The Importance of Winter Lawn Maintenance

One of the best ways to keep your home value high is to take care of your yard. Proper lawn maintenance is a must, and it is actually a year-round task. For those that care about their lawn in The Woodlands, it can be helpful to get lawn maintenance advice for the tricky winter months. Here are 4 helpful winter lawn maintenance tips that will make sure that you have a top lawn when the spring and summer roll back around.

1.       Get your lawn to the right length for winter.
In the winter months, one key to lawn maintenance is making sure that your lawn is low when winter starts. You can do this by shortening the length of your lawn each time that you mow until it is at its lowest length as winter is beginning. Long grass in The Woodlands can make your lawn a home for burrowing creatures that need warmth in the winter. Another reason that short grass is key for lawn maintenance is that it prevents new growth in the winter which can lead to a weaker lawn in the following year.

2.       Clear all of your lawn of furniture and debris.
If anything sits on your lawn through the winter months, it can cause dead spots when your grass grows the next year. The reason this is included in winter lawn maintenance tips is because it can be easy to overlook a random toy or log on the lawn and forget about it in the winter time. Be sure to do a thorough check of your entire lawn before the winter and try to do weekly or bi-weekly checks throughout the winter. This simple piece of lawn maintenance will help your lawn stay even and grow properly the following spring.

3.       Fertilize throughout the winter months.
Before the seriously cold weather of the winter months' rolls in, it is important for your lawn in The Woodlands to be treated with fertilizer. The reason this is a key for winter lawn maintenance is that it allows your lawn to soak up needed nutrients for the following spring, and keep them in the soil during freezes. Proper fertilization of your lawn is vital to having a great yard, so it should be a part of any lawn maintenance advice you take no matter what the season is, even winter.

4.       Take Care of Your Lawn in the Fall
Some of the most important lawn maintenance for the winter can be done in the fall. Raking leaves, mowing properly as the grass turns brown, and avoiding walking on the grass is very important to the overall lawn health. When you work on following these winter lawn maintenance tips, you will be appreciative of the work that you put in during the fall.

Hopefully, you can use this winter lawn maintenance advice to guarantee that your yard in The Woodlands looks great next year and many years to come.

It's Never too Early to Prepare for Pool Season

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Every single year people get excited for pool season. Being able to enjoy the warm summer days while still staying cool in the pool is a time-honored American pastime. Setting up the perfect pool design during the winter can go a long way to being prepared for pool season in the summer. Imagine a pool that includes an amazing deck, possible grilling space, and the perfect surrounding landscape. Early planning is hugely important to the success of pool construction. If you are wanting to make your house the go-to place for a pool party or you just want to be able to enjoy summer evenings with a cocktail by the pool, be sure to find the best pool construction and maintenance professionals and get started early.

Getting a professional pool design is the first key to making sure that you have a great success with your new pool. Bringing in professionals that know how to see your landscape and bring in the perfect pool design, pool decking and make the whole thing line up perfectly. Whether you like a standard pool and spa set up or you want to create a more elaborate space with elegant fireplaces, outdoor kitchen centers and more, a professional designer can create it. When you bring in the pros for your pool installation they will be able to listen to your ideas and give you a perfectly functioning pool with the right lighting, pool decking and other features that you love.

If you want to guarantee that your pool meets all of your desired specifications, then make sure that you check out the work that your pool construction company has done before. The best way to make sure that they do great work is evidence. All of the best pool design and construction companies will be happy to provide you with a portfolio of their previous works and you will be able to tell right away whether or not they can get the job done for you. You are in control of making sure that you get the best pool decks, pool construction and the best pricing for your new pool. Always make sure to ask as many questions as possible from your pool company so that you get the most competitive prices and the finest pool design and installation.

Once you have your pool installed, the biggest key is getting the proper pool maintenance team to keep your pool in great shape every year. A pool has so many different moving parts from the lights, to the filters, the landscaping around it and the pool decking. Make sure that you get a great pool maintenance team to help you keep everything running smoothly and save you money on costly repairs in the long run.

Bringing in professionals is a guaranteed way to make sure that you never have any regrets when you install a new pool. Find the best pool design, installation and maintenance services in the winter in order to make summer as much fun as possible with little to no stress. You can get great pool decking and landscaping design from professionals that will make your backyard the envy of the neighborhood.

What to Love About Professional Landscaping

If you have finally found the perfect location, have the home of your dreams, and finally feel like you have the opportunity to perfect your property, then you are probably thinking about landscaping. Once you have all of the parts of your home interior sorted, the perfect landscape design and execution is vital to continuing to feel great about your home and improving property value. It is the age of the internet and for many, it is common to think that a “Do-It-Yourself” strategy is the way to go for everything. However, many homeowners get bogged down trying to create their own landscape design and work on their own landscape installation. Here are a few things that will help you see exactly why professional landscape services are perfect for getting the job done right and lifting the burden off of your shoulders as a homeowner.

Incredibly Creative Designs

There are times when we all have a great idea for a joke. However, can any of us really expect to develop those jokes, and another hour of material and perform it for a crowd flawlessly? No, but you would expect that from your favorite professional comedian. The same applies to landscape design. Sure, you may be able to get some great ideas from designs you have seen, but a professional landscaping design expert can use those ideas and develop them. When you choose to hire professional landscapers, the creativity increases significantly and get you the perfect design for your home’s landscaping.

