text:
|Yellow, Orange, Red
|Plant Lighting:
|Partial Shade/Shade
|Season Color:
|Spring, Summer
|Max Height (feet):
|Max Spread:
|Planting Zones:
|Deer Resistant:
|Hummingbird Attracting:
|Butterfly Attracting:
|Drought Tolerant:
|Cut Flower:
|Botanical Name:
|Heuchera 'Caramel' PP6560
|Additional Characteristics:
|Good for containers!
Begonias, such as this Skaugum Begonia, are well-suited to containers.
Growing in containers saves space, but it's also a smart alternative if you are restricted by too much shade, poor soil, too little time, limited mobility or a difficult climate. Container gardens can be much more productive than a regular garden while allowing you to avoid most pest and disease problems. Best of all, it brings your garden right up close, creating a sense of intimacy that you don't get in an ordinary backyard garden.
Almost anything can serve as a container for growing plants. In addition to terra cotta, plastic or pressed fiber pots, you can use recycled whiskey barrels, 5-gallon food buckets, bushel baskets, plastic tubs, wooden planter boxes, even old tires! Self-watering planters, which have built-in water reservoirs, are great innovations.
The size of container that you use should be determined by the plants you plan to grow. Begonias may get by in a 6-inch deep container, but don't try to grow a canna in a container that holds less than 3 gallons of soil. The general rule is to use the largest container possible, because the more soil there is, the more root space there will be—and the longer your plants can go between waterings.
Make sure the containers have drainage holes—on the sides rather than the bottom if possible—so excess water can drain and roots won't get waterlogged. For large pots with drainage holes on the bottom, elevate the pots on bricks or scraps of wood so that the water can escape.
In general, a 20-gallon pot should have four to six 3/4-inch holes; a 30-gallon pot should have at least eight 1-inch holes. You can put stones or bits of crockery in the bottom of the pot, but with a well-aerated soil mix, this is unnecessary and will only steal valuable root space.
Once you have chosen the right container, you are ready to pick a soil mix. Soil for container-grown plants should be light and friable, well drained and moisture-retentive. Garden soil is much too dense and can introduce disease and insect problems. Most container-grown plants are happiest in a soilless blend comprised of sphagnum moss, vermiculite or perlite, with the addition of finished compost.
Topmix Dahlia
Because they bloom constantly, Topmix Dahlias make ideal windowbox plants.
Because they bloom constantly, Topmix Dahlias make ideal windowbox plants.
It's easy to purchase a pre-mixed blend, but you can also create your own mixes, using the following recipes as a guide.
Organic Blend: 5 gallons finished compost, 1 gallon builder's sand, 1 gallon vermiculite or perlite, 1 cup granular-all purpose organic fertilizer.
Standard Blend (Cornell Mix): 1 bushel vermiculite, 1 bushel ground sphagnum moss, 8 tablespoons super phosphate, 8 tablespoons ground limestone, 2 cups bone meal.
Light Blend (for rooftops): 5 gallons ground sphagnum moss, 5 gallons vermiculite or perlite, 2 gallons compost, 1 cup granular all-purpose fertilizer.
Any soil mix will become compacted over time. If your containers seem water-logged and heavy, you may need to replace your soil mix at the start of a new growing season with a fresh mix.
If you go off to work in the morning without watering your windowboxes or patio containers, you are likely to come home to droopy, if not dead plants. When plants get too dry, their delicate feeder roots die and the plant must concentrate its energy on re-growing damaged roots rather than producing fruit or flowers.
That means unless you use self-watering planters or have a drip-irrigation system, you'll probably need to check on your plants daily, and maybe even twice a day if the weather is really hot. If you have more than a few planters, and especially if you travel, a drip-irrigation system is ideal.
Three Watering Innovations for Containers
Watering Tips
Because most potting mixes provide few nutrients, your plants will be totally dependent on you for their food. Add granular organic fertilizer at planting time, then water weekly with half-strength, water-soluble fertilizer. Foliar feed with seaweed or fish emulsion for a quick pick-me-up if your plants look stressed or have been cut back.
Each week during the growing season, remove spent flowers and pinch back leggy stems. When necessary, replace tired plants with some fresh annuals, especially late-season favorites, such as ornamental kale and mums.
If you plan to overwinter some of your potted plants, they should be cut back and put in a cool location. Water sparingly and do not fertilize until spring. Once warm weather arrives, remove plants from their containers, tease away old soil, and repot the plants in a fresh soil blend.
Some sort of vertical support is a necessity for container-grown tomato plants, cucumbers, and flowering vines. Trellises can also add a beautiful vertical accent when covered with morning glories or sweet peas. Keep the scale of the trellis in proportion to the pot, and be sure to attach it securely using brackets or wires. Losing a mature tomato plant or flower-covered trellis to an August thunderstorm can be heartbreaking.
This planter has been layered with bulbs, which ensures a longer season of bloom.
If you are short on garden space or do not have access to a garden, you can still enjoy the beauty of spring-flowering bulbs. Most spring-flowering bulbs can be grown in a container as well as in the garden. To be successful requires some special attention, but the colorful spring results are well worth the effort. The one essential step is to expose the potted bulbs to at least 12 weeks of temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees F.
You can choose your own bulbs, or, to make things simple, you can use Dutch Gardens' Bulb Beds for Pots. The planting trays are made to fit a 10- to 12-in. pot.
Choosing a Container: The size of container that you use should be determined by the number of bulbs you want to plant. Regardless of the diameter of the pot, we recommend using a container that is at least 8 inches deep. Make sure the container has drainage holes—on the sides rather than the bottom if possible—so excess water can drain and roots won't get waterlogged. Self-watering pots are not recommended for growing spring-blooming bulbs.
Choosing a Potting Mix: Once you have chosen a container, you are ready to select a soil mix. Soil for container-grown plants should be light and friable, well drained and moisture-retentive. Garden soil is much too dense and can introduce disease and insect problems. Your bulbs will grow best in a soilless blend comprised of milled sphagnum moss and vermiculite or perlite, with the addition of some finished compost.
Drainage: When spring-blooming bulbs fail to flower, it's most often because the bulbs have been too wet during the winter. To ensure good drainage, we recommend lining the bottom of your container with an inch or two of stones or pieces of broken pots. Make sure that excess moisture can drain away so the pot is never in standing water.
Layered bulbs
Start by placing several inches of potting mix on top of the drainage material. Big bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, should be planted 6 inches deep. Smaller bulbs, such as crocuses and muscari, need to be about 3 inches below the soil surface. Place enough soil on the bottom of your container to allow for the proper planting depth of your bulbs, taking into account that the finished soil surface should be about 1-inch below the top of the pot.
If you will be planting more than one type of bulb in the same container, plant the bulbs with the deepest planting requirement first (tulips and daffodils), followed by an inch of two of potting soil. Then add the bulbs that have shallower planting requirements (crocus and muscari). This planting technique, called layering, will provide you with a succession of blooms and give your container a very full look.
Watering: After planting, water the container thoroughly. Don't allow the soil to dry out completely during the winter. If you don't receive enough rain to moisten the soil or if you are storing the container in a covered area, such as a shed or garage, water the container regularly enough to maintain "barely moist" soil-about once a month.
Cold Protection & Cold Treatment: For proper flower formation, spring-blooming bulbs must be exposed to a minimum of 12 weeks of temperatures below 45 degrees F. If you are growing spring-blooming bulbs in containers, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Skilled designers combine plants and "hardscape" (stone, fencing, lighting and decorations), to create a beautiful garden.
Experienced gardeners have no problem deciding when to plant their peas, how deep to put their tulip bulbs, or how much to water their geraniums. But when it comes to garden design, even the most seasoned gardeners begin to sweat. We can spend weeks trying to find the perfect spot for a new shrub; spend an entire winter sketching plans for a new perennial garden; and agonize for years about how to reconfigure the front walk. Why do we find these decisions so paralyzing?
One reason may be that garden design is perceived as the work of experts: landscape architects, landscape designers, garden designers, and landscape contractors. Yet some of the most beautiful gardens in the world were not designed by experts. Sissinghurst, the home and gardens of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, is a perfect example. So, too, are the gardens of Tasha Tudor and Thomas Jefferson. These gardens are the result of an attentive eye, a sensitive hand, and many years of experimentation—skills that are not the exclusive property of design professionals. Our goal in this article is to help you overcome the garden design jitters, and give you the confidence to finally remove that hedge of overgrown yews, install a flagstone path, or decide where to put a water garden.
Some gardeners wouldn't dream of planting anything without having a comprehensive design and planting plan for their entire yard. Others don't think about "designing" their gardens until several years down the road. And still other gardeners never develop a long-range or a short-range plan. They do their planning in the moment, poised with a shovel and a couple of homeless plants.
Which approach is right for you? It depends entirely on who you are and what you are comfortable with. If you have the confidence to forge ahead and follow your intuition, do so! If you feel the need to get some professional advice, then that's the best alternative for you. Both approaches are equally valid.
It is good to remember that there is no ultimate garden design for your property. There are as many different designs as there are gardeners. And even if you had a detailed plan that you executed perfectly, tomorrow would bring a new interest, a new challenge, and a whole new set of design decisions. The trees will mature and turn your sunny meadow into a shady glade. The weeping cherry that anchored your spring bulb garden will die and need to be replaced. You will tire of the cottage garden and develop a passion for dwarf conifers. In garden design there are no "right" decisions. What you have is a delightful (though sometimes unnerving) opportunity to express yourself. The hardest part may be trusting your own intuition, and allowing yourself to experiment as you evolve your own unique garden design.
