Whatever the reason is for you to improve golf swing, be it balance, body posture or power, there is a way to help you improve it and put you on the course to playing successful golf. If you are a novice to the game, don’t bother about what other players might think or say about your game; concentrate on improving your game because that is all that matters.

Some Common Mistakes

One of the most common mistakes the beginners commit when striking a ball is to send it as far away as possible. although it may look good to them to see the ball flying away, they are missing out on more essential aspects of the game, i.e., accuracy and consistency.

It is easy for a novice to be over enthusiastic. often they get a wrong idea as to where the power should come from. Golf is one of the sports that gives your whole body a work out. You have to use every major muscle group in your arms, torso and legs to get the proper golf swing, with power and consistency.

Practice is The Key

There are many ways to improve your golfing skills. You first have to find out the area in which you are lacking and making mistakes, especially with your swing. Get advice from your friends and other acquaintances who have more experience. You can resort to golf lessons from a professional golfer, watch instructional videos and use training aids. Golf magazines will give you tips by professional golfers and writers. Nevertheless, it is constant practice that will finally help you the most. Otherwise you will remain a mediocre golfer.

Even professional golfers practice constantly to continuously improve golf swing. though the saying “practice makes perfect” is perfectly true, it does not mean that you should stop practicing the moment you attain a degree of perfection. The more you practice the more you gain confidence and confidence has a telling effect on not only golf, but in all activities.

Sufficient Practice

The more golf workouts you do, the more the change in your game will be for the better. Your muscles get conditioned and stronger, giving you more power and the confidence to get the proper golf swing for a more accurate shot. a disciplined practice schedule can have you striking the ball dead centre. Your muscle memory will improve and it will aid you in remembering the correct sequence of your swing, the posture to be taken and the power to be applied.

Putting and chipping do not require much muscle play. You can practice it even in your living room or on your lawn. but golf is not just putting and chipping. The swing and the drive is there at the start of the game for which you will either have to go to a driving range or an indoor training facility for practicing the long range shots.

Each time you play golf, the muscles of your upper body, your arms, your lower back and your legs are brought into play. as such, it is better that you do some warm-ups before practicing or heading out for a tournament. Stretching exercises are the best warm ups.

With a will for constant practice and a positive attitude you can, undoubtedly, become a successful golfer.

Tags: Golf, improve, Swing

Improve Golf Swing And Pep Up Your Golf

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VINEYARD HAVEN Mix True to its name, Mix is a quirky, fun collection of old and new. there are vintage cameras, typewriters, matchbooks, and clothing. Sassy baby T-shirts with sayings like “Future Big Tipper’’ and “I’m a Keeper’’ are nestled next to a smattering of curiosities, including toys, vintage classroom science posters, and more. I bought a midcentury camera called a Rocket in perfect working order. 4 Union St., 508-693-8240 Bunch of Grapes Find the “Time to Read’’ street clock and you’re in the right place. A devastating fire in 2008 wiped out the store and its inventory (“the town has lost its water cooler’’ was a common sentiment at the time). the rebuilt shop, which is under new ownership, has oak bookcases filled to the brim with everything from new releases and the hottest beach reads to classics and nonfiction. Upstairs is the children’s section, where every Saturday morning at 10:30 is story time. Scattered throughout is seating for bibliophiles to peruse their finds. “People say to us, ‘I get off the boat and I come straight here,’ ’’ says owner Dawn Braasch. me, too. 44 Main St., 508-693-2291, bunchofgrapes.com Rainy Day this place is perfect, too, for a sunny day, when you feel like exercising your credit card. Peruse unique greeting cards, nautical ephemera, boutique toiletries and lotions, crisp-looking dishes and other housewares, and a great selection of children’s toys. 66 Main St., 508-693-1830, rainydaymv.com Midnight Farm Drool-worthy accoutrements for the home, coffee table books, clothes, gorgeous beach hats, and straw fedoras make this boutique (co-owned by Carly Simon) a must-see, if only to ogle the beautiful merchandise and daydream about buying a house on the island just so you can furnish it with the couches, bed frames, and throw pillows inside. 18 Water-Cromwell Lane, 508-693-1997, midnightfarm.net

Delivering the goods

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@tampatrib.com @tampatrib.com

Published: June 23, 2010

Things to do is a list of interesting upcoming events.

