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Florida Landscaping Ideas for Fall
When there are no leaves to rake, what do you do?
In Central Florida, caring for your lawn and garden is a little different than most of the country. We do not have to prepare, at least as thoroughly, for deep freezes or heavy snowfall. But, by October, sweltering summer temperatures begin to taper off and we enter the dry season. Your warm-weather plants may need extra care, as we get a break from our subtropical weather. The last thing you want to see come November is a dead lawn because temperatures dipped for three straight days. Florida landscaping ideas for the changing season tend to be a little bit different than most other regions.
So while your friends and family further north can pull from ample resources to treat their lawn, you have to dig a little deeper to find expert advice. Lucky for you, we’ve put together a few tips to help protect your landscape design, not only for the upcoming fall season but for years to come.
What a Florida Lawn Needs in Fall
#1 Start a Vegetable Garden
Did you know that fall is a perfect time to start a vegetable garden? Certain vegetables thrive in the cooler-but-not-actually-cold temperatures found in Florida’s Fall Season. Starting in October, begin planting broccoli, lettuce, carrots, radishes, or onions.
Be cautious, however, as the soil level may not be balanced for these cooler weather plants. Proper fertilization and tilling can help level out the soil making it a prime place to grow your vegetables. Remember to remove any dead or sickly plants from the area, if you used it in prior seasons.
#2 Check for Insect Damage
With summer temperatures waning off, insects are still high in population. Especially in your yard. It is important to keep your eyes on the signs of potential infestation. But be sure to recognize the signs of insect damage. Only a small number of lawn pests are actually catastrophic in nature.
Four of Florida’s ten most damaging pests: Fall Armyworms, Southern Chinch Bugs, Mole Crickets and sod webworms, are still very active at this time. Learn to recognize the signs of their presence, before dousing your lawn in off-the-shelf pest control products. If you notice circular discolored patches, small patches of soil above the grass, or intersecting brown patches, there is cause for concern. Be aware that there are specific products designed for the different sorts of lawn pests. Overdoing your pest control can damage the health of your lawn, often more than the pest themselves.
#3 Check Your Irrigation System
As it rained through most of July and August, perhaps some time has passed since you last watered your lawn. Going into the fall, you will want to make sure that your irrigation system is in working order. Double check that all necessary areas are getting proper coverage, and replace them as needed. You will want to water through October, at the very least.
#4 Watch for Winter Weeds
Cool-season weeds and other unwanted plants can start showing up in your lawn as early as October. Your best defense is to take precautions early. Once the weather drops to 60 degrees or lower for 4 consecutive nights, apply a preemergence herbicide to your lawn. Be sure to read the label of your herbicide carefully, as they are only effective (and safe) when used as directed. This application should protect your lawn for 6-12 weeks, on average.
If you do notice weeds start to pop up through the fall, pull them by hand instead of spraying them with a product. If weeds begin to grow out of control, speak to a lawn service for Florida landscaping ideas that will help cut down on the presence of weeds.
#5 Prepare for your final fertilization
As the days grow shorter and the nights grow cooler, the time draws near for the final application of fertilizer for that calendar year. For this application, use a fertilizer with little to no phosphorous, unless the lawn is in need of it. (You can verify this through a soil test.) For the longest-lasting results, choose a fertilizer with controlled-release nitrogen. For an even application, call a Lake Mary landscaping company for best results.
#6 Lay New Sod
Are some areas of your lawn looking patchy? Fall makes for a great time to fill in those spots with sod, and allow it to take root in calm temperatures with a low chance of drought conditions. Be sure to use high-quality sod, appropriate for our warmer climate. You’ll want it to look dense and healthy come spring time!
#7 Continue to Mow and Water
Florida grass will continue to grow far longer into the fall season than our friends farther North. Keep up with your mowing routine to keep your lawn happy and healthy. In late October to early November, do one final cut at a lower setting than normal. This will help to prevent damage to your lawn from cooler weather and fight lawn diseases.
Be sure to also keep an eye on your lawn’s water levels. You do not want to quit watering, as lawns need around an inch of water per week to stay healthy. However, cooler temperatures may lead to overwatering. Unless conditions are trending toward drier than not, reduce but do not halt your watering routine.
As fall approaches, schedules get busier and often times, lawns become neglected in the chaos that is back-to-school, holidays, and traveling relatives. Let experienced lawn care services Daniel’s Lawn Service ease your stress by handling your Florida landscaping ideas for Fall and beyond.
Emergency Tree Removal: Cleaning Up After the Storm
How to Secure & Restore Your Lawn After Hurricanes
As the winds die down after a hurricane, and the skies clear, the mess, unfortunately, remains behind. Flooding, downed branches, and power outages delay life’s return back to normal. In some cases, a collapsed limb requires emergency tree removal. What requires immediate attention and what requires an experienced professional?