One of the most valuable design tools is a site plan, or bird's-eye view of your yard. Seeing your garden on paper makes it much easier to identify underlying design elements such as traffic patterns, scale, and symmetry. A professional designer will give you a site plan that is precisely drawn to scale, but your own rough sketch or a survey map will be adequate for all but the most complex landscape designs. Once you have a plan to work from, you can start to indicate the positive and negative features of your yard (trees, shrubs, fences, outbuildings, pathways, views) and natural environmental factors such as light conditions and soil or drainage problems. Pathways and garden areas can be sketched right on the plan. If you enlarge sections of the plan, you can also use it to create your planting map.
Should you hire a professional landscaper or garden designer to help you with your site plan? If you have the means and desire to do so, it will probably be money well spent. Professional advice will always give you a valuable new perspective on your yard and gardens. You may follow their recommendations to the letter, or select only the elements that you find most appealing or most manageable. It is not necessary to contract for a full-scale site plan. Most designers will be very willing to focus their attention on a particular area (like the entryway). One well-conceived and well-executed feature may go a long way toward identifying a design style that you can then carry forward yourself.
What follows is a list of design principles that are common to all the creative arts, whether it be painting, music, literature, or garden design. Don't let them intimidate you. Just use them as tools to help you see.
Style. Every garden has a style or personality to it. Unless you have a very large yard that is divided into distinct areas or "rooms," it can be difficult to gracefully accommodate lots of different garden styles in one garden. Begin by thinking about whether you want your garden to have a formal or informal look. Consider your site, the style of your home, and your own personality. Though you don't have to be too rigorous about striving for a consistent style, you'll want to avoid a jumble of diverse and unrelated elements.
Flow. A garden is more pleasing if there is a logical progression from one area to the next. Think about how you would like someone to view and move through your garden. Paths are one way to connect some of the various parts to achieve a sense of order and cohesiveness. Focal points, such as a piece of sculpture, a distinctive tree, or a captivating view, can be used to draw the eye and pull us forward into a new space.
Scale. Scale is about proportions - how the sizes and shapes of things relate to each other. A 3 x 6-foot island bed floating in a half-acre sea of lawn will be seriously out of scale. The same will be true of a dwarf apple tree located in front of a two-story colonial house. Most scale problems are due to skimpiness, such as beds and paths that are too narrow, or plantings that are too small and tentative. If in doubt, err on the side of boldness and generosity.
Rhythm. By repeating plants and materials, you can produce a sense of rhythm, order, and predictability. Too much repetition is monotonous, but, as in music, variations on a theme are pleasing. You may want to repeat certain distinctive plant materials, such as the spearlike foliage of an ornamental grass or the velvety gray of lavender or santolina. Repeating splashes of color will also establish a rhythm in the garden and help to guide the eye. But don't be a slave to repetition. The best gardens always leave room for the unexpected—a giant pot of agapanthus, a whimsical birdhouse in a tangle of morning glories, or a blood-red rose tumbling over a stone wall.
Symmetry and balance. Humans seem to be naturally attracted to symmetry—toward creating perfectly balanced features. Our bodies are symmetrical, as are the cars we drive, the arrangement of windows in our homes, and often the shrubs that flank the front door. Used judiciously, perfect symmetry can be a powerfully appealing design technique. But when overused it can become stiff and boring. The natural landscape, which we also find visually pleasing, is not governed by symmetry. In nature, something more subtle is at work, something artists and designers refer to as balance. Balance is an essential factor in garden design. It refers to visual weight: a birch clump balanced by a large bed of hosta; a brick pathway balanced by a wide swath of lawn; orange Oriental poppies balanced by deep blue lupines. In these examples, the two elements are not identical in size, shape, or color, but there is a response from each side that balances the other. Successful garden design incorporates both symmetry and balance.
One thing great gardens share is a sense of place. Entering them is like entering a home—you are wrapped in a particular environment that is very different from the world outside. As in a home, the walls, roof, and floor help give a garden its unique character. When designing your own garden, you can use these aspects to create "rooms" in which plants are arranged in a context rather than floating in space.
Walls. English flower borders almost always have a background behind them. In England, this is usually a tall stone or brick wall or an evergreen hedge. The backdrop serves to stop your eye from roving and allows you to focus on the intended view. Most American gardeners don't make use of this very effective technique, and our gardens often get lost in the larger scene. Whenever possible, anchor your garden by placing something behind it: a structure, a fence, or a planting of shrubs. Remember to keep it simple. The objective is to direct the eye to the foreground, not create a competing element.
Roofs. Though there are plenty of very successful gardens that are totally exposed to the sky, most of us are naturally attracted to more sheltered, intimate spaces: a garden that's been carved out of a woodland or is nestled beneath an ancient apple tree. We are, for the same reason, drawn to arbors, bowers, allees, and pergolas. The roof need not cover your entire garden. Including the experience of enclosure somewhere in your garden—it can be as simple as an arbor at the entrance—will help to create that sense of being in a special environment set apart from the rest of the world.
Paths. Paths lead us through a garden and link one area to another. Paths in themselves are an age-old comfort, showing us the way we are to travel, assuring us of a progression that is safe and intentional. The paving material and the way the paths are laid out can help define the style of the garden. A meandering pathway made of flat stones spaced several inches apart will have an intimate, informal feel; a wide brick path suggests neatness and order; a broad path of closely mown lawn conveys grandeur and expansiveness. Paths also create edges that suggest where new plants or even entire gardens could be located.
Plants themselves can be important design elements, though few gardeners actually use them this way. The arching branches of a well-pruned cherry tree can frame an entire garden. The repetition of the spiky foliage of Japanese iris can be used to unify a long border. If you take the time to notice and experiment with the form, texture, and color of plants, you will discover a whole new palette of design elements with which to work. form. This is a three-dimensional consideration that takes into account the shapes and volumes of the plants in your garden.
A variety of different forms makes a garden interesting, but too much diversity can create visual confusion. Trees and shrubs often have characteristic forms that should be carefully combined to avoid clashing. Flowers, too, have characteristic shapes: the rounded heads of alliums, verbena, and globe thistle; the vertical spikes of delphinium, snapdragons, and veronica; the diaphanous look of baby's-breath and Queen Anne's lace; the strong architectural lines of a 5-foot martagon lily. You can experiment by grouping plants with the same form into a drift, or by repeating a pleasing composition of different forms several times.
Texture. Plants have a tactile quality that can be used as a valuable design tool. Think about how the glossy leaves of holly, magnolia, and roses contrast with the suede-like foliage of lamb's ears, heliotrope, and coleus. Or how the fat and fleshy leaves of a sedum differ from the needle-like foliage of rosemary or the quilted leaves of a blue-green hosta. Flowers also provide textural interest. They can be rich and velvety like a rose, or as thin and translucent as a poppy. Even tree bark contributes textural interest - especially during the winter months.
Color. Entire books have been written about using color as a design tool. You can approach color as a technician, using the color wheel to create harmonious combinations, or you can use your own eyes and emotions to guide you in creating the look and feel you want. Combining colors in new and interesting ways offers a lifetime of exciting possibilities.
As a general rule, red, orange and yellow are colors that jump out at you. They are lively and stimulating, and give the impression that they are closer to the eye than they actually are. If you plant too many hot-colored flowers, and don't balance them with cool-colored, less assertive plants, your garden will be a jumble of blaring trumpets. Green, blue, and violet are cool colors. In the garden these flowers create a more soothing, restful feeling, and tend to recede into the distance.
Visiting other people's gardens may be the best source of design inspiration. Take along a camera or sketch pad to capture features that you find particularly successful or appealing. Notice when some of the design techniques described above are being used. Don't be afraid to ask questions about what the gardener was trying to achieve.
Glossy picture books of gardens run a close second for design inspiration. They have the distinct advantage of being available for perusal year-round. Use sticky notes to mark images that capture your attention, then go back and review your choices to see where the similarities lie. Comparing and contrasting different types of gardens can be very useful in helping you decide what sort of look attracts you. If you are gravitating toward a theme garden (colonial, Japanese, Southwestern, English cottage), you'll find dozens of books that illustrate the design features and techniques that distinguish these styles.
Some garden design books include complete planting plans that are theme-oriented, or are specific to a certain type of site. They usually provide a site plan, a planting list, and an elevation drawing that shows what the garden will look like at eye level. You can follow the plan, or pick and choose the elements that appeal to you.
Creative gardeners read garden design books the way creative cooks read recipe books. Don't feel compelled to follow the garden design verbatim. You can lift ideas here and there, and combine them into your own unique expression.
Some purists believe that ornamentation—trellises, furniture, sculpture, and decorative planters—has no place in the garden. Others fill their gardens with so many decorative elements that it can be difficult to find the plants. Used judiciously, the furnishings and decorative features that you incorporate in your garden help give it style and character.
Decorative elements can be characterized as formal, informal, or somewhere in between. This has something to do with what the piece is (a whirligig versus a Japanese lantern), but also what the piece is made of. Fanciful wooden birdhouses and split-rail fencing have a casual, country feeling; whereas a bronze nude or a Grecian urn are more elegant and formal. When choosing decorative elements for your garden, the challenge is to select items that appeal to you, and that will also fit harmoniously with the style you are trying to achieve and any other decorative objects that you already own.
For many gardeners, there's nothing like a full perennial border with a crisp edge of lawn.
Perennial plants are the backbone of nearly every flower garden. Unlike annual plants, which must be replanted each spring, herbaceous perennials die to the ground at the end of the season, and then regrow from the same roots the following year. People grow perennial flowers because they are such easy-care, dependable performers, and because they offer an enormous variety of color, texture and form. Here are the basics of garden design, plant selection and care.
The lifespan, bloom time, culture and form of perennial plants varies greatly. Some species, such as lupines and delphinium, are so called "short-lived" perennials, with a lifespan of just three or four years. Others may live as long as fifteen years, or even, in the case of peonies, a lifetime. Bloom time may last for only two weeks each year, or may extend over two or three months.
