In the current economy, everyone is struggling to find ways to save money. ThisOldHouse.com published an article listing the 15 fastest growing garden flowers. Planting these flowers now will give them time to grow and create a beautiful garden or bouquet to give to Mom on Mother’s Day. The flowers are listed below:
1. Pot Marigold
2. Cosmos
3. Mexican Sunflower
4. Yellow flag
5. Black-eyed Susan
6. Snapdragon
7. Purple coneflower
8. Marigold
9. Poppy
10. Horsemint
11. Indigo Spires sage
12. Calliopsis
13. Mums
14. Purpletop verbena
15. Nasturtium
To read the complete article, click on the link below:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20274695,00.html
The landscape experts at EnhanceScape can help you design and plan your dream garden. If you want to include some, or all of these flowers, our designers can help you come up with the best way to include them in your yard. For ideas, please contact us today.
The Washington Post ran an article a few months ago listing some necessary steps to take to make sure your yard is in good condition for spring. If you haven’t already, read this article and take advantage of the warmer weather to go outside and get your yard ready. Spring is here, now is the time to make sure your yard is in good shape for the upcoming weather!
The full article can be found below:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/25/AR2009022501020.html?hpid%3Dsmartliving&sub=AR
Money Magazine & CNN.com posted an article in March that gives many options on cost-effective ways to remodel your house. Some of the ideas in this article include:
1. Make simple alterations to your home.
2. Focus on making the existing features better rather than installing all new features.
3. If you are looking to add hardscaping to your outdoor living area, consider a patio rather than a deck. Patios are much more cost-effective and provide the same functions.
For more ideas, click on the link below to read the article:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/moneymag/0903/gallery.home_makeover.moneymag/index.html
The Washington Post posted an interesting article a few months ago about the most cost-effective ways to renovate your home. These ideas will help transofrm your home without breaking the bank. Click the link below for some remodeling tips:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/11/AR2009021101061.html
Did you know that between 30 and 40 million acres of land in the U.S. are devoted to turfgrass? All of that lawn comes with a heft price tag. Americans collectively spend about $40 billion annually on seed, sod and chemicals, and much of that money goes to products that degrade the soil, pollute any water they reach, and pose serious health threats to humans, their pets, and any wildlife in the area, including birds.
As people become aware of these facts, attitudes towards conventional fertilizers and pesticides are beginning to change and a number of cities and towns have restricted the use of pesticides on school grounds or in parks. If you are interested in cutting back on fertilizer and pesticide use at your home, there are a number of simple steps you can take to ensure that your lawn stays green and gorgeous:
- Add organic matter to your lawn to build the soil or spread an inch of compost in the fall, and water it in. Increasing the organic matter in your lawn by as little as 5% will quadruple the soil’s ability to hold water.
- Get rid of weeds while they are still small. It’s easier (and less time consuming) to control a few young weeds than it is to eradicate lots of large weeds that have gone to seed.
- Use an organic, slow-release fertilizer to feed your lawn and the soil. These materials break down slowly, feeding your grass over a longer period of time.
- Use a reel mower – they are much gentler than rotary mowers, which tear at turf, leaving it bruised and open for disease.
- Aerate your lawn every couple of years to eliminate thatch and to allow air, nutrients, and water to penetrate deep into the root zone.
- To promote deep roots and a healthier lawn water longer, but less often. After watering, use a garden trowel to check soil moisture. If it isn’t wet 4 to 6 inches down, keep watering!
- Raise the height of your mower (to 2-1/2 inches in Southern states or 3-1/2 inches in Northern states).This will help crowd out weeds, reduce the need for watering, and improve the overall appearance of your lawn.
Going organic doesn’t mean you have to give up your lawn, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you have to give up the rest of your life tending for your lawn. It means planting grass species that will do well in your climate, watering deeply but infrequently, and avoiding the use of dangerous and expensive chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