A night for singles

Singles can dance and socialize Thursdays at the Red Rose Inn and Suites, 2011 N. Wheeler St., Plant City.

Singles nights start at 5:30 p.m. in the lounge. the evenings include drink specials, drawings and music by members of Destiny, the house band.

There’s no admission charge.

Call (813) 752-3141 or go to redroseinnandsuites.com.

For motorcycle lovers

Bike Night starts at 7 p.m. at Big Dog’s Patio, 103 N. Palmer St., Plant City.

The weekly nights include a live disc jockey, best bike contest and free tables for vendors. the party lasts until about midnight or later.

For information, call the downtown bar at (813) 759-2704.

Singles can cut a rug

The Strawberry Singles Club’s weekly dance is 8 to 11:30 p.m. at the Stardust Dance Center, 1405 S. Collins St., Plant City.

The cost is $6 for members, $7 for associate members and $8 for nonmembers.

Dance to Destiny

Destiny performs at 8 p.m. at Red Rose Inn and Suites, 2011 N. Wheeler St., Plant City.

There’s no cover charge with dinner purchase.

Call (813) 752-3141 or go to redroseinnandsuites.com.

James Ranch needs help

Volunteers are needed from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help paint the exterior of the James Ranch, 2902 N. Cork Road, Plant City.

James Ranch is part of MacDonald Training Center, which provides training for adults with disabilities.

Volunteers should bring at least one paint brush or roller. Refreshments and lunch will be served.

Volunteers who are younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Call Veronica Prostko at (813) 870-1300, ext. 301.

O’Brien’s hosting tourney

O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Grill is hosting its fourth annual Charity Golf Classic at Walden Lake Golf and Country Club, 2001 Clubhouse Drive, Plant City.

The tournament will benefit Plant City Support Our Soldiers, an organization that sends such items as snacks and sunscreen to military members serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The tournament is a four-man scramble with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. Players are asked to register at the course at 9:30 a.m. the field will be limited to the first 36 paid teams.

Fees will include golf, driving range balls, lunch on the course, beverages, a goody bag, an O’Brien’s golf shirt, and an award ceremony and buffet at O’Brien’s following play.

The fee for a foursome is $400, and singles pay $100.

Learn some new moves

Learn the salsa and foxtrot from noon to 2 p.m. at Stardust Dance Center, 1405 S. Collins St., Plant City.

The classes will be presented by Sergey Kopylov and Donna Garzone on Stardust’s 5,000-square-foot dance floor.

No partner is needed for the classes, which cost $10 for each hour class.

Call Garzone at (813) 671-3009.

Dance to Second Wind

Ralph Allocco and Second Wind perform at 8 p.m. in the restaurant at Red Rose Inn and Suites, 2011 N. Wheeler St. Plant City.

There’s no cover charge with dinner purchase.

Call (813) 752-3141 or go to redroseinnandsuites.com.

Take a chance on this

Bring your dancing queen to see Björn again, a tribute show to the Swedish pop group ABBA, at 8 p.m. in Carol Morsani Hall at the David a. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. MacInnes place, Tampa.

Björn again was created in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia, by director and musician Rod Stephen. His show, featuring touring casts of professional musicians, is seen more as a parody of ABBA than a re-creation, and has achieved worldwide cult status.

Tickets start $35 and may be purchased at strazcenter.org or (813) 229-7827.

All-novice horse show

The Florida Quarter Horse Association hosts the Tampa All Novice Quarter Horse Show Saturday and Sunday in the Charlie Lykes Arena and Covered Ring at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301 N, Tampa.

The two-day, American Quarter Horse Association-approved show features clinics at 8 a.m. each day with classes at 1 p.m. Entry fees and stall rental charges apply for participants. Admission and parking are free for spectators. Participants and visitors should enter the fairgrounds via the Orient Road entrance.

For information, go to fqha.net or call (941) 484-4687.

Dramatic movie classic

The Summer Classic Movie Series at Tampa Theatre continues with the 1945 drama “Leave her to Heaven” at 3 p.m.

This Academy Award-winning film stars Gene Tierney as Ellen Berent, a woman who bedazzles writer Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) when the two meet on a train. their courtship is swift, leading to a hasty marriage, but sadness displaces joy when a series of tragedies befall the couple. Stay for a Cinema Chat after the film.