Some perennials, such as primroses, require deep humusy soil and plenty of shade, while others such as threadleaf coreopsis and cushion spurge wither away unless they grow in well-drained soil and full sun. Some perennials contain themselves in a nice, neat mound, while others, such as gooseneck loosestrife, will take over your entire garden. Some species should be cut back in midsummer, while others, such as hybrid lilies, may die if you remove their foliage.
There are so many different species and cultivars of perennial flowers to choose from that few people ever become completely familiar with all the options. For the perennial gardener, books are an invaluable resource. They provide photographs for identification (and inspiration!), cultural information, a description of growth habits, bloom time, color and characteristics of special cultivars. Invest in a good how-to book that has cultural information, and a color encyclopedia to help you identify plants and plan your selections.
What's in a Name?
It may be hard to believe, but scientific plant names are used to avoid confusion, not create it. They are developed by taxonomists to ensure that the same plant is called the same name throughout the world, regardless of language. Scientific plant names are usually a combination of Latin and Greek.
Common names, such as "bleeding heart," are often used to refer to all the plants in a genus and are useful unless you want to ensure you are purchasing a 24-inch high, spring-blooming bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) rather than the ever-blooming species known as the fringed bleeding heart, which is only 12 inches high (Dicentra eximia). To learn more about botanical names, look for a copy of Gardener's Latin by Bill Neal (Algonquin Books, 1992).
Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba': (old-fashioned white bleeding heart)
Dicentra: The first name is the genus. It is always capitalized.
spectabilis: The second name is the species. It is not capitalized.
'Alba': The third name, which appears in single quotes, is the cultivar (cultivated variety).
Fellow gardeners are another great source of information about perennials. They can give you firsthand details about bloom time, height, hardiness and cultural requirements, and, if you visit their gardens, you can also see for yourself what the plants really look like up close. Nothing beats seeing a plant in a garden setting, where you can observe how it is being used. You may even go home with some pass-along plants for your own garden.
There's just no way to know how a plant will do for you unless you give it a try. If it turns out to be too tall, the color is wrong, or the plant doesn't thrive, you can always move it and try something different.
Few if any "perennial gardens" contain only herbaceous perennials. Woody plants, such as shrubs, roses, and trees, are often incorporated to provide a backdrop for the perennial plants, or are used to fill in and give mass to the bed or border. Many gardeners include annuals or biennials in their perennial gardens to provide splashes of dependable color throughout the season. Bulbs are added for early spring color and ornamental grasses for their interesting textures and late-season beauty.
Traditionally, perennial gardens have been laid out in one of two ways: a border or an island bed. A border is typically a long, rectangular flower bed that is about two to four feet deep. The classic English perennial border, which was so popular in the first half of the 20th century, was often as much as eight feet deep and 200-feet long. But for most home gardeners, a better size is about three feet deep and about 12 to 15 feet long.
Borders are usually viewed from only one side, and are located in front of a backdrop. This backdrop may be created with shrubs, a hedge, a fence or a stone wall. A well-defined front edge is important. You may design a solo border, or a matched pair. When selecting plants, keep in mind that borders usually look best when there is a repeating theme of plants and colors.
An island bed is a garden that floats in a "sea" of lawn. The shape is irregular, with gentle curves and no sharp corners. It is usually designed to be viewed from all sides, with the tallest plants positioned along the center line of the bed, and the shortest plants around the edges. Island beds look best when they are generous in size. A good size for an island bed is 8-by-15 feet, with the tallest plants reaching a height of about five feet.
Of course perennial flower gardens sometimes look nothing like a traditional border or island bed. Rock gardens break all the rules, for the objective is usually to create an irregular, natural-looking rock outcropping where tiny alpine plants can be featured.
Shade gardens are often irregularly-shaped, because they follow the natural shade patterns of the trees above. Another emerging style for perennial gardens is the large, free-form garden. In this case, the garden is defined by a series of meandering paths that lead the viewer right into and then through the plantings. Perennial flowers can also be mixed in among shrubs, planted around your mailbox, used in woodland or streamside plantings, or even planted in containers.
The appearance of a perennial garden depends as much upon the shapes of your plants and how they are arranged, as upon their colors.
Height: You'll want to place the tallest plants in the back of the border, or in the center of an island bed, then work down in height, ending with the shortest plants around the edges of an island bed or the front of a border. Books and labels usually list the average mature height for a plant in bloom. Remember that many plants hold their flowers well above the foliage. This means that when the plant is out of bloom, it may be much shorter than the specified height.
Heights are also an average. When grown in poor, dry soil, a plant may be only half as tall as the same plant grown in rich, moist soil. Be prepared to move your plants around once you see how tall (or short) they really grow. Even the most experienced gardeners rearrange their plants (usually more than once!).
Width: A plant's width, or spread, is just as important as its height. Width figures given in books or on labels are also an average. The actual width of a plant will vary depending on soils, geographical location and the age of the plant. Be careful about locating slow-growers very close to rapid spreaders. The former may all but disappear by the end of the first growing season.
Spacing: Patience is a virtue, but when most people plant a perennial garden, their goal is to create a full effect as soon as possible. The challenge is to plant thickly, but not break the bank, or create a crowded, unhealthy situation two or three years down the line. When planting a grouping or "drift" of the same kind of plants, you can put them closer together to create a massed look more quickly.
Another trick is to place short-lived plants between slower-growing, long-lived plants. Most peonies, for example, have an ultimate spread of three feet, but it may take seven years for them to reach this size. While you're waiting, you could interplant with Shasta daisies, a fast-growing, short-lived plant that will provide a full look and plenty of flowers while the peonies get themselves established.
Drifts versus specimens: A garden planted with groupings of five or more plants of the same variety will display drifts of repeating colors and textures. In this type of garden, plants are used primarily as design elements that add up to a pleasing and integrated visual effect.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the collector's garden, filled with onezies and twozies of all different kinds of plants. These are the gardens of people who simply love plants and want to have one of everything. The look of this type of garden may be a jumble of colors and textures, and maintenance is usually more challenging, but these gardens are about plants first, and design second.
When it comes to deciding which perennials to plant, most of us are not very deliberate about our choices. We succumb to a luscious photo in a catalog, stumble upon an irresistible beauty at the nursery, or a neighbor sends us home with a bag full of cast-offs. If you ever do set out to make an informed and deliberate choice, here are some of the things that you should think about.
Your site: Perennials, like all plants, will live longer and be healthier and more floriferous if they are planted in a location that suits them. Does your garden have sandy soil or is it heavy clay? Is it in the sun or shade? Is the soil moist or droughty? Is the pH high, low, or neutral? Is the site flat, gently sloped, or steep? A good reference book can help you figure out which plants will probably be happy in the growing conditions that you can provide.
Hardiness: If a plant is not hardy in your growing zone, it will not survive the winter. If you don't know which zone you live in, check a USDA Hardiness Zone Map. Though knowing your zone is very important, altitude, wind exposure, soils and snow cover can have a dramatic impact on plant hardiness, effectively shifting the hardiness rating for your garden by as much as a full zone.
For best results, choose plants that are well within your zone. You will probably be tempted by those that are at or even just beyond your growing zone. If you can afford to take the gamble (financially and emotionally), it can be very rewarding to discover that you can grow a couple of Zone 5 plants in your Zone 4 garden. Where snow cover is not dependable, a winter mulch of leaves or straw can help marginally hardy plants survive a cold winter. Well-drained soil is also a benefit. Heavy, wet soils will often heave and damage plant roots.
Northern gardeners concern themselves with the minimum temperatures that a plant will tolerate, but Southern gardeners must also pay attention to zone ratings. Many popular perennials, including lupines, peonies, and garden phlox, must be exposed to a period of subfreezing temperatures to produce a good display of flowers. Other perennials will simply not tolerate long periods of heat and humidity.
Color: In working with color, aim for a balance of integration and contrast. Too much of the same color can be monotonous, yet a cacophony of different colors can be jarring rather than pleasing to the eye. You may want to organize your garden around one color; or choose a theme such as pastels, cool colors, or hot colors. You can also experiment with different color themes in different parts of your garden—hot colors by the front door and cool colors in a quieter part of the yard.
Remember that few perennials are in bloom for more than a couple of weeks each year. Most of the time, plants are green, and it is their leaf form and foliage texture that are the "color" in your garden.
Bloom time: A perennial may be in bloom for two weeks a year or for as long as three months. If your objective is all-season color, choose several plants from each bloom season. When selecting plants for a spring garden, concentrate on those that bloom during April and May. After that peak, the garden may lack color for the rest of the season, but you will have achieved a spectacular spring display. For best effect, group at least two or three different varieties of plants together that will bloom at the same time.
Remember that specified bloom time is only an average. In California, April may be the peak bloom time for bearded iris, yet in Vermont, the same plant will not bloom until early June. Recording the bloom times of various perennials in your garden will become an invaluable reference. No book, no matter how good, will be as accurate as your own observations about when plants bloom and how they perform in your own garden.
Seedling, potted or field-grown: When purchasing perennials, try to get the largest, most mature plant that you can afford. The bigger the plant, the more quickly it will fill out and the sooner it will begin blooming. Typically plants are available in pot sizes ranging from 3-inch diameter to 12-inch diameter. Pot-grown perennials can be planted from spring through fall, and will suffer minimal transplant shock.
Some mail-order companies ship their plants bareroot (without soil). Bareroot perennials are usually available only in early spring when the plants are still dormant. The roots must be kept moist, and the plant should be put into the garden as soon as possible (within a couple of days). Once the plant is in the ground and has emerged from its dormant state, it will take hold relatively fast.
