Summer Home Check List
Summer is a beautiful season to enjoy long days, warm weather, and outdoor activities. It's also an ideal time to tackle some essential home maintenance tasks. Proper summer home maintenance not only enhances your home’s appearance but also ensures everything runs smoothly and efficiently. HVAC System Check-Up Nothing beats the relief of a cool home on a hot summer day. Schedule a professional HVAC inspection to ensure your air conditioning system is prepared to handle the heat. Regular maintenance can prevent unexpected breakdowns and improve energy efficiency. Clean or replace air filters, check for refrigerant leaks, and ensure the thermostat works correctly. Clean and Inspect Gutters Summer storms can bring heavy rain, wreaking havoc on your gutters. Clean out any debris, leaves, or twigs that may have accumulated during the spring. Inspect for any signs of sagging or damage and make the necessary repairs. Well-functioning gutters prevent water damage to your roof, siding, and foundation. Window and Door Maintenance Windows and doors are vital areas where energy loss can occur. Check for any drafts and apply weather-stripping or caulk to seal gaps. Clean the windows inside and out to allow in natural light and improve your home’s overall appearance. Roof Inspection and Repair Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against the elements. Summer is a great time to inspect it for possible signs of damage, such as leaks, missing shingles, or cracks. Attending to these issues early can prevent costly repairs down the line. If necessary, hire a professional roofer for a thorough inspection and repair. Deck and Patio Care Outdoor spaces like decks and patios are perfect for summer gatherings. To keep them looking their best, clean and seal your deck to protect it from the sun and rain. Remove any dirt, mold, or mildew, and check for loose boards or nails. Power wash the surface of patios and inspect for any cracks or damage. Consider applying a sealant to protect against future wear and tear. Taking the time to perform these summer maintenance tasks can save you money and prevent costly repairs.
Plant a Shade Garden
A shady garden is one that receives less than four hours of direct sun per day. It's true that many shade-loving options are foliage plants, but many perennial flowers can thrive in shady areas, available in a variety of colors. Here’s a list of 8 perennial flowers that grow in shady areas, Monkshood Monkshood plant with small white and purple-blue flowers hanging on thin stems. It is a perennial flower that likes full sun but does fine in partial shade. The plant is named for the shape of the deep purple-blue blooms that can last up to two months in late summer, appearing atop five- to six-foot stalks. This is an excellent plant for late-season color when most other plants have ended their bloom period. Monkshood has good resistance to pests and diseases, but in shady locations the plants might need to be staked to prevent toppling. Columbine Columbine plant with blue-purple bell-shaped flowers and buds on thin red stems. Butterflies and hummingbirds can't resist the delicate, nectar-filled blossoms. The bell-shaped flowers come in a wide variety of color combinations. This is a very easy plant to grow in shade, and it often spreads by self-seeding. Growing about two feet tall, columbine usually blooms in late spring and early summer. Astilbe The flower plumes of astilbe, also known as false spirea, bloom in the spring and summer in shades of white, pink, purple, and red. They prefer moist conditions so don't let their soil dry out. Except for dividing your astilbe plants every three years or so, they require little effort. Black Cohosh Also known as bugbane, black cohosh is a perfect perennial flower for shade. It blooms well even with little direct sunlight. It can easily reach six feet tall in one season and adds texture as well as height to a shade garden. The dense foliage gives rise to even taller stalks of bottle brush-shaped clusters of white flowers in late summer to early fall. Bleeding Heart Bleeding heart plants with light pink heart-shaped flowers hanging on stems. This plant is a spring bloomer, with the flowers lasting for several weeks, and it grows two to three feet tall. The flowers are delicate heart-shaped drops in shades of pink with white tips. Bleeding heart foliage usually dies back and disappears in the hot months of summer, but it should return the next year. Barrenwort Barrenwort is often dismissed as a slow-growing ground cover, but this plant brings lots of visual interest to the landscape. Its clusters of vivid flowers arrive in the early spring, and its foliage often emerges in spring in shades of red and gold, maturing to a deep green. Some varieties are evergreen in warm climates. Primrose The Primrose plant has cream-colored and yellow flowers. They are one of the first flowers to bloom in spring, as their botanical name indicates. (Primula comes from Latin for "little first one"). The bright blooms rise above the deep green foliage on sturdy stalks. Meadow Rue Purple flowers grow with a clump of blue-green, lacy foliage at its base. Then, the fuzzy flowers rise above the foliage in the late spring to summer. It’s a fairly low-maintenance perennial, though it doesn’t like its roots disturbed. Try one or more of these beauties out in your shade garden this summer and enjoy the show! (The Spruce)