Tickets are $9 or $7 for Tampa Theatre members and available at the box office, 711 N. Franklin St.

Learn to waltz and swing

Susan Staton will teach dances such as waltz and swing at 7 p.m. at the Red Rose Inn and Suites, 2011 N. Wheeler St., Plant City.

The cost is $10, and no partner is needed. Call (813) 752-3141.

Keyword: Entertainment, for a database of events, music, dining reviews and movies. Send event items, including a name and phone number, to Dave Nicholson at dnicholson@tampatrib.com or the Plant City Courier & Tribune, 933 Chad Lane, Tampa FL 33563; or f

Post your calendar of events at plantcity.tbo.com Post your calendar of events plantcity.tbo.com

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Do you see those flowers?

They are just a few of the ones that we have cut from the garden to bring the outdoors into our house.

And what better place to enjoy them, but in the space that I have been spending a majority of my free time lately. 

It’s funny, because I had 10 months or so of free time galore in which I could spend a full 6 hours in this space uninterrupted if I wished…..but I didn’t.

And NOW…with my boy a graduate of Kindergarten, I am yearning to create.

WEIRD.

And confusing.

But, I will say that it has been nice to spend time with my boy.  Entire days of getting back in the swing of perpetual togetherness.

We have spent a lot of time outside now that the sun has graced us with it’s presence.

(My newest gardening uniform, sorry for the blur…Eben took this one)
The gardens are thriving and the seedlings of all of the plants that I planted are well on their way to growing into full fledged vegetables.
 

I can hardly wait.

Adirondack Mama: Scenes of a weekend…

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Years ago we purchased this patio swing with a jack and jill. The cushions lasted awhile and there is nothing wrong with the set itself. So when it came time to replace the cushions, do you think we could find anything to fit? no sireeeee. New designs had since come out, the company that made the outfit we had no longer had replacements for that model, and the new stuff just didn’t fit. So we found some lovely cushions that fit great on the jack and jill and then crossed our fingers that if we bought 3 for the swing they may magically fit. no magic. So we squished them together last summer and just made due. This year I got brave. Took me long enough to get the nerve up, but finally I took the plunge and cut up one of the cushions, sewed it back together and stuck it in the middle. Viola, it fits now!

Next I need to tackle that sad weather beaten canopy. Wish me luck!
From drab to fab. The old canopy disintigrated in my hands when I took it off, with the exception of the areas that were duct taped.

hollyzhobby: Patio Swing

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top Story GUEST COLUMN: Rancho del Pueblo GC and Links across America 6/7/2010

Bob Lohmann exmaines what goes into preserving and enhancing accessable golf facilities.

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I found myself in California last month, sitting in the clubhouse at Rancho del Pueblo Golf course, a city-owned, par-3 nine in San Jose. I was there scouting, and vetting, a project for Links across America, an initiative that creates/renovates new and affordable short courses (3-9 holes). the aim is to provide golfing opportunities for young people, families and adult beginners of all means and ethnic backgrounds.

I was there with Leon McNair, who runs Links across America, and Tim Miles, CEO of Golf Visions, a Chicago-based course management firm. We were meeting in this clubhouse with representatives of the San Jose Parks and Rancho del Pueblo Golf CourseRecreation Department, talking about how Links across America could not only keep the facility open but also upgrade it. There had been talk of the city selling the property or shutting it down, but Tim Miles spoke up at one point and said, “Hey, this facility can’t close down. Just turn around and look outside.”

So we turned around and looked through the pane-glass window to the scene on the patio, where about a dozen seniors were sitting, chatting and enjoying a soda. All around them were kids of every imaginable race, color and creed — all of them either waiting to tee off, or headed to the range, or hanging out after their rounds.

“if there was ever a course that is representative of what Links across America is about, if there was ever a microcosm of what we’re trying to achieve, this little course in San Jose is it,” Leon said to me after the meeting, and I couldn’t agree more.

Continue the discussion on this and other topics at lohmann.com

Ultimately, our conclusion was that Rancho del Pueblo would, in all likelihood, not be closed. It’s surrounded by homes and they don’t want that land developed (into a strip mall or something worse). but the city, like most cities nationwide, is trying to reduce its costs — and the First Tee of San Jose is trying to preserve and enhance one of the few truly affordable, “gateway” golf facilities in area.