A few local nurseries still offer field-grown perennials. These plants are dug up when you come for them and they need to be transplanted immediately (within a few hours) to minimize transplant shock. Field-grown perennials are usually the largest and most mature plants around, but today most nurseries only offer container-grown perennials.
Vigor: Vigor can be good, but it can also create problems. Plants that are too vigorous can invade neighboring plants and gradually take over your entire garden. Determining a plant's propensity for invasiveness can be difficult, because poor growing conditions can render a normally invasive plant relatively tame, whereas in fertile soil, a normally restrained plant may exhibit invasive tendencies.
Look closely at plant descriptions and be wary of those described as "vigorous." This may be a euphemism for an invasive plant that you'll wish you never set eyes on. Perennials with a reputation for invasiveness include: bamboo, Macleaya cordata (plume poppy), Physostegia virginiana (obedient plant), Monarda (bee balm), Artemisia ludoviciana (Silver King artemisia), Lysimachia clethroides (gooseneck loosestrife), Tanacetum vulgare (tansy), Aegopodium (goutweed), and Boltonia asteroides.
Though most flowering perennials are dependable, easy-care performers, all perennial gardens require some maintenance. Here are the eight most important steps to ensure a healthy and floriferous garden:
1. Fertilizing
Most perennials are not heavy feeders and they will be happy with one spring application of a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer (5-10-5). For established plantings, scratch in a good handful of fertilizer around each plant. Annual or biennial applications of aged manure or finished compost will restore trace elements and improve soil texture and water retention.
2. Watering
A perennial garden does not require as much water as a vegetable garden. Depending on where you live, if you select plants suited to your site, and mulch them well, you may not need to water at all. If you live where summers are very dry and you do need to water, try to water deeply and avoid getting water on the foliage (soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems are great for perennial gardens).
3. Mulching
By early summer, a densely planted perennial garden will shade out most weeds. But a new garden, a spring garden or a garden that is more sparsely planted, will benefit from some kind of mulch. The mulch will keep weeds to a minimum and help retain moisture in the soil.
The aesthetics of the mulch are as important as the function. Your garden will look best with a finely textured material such as shredded leaves, dry grass clippings, peanut shells, cocoa hulls or shredded bark. Big chunks of bark, newspaper or straw will overpower your plants.
4. Neat Edges
A neat, cleanly defined edge between your lawn and flower bed will give your garden a professional look. You can achieve this in one of two ways: get a nice sharp edging tool and recut the edge several times during the growing season; or install some permanent edging. A defined edge will also help keep grass and weeds from growing into the bed.
5. Pinching
Some kinds of perennials, including asters, chrysanthemums, phlox and salvias, benefit from being pinched back. Pinching creates a bushier plant that produces more blooms and is less likely to flop over. Pinch back the growing tips--using thumb and forefinger--once or twice during late spring. Not all kinds of perennials should be pinched. If in doubt, pinch a little here and there, and see what happens.
6. Deadheading
Some plants drop their spent flowers and seed heads. Others hold onto them for months, or even right through the winter. Removing spent flowers will keep your plants looking their best, and it often stimulates reblooming. It also prevents plants from expending their energy on seed production. After bloom, some plants should be shorn rather than deadheaded. This is true for creeping phlox, nepeta, hardy geraniums, daisies, pinks and lavender.
7. Staking
Many tall or weak-stemmed plants need support when they reach blooming size. Delphiniums and hybrid lilies are two prime candidates. But other, shorter plants can also benefit from some kind of support. Supports should be as invisible as possible. For individual stems, you can use bamboo canes. For entire plants you can use wire support rings. For loose and airy plants, try using a few thin branches. For best results, put the supports into position in early spring. That way the plants will hide the supports as they grow.
8. Dividing
If your perennials are happy, most of them will need to be divided every few years. They may become too large for the space; the center or oldest part of the plant may die out leaving a bare middle; or the growth may become so dense that the plant is no longer blooming well.
Use a shovel to remove the entire plant from the garden and place the root ball on a tarp. Then you can either pry the plant into pieces using two forks, tease the pieces of the plant apart into different sections, or use a shovel or knife to cut the plant into several pieces. Plants should not be divided when they are in bloom or in full growth. In all but a few cases, this is a job for early spring or late fall.
"Dutch Garden daffodils of all kinds bloom above sweet woodruff in this shade bed .... You'll have to use your imagination to see them because they'd just finished blooming when the photo was taken!"
Gardeners usually consider shade a liability. It's true that a shady yard is not a good place for growing beefsteak tomatoes, roses and delphinium. But a shady garden can provide a type of pleasure no sunny garden can touch. Like the soothing comfort we feel beneath a shady tree on a hot summer day, a shade garden is restful to the eye and calls us to slow down and look more closely.
There are some other good reasons to be happy about gardening in the shade. Plants grow more slowly in shady conditions, reducing the need for dividing and pruning. Weeds also grow slower and are less of a problem. And a shady garden's combination of dense foliage, cooler soil and less wind, also keep watering chores to a minimum.
To be a successful shade gardener, there are three important factors to consider: amount of shade, soil conditions and plant choice.
First and most important, is to understand how much light your plants will actually be receiving. Determining whether you have partial, light, full or dense shade will allow you to match the right plants to your growing conditions.
Partial Shade: This is sometimes also called semi-shade or part shade. It means that the site receives full sun for several hours a day, but is in light or full shade for the rest of the day. If you have the choice, morning light, when air and soil temperatures are cooler, is preferable to afternoon light, which can be hot and drying.
Light Shade: This might also be called dappled shade. It refers to filtered light through a lacy covering of overhead leaves, or one that is lightly shaded by a high canopy of leaves. If your garden is in a tree-filled yard, one way to create this quality of light is to "limb up" selected trees, removing low branches and increasing the overall light levels.
Full Shade: Though not considered dark, a full-shade location is nearly always in shade. It is still open, with good air circulation, good soil and adequate moisture.
Dense Shade: When the ground is completely shaded by buildings or is under the thick shade of trees such as Norway maples and evergreens, little light reaches the soil surface. These are difficult growing conditions for all but a few types of plants.
Customer photo of Toad Lily by Cheryl Powell of Bloomfield, N.J. "Early in my gardening days, I often chose plants based solely on how pretty they were. Not realizing this Toad Lily (Tricyrtis formosana) was more unique than other lilies, I was anticipating an earlier bloom, and a larger flower. But how much more delighted I was when these finally emerged at the end of the summer! Thank you for offering such resilient and beautiful flowers!"
In nature, most shade-loving plants grow in the forest understory where the soil is airy, moist and rich in organic matter from many years of falling leaves. As a general rule, shade-loving garden plants will be happiest if you can provide them with these same soil conditions.
Tree roots can present a significant challenge to the shade gardener. A mature tree can easily drink several hundred gallons of water a day. Most of this moisture is drawn up by a web of fibrous feeder roots that lie just inches below the soil surface, leaving little water for plants growing at their feet. Many shade gardeners find dry soil to be a greater problem than limited light.
Fortunately, even the driest, stoniest, most infertile soil can be improved over time by a diligent gardener. If you are starting a new garden in a shady location, it's well worth spending time to prepare the soil. If you have the patience, begin that work a full year before anything gets planted. Start by removing any sod, or cover the area with black plastic to kill the grass. Spread a 6-inch layer of shredded leaves and compost over the area and then either dig that organic matter into the soil or cover it with a water-permeable tarp and let the soil microbes do the mixing. It's a good idea to check the soil pH as well. Most shade-loving plants prefer a neutral to slightly acid pH.
Once your new garden has been planted, mulch around the plants with shredded leaves or bark, and water regularly until the plants are well established. This extra attention may be required for a year or two, but once the plants' roots are firmly anchored and their foliage is shading the soil surface, most shade gardens will happily coexist with all but the thirstiest of trees.
Shade gardens are not about flashy colored flowers. Flowers are a bonus—not the main objective. A shade garden is all about the interplay of foliage in its various colors, shapes and textures. As you become familiar with the vast palette of shade-loving plants, you will be amazed and inspired by the beautiful combinations you can create.
Foliage colors range from golden yellow through hundreds of different greens and into blues and even burgundy. Leaves may be smaller than your thumbnail, or bigger than a beach ball. Textures range from felted to shiny, smooth to ribbed. Add a few flowers, and the possibilities are simply endless.


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Local Drug Testing Centers in Sheridan OR
Smart Drug Testing in Sheridan OR provides drug testing, alcohol testing, DOT physicals, DOT drug testing and DNA testing at our drug testing locations in Sheridan OR and the surrounding area. Drug and alcohol testing services are provided for employers and individuals needing a test. Same day service is available and most testing centers are within minutes of your home or office.
To schedule any type of drug test at our Sheridan locations, call our scheduling department at (800) 977-8664. You can also schedule your drug test online utilizing our express scheduling registration by selecting your test and completing the Donor Information/Registration Section. You must register for the test prior to proceeding to the testing center.
The zip code you enter will be used to determine the closest alcohol drug testing center which performs the type of test you have selected. A donor pass/registration form with the local testing center address, hours of operation and instructions will be sent to the e-mail address you provided. Take this form with you or have it available on your smart phone to provide to the testing center. No appointment is necessary in most cases. However, you must complete the donor information section and pay for the test at the time of registration.
Urine or hair testing methods - you choose!
Smart Drug Testing offers different testing methods depending upon our customers needs. With a 1 to 5 day detection period urine testing is the most common method used by employers, courts and schools. However, hair drug and alcohol testing is becoming a frequently used testing method due to a detection period of up to 90 days and even longer in certain cases.
DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing (DOT 49 CFR, Part 40 Requirements)
Smart Drug Testing provides DOT drug testing and DOT breath alcohol testing at our locations in Sheridan OR which complies with all requirements of DOT 49 CFR Part 40.Most testing centers are within minutes of your home or office and the process to schedule a DOT drug test or DOT breath alcohol test is FAST AND EASY. Our staff is trained and certified in DOT drug testing procedures and chain of custody requirements. All DOT drug tests are analyzed by a SAMSHA certified laboratory and reviewed by our Medical Review Officer on staff.
Additional DOT Services:
- Consortium Enrollment
- Supervisor Training
- Employer Drug Policy Development
- MVR Reports
- Employee Training
- Background Checks
We also provide drug-free workplace programs to DOT regulated industries such as:
Introduction to Sheridan
Sheridan is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. Platted in the 1860s when it received a post office, the city was incorporated in 1880. A major fire burned much of the city in 1913, and a flood covered much of the city in 1964. The population of the city as of the 2010 Census was 6,127, an increase from 3,570 at the 2000 census. However, the 2000 Census count failed to include those incarcerated at the federal prison in the city, while the newer count did include those inmates.
Located in the western part of the Willamette Valley, the city is at the base of the Northern Oregon Coast Range along the South Yamhill River. Sheridan lies west of the county seat of McMinnville, along Oregon Route 18. This highway and Oregon Route 18 Business run east–west through Sheridan and nearby Willamina, parallel to the river. Sheridan Bridge is the only river crossing within Sheridan.
This farming and timber community's largest employer is Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan, a federal minimum and medium security prison. The city has a mayor-council form of government, with daily operations run by a city manager. The community has its own school district, with a single traditional high school. The main events each year in town are Sheridan Days and the Mud Drags, both held in June. Sheridan was named in honor of the American Civil War general Philip Henry Sheridan.
Court Ordered Drug Testing (Probation/Child Custody)
Our local Sheridan Oregon drug testing centers provide drug and alcohol tests that are utilized for a wide variety of court ordered proceedings, including probation and other types of government required tests. Observed tests are available and tests results can be submitted for a wide variety of court ordered proceedings including probation hearings, child custody cases, litigation and all manner of government required tests.
Court ordered drug tests should contain detailed instructions specifying the type of test to be administered and the drugs that should be screened for. If sample collection needs to be witnessed in order to prevent potential tampering or substitution, those specifications will be stated in the court order.
On the Road or on Vacation? No Problem!
Smart Drug Testing has over 20,000 drug and alcohol testing locations nationwide, call us today to schedule a test in any state or city.
Child/Family/Personal Drug Testing
Smart Drug Testing offers convenient, cost effective and confidential options for parents, family members or anyone needing to take a drug or alcohol test for personal reasons. The process is simple, call us at 800-977-8664 and speak with one of our customer service specialists to determine which testing option may be best for you. Or you may also register online to purchase your test.
Employer/Drug Free Workplace Testing
Smart Drug Testing specializes in providing cost effective and comprehensive Drug Free Workplace Programs which include: pre-employment, random, post accident and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. As well as drug policy development, employee training and awareness signage and on-going consultation to ensure that a company is a drug free workplace. Many states offer discounts on workers compensation insurance premiums when a business is qualified as a drug free workplace.
What is a Drug Test?
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen, for example urine, hair, blood, breath, sweat, and/or oral fluid/saliva-to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites. Major applications of drug testing include detection of the presence of performance enhancing steroids in sport, employers and parole/probation officers prohibited by law (such as cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin) and police officers testing for the presence and concentration of alcohol (ethanol) in the blood commonly referred to as BAC (blood alcohol content). BAC tests are typically administered via a breathalyzer while urinalysis is used for the vast majority of drug testing in sports and the workplace. Numerous other methods with varying degrees of accuracy, sensitivity (detection threshold/cutoff), and detection periods exist.
A drug test may also refer to a test that provides quantitative chemical analysis of an illegal drug, typically intended to help with responsible drug use. pre-employment, random selection, post-accident and reasonable suspicion. Testing purposes for individuals can include court ordered, probation, child custody or for any other personal reason.
Drug test screening groups commonly used are a 5 panel, 10 panel and 12 panel drug test, (panels specify how many drugs will be screened) however customized screening can be analyzed for drugs such as opiates, bath salts, synthetic cannabinoids and a wide range of prescription drugs.
Smart Drug Testing also provides customized drug testing for synthetic marijuana, Ketamine, spice, kratom, bath salts and various opioids including Fentanyl, Oxycodone, Vicodin, Percocet, and others. Prescription drugs can be screened including Adderall, Ritalin, and Suboxone with levels reflecting usage.
Providing exceptional customer service and being available when you need us for drug testing in Sheridan OR, is our #1 Priority and we look forward to serving the needs of our clients.
Drug Testing Locations in Sheridan OR
(Don't see a location near you? Call us (800) 977-8664)

subset: commoncrawl


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Your pregnancy and baby guide
Your newborn twins
Open all pages about Your pregnancy and baby guide
Main navigation
Getting pregnant
- Secrets to success
- Am I pregnant?
- Problems
I'm pregnant
- Early days
- Week by week
- Twins
- Preparing for the birth
- Work out your due date
- Tests scans and checks
- Your pregnancy (antenatal) care
- Vaccinations
- Your health and wellbeing
- Existing health problems
- Common pregnancy ailments
- Pregnancy-induced conditions
Labour and birth
- The start of labour
- The birth
- Emotions and worries
- Premature babies
Your newborn
- How to breastfeed
- Breastfeeding problems
- Lifestyle and breastfeeding
- Bottle feeding
- Newborn screening tests
- Newborn essentials
- New parents
- New mums
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Babies and toddlers
- Weaning and solid foods
- Teething
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- Spotting signs of serious illness
- Reflux in babies
- How to take a baby's temperature
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If your babies are well after the birth, you'll probably have them beside you on the postnatal ward.
Hospital staff will help you to feed and care for them. Do ask for help if you need it.
You may want to ask if you can have a private room where you can get to know your babies in peace.
Some hospitals also allow partners to stay overnight.
Twins and special care
If your babies are born very early, they may need to spend some time in special (neonatal) care.
According to Twins Trust , about 40% of multiples need extra care after they're born.
Your babies will be nursed in an incubator (or incubators), and may be surrounded by wires and tubes.
You'll still be able to touch them and help with their care. Staff will show you what to do.
If your babies are too small to feed themselves, you'll be shown how to express breastmilk for them.
This will be given to them via a thin tube that passes through their nose and into their stomach. This will not hurt them.
Because breast milk is best for premature babies, you'll be encouraged to breastfeed. But how you feed your baby is up to you.
It's natural to feel worried if 1 or both of your babies are on a neonatal unit. Staff will understand this and offer plenty of support.
If your twins are born early
If you're likely to give birth early, here are a few things to think about beforehand:
- You may need to move to another hospital to make sure there are enough beds for both your babies in the neonatal unit.
- Ask if your hospital has a transitional care unit: these units allow mothers to care for their babies if they do not need intensive care. Hospitals with transitional units are more likely to be able to keep you and your babies in the same place.
- Check if your hospital has cots that allow co-bedding (where your babies sleep in a single cot), if this is how you want your babies to sleep.
- If you have 1 baby in the hospital and 1 at home, you'll need to think about splitting your time between the 2. When you visit your baby in hospital, ask if you can bring their twin and if co-bedding is allowed during visits.
- If you want to breastfeed and only 1 twin can feed effectively, you may need to put the twin who can feed on the breast to encourage milk to flow for both babies. Read more about feeding twins and multiples.
- Check if your hospital offers support from a community neonatal nurse. This could mean your babies can leave hospital earlier (for example, if 1 of them is still tube-fed).
Twins Trust has more information about being in hospital with your newborn twins.
Taking your twins home
Taking your babies home with you is a moment to celebrate.
Dividing your time and attention between 2 or more babies can feel overwhelming. You may miss the help and support you had in hospital.
Remember that your health visitor and GP will be there to support you through these early weeks.
These tips may help you to stay on top of things:
- There's no need to bath your babies every day – 2 or 3 times a week is fine. You may like to bath your babies on alternate nights so you can get to know them individually.
- If you live in a house, keep 1 set of nappy changing gear upstairs and 1 set downstairs.
- Whenever you cook for yourselves, make double portions and freeze 1.
- Accept offers of help from family and friends so you can rest and spend time with your babies.
- Ask your partner, friend or relative to limit visitors – too many can be tiring.
- When you go to clinics for follow-up appointments, ask for apppointments later in the day – this'll give you more time to get out of the house.
Getting twins into a routine
Twins Trust advises that the best way to cope with caring for twins is to develop a routine that suits you.
Think about your babies' needs – feeding, sleeping and playing – and develop a routine around these activities that works for the whole family.
If your babies have been in neonatal care, they may already be in a routine and it's probably worth sticking to this when they come home.
But you'll need to adapt the routine as they grow up and their needs change.
Find out about twins and sleep
Page last reviewed: 04/10/2019
Next review due: 04/10/2022


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Car sharing comes to airports
When you go on a trip via airplane, chances are good that your car sits at home or in an expensive airport parking lot while you are away.
Wouldn't it be great if that car could earn money while you are gone, or at least not generate parking expenses?
Now, it can. Car-sharing services FlightCar and RelayRides have jumped into one of the rental car industry's hottest markets: the nation's airports.
FlightCar bills itself as the first car-sharing company to "help consumers deal with the high expense and hassles of getting to and from the airport and figuring out what to do with their cars while they're away on a trip." Instead of renting a new car from a traditional rental agency, travelers can rent a someone else's car in what's known as "peer-to-peer" renting.
FlightCar currently operates near San Francisco International Airport and Boston's Logan Airport.
