina Homes and Gardens, Atlanta Homes and Atlanta Magazine Homes. She was the interior designer for the Galveston, Tex., Idea House featured in the November 2008 issue of Coastal Living magazine.
Spring is here and with it comes spring cleaning. Spring cleaning isn’t just for the inside of your home, though. Your landscape can also use some sprucing up in the spring. Your plants are starting to awaken from their winter slumber and you need to prepare them for the growing season ahead.
The Plants
Add new plants to your landscape in the spring. Make sure, however, that you are past the last frost date in your area before installing new plants.
When selecting plants, consider the balance of evergreen and deciduous plants and color
distribution through the seasons. You can have color in all four seasons by choosing plants
with varying flower times, showy fruits, and different leaf colors, including fall color and
variegation. Research plant choices to confirm they are hardy in your area according to
the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and tolerant of your site conditions (sun or shade,
wet or dry, mature size).
Existing plants in the landscape may also need maintenance. Light pruning or cutting back
can be done to woody plants. Heavy pruning should be reserved for after plants flower or
when they are dormant during the winter months. Slow release fertilizers can be applied to
plants and, as the temperatures warm, they will slowly break down and feed the plants over
several months.
The Beds
Remove winter weeds, making sure that you get the roots, too. Perennial weeds can return
from roots left in the soil. A two- to three-inch coat of mulch (shredded hardwood, pine
bark, pine straw, peat moss) should be added to flower beds to smother any spring weed
seeds that were dispersed during the warm season.
Mulch can also maintain plant root temperatures and moist soil conditions. If mulch was
applied in the fall, do not add another coat. Simply turn over the mulch with a rake to
renew the color and break up any compaction. A pre-emergent herbicide or weed killer
can be applied to prevent spring and summer weed problems. These herbicides come in
granular forms that are easily applied to your beds.
The Lawn
 Remove fallen leaves that have blanketed your lawn during the winter months. They will block much-needed sunlight from the grass plants. If you have any bare spots, now is the time to throw down some seed or patch with sod. Sod is a quick and easy fix. It comes in slabs of actively growing grass in soil that can be rolled out like natural green carpeting. Whether you use sod or seed, maintain constant moisture on the area so that it can become well established before the summer heat.
Andrea Wise Davis, ΓΠ, holds a Bachelors Degree in Horticulture from Virginia Tech, with a concentration in Landscape Contracting. She has worked in landscape design and management since graduation and recently coordinated the landscape renovation at the Gamma Lambda House at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
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