This is where Links across America (LAA) comes in. LAA is part of the Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation (WGCF), philanthropic arm of Wadsworth Golf Construction. Basically, Leon and LAA work with cities and park districts to identify facilities that are worth saving and upgrading. Leon pulls in various golf industry firms, plus grassroots organizations like the First Tee and local YMCAs, to put together plans for 1) operating these facilities independent of the municipalities; and 2) upgrading them so they can optimally serve the young and novice golfers we’re targeting.

I say “we” because my firm, Lohmann Golf Designs, has been involved from the get-go. Part of what makes the LAA model work is that Leon has assembled a stable of course builders, managers and architects who have agreed to provide services either gratis or at cost. once the pro formas for upgrading and managing these properties are vetted, LAA and Wadsworth Golf Charities do their part by kicking in very generous grants to get these projects redesigned, built and operating. “our contribution is really based on the two things,” Leon explained. “if it’s a project of 3 or 6 holes, the grant is in the neighborhood of  $150,000. if it’s 9 holes, it’s closer to $250,000. We bring the players to the table, and our partners are all committed to providing goods and services — and donating a portion of their profit — so we can build or improve these facilities at significantly reduced costs.

“For example, our architect partners do all the preliminary designs. if a color rendition is needed — as it often is, for fundraising — it’s all done gratis. if we go to bid and the project is a go, at that point they are paid — at cost — for construction and bid documents, plus some allocation for site visits. It’s a significant savings they make possible.”

We love Links across America, what it does and how it works. Lohmann Golf Designs was involved in the very first LAA project, the Links Learning Center at Randall Oaks, a universally accessible short course and golf practice facility scheduled to open in Dundee Township, Ill. this summer. And we can’t wait to do more, because the cause is good and the Links across America approach is so darned practical.

For example, the First Tee is a great program but it tends to concentrate on development. It’s difficult for First Tee projects to sustain the maintenance and operations of its facilities year after year. but LAA can partner with First Tee projects to provide that management vision and funding. What LAA is proposing in San Jose, it is already doing with the First Tee in Savannah, Ga., which will open this year; the First Tee of NW Arkansas will break ground on a 3-hole with driving range facility this fall, in Lowell.

LAA is also equipped to work with existing facilities that have become a financial burden to cash-strapped municipalities. Leon & Co. are willing to put this whole package together for cities, in exchange for an affordable long-term lease. in Rapid City, S.D., the YMCA has taken over a par-3 the city didn’t want, and LAA is there to get the place fixed up and running.

On the same trip to California this spring, we met with the Alameda Junior Golf Association, a 501-C3 or non-profit organization trying to save a par-3 track at the Chuck Corica Golf Complex in Alameda. same story: the city is trying to reduce debt by selling the par-3, and this group is trying to save it. What’s required? an affordable, long-term lease; some funding from LAA; and a course upgrade, because it’s long been neglected. Personally, I like to see these projects take place at existing municipal facilities, which are already known to the community as unintimidating places where kids and novices are welcome. Also, existing courses can more easily set aside 7 or 8 extra acres for a short course — then just fold its operation and maintenance costs into existing budgets.

I really enjoyed our mission to California. It’s inspiring to travel and talk with Leon. He’s clearly inspired by this work, and that inspires me.

“There are a lot of reasons for golf’s stagnant status but one reason is definitely affordability, and Links across America is a big first step, a step forward,” Leon said. “We just don’t have affordability for kids and seniors. I’m a PGA member and there are a lot of programs out there, but they are primarily aimed at teaching people how to swing a club, period. That’s Step 2.

“the problem is, we don’t have Step 3, which is teaching people how to play golf. There are thousands of questions a new golfer has when he or she is playing golf: how to rake a bunker or why, where to stand, what to do with the pin on a green… We need someone walking around with them, or playing alongside them, so they can get answers to all those questions. When we get that piece, we’ll be creating real golfers.”