Car owners can drive to FlightCar's parking lot in Millbrae and leave the car there -- for free. If your car is a 2001 model or newer, you can earn money from its rental; the newer the car, the better the chances of it being rented. You don't make a lot of money, but if your car is a 2008 model or older, you get $10 per rental. If it's a 2009 or newer, you earn $10 each day it is rented. Luxury brands, like a BMW or Lexus, will earn you $20 a day.
"If your most valuable asset is your house, your second most valuable asset is your car," said Rajul Zaparde, one of FlightCar's founders. "When are you not using your car? When you are traveling."
Robert Cortlandt, a photographer and filmmaker, lives in San Francisco and regularly travels out of SFO. He recently went to Florida for 11 days, and left his 2001 Lexus SUV at FlightCar's lot near SFO while he was gone.
"I had to drop my car off at 4 a.m. in order to make my flight on time, but FlightCar was there," said Cortlandt. "A couple of days later I got an email that said my car had been rented. When I arrived back at SFO, my car was clean and they handed me a check for $110. I got a check, free parking, a free car wash, and a free ride to and from the airport from their lot. It also eliminated the need to worry about street cleaning in San Francisco while I was gone."
Cortlandt plans to go to Los Angeles over the Labor Day weekend and says he'll leave his car with FlightCar again.
FlightCar, based in Cambridge, Mass., hopes to eventually disrupt the $11 billion airport car rental market dominated by Enterprise, Avis/Budget and Hertz. FlightCar provides insurance coverage to vehicles while they are being rented out, including $1 million for bodily injury and property damage to third parties.
But airport authorities are crying fowl.
The city of San Francisco, which has jurisdiction over SFO, has filed a lawsuit against FlightCar, arguing that the startup is flouting car rental agency rules by skirting fees that other car rental agencies pay to the airport.
In 2012, more than 44 million passengers traveled through SFO. Car rental agencies pay 10 percent of their gross profits to SFO for the cars rented out of the airport, but FlightCar currently does not pay those fees.
In the 2011-12 fiscal year, SFO collected $94 million in fees from the 12 rental car companies that operate on or near the airport, including from Alamo, Dollar, Hertz, Advantage and Payless.
"Twelve rental car companies are licensed to do business at the airport, including three that are off airport property," said SFO spokesman Doug Yakel. "FlightCar is catering to an airport clientele. They just appeared and said 'we're open for business' without ever engaging with the airport staff."
But despite the lawsuit, FlightCar is growing, largely by word-of-mouth. On a typical day, FlightCar rents out 30 cars at SFO.
RelayRides, which operates car-sharing services in several cities, has also introduced a new service near SFO, but it's slightly different. Car owners don't make any money. In exchange for letting RelayRides rent out the car, owners receive free parking at the RelayRides lot.
"Airport parking can be expensive, so that's a big motivation for people," said Steven Webb of RelayRides. "Within a year we expect airports to be 50 percent of our revenue. We're cooperating with airport authorities and expect to pay some kind of fee."
Doug Yakel, of SFO, said the airport is in active discussion with RelayRides, but not FlightCar. He warns that both startups need to be aware of another issue: rules that govern vehicle emissions near the terminals, which both companies are violating.
SFO has heavily invested in the AirTrain, a light-rail system that connects all airport terminals to garages, the BART station and the rental car center. FlightCar currently picks and drops people off curbside via a third-party limo service; RelayRides uses a shuttle service.
"One issue is that we expect car rental companies to use the AirTrain system to ferry passengers to the airport terminal," said Yakel. "We are trying to reduce the amount of vehicular traffic, and greenhouse gas emissions, near the airport."
FlightCar is a new ride-sharing service currently operating near San Francisco International Airport. Here's how it works:
For car owners: You can park for free by renting out your car to approved travelers. FlightCar will wash and clean your car before returning it to you and protect the vehicle with a $1 million insurance policy. You'll get free parking even if your car isn't rented.
For travelers: Enter your trip information on FlightCar's website and book a vehicle type that you like. When your plane lands, call FlightCar and a black car will pick you up at the curb and take you to the FlightCar parking facility. When the rental is over, return the car to the FlightCar lot.
RelayRides is another ride-sharing service that operates near SFO. Here's how it works:
For car owners: You can park for free, but you get no compensation, by allowing RelayRides to rent out your car to approved travelers. The car is protected by a $1 million insurance policy. RelayRides will transport you to the airport terminal via a shuttle.
For travelers: You can search the RelayRides website for cars that are available to rent out of SFO. Return the car to the lot where you picked it up for the checkout process.


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Time Saving Tips for Teaching Online
Many faculty have found online teaching very time consuming. Here are a few time saving tips for teaching online from Evelyn Bach.
- Don't respond to every student on the discussion board. Let students answer each others questions. In fact, responding too quickly may thwart further student discussion.
- Require that students ask general questions on the discussion board so that you do not have to answer the same question multiple times. If someone asks a general question via email, post it on the discussion board with your response.
- Set limits. Tell student when you are not available (i.e., weekends, specific evenings, etc.) so they will know what to expect.
- Consider having assignments due at mid-week, particularly if you want to stay away from the computer over the weekend.
- Save and reuse postings, announcements, and email notices from one semester to the next as applicable.
- Have students format files in .rtf to minimize problems related to software conflicts.
- Require that students name their files with their name and the name of the assignment to allow for more efficient file management and retrieval
"20 Time-Saving Tips for Faculty Who Teach Distance Education Courses." Adjunct Advocate. May/June 2005. Web 24 Sept. 2010.
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Have you had that moment when you thought 'If only SolidWorks would do it this way, my life would be so much easier.' or 'I make this widget every day, I wonder if SolidWorks knows I need this feature.'
Would you like to sit down and talk with a member of our team face to face? SolidWorks Product Definition would like to offer you an opportunity to meet with a member of our team at your facility to talk with you about your needs, wants, and desires. We, in Product Definition, travel around the world to meet with you, our user community, to find out how you use our software, how it helps you in your daily work, and what we can do to help you become more productive.
What do you get out of it? You get direct input on new functionality that often finds its way into a future release and the satisfaction that comes with hearing that voice in your head say 'Oh cool! That's my idea they added!'
What do we get out of it? We get insight into the direction the design and development fields are moving, what our users need, and where we need to take the software to continue to be the 3D design software of choice for so many of you.
If you are interested, please e-mail our team at email@example.com and tell us a little about yourself, your company, the products you make, and how best to contact you. Please note that these meetings are not meant to address bugs with the software, those are still best handled by your SolidWorks reseller.
Thank you for your time and as always, thanks for choosing SolidWorks.
Product Definition


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Jeff Bennett
BGICOC Chairman | Appraiser at Collins & Associates
I chose to become a REALTOR® even though I have never held a sales license because I wanted to support our local Association in the best way possible. GIAR continues to be proactive in insuring that we have the best real estate market possible by supporting legislative issues, strong ethics, and the most up to date technologies. We are lucky to have a strong staff and membership.
William Ligon
GA State Senator | Affiliate at The Ligon Firm, P.C.
As an Affiliate member, I and the members of The Ligon Firm, P.C. are proud to be part of the Golden Isles Association of REALTORS® and to benefit from its excellent programs and resources. We especially value the welcoming and cooperative attitudes of the members and their enthusiasm for what they do.


text:
(covers information from several alternate timelines)
Schutzstaffel (abbreviated SS) uniforms and insignia were used by the Nazi Schutzstaffel of Earth from the 1930s to 1945 and the resurgence organization of the Ekosian SS three hundred and twenty years later.
- 1 German SS uniforms
- 2 Ekosian SS uniforms
- 3 Appendices
German SS uniforms
The German SS used two main uniforms. The first uniform was adopted in the 1930s and comprised a black jacket and cap. During the 1930s, the SS displayed itself at Nazi rallies in the black uniform; one such rally was seen through the Guardian of Forever in 2267. (TOS: "The City on the Edge of Forever")
The SS used the black uniform until the start of World War II, when the SS adopted a more practical grey field tunic. The rank insignia remained the same from the 1930s black uniform. (VOY: "The Killing Game")
In an alternate timeline in which Nazi Germany invaded the United States of America, Vosk and his men joined the SS and wore both grey and black SS uniforms.
SS members were granted the same medals of Nazi Germany as the Wehrmacht (German military). The standard form for the display of SS decorations was to pin large medals on the front of the left uniform pocket immediately below award ribbons. (ENT: "Storm Front")
At the end of World War II in 1945, the SS ceased to exist along with its uniforms; however historical data regarding the original SS uniforms was maintained by Earth historians and later maintained in the library computers of Federation starships.
On a mission to Ekos, the library computer of the USS Enterprise was able to patch into its uniform section and create a replica of a 1944 Gestapo Standartenführer's uniform for wear by Leonard McCoy. Although there were differences between the German SS and its reborn Ekos counterpart, McCoy's uniform was convincing enough that he was able to pass for an Ekosian SS officer. (TOS: "Patterns of Force")
A century later, the Hirogen were able to capture the USS Voyager and program its holodeck with a World War II scenario set in France. In the scenario, the Hirogen took on the role of German SS personnel and dressed in the appropriate grey SS uniforms. (VOY: "The Killing Game")
Insignia pattern
Standard SS form was to display rank insignia on one collar, and an SS unit patch on the other. Most of the SS wore a "lightning bolt" SS unit patch, however certain SS units were entitled to wear a Death's Head insignia (the Death's Head emblem was also the standard cap insignia for all SS personnel). SS colonels and generals wore rank insignia on both collars and did not display a unit insignia patch.