Tips for your Home
As we turn the page on a new calendar month, it's hard not to think about the change of seasons coming. For many people, March is a month of preparation for spring. Whether you are in full spring cleaning mode or just looking for a few tasks to prepare your home for the change of seasons, we have 5 tips for showing your home some love in March. 1. Clean Out Your Freezer Did you know that March 6 is National Frozen Food Day? In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed that on March 6, we should celebrate all things frozen food. So what better way to prepare for the celebration than to clean out the freezer and start with a blank canvas. Why not plan meals for the next 5 days from the frozen foods you have, toss things that are too old to eat, and defrost if you have lots of crystals built up. Then celebrate on the 6th by restocking it with things you need. Tackling one task, like cleaning out just the freezer, can often be a catalyst for wanting to clean out other areas of your home. What's next? 2. Schedule Maintenance for your HVAC March is an ideal time to schedule HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) maintenance for several reasons. Firstly, it's typically the transition period between winter and spring, making it a convenient time to ensure that your HVAC system is in optimal condition for the upcoming seasons. By scheduling maintenance in March, you can address any issues that may have arisen during the winter months when the heating system was heavily used, as well as prepare the system for the increased demand of cooling during the warmer months ahead. Additionally, HVAC professionals tend to be less busy during this time compared to the peak seasons of summer and winter, making it easier to secure an appointment at your preferred time. Regular maintenance in March can also help prevent potential breakdowns and costly repairs in the future, ensuring that your HVAC system operates efficiently and reliably year-round. 3. Freshen Up for the Season Ahead Are you one of the 16% of Americans who decorate for Christmas and do not have a hard and fast rule that decorations come down before the end of January? If so, it might be time to turn the seasonal clock and freshen up for a more spring-like feel. Even if you packed away Christmas, but kept a wintry vibe, it's time to pack away the snowflake throw pillows and snowman chotchkies and opt for a lighter feel. As you pack away the winter decor, take the time to clean cobwebs in corners and sweep under furniture. Freshen up the wreath on your front door to something more reminiscent of spring and sweep away dead leaves that are hanging onto the feeling of fall and winter. If you have a front or back porch, be sure to clean any planters and prepare them for the coming planting season. The shift from winter to spring is a great time to do a coat closet clean-out. If your family has winter gear they no longer use, look for an organization where you can donate and reclaim that space that was housing clothes you don't use. 4. Check Your Roof Since March marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, it is an opportune time to inspect your roof for any damage caused by winter weather such as snow, ice, or high winds. Detecting and addressing any issues early can prevent them from worsening and potentially leading to more extensive damage or leaks when the rainy season arrives. Additionally, inspecting your roof in March allows you to prepare it for the upcoming months of increased rainfall and potential storms associated with spring. By identifying and repairing any damage or weak spots promptly, you can help ensure that your roof remains watertight and provides adequate protection for your home throughout the changing seasons. It is also a great time to make sure those gutters are clear. If you didn't clean them out well after the leaves fell in the fall, you may have full gutters that are not ready for spring rains. Reach out to your Realty Executives REALTOR® if you need a recommendation for some roofers in our area. 5. Prune Those Perennials When the weather begins to warm and the sun stays high in the sky longer, many people's brains shift to working in the yard. While it is not time yet for planting, it is a good time to prune some perennials to get them ready to bloom for you in the spring. Pruning now will help to remove any dead or damaged growth from the previous year, allowing the plant to allocate its energy towards producing healthy new growth. Additionally, pruning in March helps to shape the plant and promote a more compact and attractive form, leading to better aesthetics in the garden. It also encourages air circulation and sunlight penetration, reducing the risk of disease and promoting overall plant health. By pruning perennials in March, gardeners can set the stage for a vibrant and thriving garden throughout the growing season. Whether you are ready for some big changes, like a move, or just some small improvements to make you love the space you are in even more, now is a great time to tackle some projects. And if a move is in your future, be sure you reach out to me if you'd like me to do a walk through and give you my professional opinion on what changes would add value or marketability to your home.
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