Friday, March 7, 2008

Find heaven on earth

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By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

Branching Out Nursery helped design this landscape in Elkhorn.

If the idea of landscaping is too daunting and overwhelming to conceive, have no fear. The Sawtooth Botanical Garden can help. On Saturday, March 8, from 3-5 p.m., Jon Wilkes, owner of Branching Out Nursery in Bellevue, will conduct "Landscape Design 101 for Homeowners." The course is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

"We are going to demonstrate how the design process can originate thoughts and information to produce a desired effect," Wilkes said. "There are basic tools needed, and we will provide them so that participation in the process can be an easy experience."

Wilkes said the class will take a hands-on approach with simple methods, which any interested person can apply to his or her home site without fear of one's drawing abilities.

"The residential site will be interpreted as a location for outdoor living," Wilkes said. "It is an extension of function that occurs within the home and an expression of lifestyle and values. A good landscape plan can create a valuable setting for a home and can also provide enjoyment for outdoor rooms."

A native of Australia, Wilkes has lived in the Wood River Valley for 30 years. His successful nursery in Bellevue has been operating for the last 20 years. Wilkes specializes in unique ornamentals and dwarf plants as well as unusual conifers, and is a certified arborist and plantsman.

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"We are not going to be testing," Wilkes said with a chuckle. "The whole idea of doing things with a garden is to foster an interest."

To register contact the Sawtooth Botanical Garden at 726-9358 or allison@sbgarden.org.