Questions about or donations to Links across America should be directed to Leon McNair at . For more information, visit wadsworthgolfcharitiesfoundation.com

Golf Course Industry Magazine : GUEST COLUMN: Rancho del Pueblo GC and Links Acros

The sights and smells of summer always bring back memories of childhood.  I’m not sure why, but summer is much more nostalgic for me than other times of year.  Christmas, Thanksgiving, the first snowfall, raking leaves, flowers blooming in the spring — none of them bring back my memories as much as summer does.

The smell of freshly cut grass is a strong reminder of summertime.  it would be a weekday evening, or a Saturday afternoon, and the whir of mowers would fill my ears.  even after a long day at work, Dad still had the energy to mow at least half an acre of grass with his push mower.  Sometimes, Mom would help, even though I’m sure a full day of housework and caring for us kids was plenty to wear her out.

After the chore was finished, Mom and Dad would relax on the lawn swing, he with a can of cold Coors and she with a plastic tumbler of ice water.  My sisters and I would sit on the grass or in lawn chairs, or hang upside down from the crosspieces of the metal A-frame on which the swing hung.  Sometimes, Dad would yell “go!” for us girls to start our race, either down to the garden and back, or the trepidatious around-the-house race, which included the requirement of crossing the gravel driveway on bare feet.

Some summer evenings included a softball game in the front yard, or a soccer match (large trees served as goal posts).  Sometimes there would be a gymnastics show, with each of us girls showing off our cartwheels and round-offs.  Occasionally, there’d be a very competitive game of Horse around the basketball goal.   the outdoor experience always seemed to end with the catching and releasing of as many fireflies as we could see.

Eventually, we’d all head inside, take our baths one by one, and put on our pajamas.  there was always a baseball game on television, which Dad would listen to while he read the day’s newspaper.  Mom would be at her sewing, perhaps making me a new skirt or repairing a pair of Dad’s work pants.  I’d have my nose in a book until the croaking of the frogs on the patio caught my attention, and then I’d lie on my stomach, chin in my hands, watching them hop toward the huge windows in an attempt to catch the flies that were attracted to the light from our family room.

The night would end as I knelt to say my prayers, and then slid in between clean sheets that had been dried outside on the line.  A deep breath, and I’d be off to sleep, thankful that the next day would allow me to play and read and spend lots of time with my family again.

Summer Memories « Small Town Runner

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I was hiking with my school and we were walking on a beach. we passed a swinging bench. I thought of how much fun it would be to hang out with a girl on the beach or bench and chat.

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Published: Wednesday, June 02, 2010, 1:00 AM     Updated: Tuesday, June 01, 2010, 11:37 AM

WEDNESDAY’S CALENDAR

      LITERARY EVENTS

      National World War II Museum 945 Magazine St. “Snapshots of Normandy, ” a new exhibit with more than 70 photographs of the D-Day invasion,  is on display through June 27. Frank Anselmo presents “Hill K-9, ” a Lunchbox Lecture,  at noon. Free. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 daily. call 528.1944,  ext. 229.

      Octavia Books 513 Octavia St. Oliver Houck,  a professor of environmental law at Tulane University,  gives a presentation and signs “Down on the Batture, ” 6-7:30. call 899.7323.

      Open Mike Poetry Neutral Ground Coffee House,  5110 Danneel St. Read your own poetry or that of another,  8. Free. call 8913381.

      COMEDY

      Comedy at Boomtown Boomtown Casino,  4132 Peters Road,  Harvey. Stand up NOLA presents a series of free stand-up comedy shows Wednesdays during the summer,  7:30 and 9:30,  hosted by Skip Guidry. Kick-off show features Emmy-winning comedy writer Rahn Ramey. call 366.7711.

      COMMUNITY EVENTS

      Longue Vue House & Gardens Decorative Arts and Design Series 7 Bamboo Road. A panel of experts discusses pool and patio projects,  overhauls and easy upgrades,  10 a.m.-noon. Free,  but reservations are required. call 488.5488,  ext. 320. Bring photos of your project for expert advice.

      Kenner Planetarium Shows 2020 4th St.,  Kenner. “The Case of the Disappearing Planet, ” 10 a.m.;  “The Planets, ” 2;  “Wild Safari, ” 11 a.m. and 4;  Laser show “Laser Beatles with Laser Pop, ” noon and 3. Adult tickets $6;  $5 for seniors and children. call 468.7231,  ext. 220.

