Tag: lawn

3 Options For Your Adding Shade To Your Yard

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This week I wrote a couple of posts about how to have a lush lawn.  With landscaping on the brain, here are three great options if you’re looking to add a bit of shade to your yard:

1.  Plant a tree.  Obviously… trees are good for the environment, fantastic for the local ecosystem, and provide shade to boot.  But not all trees are created equal.  You have a lot of options, everything from evergreens to deciduous trees, from trees that fruit or flower to trees that only leaf.  What you plant should depend on your budget, taste, and of course climate.  The downside is that trees may take several years to provide the kind of shade you’re looking for, and they require care and clean-up throughout the year.

2.  Add a pergola.  A pergola can be a great option for adding both shade and style to a lawn.  You can build a pergola to any kind of specification that you want top it with beams with an outdoor material woven through.  Another option is to top it with lattice and vining plants intertwined with the lattice.

3.  Consider a cover.  A patio cover, that is.  A patio cover can be as simple as a sloped roof that is either attached to your home at one end with beams supporting the other, or with beams supporting all four sides.  Depending on your budget you can have a patio cover shingled to match your roof so it looks like a cohesive structure.  Patio covers can be expensive to build, but they offer solid shade and year round protection from the elements, which can be a benefit to some people.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

 

Steps To A Healthy Lawn

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Yesterday I wrote about how landscaping and a healthy lawn can actually bring up the value of your property.  But how do you get that money-making, weed-free lawn?  Whether you do it yourself or pay a professional, the best thing to do is start by removing any weeds.  If your lawn is primarily covered in weeds, you may want to use an herbicide or other weed-removal product that you can pick up at your local home improvement store.  Otherwise, you can remove the weeds yourself manually.  Just be sure to remove the weeds by the root; using a handheld weeder or hoe (there are several types of each) is your best bet.  After you remove the weeds you should detatch your lawn.  Dethatching is loosening the matted debris that settles under the grass, stealing nutrients from the grass.  You can detatch your lawn with a thatching rake or power dethatcher.  Be aware that after detatching you will wonder if your lawn will ever look good again, but it will heal in a month or so.  After dethatching you should check a section of your lawn to check on the roots.  You want the roots of your lawn to extend 2 or more inches below the surface.  If that’s not the case, you should water your lawn and aerate it a day or two later.  Finally, find out what type of grass you have and overseed to cover any any bare spots, but be sure to evenly spread seed over the whole lawn.  If you have a cool-season grass you should seed in early spring or early fall.  If you have a warm-season grass you should seed in early summer.  Whenever you seed, be sure to water immediately to help set the seed.  Of course, once you go through all the trouble of establishing a healthy lawn you need to be sure to mow, water, and feed consistently and appropriately.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.