Although we are all busy enjoying the summer in all its glory, now is the time to get your garden ready for autumn. Summer is the time of the year where the garden will get the most use. In order for us to enjoy this every year, we have to keep it well maintained throughout all the seasons. Autumn is just around the corner, below are ten top tips to get your garden ready.

1. Assess your garden

Have a good look around your garden. You cannot get a plan in place if you don’t know what needs doing. Make sure you cover the entire garden and make note of anything that requires attention.

Image via: Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

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2. Luscious lawn:

Everyone wants the perfect lawn, now is the time to prepare in order to ensure a positive result. Use an Autumn lawn fertiliser from your local DIY store. This will be high in phosphates & potash. This will help develop strong roots and create a nice and healthy lawn. Always follow the instruction on the back of the box for application and watering guidelines.

3. Plant spring bulbs:

Mid October is the best time to plant your spring bulbs which include tulips and daffodils. This is the best time before the ground starts to get hard and freeze.

4. Decking care:

If you are lucky enough to have some decking now is the time to give it some care and attention. Summer is the best time to paint your decking in order to make it look fantastic and protect it in Autumn and Winter. It would be recommended to give the decking a coat of Ronseal decking stain which waterproofs, adds UV protection and protects against cracking and blistering.

Image via: Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

5. Preparing winter vegetation:

Everyone loves a parsnip and leek in there stew for the colder nights. Now is the time to start preparing your crop. Once planted, add generous amounts of mulch around them in order to protect them when the temperature drops.

6. Be cautious with pruning:

Some people will start pruning in Autumn but many garden experts would recommend not to do this. The main issue is that pruning promotes growth, this is what you want to prevent going into colder months. Most plants stay at their best when they are dormant in winter.

7. House plants:

Now is also the perfect time to fertilise your house plants. It would be recommended to use a balanced fertiliser and also give them a good shower. Most house plants don’t like drafts so always bear that in mind.

Image via: Alderwood Landscaping

8. Wooden garden furniture:

Autumn is known for been rather wet, now is the time to protect your wooden garden furniture. Start by giving them a coat of Ronseal teak oil which penetrates the wood and replaces all the oils that are lost though weathering. It is then wise to cover them with a thick protective sheet or move them into a dry area such as a shed.

9. Watch out for bugs:

This is when the bugs will come out to play and feed on your prized collection of plants. Make sure you check all the plants and deal with the bugs accordingly.

10. Wonderful wildlife:

Last but no means least fill up your bird feeder. Autumn can be a tough time for wildlife as well, so do your bit to help them out!

For more gardening tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Gardening is a great way to enjoy healthful and fresh produce like flowers, vegetables, or just greenery. However, not everyone has the benefit of a yard or a plantable land to start a garden. In case of limited space or limited sun, window box garden can be a way to enjoy some greenery.

Image via: HGTV

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Select Right Window Boxes

Box garden will let you to maximize small spaces in balcony or windowsill and turn bare soil into lush greenery. Window boxes are generally made of usual materials like iron, cement, wood, plastic, tin, copper, wire, fiberglass, stone, terra cotta, etc. Avoid metal and dark-colored boxes if your windows have sunlight all day because they can burn the roots of plants by getting heated up. Plastic window boxes are growing in popularity because they retain moisture. They are also cheaper and lighter even after they are planted. As terra cotta boxes tend to absorb water, supply enough water for your plants.

Choose a flower planter size right for you

With slight differences, the length of the boxes should be within a couple of inches of the window size. Plants need enough soil and room to grow properly. So, the boxes should be 8 inches wide in the top and root area to provide plants enough room. If you have any oddly sized windows, you can make customized boxes by using boards, brass screws, and waterproof glue.

Image via: Sashe

The Placement of Boxes

A sunny exposure will always be pleasing for most plants. However, you need not to worry if your windows are in shade. Many plants are there that grow in partial or full shade. In case of complete exposure to sun, you have to water the plants frequently. Some window boxes are rain protected. In that case, you need to check your plants often to see if they are getting dry.

Choosing the Right Plants

Picking the right plants does really matter in any kind of gardening. Choosing plants that contrast to their background can create a dramatic effect. For example, white flower plants against dark brick walls or bright orchids on the background of a light siding will look very nice. Annual flower plants and long-lasting vegetables for window box culture will give you less hazardous times. Green onions, petunias, sweet asylum, ivy geranium, English ivy, dwarf bulbs, lobelia, etc. will be perfect for your window box garden.