      Farmers Markets German Coast Farmers West Bank Market,  St. Charles Plaza,  Highway 90,  Luling. Produce,  plants,  breads,  pastries,  3-6:30. call 782.8517… Covington Farmers Market,  Covington Trailhead. 10 a.m.-2. call 985.892.1873.

      Book Sale Carriage House behind latter Library,  5120 St. Charles Ave. The Friends of the New Orleans Public Library hold weekly sales,  10 a.m.-2. call 891-3085.

      New Orleans Museum of Art City Park. An opening reception for a new exhibit “Swamp Tours: Exploring the Louisiana Contemporary Collection, ” 6,  with a concert by Jean -Eric in the great Hall,  at 7. Free. Cash bar.

      New Orleans Personal Computer Club Meeting Harahan Senior Center,  100 Elodie St. Professional photographer Jason Krupp presents the ins and outs of digital photography,  6:30-8:30. Free. call 982.3705.

      Planetarium Shows St. Charles Parish Library,  105 Lakewood Drive,  Luling. “The little Star that could, ” 6:30 and 7:30. Free. call 985.785.8471.

      DANCES

      Jefferson Orleans Dances,  Jefferson Orleans North,  2600 Edenborn Ave.,  Metairie. Music by the Jay Zainey Orchestra,  7 (doors open at 6:30). $10. call 454.6110.

      concerts

      Music at the Museum National World War II Museum,  945 Magazine St. The Victory Belles perform WWII classics at the Stage Door Canteen,  noon. call 528.1943.

      YLC Wednesdays at the Square Concert Series Lafayette Square,  St. Charles Avenue,  across from Gallier Hall. The series continues its 11th season with The Boogie Men plus The N’awlins Johnnys ,  5-7:30. The event also features art,  food and drinks. Sponsored by The Young Leadership Council. Free. No outside food or drink. Visit WednesdayAtTheSquare.com.

      Mission to Musicians Concert St. Anna’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall,  1313 Esplanade Ave. Medical services and gospel healing Mass,  at 6:30,  followed by a dinner-concert,  7:30-8:30. This week features jazz standards,  bossa nova and original material with vocals by Alexandra Bosworth and Spike Perkins. Suggested donation is $10. Dinner and medical services for musicians are free. call 947.2121.

      DANCE

      Noche Flamenca Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre,  616 St. Peter St. The international Flamenco touring company of three dancers,  two guitarists and two singers,  led by Soledad Barrio,  perform,  at 7. Their program contains several repertory works and solos by each dancer. Tickets start at $35. call 522.2081,  LePetitTheatre.com.

      AUDITIONS

      Jefferson Performing Arts Society Westwego Performing Arts Theatre,  177 Sala Ave. JPAS holds auditions for “The Fantasticks” June 19 at noon. Auditioners should bring a head shot,  resume and sheet music;  and prepare 16 bars of a musical theater song and a one-minute comedic monologue. Auditions are by appointment. call 885.2000,  ext. 202 or 203,  to schedule a time. Rehearsals will begin July 5.

      NIGHTCLUBS

      BMC 1331 Decatur St. Domenic,  7,  Benny Turner & Real Blues,  9:30.

      Banks Street Bar & Grill 4401 Banks St.,  486.0258. Student Funk Show,  10.

      The Beach House 2401 N. Woodlawn Ave.,  Metairie. 456.7470. Bobby Cure’s Poppa Stoppa Oldies Band,  8.

      The Bengal II 4612 Quincy St.,  Metairie. 457.2172. DJ Jewels,  8.

      Boomtown Casino 4132 Peters Road,  Harvey. 366.7711. Comedy Night featuring Rahn Ramey,  7:30 and 9:30.

      Carrollton Station 8140 Willow St.,  865.9190. Stand-up comedy open mike with Youhaint Funnybruh,  9.

      Circle Bar 1032 St. Charles Ave.,  588.2616. Jim O & the No Shows with Mama Go-Go,  6,  The Lobbyist with The Green Genes,  10.

      d.b.a. 618 Frenchmen St. 942.3731. The Mirlitones,  7,  Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters,  10.

      Deck Bar & Grille 1715 Jefferson Highway,  830.0104. Open Blues Jam with John Lisi & Delta Funk,  8:30.

      Dos Jefes Uptown Cigar Bar 5535 Tchoupitoulas St.,  891.8500. Bob Andrews,  9:30. No cover.