SS uniforms also incorporated cuffbands worn at the bottom of the left sleeve with such cuffbands used to indicate membership in special sections of the SS or in specific regiments. For specialty branches of the SS, such as the SS Medical Corps or units of a Headquarters Guard Battalion, additional badges could be worn either in the form of a sleeve insignia or as a shoulder board lapel. (TOS: "Patterns of Force"; VOY: "The Killing Game"; ENT: "Storm Front")
Enlisted SS uniforms
Enlisted SS collar insignia was worn on the right hand collar opposite an SS unit insignia patch. Ordinary SS soldiers wore a borderless rank patch, while non-commissioned officers (NCOs) displayed rank patches with a thick white piping. Enlisted soldiers wore a bare shoulder strap while NCOs wore a strap with white borders and pips. The lance corporal grade wore the same strap as a Private, but also displayed a sleeve chevron.
|Enlisted rank
|Insignia (collar/shoulder)
|Lance corporal
lance corporal
|Staff sergeant
Officer SS uniforms
The field grey SS officer uniform displayed rank the same as enlisted personnel, although the rank collar patches were bordered in silver trim. As with enlisted personnel, SS officers wore rank with a matching set of shoulder boards.
|Officer rank
|Insignia (collar/shoulder)
|Second lieutenant
|First lieutenant
The black officer uniform also utilized a collar rank patch and shoulder board combination, however the shoulder boards worn on the black uniform were thinner and slightly longer than those of the grey field uniforms. Black uniform shoulder boards were also worn on the right shoulder only whereas the field uniforms had boards on both shoulders.
|SS rank
|Insignia (collar/shoulder)
|Lieutenant colonel
Ekosian SS uniforms
In 2268, Federation historian John Gill succeeded in creating a replica of Nazi Germany on the planet Ekos. The Ekosian Nazi Party also formed its own version of the SS with uniforms and insignia very similar to the original SS of 1940s Earth. The similarities were so close that Doctor Leonard McCoy, outfitted in a 1944 era SS colonel's uniform, was able to easily pass as an Ekosian SS officer even under the scrutiny of Ekos Nazi Party Chairman Eneg.
The Ekosian SS used at least four different types of uniforms, all of which were worn simultaneously by various branches and sub-branches of the SS. The military SS was outfitted in grey field tunics and helmets with insignia the same as their German SS counterparts. The security branch of the SS (the most commonly encountered branch of the Ekosian SS as a whole) wore light blue uniforms with similar insignia to the German SS but with some notable differences.
Black SS uniforms were also used by the Ekosians, in particular the Ekosian Gestapo. Additionally, black uniforms were worn by various special branches of the SS. In an attempt to infiltrate the Ekosian Chancellery, Captain James T. Kirk led an Ekosian/Zeon resistance cell disguised as black-uniformed SS soldiers from the "Führer's Special Documentary Corps".
A fourth and somewhat rare uniform of the Ekosian SS was a brown shirt worn with black tie and insignia. The sole observation of this uniform, during an away mission to Ekos by USS Enterprise personnel, was as seen on a public viewscreen during a news broadcast by an SS newscaster.
One of the most notable differences between the Ekosian SS and the German SS was the lack of medals and awards displayed by Ekosian SS members. On Earth, SS uniforms were typically heavily adorned with all manner of medals, ribbons, and badges, yet on Ekos most of the SS encountered wore uniforms without any military decorations. The Iron Cross was an exception; however, this award appears to have been awarded more to members of the Nazi Party proper rather than to the SS. (TOS: "Patterns of Force")
Insignia pattern
The SS on Ekos wore rank insignia much the same way as the German SS did on Earth. All SS members wore an SS collar tab on the right followed by a service designation collar tab worn on the left. In addition to the standard SS runes, Mr. Spock wore SS runes with a skeleton key. Individual rank was displayed by shoulder boards (one on the right shoulder for all black SS uniforms and on both shoulders for all other SS uniforms). The entire Ekosian SS wore a standardized cuff band reading "Adolf Hitler" in Gothic script.
Standard SS uniforms
The standard branch of the Ekosian SS was outfitted in a light blue uniform with soldiers wearing helmets and officers issued SS caps. All ranks displayed collar rank with officers wearing silver shoulder boards and soldiers displaying a bare soldier strap.
There existed at least one non-commissioned officer rank of corporal as well as commissioned officer ranks including such titles as major. The ranks of the SS soldiers also included a recruit type position which wore an SS uniform without any insignia.
|Approximate rank
|Insignia (collar/shoulder)
|Lance corporal
Military SS uniforms
The military branch of the Ekosian SS wore uniforms very similar to the standard SS but the tunics were of a heavier darker grey fabric. Military SS members also wore helmets and some members displayed the numbered SS insignia. Officers wore silver shoulder boards as well as a rank collar patch.
|Approximate rank
|Insignia (collar/shoulder)
Gestapo uniforms
The Ekosian Gestapo, as well as certain other branches of the Ekosian SS, wore black uniforms with insignia displayed much the same as the rest of the SS with the exception that enlisted personnel did not wear shoulder boards. Officers wore silver trimmed boards on the right uniform shoulder and all SS personnel wore a red swastika armband with this uniform.
|Approximate rank
|Insignia (collar/shoulder)
|SS trooper
|Gestapo lieutenant
|Gestapo officer
General officer uniforms
When the USS Enterprise made contact with the planet Ekos, the only observed Ekosian SS generals were dressed in black uniforms worn with heavy gold shoulder boards and oak leaf collar patches in various patterns on both black and red colored collar tabs.
At a special speech given by John Gill, four SS-Leaders in general's rank were in attendance three of whom wore various patches indicating the positions of Oberführer, Brigadeführer, and Reichsführer-SS. A fourth SS general wore an SS unit insignia on one collar and a gold piped rank patch on the other, similar to a Hauptscharführer.
Special service uniforms
In addition to the uniforms of the regular SS encountered on Ekos, certain special branches of the SS existed which either did not follow the normal insignia pattern or wore uniforms not common for the rest of the Ekosian SS.
The first such group were SS guards and officers assigned to the Ekosian Chancellery. Chancellery guards wore light blue uniforms, the same as their regular SS counterparts, but the rank collar patches were trimmed in silver, the same style as SS officers. The SS officers assigned to the Chancellery also wore the standard SS uniform but displayed enlisted collar insignia paired with officer shoulder boards.
The SS also appeared to have a civilian branch, or at least a branch which wore Nazi Party brown uniforms instead of the standard SS attire. One such example was a national newscaster who was observed giving a news report on a viewscreen.
|Insignia (collar/shoulder)
|Chancellery guard
|SS interrogator
|Weapons lab officer
|Ekosian newscaster
|Enlisted personnel
|Commissioned officers
|Generals and flag officers
|2nd LT
|1st LT
|Boatswain • Chief • Corpsman • Engineer's mate • Specialist • Technician • Yeoman
|TAC • SO • 3rd • 2nd • 1st • CO • DD
|Portmaster • Chief of Staff • CinC
|Andorian • Bajoran • Cardassian • Ferengi • Jem'Hadar • Klingon • Romulan • SS • United Earth MACO • United Earth/Federation Starfleet • United States • Vulcan
Mirror universe: Terran Empire Starfleet • Terran Empire MACO
Background information
The first time SS uniforms ever appeared in Star Trek was during the episode "The City on the Edge of Forever", when a large group of SS were seen through the Guardian of Forever. The SS, however, were only seen from the rear and apart from a few shoulder boards none of the insignia is identifiable.
The four-pip rank of SS major (Sturmbannführer) has never been seen on screen, although an Ekosian SS major was seen wearing the insignia for colonel. The senior NCO ranks of Hauptscharführer (first sergeant) and Sturmscharführer (sergeant major) have also never been seen.
The uncredited SS official in TOS: "Patterns of Force" wore the collar insignia of an SS lieutenant colonel, although this rank is never mentioned in the dialogue.
Another insignia pattern which has never been seen in any Star Trek production are the post-April 1942 SS general insignia which modified the existing "two leaf, three leaf" design into a standard three leaf collar patch with extra pips to determine the seniority level of the SS general. [1] The only SS generals who have been seen on Star Trek were the Ekosian generals encountered in "Patterns of Force". Of these, the SS marshal, played by Frank da Vinci, wore an appropriate rank patch, but another SS general (supposedly a Brigadeführer) wore an incorrectly placed pip and a third general (supposedly an Oberführer) wore a pre-1939 Nazi Gauleiter (political leader and wearing brown uniforms) collar patch instead of standard, pre-April 1942 two-leave SS insignia on a black field. A fourth SS general can also be observed wearing an enlisted collar patch which has been modified with gold pips instead of silver. This insignia was an original creation of the Star Trek wardrobe department and no such insignia was ever used in the real SS.
Insignia inconsistencies
While "The Killing Game" and "Storm Front" portray SS uniforms with correct badges and insignia, Star Trek fans and military historians alike have long observed insignia inconsistencies and costume production errors with regards to the SS uniforms portrayed in "Patterns of Force".
The most commonly observed inconsistency in "Patterns of Force" pertains to SS personnel who wear collar insignia which do not pair correctly with the uniform shoulder boards. One of the most cited examples of this is the "major" who arrests Kirk and Spock. The actor in the scene (Gilbert Green) is in fact wearing a modified version of an SS colonel's collar insignia with surviving script and costume notes indicating that this occurred due to the wardrobe department receiving an order for an SS major's uniform and basing the insignia on a United States major (gold oak leaf) instead of an SS major (four pips).
Further examples include the military SS lieutenant, encountered by Kirk and Spock at the start of the episode, who wears major shoulder boards and second lieutenant collar patches. SS personnel encountered at the Chancellery Detention Center, specifically the SS interrogator and an SS guard seen near the weapons lab, also wear officer shoulder boards with enlisted insignia. Thus, in all, there are four examples of SS personnel who wear historically incorrect uniforms.