Image via: Houzz

Window box garden is a great option if you do not have resources to take care for a big garden. It is also a great way to involve kids to the fun of growing and harvesting their own food or increasing their love for green environment.

For more gardening ideas on Stagetecture, click here

There are several reasons for wanting to improve the exterior of your home, ranging from putting it on the market, and therefore wanting potential buyers to see the house at its best to just carrying out necessary improvements to prevent damp and rot racking up a huge bill for repairs. Although it may at first appear costly to carry out these improvements, the cost of this planned prevention work will be much lower than it would be to repair the damage if left unattended to.

Image via: Pinterest

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Painting Your House

The first, and biggest, consideration is painting the exterior- you need to use high quality paint to do this, in order to combat weathering which could lead to the colour of the paint fading or mildew growing, resulting in paint work needing to be carried out only a few years later at yet further cost! Restoration of brick and wood work should also be carried out at the same time as, or even before, painting is done as this is necessary to counteract any effects weathering may have had, or will have, on the exterior of your home. Repainting of window and door frames, and perhaps in the worst cases even replacement of windows and doors entirely.

Safety & Security

The pathway and steps leading to your door should be kept clean and tidy; any loose bricks should be secured or replaced. Consider a well-made personalised house sign too; having this instead of just generic numbers is sure to create the impression of a well-designed house before your visitors have even set foot in the door. Exterior lighting is also an important consideration- it can continue to make your house look impressive at night, as well as the added security benefits if you have movement activated lights installed. Having a prominent alarm system is also advantageous for security purposes, but try not to have one so imposing that it contrasts harshly with your exterior decor.

Image via: Houzz

The Front Garden

Your driveway should be impeccable, with no cracks or oil stains- if you are unable to mask these then consider getting it resurfaced. Your front garden is the first thing people see, before they even look at the house, it should be well maintained with regularly cut grass (or replace the turf if it’s starting to look bare), and decorated with lots of colourful flowers or topiary- being sure to handle any weed problems swiftly before they spread throughout the whole garden. In the autumn and winter months, be sure to clear any dead leaves before they turn to mulch and ruin the design of your garden. Planters are an easy and flexible way to decorate your garden, allowing you to move them around at your discretion. Planters or a creeping plant such as ivy would also make a great addition standing guard at either side of your front door.

Hopefully these pointers have given you a good idea of how to improve the exterior of your home, after all it is the first thing visitors see and you want to immediately create a long lasting impression, but for all the right reasons.

Tom Moss is a DIY enthusiast and a contributing writer for Design a House Sign, a leading online supplier of personalised house signs.

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For more outdoor activities for you and your family click here.

The summer season provides a vibrant environment to your home exterior. If you have a home garden or lawn, it will clearly shine and look brilliant. But it doesn’t come without asking anything in return. The beauty of your yard depends on the sufficiency of water available for your plants. This summer learn how to conserve water and keep your plants looking fresh.

It’s not only your garden that needs water in your yard to maintain its vibrancy. You also have the lawn, your pool and anything that requires water. Indeed, the water consumption during summer time increases drastically. But water isn’t infinite and not for free. This is why essential measures to conserve water should be observed.

Image via: McClellan Architects

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Make use of your roof in beneficial ways:

Here are helpful and effective ideas on saving water in your summer yard this season:

This simply means to take advantage of the rain during summer season. It may not be as often, but then your roof can store a decent amount of water when it rains. You can use pipes as a hose to go directly into a drum or water tank. Also, water flowing from your gutter can be redirected to your landscape using a chain of rope.

Prefer potted plant containers

When you use containers for plants, watering them will be very easy and economical. You can simply use a water can more effectively into the pot than in a plain. More importantly, using potted containers to add up beauty and style to your backyard garden or landscape.

Image via: Design Sponge

Choose the right plants

Not all plants can sustain all types of season. A lot of plants have its best season to grow and can sustain themselves even at the peak of the season. For the summer season, plants like Osteospermum, Roses, Coleus, Sunflower and Blue Mist are perfect for the summer heat.

Saving water in your summer yard this season will definitely help our environment. You might say that you only contribute a little amount of help but there’s nothing too little when it comes to environmental concerns. Remember, water is life!

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Guest Blogger #900, Entry #2110, March 15, 2013

Are you in the process of having your home’s driveway or walkway paved? Ensure your outdoor home is paved by a reputable contractor. My guest blogger gives tips to avoid common scams that homeowners are falling victim too.