      The Famous Door 339 Bourbon St. 598.4334. Darren Murphy & big Soul,  3.

      Funky Pirate 727 Bourbon St.,  523.1960. big Al Carson,  8. No cover.

      House of Blues 225 Decatur St.,  529.2624. Umphrey’s McGee plus Brock Butler (of Perpetual Groove) solo acousic,  9.

      House of Blues,  The Parish 225 Decatur St.,  529.2624. Andy McKee plus Johnny Dickinson,  8.

      The Kamp 2317 Hickory Ave.,  Harahan. 737.5267. Danny Alexander Blues Band,  7.

      Maple Leaf Bar 8316 Oak St.,  866.9359. little Freddie King,  10:30.

      The Max Lounge 2501 N. Woodlawn Ave.,  Metairie. 885.1677. Jimmy B.,  8. No cover.

      Mo’s Chalet 3201 Houma Blvd.,  Metairie. 780.2961. Eddie & Earl,  7.

      Old Point Bar 545 Patterson St.,  Algiers Point. 364.0950. Open mike night,  8.

      One Eyed Jacks 615 Toulouse St.,  569.8361. Plants and Animals with Lost in Trees,  10.

      Razzoo Bar & Patio 511 Bourbon St. 522.5100. Rock Box Band,  8.

      Rock?”n’?'Bowl 3016 S. Carrollton Ave. at Earhart Boulevard. 861.1700. Swing Night with Jerry Embree,  8:30.

      Rusty Nail 1100 Constance St.,  525.5515. N’Awlins Johnnys,  9.

      Spotted Cat Music Club 623 Frenchmen St. Brett Richardson,  4,  Swing Dance Lessons,  5,  Loose Marbles,  6,  St. Louis Slim & the Frenchmen St. Jug Band,  10.

      Tropical Isle Bourbon 721 Bourbon St. 529.4109. Damien Louviere,  5,  Damien & the Garlic Truck Band,  9. No cover.

      Tropical Isle Original 600 Bourbon St. plan B,  5,  Late as Usual,  9.

      Tropical Isle Bayou Club Cajun/Zydeco side,  600 Bourbon St. Can’t Hardly Play Boys,  5,  T’Canaille,  9.

      little Tropical Isle 435 Bourbon St. Frank Fairbanks,  4:30,  Frank Duo,  9. No cover.

      JAZZ

      Arnaud’s Jazz Bistro 813 Bienville St. (corner of Bourbon Street),  523.2847. Gumbo Trio,  6:30.

      Cafe Beignet 311 Bourbon Sat.,  587.0727. Steamboat Willie Jazz Band,  2.

      Carousel Bar 214 Royal St. (in Hotel Monteleone),  523.3341. John Autin,  9.

      Columns Hotel 3811 St. Charles Ave.,  899.9308. Riccardo Crespo,  8. No cover.

      Creole Queen Paddlewheeler Spanish Plaza at Canal and Poydras streets at the river. 524.0814. Dinner jazz cruise with the New Orleans Spice Jazz Trio,  7.

      Houston’s Restaurant 1755 St. Charles Ave.,  524.1579. Garden District Trio featuring David Hansen,  Jeff Lashway and Chris Sharkey,  5:30.

      Maison on Frenchmen 508 Frenchmen St. Ryan Rooney,  4,  Coleman Jernigan Project,  10.

      The Market Cafe 1000 Decatur St.,  527.5000. Bobby love and Andy K,  4.

      Palm Court Jazz Cafe 1204 Decatur St.,  525.0200. Lars Edegran & Topsy Chapman with the Palm Court Jazz Band,  8.

      Snug Harbor 626 Frenchmen St.,  949.0696. Delfeayo Marsalis with the Uptown Jazz Orchestra,  8 and 10.

      Steamboat Natchez Toulouse Street Wharf at Jax Brewery. 569.1401. Midday cruise with Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers,  11:30 a.m. and 2:30;  dinner jazz cruise with The Dukes of Dixieland,  7.

      Windsor Court Hotel 300 Gravier St.,  523.6000. Polo Club Lounge: Zaza,  7.

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How often do you get a second chance to create your perfect garden?

Karen and Robert Guthrie bought a Fox Chapel house in 1982 and raised three children there.

