Saturday Savers
Do you have plans this weekend? And the next? And the one after that? Are you prepared for an adventure at any time – whether close to home or across the globe? Do you revel in finding hacks for home and outdoor maintenance because it means fewer chores to keep you from fun?
We get it. You’ll find an assortment of helpful hints to keep your home in good shape, the hassle-free way.
From first look to first bloom, take these five easy steps to make your lawn and garden spectacular.
Step 1: Take your backyard’s temperature
Bare spots in the grass? Weeds popping up? Perennials aren’t coming back? Take a look around and determine what you’d like to achieve in your yard this year.
Step 2: Go pro to achieve backyard greatness
After you take a fresh look at any backyard issues, know when to bring in a professional to assess the situation and make recommendations for controlling tough crabgrass problems, pesky grubs and other issues in your yard.
Step 3: Make sure your pro is truly professional
Do your research before hiring someone to help you with your lawn care, pest control and landscaping needs with our above list of must-ask questions. In addition, consider asking:
- How do you approach plant health and pest control? Do you use an integrated approach?
Step 4: Seek expert advice
After your lawn is on its way to being in tip-top-shape, consult a Master Gardener, your local extension office or local nursery and garden center for advice on easy-to-maintain plants to brighten your landscaping.
Step 5: Bring in a landscaper and finish with flair
Want to save time? Bring in the landscape pros to create the outdoor space you can proudly call home while you sit back and enjoy the view.
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Here are a few situations when the pros may be the solution you (and your yard) need.
Hire the right help for the job
Multiple services exist, but some common options include:
- Mowing service—regular mowing, edging and trimming
- Lawn care service—seasonal upkeep for healthy and maintained grass such as aeration, pre-emergent treatment and weed control
- Landscaping service—landscape design and seasonal refreshes for your curb appeal
- Pest control service—seasonal maintenance for a pest-free home and outdoor spaces
Manage your maintenance
A lawn free of leaves and debris not only looks better, it also has fewer hiding spots for bugs! Quick, seasonal jobs (raking leaves and cleaning gutters) you may want to do on your own with help from DIY products from your local garden center. Taller orders (re-landscaping and prepping your yard for an outdoor party) may be your chance to save time and call in help.
Know when to ask for help
When the brown spot in your lawn won’t go away, lawn care professionals can offer a second set of eyes and can help you find the true source of the problem. They can also treat for grubs, so you can remove that from your to-do list.
Claim your independence from weeds
The same weeds keep coming back? Don’t sweat it – lawn care professionals can treat your lawn to prevent the headache (not to mention the backache).
Map out your curb appeal
Your in-laws are visiting, and your home needs a fresh look – no problem! Landscape professionals can choose your plants and flowers, making you look like the curb appeal expert.
Some pest control problems require backup
Ready to get rid of what’s eating your plants – or you? Pest control professionals can offer solutions when you’re too busy to be pestered.
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These lawn care basics can help you save time working in your yard and spend more time enjoying it.
Kick-start healthy grass
When you notice your grass has grown about 3 inches, it’s time for the first mow of the season. Freshly-cut grass also needs about 1 inch of water per week.
Avoid crabgrass
Summer is the prime time to treat your lawn for crabgrass. Treat your lawn with a pre-emergent herbicide from your local garden center using label directions.
Keep grubs from grubbing out
Stop grubs in their tracks. Spread a grub-control product on your lawn to help ward them off all summer long.
Achieve the lawn you crave
Fill in bare patches with seed to grow lush, green grass. Keep the area well-watered while your new grass is settling in!
Grasscycling time-saver
Save time by leaving grass cuttings on your lawn and check post-mow raking duty off of your to-do list.
Free your lawn of weeds
When you notice broadleaf weeds popping up in your lawn, don’t do more than you have to! If your lawn only has a few weeds, spot treatments from your local garden center might do the trick. Read the label directions before applying and storing these products.
There’s nothing better than feeling good about the home and garden projects you take on. The first step? Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Go Big or Go Home, but Start Small
Start small when planning a new outdoor space by planting hardy plants, such as cacti, and expand on these in time if you’re feeling good about taking on more projects. Experts at your local garden center can be a great resource to determine which plants require more upkeep than others. Also try power washing your deck to freshen it up instead of attempting to resurface anything.
Reach out to the Experts
When taking on the large, outdoor projects you feel good about accomplishing, your local nursery employee or neighborhood gardener are great resources. They can offer you advice from past experience, and are familiar with the climate in your area.
Plan for the Future
Plan ahead when planting, decorating and hiring a lawn care professional. This will help you avoid taking on more than you can manage. If you don’t want to worry about replanting every year, choose perennials over annuals, or even hardy cacti and succulents over flowering plants. Creating a space with functional infrastructure that doesn’t require a lot of upkeep and talking with experts to get the right advice will also help save you time.
Stay Passionate About your Product Choices
You’re a believer in effortless solutions that work. Keep believing and fuel your passion for a tidy, well-kept lawn and garden by using The AND Approach to find, solve and prevent home and yard issues and make sure they don’t continue to flare up. Speaking with a lawn care professional and taking care of any flare ups in the beginning will only help you avoid larger issues in the future.
Whether it’s a date night in or running simple errands together, home and gardening projects are an easy way to help bring you and your loved one together.
Date Night In
Focus on growing herbs that can be used in both meals and cocktails to make date night at home a breeze. Basil can add a fresh twist to a martini, and goes well with chicken- and pasta-based meals. You’ll know you’re mint-to-be when your mint plant not only thrives, but spices up a variety of your cocktails and entrees.
Focus on “Us”
Use gardening as an excuse to spend time with your significant other free of technology and other distractions. Look into plants that reflect your personalities, and work together to make a plan for the best fertilizers, watering schedules and more.
Partner Projects
Shopping for your home and garden materials is an easy task to accomplish when you’re both invested. It’s a time to get out of the house, inspire your design itch and create a space to share.
Leave it to the Professionals
Taking a weekend trip with your significant other or just want to avoid thinking about your home or garden project during date night? You can always leave your space to the professionals while you’re spending time away.