Here are ways to help your lawn recover after a large storm, like this recent hurricane.
Cleaning Up Your Landscape After Storms.
Make sure your environment is safe to begin clean-up. Look for downed power lines, debris hanging on power lines, or large puddles of standing water. Allow professionals to deal with these circumstances before beginning your clean-up process.
1. Inspect the trees on your Property
Fallen or unstable trees are one of the top safety risks following a storm. Look at all of the trees on your property for signs of damage, such as broken tree top or fallen branches. If you see these signs of severe tree damage on your property, call an Orlando tree service to determine what the appropriate next steps would be.
Accuweather estimates that Hurricane Irma caused approximately $100 billion in damages, including property damage from downed trees. Proper assessment of your property can minimize your personal damage cost, after the storm.
2. Use a rope to section off larger portions of trees.
If you are having trouble cutting or removing a larger tree (or afraid of it falling and damaging the surrounding property) handle it and sections. First, tie a rope around the section you are cutting away from. This will be the section you expect to fall FIRST. Have a friend hold onto the rope carefully while you cut. Then, let that section fall slowly, in a controlled manner. Do the same with the remaining sections. The slower you go, the better. Only cut sections you are comfortable holding until they fall to the ground. Knowing the basics of emergency tree removal can reduce the overall damage to your property.
3.Pick up small branches
While small yard debris is not as hazardous as downed or damaged trees, it can be unsightly and problematic when life returns to normal. Research yard waste collection options in your neighborhood. Many cities will collect yard debris and turn it into wood chips. Excess leaves can be turned into compost and worked into the soil.When removing the small debris, wear gloves to protect yourself from insects, glass, or other hazards that may be strewn through the yard.
4.Care for Damaged Plants
While your garden may have taken a severe beating from the storm, inspect each plant to see if it is salvageable. If the stems are still intact, remove the damaged leaves, up to one-third of the plant. If your plants happened to be uprooted, attempt to replant and prune. With just a bit of gentle care, your plants should be able to regrow what they lost.
5.Remove destroyed plants
Plants with damage to their stems are not likely to recover. After clearing the immediate debris, take the time to remove and replace the destroyed plants.Consult a landscape design company for tips on storm-friendly plants to replace the destroyed ones.
6.Note Areas of Flooding
If the same few areas of your yard flood after every storm, consider adding new plants, such as shrubs or trees in the area. These plants can help absorb some of the excess water, cutting down on your risk of flooding after a major storm. If the dip in the yard is visible, consider hiring a landscape company to fill and even out that spot in your yard.
7.Care for Your Trees
While many, many trees did not survive the storm, there are plenty that did. Be prepared for the next major storm by taking extra care of the trees in your lawn. Many routine lawn service tasks such as mulching, fertilizing, and watering can help keep your trees healthy. A healthy tree is less likely to have branches snap off during a major storm.
While Hurricane Irma did cause significant damage to homes and lawns across Central Florida and beyond, emergency tree removal will not be difficult to obtain. Daniel’s Lawn Service is ready to help you with downed trees, bush hogging, and other lawn care services.
When to Fertilize Your Florida Lawn
Florida Landscaping Tips
When to fertilize your Florida lawn with a warmer-than-average climate and a varying rainfall, all these factors have a significant impact on your lawn’s health.
One of the biggest perks of being a Floridian is plenty of sunshine all-year-long. Rather than months of cold and frost, we see only a few weeks of cooler weather, annually. For homeowners, this poses a unique question: Do you know when to fertilize your Florida lawn?
Most lawn care advice suggests that lawns need fertilization as soon as the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees. In most of the country, this starts around mid-April. Florida soil, on the other hand, hits 55 degrees only a few times per year. That said, if you have yet to fertilize your lawn this year, it is not yet too late!
What Makes A Florida Lawn Different?
It is hard to follow standard advice when it comes to your Florida lawn. While the majority of the country gets to adjust and plan ahead when it comes to weather, Floridians have to contend with higher than average heat and varying water levels. Drought and flood conditions are often only months apart! Not to mention, the lack of a true winter season. With this many varying factors, knowing the appropriate time to fertilize your lawn can be a major challenge.
At the sign of the first frost, most types of Florida grass, known as warm season grass, will turn brown. It does not have anything to do with how well you did or didn’t fertilize. These grasses do not have the hardiness that cooler weather ones do. However, many of them bounce back to life rather fast, following a freeze.
Facts about Fertilizer:
It is important to know what sort of fertilizer works best for your lawn. A bag of fertilizer has three numbers printed on it. These numbers refer to the percentage of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium it contains. (For example: 20-5-10 mixture.) The rest of the bag contains a filler material that helps with an even application.
