Tag: #backyard

Sprucing Up Your Property’s Lawn

Posted on | by Allison Zuck

Last blog, we talked about how to take care of your rental property’s grass to have great curb appeal. Sometimes it’s just impossible for you to get the grass to look good in all the spots. There’s a good solution for you: ground covers! These plants spread out across your yard, and are quite pretty. You just need to make sure you choose the right plant for your needs.

First, for a clumpier ground cover, try something like Phlox. Plants like Phlox have the advantage where they are short enough to not get cut by the lawn mower. This means they can be featured in the middle of the yard, not just tucked into a corner.

Vinca Minor can be great as long as you are okay with it taking up your yard! It likes to grow everywhere, but it does take a few years to overgrow of your property!

If you aren’t feeling like flowers, some different types of grass could be a good option. Something like Miscanthus will give your yard a whole new look!

However, if you do want flowers, bulbs can be a really simple option. They don’t have instant reward, but when they do bloom, they can be a lovely surprise if you’ve forgotten about them. Bulbs come in a variety of options, so it will be easy for you to find one that suits your taste!

For rockier sections, consider alpine strawberries! Not only will they be pretty, but you’ll get to enjoy the fruits of your labor every year!

A few things to consider. Do your research before you buy any plants. Make sure that they can thrive in the environment that your property is in, and don’t plant anything that will get eaten by the local wildlife! Also, don’t put down any weed killer, as it will kill anything that isn’t grass. With these tips, you should be good to make your property look fabulous, and a little extra exciting!

 

For more information, check out this article that inspired our blog: https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2021/jul/18/ground-covers-offers-options-yard-landscaping/

Lawn Care

Posted on | by Allison Zuck

Often, we tend to take our grass for granted. As long as we don’t dig big holes in it or cut it too short, it seems to be fine. However, you want to take care of your grass on your rental properties so it looks the best it can! Getting a tenant in a property starts with curb appeal, and it won’t look good to have your curb covered in overgrown grass.

Watering Your Lawn

Most people are good at remembering to water their gardens, but what about their lawns? To be at its healthiest, grass needs about an inch of water a week! If you haven’t had an especially rainy week, you’ll need to drag out the hose. However, it’s better to water more and spread out your waterings further than a week. That way, the water can go deep into the soil.

Fertilizing Your Lawn

You may not need to fertilize your lawn as much as you think you do. And if you do fertilize it, do it in the fall! All you do in the summer, especially if you live somewhere where it rains, is encourage the grass to grow faster. While this looks good, you’ll also need to cut it more often.

Mowing Your Lawn

You may be used to mowing your lawn down to the ground. However, if you mow at 3-4 inches, your yard will thank you! It will look fluffier and feel better on your feet. It will also mean less weeds for the yard! You don’t even have to mow more often, as you’ll just make the grasses starting point a little higher.

All these tips will help your yard, and your properties’ yards, look great!

Treating Your Trees

Posted on | by Allison Zuck

We often forget about trees when we look at our yard. After all, they don’t require quite as much upkeep as a garden or lawn. However, because they are such a large part of many properties, it’s important to know how to keep them maintained!

Young Trees

You may have decided that your yard needed a few trees to make it stand out. New trees aren’t that difficult to take care of, but you don’t want them to die on your watch. A good way to start out is in how you plant your tree: it should have a large hole to settle in to, and you want a mixture of mulch and your local soil to fill that hole. Then, make a small hole near where the roots are. This is a watering well. For a month, give the tree a few inches of water through the well. After that, the tree should begin to root, and you can start fertilizing.

Older Trees

You usually do not need to do much to keep a tree healthy once it is settled and grown. You can make sure it’s watered by seeing if the soil is moist. Pruning is another way to not only maintain your trees, but also keep them looking fresh and beautiful.

These simple tips and tricks should keep your trees on the same level as your lawn and garden! To learn more about this topic, check out the article that inspired this blog here: https://lifehacker.com/how-to-care-for-the-trees-in-your-yard-1847313011

Memorial Day Cookout Ideas

Posted on | by Allison Zuck

Memorial Day is a great time to spend the day with family and friends cooking out in the backyard. It’s a great way to usher in the beginning of summer, with friends and food! Obviously, you’ll want the first cookout of the year to be a hit, and sometimes it can be hard to plan the perfect menu! Here are a few tips for what you can make for it to be a success!

Side Dishes

It’s usually good to have quite a few side dishes, so that everyone can have their favorites. Fruit is a good place to start, as watermelon, a fruit salad, or pineapple can be very refreshing. Speaking of fruit salad, salad is always a good idea. But don’t rely on lettuce to make your salads. Instead, pasta salad, macaroni salad, or potato salad are always good to have a heaping spoonful of! And, most store sell delicious pre-made versions, so you don’t have to worry about making another dish from scratch. And, if you want a warm side dish, baked beans are usually a hit!

Main Dishes

A cookout doesn’t have to just be burgers and hot dogs, although those are always favorites! Maybe try some Italian sausage or bratwurst as something a little different. They’re fantastic plain, but also taste good with different types of mustard. And, if you do want to stick with hamburgers, there are different recipes that you can try to spice things up. You can stuff your burgers, buy some different flavors at the store, or you can try this recipe that copy’s Red Robin’s Banzai Burger: https://topsecretrecipes.com/red-robin-the-banzai-burger-copycat-recipe.html.

Dessert

Arguably the most important part of any cookout is the dessert. The most satisfying dessert can be the easiest. You can grab ice cream sandwiches, popsicles, or make some brownies to eat with ice cream. Mainly, you just want something cold to eat, so that you’ll feel refreshed at the end of your cookout.

Cookouts don’t have to be stressful, and coming up with a solid plan for Memorial Day will make the holiday a blast!