In addition to insignia inconsistencies, "Patterns of Force" portrays at least four clear production errors. The first two occur when Spock and Kirk steal SS uniforms at the start of the episode. In both cases, the uniform insignia changes from the time that the uniform is stolen to when Kirk and Spock wear the uniform in a later scene. This was since the two scenes were shot independently and the uniforms worn by Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner were not the same ones as those worn by the actors who portrayed the original SS officers.
Of interest also is that the Gestapo insignia worn by Kirk is not an actual insignia of the SS. Kirk's insignia consists of three silver pips sewn in a straight line with the last pip sewn on top of a silver bar. No such insignia existed in the historical SS, but the insignia seen on Kirk may very well be unique to Ekos.
Additionally, a costume error occurs towards the end of the episode, where Kirk and company are hiding in the cloak room inside the Ekosian Chancellery. During this one scene, the bottom pip of Kirk's rank patch suddenly becomes gold where before all three pips were silver.
A final production error occurs at the end of the episode when Spock exits an automobile as part of the "Führer's Special Documentary Corps". In this scene, Spock wears a silver pip on his collar but is "pip-less" in the next scene when Kirk and company walk inside the Ekosian Chancellery. The reason for this was that the two scenes were filmed days apart, one outside and at night and the other indoors on a soundstage.
Other plot ambiguities include Kirk's knowledge of Ekosian SS ranks (he addresses the SS major by his proper title before the rank is said by anyone else) as well as the uniform worn by Doctor McCoy who is disguised as an SS colonel.
While McCoy's uniform and insignia are essentially correct, when McCoy beams down into the Ekosian cloak room, he can be seen wearing a German general's army overcoat. McCoy's uniform also appears to be of exactly the same fabric as the Ekosian version and, like most of the Ekosian SS, McCoy wears absolutely no military decorations. Historically, this is extremely inaccurate, since a 1944 era SS colonel would most certainly have displayed military decorations. There are explanations around this, however, such as a computer error or Kirk explaining off-camera that Ekosian SS uniforms were worn without medals.


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- Vhen vill the children learn? No von escapes the reach of Madam Rouge!
- ―Madame Rouge[src]
Madame Rouge is a core member of the Brotherhood of Evil and one of Beast Boy's arch-enemies.
Nothing is known of Madame Rouge's past before she joined the Brotherhood of Evil as their co-leader and master spy. As the most conventionally superpowered of the core Brotherhood, the Brain viewed Rouge as one of his most valuable agents and sent her out on special missions. She soon gained a widespread reputation for being one of the most ruthless and relentless villainesses around.
After the Teen Titans and the Doom Patrol had defeated the Brotherhood's latest scheme, the Brain decided that the Titans, with their youthful unpredictability, were now their most dangerous enemies. To facilitate his plan to eliminate the next generation of young superheroes, he sent out Rouge to capture the Titans Communicator from Honorary Titan Wildebeest; however, Rouge failed when Wildebeest dropped his communicator off a cliff. She targeted Hot Spot next, and after much effort, aided considerably by her shape-shifting abilities, she was given a new communicator by Robin after she had posed as Hot Spot. Madame Rouge took the defeated Wildebeest and Hot Spot to the Brotherhood of Evil's base to be flash-frozen as victory trophies.
Some time later, the H.I.V.E. Five captured Kid Flash. Their leader Jinx had been idolizing Madame Rouge, and she contacted her to deliver Kid Flash in order to rise into the Brotherhood's ranks and gain Rouge's respect. Before Rouge arrived at the H.I.V.E. Five's hideout, Kid Flash managed to escape, and derisively dismissing the villainous youths, Jinx included, as incompetent children, Rouge went after Kid Flash herself. Kid Flash just barely managed to get away from her, only to be captured by Jinx; but as Jinx prepared to surrender him to Madam Rouge, the villainess struck her down and demeaned her efforts and idolizing. Fed up with this treatment, and touched by Kid Flash's efforts to make her renounce her life of crime, Jinx allowed the young hero to get away and struck Rouge down as she attempted to hit her again. Ironically, this made Rouge willing to re-evaluate Jinx, but it was too late: Jinx left the H.I.V.E. Five and her life as a villainess behind and joined Kid Flash.
When the Brotherhood executed the world-wide strike against the Titans and their allies, Rouge took out Robin, but could not stop him from setting the communicators to self-destruct, preventing any further attempts by the Brain to track their movements. When the remaining Titans under Beast Boy's leadership attacked the Brotherhood's base, Rouge was seen battling Pantha. She started to tease the Brain about his plan failing, and when Mas y Menos unfroze the captured Titans, Madame Rouge decided to do things her way and was instantly tackled by Starfire. As the Brotherhood's members dwindled, Madame Rouge seemed confident that she could take all of them, but Hot Spot and Wildebeest tackled her. Jinx showed up and trapped Madame Rouge's legs in the ground and Wildebeest and Hot Spot threw her straight into the freeze ray, earning their pay back for being captured and ending her acts of cruelty.
Teen Titans Go!
Rouge's also appears in the Teen Titans Go! comic series, first in a flashback in issue #28. She has also turned up in Justice League Adventures, more closely resembling her mainstream comics appearance.
She appeared again in issue #46 Wildfire. Starfire was wondering what had happened to her brother a long time ago, but she saw him come out of a pod that shot towards Earth. After a heartwarming reunion, she introduced him to the other Titans and they had a party at Titans Tower. However, after everybody went to bed, Wildfire started attacking the Titans (Raven and Cyborg). Starfire confronted him, and she discovered that her "brother" was in fact Madame Rouge in disguise. It turns out that Blackfire, Starfire's evil sister, had hired Madame Rouge to kill Starfire. Afterwards, Blackfire was thrown in jail once again, and Starfire denounces her as a sister and vows to find Wildfire one day.
Physical Appearance
Her hairstyle is similar to Molly Mange's Metal head style from SWAT KATs, and resemblance to the main villain from Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (which was released two or three years later). She also is not wearing her mainstream counterpart outfit, and wearing an outfit that is sometimes seen on The Batman or even found in shows such as Jackie Chan Adventures.
She has a slender appearance hence her powers , chance her shape when or even at will. She even has a head shape similar to the older folk on Ben 10: Alien Force and Ben 10 Omniverse, or even on the rest of Derrek. J. Wyatt's TV Shows such as Transformers Animated or Scooby Doo: Mystery Inc.
Madame Rouge is one of the most ruthless and sadistic characters in the animated series. She is very arrogant
and believes herself to be superior over most of her opponents. A prime example of this is at the end of Titans Together, when she was one of the last villains standing. She seemed very confident that she could take on the Titans by herself. Rouge also has a bit of a rebellious streak, as she doubts the Brain's plans from Trust to Titans Together, and she finally says that she will do things "her way" after the captured Titans were released. Rouge despises children as well. She thinks that they are quite useless (shown in 'Lightspeed') and thinks that only herself and the Brotherhood leaders are worthy of being "true villains". Due to her extreme arrogance, she is snotty and quite a snob which matches her steryotypical French accent.
Powers and abilities
Madame Rouge possesses total control over her body structure, enabling her to change her shape and appearance at will. She is a master of disguise, able to assimilate even the voice of the persons she imitates, and may stretch her limbs across long distances. She appears to be able to stretch very fast, even faster than Kid Flash can run, as shown in the episode Lightspeed when she stopped him in his tracks many times just by stretching her arms. Rouge is also able to stretch her torso in such a way that she can physically absorb an enemy, as demonstrated in Trust.
Rouge also possesses enhanced strength, endurance and speed, and is capable of regeneration of vast physical damage to herself, including total dismemberment. While not being the strongest villain out there, she is able to punch holes in brick walls with little effort, and she was able to knock over an entire building with one kick. Due to her body's malleability, however, Rouge is vulnerable to heat and cold, which made her vulnerable to Hot Spot and let him last against her as long as he did.
As for more mundane skills, Madame Rouge is a master spy and infiltrator, and a dangerous hand-to-hand combatant. Her ruthlessness has granted her the power of intimidation. Almost every Titan she's fought has shown signs of fear when confronted by her.
Episode Appearances
Character facts
- Madame Rouge is responsible for the deaths of Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and Robotman in the mainstream comics. Later, she is accidentally killed by Beast Boy, who blames her for what happened.
- Rouge's character is similar to Natasha Fatale from Rocky and Bullwinkle.
- The character Irina Spalko in Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull bears a strong resemblance. Both have Eastern European accents, and both have high positions in the organizations they are a part of (Spalko for the Soviets, Rouge for the Brotherhood), but Spalko is constantly seen wearing a Soviet uniform while Rouge wears her skirted jumpsuit.
- The Teen Titans animated series follows fairly closely to the comics, with the exception that Niles Caulder (AKA The Chief), Rouge's love interest, has not been shown to exist, and her original character's split personality has been totally discarded.
- Madame Rouge had a daughter named Gemini in the comics.
- Madame Rouge was a former French actress in the comics; she developed a dual (good/evil) personality and was subsequently recruited into the Brotherhood of Evil, where the Brain forced her to become evil through surgery.
- Even though she was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil, she does not appear as a boss in Teen Titans 2 for the Game Boy Advance.
- While Rouge is the French word for red and also the French word for cosmetic blush (all in all, her name being French), her accent in the show is more Eastern European than French
- She also resembles one of the highest witches in the movie The Witches inspired by Roald Dahl's book
- She shares many similarities with the character I-no from the Guilty Gear game series:
- Both dress in red and have similar hairstyles and facial features.
- Both are ruthless and cruel.
- Both are key characters inside the group they belong to (Rouge to the Brotherhood of Evil, and I-no to "That Man's" group)
- Both have an unrevealed past.


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