Slow-release fertilizers only need to be applied every 6-8 weeks, rather than the standard recommendation of every four weeks. You want to aim for 2-3 pounds of nitrogen during each growing season. Growing season, the period in which you want to fertilize your lawn, takes place April through October, regardless of your location.
For the last fertilization of the year, consider an organic fertilizer. One way to do this is to cut your grass with a mulch cutter and allow the clippings to sit on top of the grass. Choosing this method provides as much nitrogen as one treatment of bagged fertilizer. Going this round may be the difference between a healthy lawn and an over-fertilized one.
Be cautious of over-fertilizing. You want the grass to be greener and fuller than it is tall. Too much fertilizer can cause overgrowth and a lot of extra work for you. Too little fertilizer is better than adding too much.
What Grass is in Your Lawn?
In Florida, you will find the following grasses in your lawn:
Bahia– an all-purpose grass, with a lower risk of disease and insect problems. It is often used in pastures for beef consumption.
Bermuda– also known as couch grass, is drought-resistant and makes a good turf. It is one of the most common lawn grass types.
Centipede– a low-maintenance, heat tolerant grass with low nutrient requirements. Grows from the spring into the hot summer months.
St. Augustine– Grows best in tropical climates, often seen on shorelines where there is ample moisture.
Zoysia– hardy grass, stands high-heat and drought conditions. Low maintenance. Suitable for southern states.
Knowing what types of grass grow in your yard is essential to a healthy fertilization. As nutrient needs vary between types of different grasses, it pays to do your research.
Wait! Before You Fertilize, Do This:
If hiring lawn care services are not in your budget, make sure you use granular fertilizer. Granular fertilizer is the easiest way to get an even spread, without utilizing a professional fertilization method.
Do a soil test. You want your soil to be as neutral as possible. Aim for a pH of 6.0-7.0, for most grasses. Adding too much or too little of a particular nutrient can be devastating to your lawn’s balance.
Pay attention to other plants in your landscape design. What works for your lawn may be dangerous for your garden. Know what is growing in your yard and, if necessary, isolate certain plants from your fertilizer treatment.
Timing is Everything:
If you fertilize too early, you may unintentionally promote the growth of cool-season weeds. Wait until the weather is consistently warm before fertilizing.
If temperatures get too hot, fertilizer can actually weaken the lawn. A mixture of heat and chemicals can burn the lawn, and create weaker than normal undergrowth. A burned lawn creates problems for your lawn’s appearance for years to come.
If you are still unsure when to fertilize your Florida lawn, do not be afraid to consult a professional. Lawn advice is not one-size-fits-all! If you wish to hire a lawn service Orlando Fl to help you with your yard fertilization, give Daniel’s Lawn Service a call.
8 Landscaping Ideas for Small Lawns
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Landscaping Tips for Small Yards
A smaller-than-average lawn can be a challenge to design and maintain.
A dream home can feel less than ideal when it sits upon a tiny yard. A smaller yard can feel like a challenge to design and maintain. Exciting landscaping ideas feel few and far between. What can a homeowner do with just a small patch of grass? With potentially restrictive Home Owners Association regulations, space constraints, city codes and only so much time, it takes a bit of creativity to turn a fractionally-sized yard into a masterpiece. Why should your friends in the suburbs and rural areas have all the fun?
Anyone can have a beautiful, enviable yard with the proper planning and design. In fact, a well-landscaped yard can yield a 150% return on investment when it comes to selling a home. While this may vary on how much money you put in to sprucing up your lawns, even the simple fixes like adding seasonal, region-appropriate flowers or removing weeds can make a world of difference.
If you find yourself at a loss for what to do with the tiny patches of struggling grass in front or behind your home, give these tips a shot and watch your home grow before your eyes.
Install Stacked Planters
Rather than lining up planters on the already limited ground, purchase (or build!) planters that stack up vertically, and place them along an exterior wall.
Plant larger, fuller plants in the planters for a lush, lively appearance. This can add a lot of greenery, without occupying a lot of lawn space.
Plant a Hanging Garden
Keep plants off of the ground entirely and create a hanging garden. Choose a handful of small to medium size planters, and hang them off of your porch or patio. By hanging your herbs and small plants, you leave more room in your lawn for larger, more elaborate plants.
Use Color to Your Advantage
Play with the colors in your lawn in a way that manipulates the way you see the entire picture. Bright and bold colors catch an onlooker’s attention. Put these plants up front, so guests see them first. Fill out the back of the area with greenery and less-assuming plants.
This landscaping “hack” creates an illusion of depth, thus making the yard appear larger overall.
Take a Cue from Your Neighbors.
Your neighbors very likely faced a similar dilemma at one time, with their yard. Keeping up with the Joneses may not always be the best advice when it comes to your home. In this case, it may be the secret to a larger-looking yard.