How to Spot Paving Scams

In December 2011, the American commercial broadcasting television network, National Broadcasting Company (NBC) issued a worldwide warning about paving scams popping up all over the Richmond area. According to the news report, the scam usually begins when an amiable looking fellow going by the name George Stanley dressed up like a maintenance supervisor shows up at your front step. After the introductions, Stanley would then claim that he has left over material from a neighbouring construction site and would then offer to pave your private lanes at an affordable price.

Image via: Katia Goffin – Principal Designer

The Left Over Material Scam

Once the buyer thanks his or her good luck, the transaction is sealed in cash and Stanley along with several other crew members get down to work. Sadly, the driveway would only be partially paved before Stanley and his crew abruptly gives up and drives away, which will then force the home owner to have the job completed by professional contractors.

Predictably, this type of scam usually occurs near construction sites as it lends an air of believability to Stanley’s story of having excess asphalt. These scam artists are also betting on the fact that they would look just like any other hardworking construction workers hanging around said construction site as well, which would further help authenticate their story.

Ironically, most of us tend to overlook the fact that any decent contractor would know better than to end up with enough asphalt in the back of his truck to repave the entire perimeter of a house.  The truth is that all professional asphalt contractors would know exactly how much paving material is needed to complete any project with great accuracy. This means that no self respecting asphalt contractor would have a dramatic leftover amount of material.

The Fake Pavement Scam

To further win over their victims, some scammers daringly invite their victims to watch the workers pave the road. Some will even offer a lifetime guarantee for the work done and brag about the premium materials used. The one big snag is that not all of us truly understand what correct paving methods look like and we are most certainly ill equipped to recognize poor quality asphalt used.

Hence, most home owners would only realize that they have been scammed once they notice weeds growing out through the newly paved asphalt road or when they find that half of the freshly paved asphalt has been washed away during rainfall. By then, the culprits have long ago driven away with your money, and there isn’t much you can do about the situation except to call for legitimate professional asphalt contractors to salvage the condition of your damaged pavement.

Image via: Highland Group

Paving Scam Signs

Reputable asphalt contractors hardly ever sell their product from door-to-door, so the next time a well-dressed salesman shows up at your door with a great limited time offer on household pavement, gently turn down the offer and make it a point to double check the company’s credentials before taking up the promotion. After all, a great deal should still be there tomorrow morning after you’ve completed your background checks and have found solid testimonials about the company.

Of course, this would mean that any salesperson who aggressively pushes you into agreeing to take up their pavement offer should be gently chauffeured out of your living room as the truth is, hiring someone on the spot is a mistake that no home owner can bear to take on. Always check and double check all promises and promotions offered and get everything written down officially in black and white to protect yourself and avoid any future “misunderstandings”, as the scam artist would later claim the situation to be. If said salesperson declines putting anything down in handwriting, it is also another sign that he or she is planning to flake away from the promise anyway, in which case you should unceremoniously cut off the conversation and lock your doors to save time and further headache.

Most reputable asphalt pavement contractors are professional enough to also accept checks and/or credit cards, so be extra cautious if someone who has passed all security checks still insists on cash terms. A contractor who shows up with a truckload of asphalt and hardy looking workers also should not be a clear indication that they are competent enough to work your pavement. You should be especially cautious if the truck being driven is unmarked or is registered to an out-of-town address and phone number as this makes it challenging for the authorities to later track down these culprits.

Image via: Linda Oyama Bryan

How to Avoid Scams

The best way to avoid paving scams is to do your homework and get several quotes from legitimate paving services. To be doubly sure, you can always double check a contractor’s license at the Department of Professional Occupational Regulation’s website. All asphalt paving companies are also required to have a transient merchant’s license issued by the Attorney General’s office which protects the consumer by requiring the company to repave work with bad workmanship.

When in doubt, it is always best to be doubly sure, as there have been comments that the reason why scammers like George Stanley get away with their scheme is simply because his name is familiar enough to make people assume that they are talking to a widely known contractor.

When it comes to paving your road, speed, secrecy and selectivity are sure signs of a paving scam. Another good rule of thumb would be to always practise scepticism whenever a salesman or contractor shows up at your front door with a good deal, as chances are if it’s too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true at all in the first place. You should also avoid signing contracts on the spot and should get at least three bids before hiring a contractor to pave your road. At the same time, you should also probably get everything down in black and white to further protect yourself in the event that things go awry.