“I gardened till 9 at night,” she remembers. “The kids would drag me into the house.”

Then, in 1993, they moved to Shadyside to be closer to Dr. Guthrie’s work as a pediatrician/neonatologist at Allegheny General Hospital in the North side. Mrs. Guthrie’s new garden in Shadyside was “this big,” she says, spreading her arms about 6 feet wide.

In 2000, they looked to move back to Fox Chapel and — surprise! — their old house was back on the market, with a small addition that included a larger kitchen and a family room with big arched windows looking into the back yard.

Mrs. Guthrie finally had a garden that was visible from anywhere in the house. What she has done with it will be revealed Sunday as part of the ORT Garden Tour.

Six gardens in the Fox Chapel area will be open beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday. Some are more spectacular than Mrs. Guthrie’s, like Jim and Fritz Mitnick’s garden, which was a winner of the 2004 Great Gardens Contest (see the entry form for the 2010 contest on Page D-7). but you would be hard-pressed to find one that blends the outdoors and indoors better than the Guthries.’

“It’s lovely to be able to bring the garden inside,” Mrs. Guthrie says.

In addition to enjoying back garden views from both the living room and family room, she often cuts flowers and foliage for display in glass vases in those rooms. Earlier this week, the family room was brightened by epimedium leaves and a fern spray.

Mrs. Guthrie’s ideal garden would have only white flowers. but because no garden is ever ideal (or finished), hers also sports the faded red flowers of Carolina allspice, yellow Asiatic lilies, purple French lilacs and ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeas so blue they’ll make you jealous. Hearing that she wished they were white only adds to the envy.

The blue mophead hydrangea bushes are framed by the newest addition to the garden — a white columned pergola that supports a large porch swing. Mrs. Guthrie had always wanted a swing, so three years ago, she and some gardener friends (she’s president of the Linden Garden Club) designed a pergola with paper, pencils and string. The Johnson Brothers from her hometown of Canonsburg poured a new stamped concrete patio to replace a smaller brick one that had become “all cattywampus.”

Despite everyone’s efforts, her first look at the pergola brought only horror.

“I thought I had made a mistake. It looked like a carport,” she said.

But that was only because it was so new. As roses, clematis, hydrangeas and other plants grew around it, it seemed to shrink and soften. It now fits nicely into the landscape.

Mrs. Guthrie said she has always struggled with the concept of scale in her garden. The first time she planted the curving beds close to the patio, she filled them with perennials that were all too small; they disappeared. To give the space structure and varying scale, she turned to designer Gregg Friday, who suggested oakleaf hydrangea, viburnums and other large shrubs.

“He gave my garden form,” she says, though she was the one who decided to anchor one side of the garden with a rail fence painted white and who chose tan pea gravel for the curving paths. She says she learns from visiting others’ gardens, from classes and from lectures offered by her club.

She obviously needs no lessons in texture. The few annuals she bought this year — New Guinea impatiens, begonias, tiny star-flowered pentas, ‘Icicles’ licorice plant (Helichrysum thianschanicum) and a huge potted Hills Boston fern — offer perfect counterpoints to the large leaves of blue and green hostas and smaller-leafed epimedium, Lenten rose and lamium in the back beds.

The entrance to the back garden from the driveway shows she has now learned the lessons of scale. a white picket fence defines the space and a large sweet autumn clematis arches over the gate. In this shade garden, she has planted old-fashioned favorites from her childhood in Washington County, including jack-in-the-pulpit, ferns, wood poppies and goats-beard. no wonder one of her favorite garden books is “The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady” by Edith Holden, published in 1906.

This is one of her favorite places because she can watch, as she gets in and out of her car every day, the wonder of her garden coming to life in the spring:

“First, there’s nothing but boxwoods. Then, magically, something comes up, then something else — I love it!” she says, grinning.

Tickets are $30 each for the ORT Garden Tour to benefit the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of ORT America, which provides educational, technological and scientific opportunities to students around the world. They can be purchased at 425 Windmere Drive, Fox Chapel (15238) on tour day. Information: Barbara Tisherman at 412-683-0207.

first published on June 26, 2010 at 12:00 am

Garden interrupted: Fox Chapel woman makes the most of her 2nd chance with old-fashioned plants, white flowers

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