Take a look at what sort of plants or trees your neighbors have on their side of the fence. Do your best to match them on your side. Why? From the perspective of someone in your lawn, this creates the illusion that the end of your yard and the beginning of your neighbor’s does not really exist! On the other hand, a stark contrast between designs on both properties can shrink the appearance of both lawns. Get to know the family next door and find out the name of the trees they recently planted. Once you tell them why, they probably will not mind.
Move the Garden Out Front
Why banish the garden to the back of your home where only you can enjoy it? If your front lawn rivals the back in size, work with it! Choose visually interesting florals that can be safely spaced between your blooming fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Ideally, you want your garden to be situated in a space that it can thrive. Who says this cannot be out front?
Take advantage of Side Yards
This often-forgotten section of a yard just begs to be spruced up with ferns and florals. Many homeowners use this prime area to store garbage cans, fertilizer and whatever else seems to fit.
Be cautious of utility meters, however. You don’t need the meter reader stomping through your brand new rose garden just to do their job! Plant your garden in a low traffic location, or alternatively, purchase a few large planters to keep the plants off of the ground.
Remember: Less is More
As much as you may want to be the envy of the block, smaller yards have limits. You cannot cram a full yard’s worth of plants into a fractionally-sized space. In this case, less is more. Choose vibrant and eye-catching plants over large, sprawling ones. An overcrowded yard means additional lawn maintenance. Ultimately, the crowding may appear less-attractive than the bare bones yard you started with.
In a small yard, you want to make sure all plants receive appropriate nutrients and care. Space them appropriately, so that they do not have to compete for resources.
Create Open Spaces
If your yard leaves something to be desired, shift your focus to creating a welcoming patio. Aim to create wide, comfortable spaces. An open patio space can be used for entertaining just as much as it can be used for entertaining.
Trade your screened-in, boxed off porch for a paved deck or concrete slabs, furnished with simple lawn furniture. Line any edges or gaps with simple, small-to-medium plants in the ground or in planters.
A small yard does not mean you cannot have a beautiful landscape design. Keep these tips in mind and bask in the lush, beautiful atmosphere created by utilizing your new landscaping ideas. If you find yourself still at a loss for your small lawn design, give Daniel’s Lawn Service a call.
How to Keep Your Lawn Looking it’s Best Despite the Florida Drought
Landscaping Tips for Florida Drought Season
Summer officially starts June 21st, but for anyone who has lived in Florida very long we know it’s already here. However, this year is unusual for a number of reasons: 1. Disney is actually restricting the number of people entering their parks and 2. Nearly 70% of our state is in a drought.
If you care more about the 2nd point than the 1st, you’re probably a Florida homeowner.
As lawn care professionals, we get so used to the rain and humidity that we’re a little unsure how to respond to the swift climate change ourselves. However, we have also learned a thing or two in our years of servicing Florida lawns on doing more with less, and making one drop of water stretch as far as possible.
So, in behalf of all bewildered Florida homeowners, here are 5 tips on how to care for your lawn this summer in these drought conditions:
1. Don’t Over-Fertilize!
As temperatures rise, the grass will burn and create a flush of growth that will struggle in the hot, summer sun. Stop fertilizing at least 30 days before temperatures rise, which is right around now. If your lawn is already looking straggly, stop fertilizing now. Just resist the urge and save your extra fertilizer for the cooler months of October and November when they can grow up nicely without the threat of drying out.
Bonus Lawn Tip: You can also use organic fertilizers (if your budget allows) which are naturally slow-release and much less likely to burn your lawn, or pollute the environment.
2. Raise Your Mower Blades
Taller grass is more drought-tolerant because it grows deeper roots and shades the ground to prevent weeds. In a drought, mow your lawn at 3”-4” or as high as your mower blades will allow. Also, mow regularly enough to prevent cutting more than 1/3 of the grass blades each time, which prevents the clippings from smothering the grass and keeps it healthier longer. Always keep your mower blades sharp, and make sure your mower is cutting your grass, not tearing it, which minimizes stress on your lawn during hot, dry days.
3. Water Wisely
Most lawns need at least one inch of water each week, which usually requires no work on our parts during Florida summers. But, as we said, this year is different. Use a rain gauge to track the amount of rainwater your lawn receives. Or, if you can’t afford one, just place a small tuna can in your lawn. If the can holds an inch of water after one week, you’re golden! If not, water your lawn to compensate for the water that is lacking.
Bonus Lawn Tip: Water early in the day to reduce evaporation, and whatever you do, never let your lawn turn brown or go dormant. It takes much more water to bring a lawn “back to life” than it does to keep it healthy.
4. Watch Out for Weed Killers
An already stress-out lawn will not respond well to extra chemicals, herbicides or pesticides, so use week killers sparingly. While summer is the best season is the best season to remove growing weeks before they bloom, hand-pull weeds instead of using harsh chemicals to remove them. Or, use weed control products only when temperatures are under 85 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 consecutive days or more. Also, there are some natural options that will kill your weeds without harming grass. Opt for these products when needed.