It is Cost Effective

Many think that DIY landscaping is cheaper, but when you factor in the money that you spend on tools, equipment, planting materials and more, you are already behind on costs. Then you still have to spend more in time and energy that professional landscape services can relieve you from enduring. With professional landscaping, you can get free, up-front estimates that let you know exactly what your budget will be for the whole project, and it is often the most affordable option.

Professionalism in Execution

Once you choose professional landscape services, you will get a quality, professional product and excellent service. The fact is, a professional landscape installation team is only able to get business when they provide the highest quality product and you will be so happy with the end result and the process. The professionals will expertly understand the specific landscaping needs of your property and give you the perfect design and installation. This professional insight is really a game changer when it comes to having the perfect landscape that truly improves the look of your property.

With everything considered, it is easy to see why choosing pro landscape services is the best path for you. From the cost efficiency, to the innovative designs, to the perfection in execution, it is an easy choice to make. Do not get bogged down in another DIY project when you can get a professional result for an affordable price. Make the easy call and enjoy the great landscaping results.

Expand Your Living Space With Outdoor Living Features

The best way to create more amazing experiences, expand your ability to entertain guests, have more functional living space all year, and improve your home then outdoor living services are for you. There are so many options to expand your home to include the outdoors. How often do you want to stay at home but still want to enjoy the perfect weather? Well, here are a few ways that you can make sure that the outdoors is always a great option whether you have guests over or you just want a different way to relax outside.

Outdoor Kitchens

An outdoor kitchen can include a wide variety of things. Whether you want to put in a simple outdoor patio with a gas grill or you want to create a full service kitchen with gas-burning stoves, ovens, sinks and a refrigerator, it is all possible! Make the outdoor cookout easier and let everyone enjoy the outdoors during the meal preparation by adding outdoor kitchens to your home. With a covered outdoor kitchen space, you can enjoy this feature all year long.

Customized Outdoor Patio

If you would like to expand to the outdoors but your home is on a concrete slab and too close to the ground to build a deck, then an outdoor patio is the perfect solution.  Utilizing concrete or brick you can create a wonderful outdoor patio that functions the same as a deck. With the amazing advancements of stamping tools, custom textures, staining and stencils, you never have to worry about the concrete slab looking boring. Do not miss out on the great custom options with concrete or brick pavers that can give your functional outdoor space a great look that everyone will love.

Outdoor Entertainment Features

There are so many ways to make your home a great outdoor entertainment space for your guests. Adding in a special fire pit can make the space a great area to hangout when the weather gets cool. If you would like to add to the visual appeal of your outdoor patio or deck, then you can add ponds, plants or even a big screen TV to enjoy. With great lighting and all these features, outdoor entertainments spaces are better than ever.

Amazing Outdoor Decks

Adding an outdoor deck is a very easy way to create a usable space outside of your home. This can help to transform a sloped yard or a bare patch into a beautiful and finished hangout space. If you want to create a more customized space you can add a screened in porch, an outdoor bench or other great features for your deck. This is such an amazing way to customize the look of your home’s exterior and make it perfectly functional for your specific needs.

 

It is so easy to utilize the outdoor living services to increase the value of your home and make it a more enjoyable place to spend time, so be sure to invest in this today.

 

Seasonal Plants, Add a Punch of Color to Your Landscape

Seasonal color is one of the best ways to add the “wow factor” to your landscape.  When choosing the best spot for flowers, I tend to look for the accent points in the yard.  These are typically located around front walkways, porches, driveways, and at the apex of your landscape beds.  You want the seasonal color areas to be easily visible from the street making sure they are not hidden behind other plants.  Accessibility is also a deciding factor, as these planting beds will need to be changed out from season to season.  

Once the proper area is chosen, the soil will need to be cultivated and prepped for the planting.  New bedding soil will need to be installed and the landscape beds will need to be crowned for proper drainage.  Make sure the bed is not sitting in a low spot that will hold water, this will cause the seasonal color to rot.  A slow release fertilizer made for seasonal color will need to be installed and tilde into the fresh soil.  Anti-fungicides can also be applied as well, to keep funguses from growing and damaging the plants.  Make any necessary adjustments to the irrigation system or hand watering will need to be done as needed. 

Choosing the proper color for your landscape beds will consist of a few factors.  Check the amount of sunlight the area will receive.  Some seasonal plants can tolerate more shade and are better suited for low light areas, while others are perfect for the hot, direct sun we experience in Houston.  When designing the layout of the seasonal color, creating layers will bring added interested into the landscape.  Different types of color will grow to different sizes, shapes and heights. A few varieties can be mixed together for a dramatic effect.  If you live in a heavily wooded area, keep an eye out for the native wildlife. Deer and other small animals love to eat plants and flowers! However, there are certain plants and flowers that are deer resistant. 

Once the proper seasonal color is chosen, it is now time to plant.  Lay your color out in the chosen design prior to installing, as this will help to get a sense of how it will look.  Give larger color more space between plants and bring shorter plants to the front to create borders.  Plant your color slightly up out of the soil.  This will give some room for a light topdressing of mulch to be installed around the seasonal color. 

For more information on seasonal color design and installations, call Envy Exteriors today, 281.357.0007.