10 Florida Lawn Care Tips

In Florida, most every one can afford a beautiful house. The only thing left to the owner is to put an identity to the place. He or she can make it look as desired, whether be it posh, elegant or charming.

It is best to give emphasis to the first part of the house that people will see, the lawn.

Getting the Perfect Lawn

Lawns can come in various types, forms, shapes and sizes. Each lawn has a style and character of its own.

There are lawns that boast of verdant gardens. They can be considered as great works of art and perfect as setting in the Florida environment.

There are some that resemble the old farm style. They are covered with grass and garden of weeds. The greens can be very relaxing and comforting.

Many other lawns can be seen out there that are groomed almost flawlessly. However, no matter what type it is, the most important matter to a lawn owner is to know how exactly to maintain and care for it.

10 Tips to Maintain and Care for the Lawn

Whether in Florida or in any other state, all it takes to keep the lawn beautiful is to maintain and care for it. Here are 10 tips to take into account:

1. Come Up with a Plan

Lawn owners should come up first with a plan. Identify what should be achieved by the project.

Ideally, any plan should be written down. This shall be your guide as you consider the options and endure the various obstacles in your sod endeavors.

Once the plan is laid down, you can easily decide on the other aspects of lawn maintenance. You will know the choices to make to care for your type of lawn.

2. Choose the Plants and Flowers

Plants and flowers should be chosen well. Pick one that will suit best the character you want your lawn to have.

It all depends on your type of landscape and personality. Bushy plants are ideal for those who want some coverage. Colorful flowers are best for people who like to keep it bright.

Be wary also of some plants that may damage your endeavors. Caring for the lawn requires certain caution from plants that can damage the soil or choke other shrubbery.

Dandelions and black medics or the yellow clovers may look good to the eye but their presence can actually affect the alkaline of your soil and even result to deprivation of other plants.

3. Grass It Up

Before planting any grass on your ground, research first on the best one available for your location.

It depends on where you live. There are cool season grasses that are ideal for the northern area and the arm season type that is good for southern plantings.

4. Aerate the Lawn

Aerating the lawn is a must to give a way for fresh air to the small life forms and the microbes under the soil. It also gives water a new course to take, preventing saturation.

Aeration is best done during springtime when the soil is still moisturized and the rains are not yet over.

5. Have the Right Chemistry

To achieve the perfect chemistry for the lawn, people sometimes have to add lime or iron to the soil. Grass ordinarily prefers acidic soil. Lime is perfect to bring down the acidity. Sulfur on the other hand will help increase it.

Seek a professional or an experienced gardener to test the acidity of the soil to know the proper option to take.

6. Use Fertilizer

Grass is one plant that utilizes much nitrogen. Make the soil rich in nutrient. Chemicals are out there but this can disturb the ecosystem of your lawn. Compost is a good way to enrich the soil.

7. Watering the Lawn

Regularly water the lawn to keep the shrubbery healthy. Invest on a watering system. You can choose from a sprinkler system, a hose or simply a gardener who would do the task.

8. Mowing the Lawn

Determine the proper schedule to mow your lawn. It depends on how fast and how thick your greenery grows.

Mowing will help you get rid of old part of the grass. It also encourages a deeper root system for a healthier soil environment.

9. Simply TLC

Of course, never forget to give the tender and loving care to your lawn. With this in mind, you can never go wrong.

10. Enjoy and Be Amazed

A lush and beautiful lawn is the first thing that any neighbor, visitor or a mere passerby will notice in the household. This alone shall speak of the industry and dedication of the owner to the welfare of his or her home.

Thus, the presentation of the lawn is crucial, especially for people living in neighborhoods like in Florida where households and residents speak of beauty and good life.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.backyard-garden-and-patio.com where you can learn more about landscaping and gardening.

Florida Landscaping Ideas

Creating a vibrant and beautiful garden and yard in Florida comes with its own set of challenges, but there are also many opportunities to try new things. The following are just a few suggestions:

Gold Lantana is an attractive plant that works well in Florida – it contains a sap that attracts butterflies. This is a plant that works well in a wide variety of gardens. You may also want to consider planting Aztec grass if you live in Florida and would like to try something different. Although this isn’t a native plant, it works well in this region and again, is very low maintenance. It doesn’t require large amounts of water – perfect for Florida.

Dwarf firebushes are a good choice for Florida landscapes because they attract wildlife, specifically butterflies, to your garden, which adds another element of beauty to the surroundings.

Vegetable gardens also do well in Florida, so if you have been thinking about growing some of your own vegetables it shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve. When planting a vegetable garden, you may want to build a raised bed and put a layer of erosion cloth around the perimeter of the garden bed to deal with any water that may come off the plants after they are just planted.

Because it’s common for soil in Florida to be lacking in nutrients, it can be more difficult to grow vegetables than other plants, which don’t require as many nutrients and can adapt to the local soil. You may have to add a rich potting soil mix to the bed so that the vegetables have access to enough nutrients to grow properly. You can also include soil additives if needed. Good soil for a Florida vegetable garden may include compost, peat moss, shredded fir bark, and dolomite.

Some people mistakenly believe that you can’t grow vegetables under the strong Florida heat, but this is just not true. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs thrive in hot temperatures and are perfect for a Florida vegetable garden.

Again, the main thing that many Florida homeowners worry about when planting gardens is the condition of the soil, which can be quite sandy. If you’re worried about planting new shrubs and plants in your backyard, stick to low maintenance plants that don’t require a lot of water. If you do, the soil shouldn’t pose much of a problem. But don’t add fertilizer or manure to the soil. This may actually cause more problems because the plants will adapt to the added nutrient content of the soil; when it dissipates, the plants may develop problems or stagnate in their growth.