5. Control Your Lawn Traffic
Just the tread of human feet on a lawn can wear down your grass over time. Install stepping stones along popular paths, such as to your front door or towards a rear deck area, to minimize the damage of foot traffic to your grass.
Bonus Lawn Tip: Avoid glazed tile or marble slabs that look gorgeous but can be dangerously slippery when wet. Instead, look for manufactured paving slabs made of sandstone or others rocks. These are easier to split up, have a flat surface and the colors stay more consistent over time, which is great for our Florida sun!
If a lush, gorgeous summer lawn is what you’re after, the Florida drought doesn’t have to stand in your way! Keep these tips in mind, and give yourself a pat on the back for doing something good for your home and your state. Meanwhile, if you need any extra landscape design or lawn care advice, give us a call! We also offer tree service as well.
The Summer of Calamine Lotion: 5 Protection Tips for Mosquito Bites
How to Prevent Mosquito Bites in Florida
Mosquito bites are the bane of my summer experience. Last 4th of July I went to a Disney golf course to watch the fireworks. It was wonderful until I got home and counted 42 mosquito bites – from my legs all the way up to my arms and my back.
I spent the next couple of weeks spotting calamine lotion on those spots, everyday finding a new one.
Unfortunately, because I have no self-control, I scratched those mosquito bites every day resulting in red spots on my legs that lasted for weeks; there’s only so much calamine lotion can do! Wearing shorts is not so fun when you feel like you’re walking around with chicken pocks!
While I didn’t prepare myself for 4th of July last year, I will this year. I suggest you heed my advice, and so does the Florida Department of Health! They keep a weekly, publicly published tracker for mosquito -related illnesses that may be present in Florida.
With that said, your greatest defer for mosquito bites is protection; arm yourself.
Here are our 5 best tips for protecting your yard, home, and family from mosquito bites this summer:
1. Educate yourself on their attractors:
While you may not be able to help it, sweat is a major contributor to mosquito attraction. The reason for this is that sweat cultivates bacteria, which creates an odor irritable for mosquitos. This does not mean to load up on perfumes either. The artificial floral scents actually draw them to your skin too.
Mosquitos can catch hint of a scent from 100 yards away. Unfortunately, breathing gives off an attractive scent through carbon dioxide. Pregnant women actually produce more carbon dioxide. Obviously you have to breathe, so know how to properly protect yourself depending on your environment.
2. Use DEET- containing repellants:
DEET is the best chemical produced to repel mosquitos. It was made in 1957 and has been shown to be safe for over 40 years now. Look for mosquito repellant products that contain DEET.
As you might have guessed it, Off! Repellants are made of 25% DEET chemicals.
Be conscious of the time a repellant lasts. Much like sunscreen, they either need to be reapplied or restocked. OFF! produces a variety of products, so there shouldn’t be any excuse as to not use them.They sell products for a variety of uses: sprays for your skin, sprays for your yard, clip-on disks, candles, even a portable coil you can move around your porch/ outdoor living space.
If you are uncomfortable using chemicals, opt for essential oils. Again, the expiration of these oils is about an hour, so reapply as needed. Mosquitos also avoid smells like lemongrass, lavender, and peppermint. Use these oils at night, however, away from the sun. Oils increase skin sensitivity UV rays in sunlight. That direct contact can cause many other UV ray ailments.
Pick your battles!
3. Plant a protective garden:
Sometimes the best way to fight nature is with nature itself. Without spraying your home with chemicals (despite being safe for children and pets), use plants and their natural aromas provide a deterrent for mosquitos because they are not attracted to them.
- Lavender: Lavender can serve as your yard’s garden perfume, and luckily for Floridians, they flourish in warm environments. Unlike manmade fragrances, lavender’s strong scent is strong enough to disorient and temporarily disarm a mosquito’s sense of smell, therefore distracting them from your scent and your yard.
- Marigolds: Marigolds are universally useful for many pests. They are very easy to grow year-round and also defers mosquitos from its scent. Marigolds can protect your garden from flies, beetles, even weeds!
- Rosemary: My mom picks her fresh rosemary for our annual holiday roast, so not only is it wonderful for cooking, it’s also a line of defense for mosquitos. Rosemary is easy to grow in hot climates and can be potted or planted in the ground. The woody scent is not one attractive to mosquitos so they fly away from the area they’re planted in.
Rosemary and basil both give off scents that repel mosquitos.
If gardening is something you want to give a try for your yard’s mosquito protection, consider consulting with Daniel’s Lawn Service for landscaping designs. Mosquito bites are itchy eye sores but your yard doesn’t have to be!
4. Remove physical mosquito attractions from your yard:
Your yard can be a mosquito’s favorite social gathering. What makes a social ground for mosquitos? Stagnant water. The reason for this is that small amounts of stagnant water are optimal areas for mosquitos to reproduce.
- Dump water from your dog’s outside water bowl or kiddie pool when they are no longer being used.
- Drill holes in open recycling or garbage bins so rain can drain through the bottom.
- Check and clean your home’s gutters regularly for clogs because a mixture of water and debris will create that aroma of bacteria.
- Keep your pool chlorinated year round. It is very easy for your pool to attract bacteria, turning your pool green.
5. Shop for repellant yard products:
Growing up, our favorite backyard mosquito deterrent were tiki torches lit with a repellant fuel. Not only do they look cool, the flame emits a natural repellant into the surrounding area. However, there are so many other safer options on the market. If you want something smaller, say for a small dinner party outside, consider just a small citronella candle. If you have children around and prefer not to have an open flame, lanterns that emit scents to mask the scent of carbon dioxide are available.
Unfortunately, not sweating in a Florida summer is not an option just like not watching Disney’s fireworks on the 4th of July! You shouldn’t have to sacrifice outdoor summer activities in fear of mosquito bites. My best advice is to invest in some of these products instead of investing in calamine lotion!
Gone Green for Greenery: Make your Yard Maintenance Eco-Friendly
How to Make an Eco-Friendly Yard
We are constantly challenged by what’s good for us and what’s not.
You know you’re supposed to eat fruit for dessert but Ben and Jerry’s was BOGO at Publix this week.
You’re supposed to turn off your sprinklers for yard maintenance when it’s raining but you don’t want to go outside in the rain…
You know you’re supposed to exercise five days a week but the thought of changing into workout clothes is almost as dreadful as the thought of the workout itself.
You know you’re supposed to use reusable grocery bags but you always forget them in your trunk…all twenty of them.
So how do we find the equilibrium between what we should do and we actually do? The answer is creating a mindful awareness and therefore giving yourself the power of choice.
Ask yourself: Will you feel better now or afterward? If the answer is typically “now”, you may need to reevaluate your decisions.
Asking yourself this is prevalent in every aspect of your life. Including your home and lawn. Yes, healthy living is all- encompassing; your body, your health, and your environmental footprint. Where is somewhere you can actually showoff your environmental footprint? Or your lack thereof an environmental footprint? Your home and yard.
Yes, your actual living environment can be your greatest eco-friendly accomplishment. By putting in the work yourself, you will be satiated for a very long time afterward.
Here are 5 reasons why you should go green for yard maintenance:
1. Not all pests are pests.
Growing up, every time I saw a small spider in the kitchen my mom warned me not to kill it. In fact, she encouraged leaving it there as it would take care of the little bugs infamously known in Florida for their love of pasta and cereals.
Much like that, allow “safe” bugs to inhabit your garden to keep it clear of plant-eating bugs. If you still don’t like that idea, consider adding marigolds to your garden as they are used to ward off harmful bug offenders. These natural bug deterrents will allow you to keep harmful chemical sprays in the garage; untouched by you and the earth.
2. Better your garden by bettering yourself.
You know you need to eat five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables every day for your body to benefit from their nutrients. Did you know that your soil can benefit from your healthy diet too?
How often do you throw away the peels, shedding, stems, and cores of fruits and vegetables you cook with?
Instead of throwing it in the trashcan where it can never serve a useful purpose, make a compost out the produce waste. Composts work because they provide soil with further nutrients and moisture while also attracting bugs that also provide nutrients like worms.
Additionally, did you know fruits and vegetables require less water intake for growing? In fact, vegetables like eggplants and sweet potatoes tend to be drought resistant. Not only are you using less water to keep your vegetables and plants alive and healthy, you’re also stocking your kitchen with fresh produce. Plus, you grew with your dinner with your own hands! Your grandma’s Victory Garden would be proud…
3. Brick patios don’t need watering.
To further your admirable and much needed water conservation efforts, consider constructing a brick patio somewhere in your lawn. Downsizing the actual area of your yard means less area to cover with water. By adding that dream, brick, patio complete with a fire pit may pay for itself with the water you’ll be saving. Not only does it limit your grass space and therefore watering needs, it also won’t require much yard maintenance. No mowing means saving on the gas it takes to run most mowers.
4. Going green typically means less work for you.
By opting for environmentally stable plants, creating a healthy soil base, and limiting your yard space, you decrease your tangible workload for yard maintenance. It’s funny how nature can take care of nature. Aside from the basics of maintaining a two to three inch growth of grass and regular lawn mowing service, the sustainability of your yard and garden are dependent upon what you built it on. When that foundation is meant to be nourished by nature, all you have to do is enjoy.