When fertilizing, you may want to try an alternative to chemicals. To help improve the environment and your health, there are a variety of natural fertilizers available made up of natural plant and animal products. A good natural fertilizer is also able to improve the condition of your soil, which is crucial in Florida landscapes. A healthy soil is really what will keep your garden going strong for years to come.

GreenMark Provides professional Commercial Orlando Landscaping – Landscape Maintenance and Tree Removal.

Home Staging Secrets

As a highly sought after home stager in the Orlando and Central Florida area, the question I frequently get asked is “How do I make my home stand out from all of my competition?” While you can’t make your competitors disappear you can use some tricks of the trade to truly set your home apart and make it shine so you truly get multiple offers and most of all top dollar! Here’s how…

It is first important to recognize one very important factor that cannot be overlooked while deciding if you should have your home staged. An un-staged home will actually help sell its competitor’s homes! To avoid this ensure that yours is staged by a Professional Home Stager who knows not only design but the market, the demographics in your area and above all what potential buyers really look for in your home!

1.Have it Professionally Staged- This may seem obvious, but for some it is not- do not have your home staged by friends and family! Alternatively, do not stage it on your own. Staging is not decorating, and it is not about making your home look pretty and smell of baked goods. Fight the urge to save money by involving family. Honestly, this will actually cost you more in the long run as they are not trained in this field. In some homes I’ve actually had to de-stage what was set up before beginning and it cost the owner months on the market THINKING it was ready when it really was not. A professional like myself, Owner of Florida Home Staging will guide you in the right direction and will completely address all areas of your home to play up the positives and actually downplay the negatives.

2.Clean, Clean, Clean!- This point should really be listed first since without it, all the home staging in the world can’t make dirt disappear! There is only one thing worse than seeing dirt in our own home and that is seeing dirt in a home we intend to potentially buy! I mean Q-tip clean here. This process can actually take about a full week. Focusing on windows, doors, floors, walls, cobwebs, tiles, bathtubs, rugs, curtains, dusty blinds and the list goes on. The point is you almost need to pretend that you are entering a contest for the cleanest home in the nation. It will be exhausting so feel free to hire some help if you can afford it. The results will well be worth it at the end. While you are at it use products that are safe for you to be breathing in and for your surfaces such as Method Products that smell amazing, are natural and don’t hurt the environment or your kids and pets, available at Target.

3.Curb Appeal- The outside appearance of your home is equally important if not more important than the inside. Why you ask? If buyers don’t like the look of the outside of your home they’ll not likely ask for a showing or if one is booked and the buyer is tired from a day of viewings they might opt to drive past yours. Sad but true! This happens all the time so don’t be a victim. If you do not have time to keep up your lawn or your home is vacant then you will need to hire someone to care for it in your absence. Beyond the mere maintenance of the grass you will need to ensure that your flowers are in bloom and if they aren’t plant ones that are. In addition ensure that no paint is chipping on shutters, doors, roof is in good repair and so is the driveway/walkway. All areas must be free from cracks or any sign of wear. An important note-your home must be able to be seen from the street so remove any overgrown bushes or trees that obstruct the view of your home and ultimately block needed indoor sunlight.

4.The Right Realtor- The person you select to sell your home will make a big difference in if you sell or sit for months on end. The right realtor will be well versed in the pricing for your area and specifically your home. They will also be a great resource to you and will spend the necessary time marketing your home for showings and any open houses. If you do not know of one and you are thinking of selling, please ask someone like myself who works with Realtors every day and knows the great from the mediocre. Such a realtor has aggressive marking strategies and work with other professionals such as a Home Staging Specialist for the best results. If your home is the wrong price and you have the wrong realtor, it could ultimately be a disaster and leave your frustrated in the end.

5.Make it Impersonal- As I mentioned earlier staging is not decorating! This means that you’ll need to remove precious photos of fido and candids of the kiddies! The buyer needs to feel as though they are stepping foot into their future home not making a visit to your humble abode. You’ll also want to eliminate as much pet paraphernalia as possible and anything else that clearly indicates your personal taste or any collections and memorabilia. This is all about the buyer! You’ll have to live with these items tucked away for a short time but look at it this way, the sooner you sell the sooner you’ll enjoy them again in your NEW home!

There is no buffet option here where you can pick and choose what you like in terms of this essential list. It is all or nothing to sell your home and above all the best results are realized when you choose to hire a professional.

Should you have questions about home staging or you would like a consultation or staging session for your Central Florida home, call me anytime and I’ll be happy to work with you to get that home sold!

Karla Davis is the President of Florida Home Staging & Redesign. She is a Home Stager, Professional Organizer, Interior Re-designer, as well as Public Speaker. She specializes in Staging and Organizing homes, office spaces and has over 10 years of experience and success within inside/outside Sales and Marketing. Karla is also the wife of Author, Paul Davis and is currently writing two books of her own. Karla’s life mission is to positively transform the homes and lives of everyone she meets.

Please contact Karla for your Home Staging, Interior Redesign, or Professional Organizing needs at:

Karla Davis
Florida Home Staging & Redesign
Professional Home Stager
P.O. Box 684
Goldenrod, FL 32733
Tel: (407) 284-1705
Karla@FloridaHomeStager.com
http://www.FloridaHomeStager.com

Home Staging for the Serious Seller!

http://activerain.com/floridahomestager