5. Living green actually makes you happier.
Making an environmentally friendly effort in your life does more than just impacting the environment. Making these changes can actually have an impact on your health and your cognitive well-being. You become more patient with nature and its inhabitants; acknowledging the role of living things. Incorporating more produce into your diet (and into your soil) can rejuvenate any gut and immune imbalances and impurities. (Your plumber will thank you!) Having a space like a brick patio can encourage hosting opportunities to meet new neighbors and create social expansion.
Finally, becoming eco-friendly in your yard forces you to get creative. Find ways to repurpose things you would normal throw away or recycle. Leftover mason jars from spaghetti night? Use them as plant pots. Leftover morning coffee grinds? Add them to your soil. Find a lawn service Orlando fl to suit your eco-friendly endeavors!
Going green is a conscious effort and the responsibility of all us inhabiting this planet. It gives us purpose and reason to maintain a lifestyle we love. Going green for yard maintenance will inevitability make other aspects of your life healthier and greener.
If anything, think of how trendy you will be to the rest of your neighbors! Going green is a popular trend for a reason. While your cravings for Ben and Jerry’s may come and go, your desire to live a healthy, productive lifestyle will not!
From Demolition to $20 Million: Grey Gardens House is back on the Market
From Demolition to $20 Million: Grey Gardens House is back on the Market
After riding the New York subway most of us feel compelled to immediately reach for our hand sanitizer. Imagine visiting a home where you can’t even put your hand sanitizer away. If you haven’t heard about the Grey Gardens house address at 3 West End Road and Lily Pond Lane in East Hampton, New York, then let me paint a picture to make the analogy come alive.
Exposed wall paneling also exposed the raccoons that lived within them. The floor was half wood and half cat feces. The bedroom didn’t have a single exposed service; littered with newspapers, dirty oven mitts, opened soup cans, and more animal droppings. Surely the whole house was a health code condemnation. And much to my dismay, the surround yard and property was reminiscent of a sad, overgrown but dead version of a Jumanji jungle. Now imagine that decrepitude could be on the market for $20 million dollars.
Yes, Grey Gardens, the East Hampton home made famous by Jackie Kennedy’s relatives has been given a new life. Made famous by the singly named mother/daughter duo Big and Little Edie. Both Edith Bouvier Beale, lived in about three of the home’s 28 rooms during the societal seclusion.
This was a typical disarray of how the rooms looked. Pictured is Little Edie speaking with big Edie (notice her food on the bed and her face in the mirror’s reflection). You can also see the numerous cats including a saltine cracker box they used to feed the cats and raccoons.
Big Edie was left for destitution when she became a divorcee and botched benefactor of her wealthy father’s will. Little Edie moved in with her willfully secluded mother and the duo inspired the documentary, Grey Gardens. Albert and David Maysles made the film in 1975 and it became an immediate attraction for the public. In other words, the Grey Gardens house became the original episode of Hoarders.
Not only were formally prominent, well-to-do women living in actual shambles, their imprudent and dependent relationship filled the Grey Gardens house with further personality, a somehow enchanting personality. In fact, 40 years’ worth of personality.
Little Edie shown in a typical Edie juxtaposition; posing ironically in a fur coat in front of the decrepit shambles the Grey Gardens property was in.
The women inhabited the home until Big Edie’s death in 1997. Still financially inept, Little Edie was forced to sell the property that made her and her mother famous. The property sold in 1979 for $200k by Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and his journalist wife, Sally Quinn. Little Edie refused to sell the house to someone with the intention of tearing it down; so every potential buyer until the Bradlees.
But don’t worry, according to little Edie, all the Grey Gardens house needed was a “coat of paint” when in fact to rid the house of its feline inhabitants’ odor, the floors and walls needed to be removed while the nearly 2 acres of land essentially needed to all be uprooted. As you can see pictured, a home’s exterior, lawn included, can exasperate a home’s condition. Sometimes a coat of paint also refers to a good weed- wacker!
The actual garden of Grey Gardens is now lush and green. The Bradlee couple added a swimming pool and tennis court to the property. Their restoration efforts since 1979 had amassed to about $600k.
The story of Grey Gardens goes to prove that the bones of a home and its landscape can always be saved when not properly tended to; even abused in the case of Grey Gardens.
If this property once deemed by the Health Department an ultimate violator of all health codes can be restored to be worth $20 million, you can do almost anything with your home. Much like the gardens here, it may take a few years for things to bloom and grow to that healthy overgrowth, you can still plant the seeds now and reap your $20 million-ish rewards later.
This is the Grey Gardens today. Lush, green yard restored with proper care, maintenance, and patience.
It’s suggested hiring a professional to maintain the integrity of your property’s landscape. The Edies have proven that it is much too easy to allow the health of your home to deteriorate without guidance and frequent upkeep.
1. Plant plants and flowers known to grow in your home’s climate. The plants able to grow in East Hampton may differ from those that can be planted in Central Florida.
2. Hire someone you trust to take care of your yard while you can’t. Hiring a professional can catch signs of damage from either lack of care or even pests (much like Grey Gardens).
3. Find a landscape design that is suitable for your needs and expectations. Then, find a lawn service that can meet your needs. You want something that will make you happy but will also not be too much to maintain. You want something somewhere in between the original Grey Gardens house and the $20 million Grey Gardens. Assess your home for your wants and its needs. You too can create your version of a $20 million home.
Maybe all your home needs is some fresh lawn care and a fresh “coat of paint”.
Actually, it is what’s on the Outside that Counts: 9 Tips to Beautify Your Yard for Selling
Real Estate Tips to Prepare Your Home For Selling
So you’re trying to sell your home. You know your neighborhood is great; friendly and diverse neighbors, kids to play with, and the houses actually hand out candy on Halloween. You know your community great; a newly remodeled YMCA, ‘A’-graded schools, and a Publix close enough for any late night Ben & Jerry cravings, and most importantly, you know your house is great! It’s been through countless hurricanes, and only lost one tree in the backyard which is already growing back. It’s been though your son climbing in through the window after sneaking out. It’s been through puppy accidents on the tile. (You know, the tile you carefully chose to prevent slips from kids running inside from the pool.)
Your house has been through a lot and you show your appreciation by providing it the maintenance it deserves. What about your front yard? Has it received the same amount of attention? After all, no one will want to check out those anti-slip tiles if the outside didn’t convince them to even come inside.
If the answers to the above questions are no’s, then we have your solution. Remodeling your yard for curb appeal is a delicate balance. You want to be able to sell beauty without trying to sell a chore; no one wants to buy into maintenance. So while you may want your yard to look like a page out of Better Homes & Gardens, potential buyers might look at it as another responsibility they’re not willing to take on.
Here are our tips for creating a yard with curb appeal:
1. The grass is greener on the other side; meaning the money you’ll get from selling a house with green grass. No one wants a brown spotted lawn. Make sure you replace any brown patches or have a specialist come out to spray your lawn to prevent pesky weeds crashing to party. You may also want to look into pest control (moles have a tendency of leaving lumps of dirt all over yards).
2. As stated, don’t try to be the Kim Kardashian of yards. Be the Tom Hanks of yards, down to earth, welcoming, and modest. Ask yourself what kind maintenance does your yard require? Knowing the answer to that will help your buys know what they want. With the exception of those with green thumbs, most buyers don’t want to buy into any more future weekend chores.
3. In Florida, many homes have skylights. Make sure your trees aren’t blocking natural light. However, it is a bonus to have trees that shade parts of your home without windows. Shaded regions of the house may help cut back on the cost of your AC bill and being in Florida, any cent helps. Go ahead, add that your home’s desirability…
4. Treat your plants to some new pots, everyone deserves a wardrobe change. In addition to a wardrobe change, give them some highlights; that is, add some florals with color. Keep the labels in the pots next your plants and flowers, this will help whomever takes over your yard to maintain your decisions (we all know we secretly want our legacy to live on somewhere in our sold properties).
5. Don’t be afraid to add texture to your yard to fill in spots. Rock garden? Stepping stones? Strategically placed boulders? Fire pits? Even creating a little brick patio with chairs is a nice attraction for potential buyers (and patios take little to no maintenance). All these elements can add to an effortless “Secret Garden” feel.
6. How are your sprinklers looking? Ignoring your sprinklers is like ignoring your own piping and we all know that can be a problem. Make sure your underground water system is up to par. Having a system that runs properly will allow potential new homeowners the ease of not having to water their (your) yard. In addition to your sprinklers, mind your hose. Find a suitable place for easy access yet easy for coiling for your home’s new inhabitant to use.
7. What about the slabs of concrete around your yard? Your driveway? Your sidewalk? Power wash those guys. I was always amazed how white our driveway actually was after a power wash as a kid. Power washing instantly adds to your home’s price tag.
8. Speaking of pressure washing, some are able to power wash fences. How is your fence doing? Either cleaning up or repairing fences also adds value to your home. It’ll offer your future buyer peace of mind that not only does their yard feel private, it feels secure.
9. Finally, suggest leaving your lawn care service provider’s information for your buyers. They’ll appreciate the help. Besides, who wants to sift through Yelp reviews while also unpacking and waiting for Brighthouse to finally fix their cable? If you have a trusted lawn expert, like Daniel’s lawn service Orlando fl, pass the word onto your new buyers.
You’ll both be thankful your home’s yard can continue to look beautiful.
Beautifying the outside of your home will indicate to potential buyers that the inside of your home is not only as beautiful but also as properly maintained. Following some of these tips will help lead to more views from potential buyers, which will lead to more offers, which will lead you to closing sooner, which will lead you to retirement sooner, need I go on?
