Home Decorating & Care

Spring Spruce-ups

(ARA) - Spring is here and that means it’s time to get outdoors and spruce up your lawns and landscapes. But accomplishing a lush green lawn and lovely exterior doesn’t need to cost you your tax return! With just a little elbow grease, there are several easy do-it-yourself projects that will make your home’s exterior the envy of the neighborhood.

• Fertilize Foliage
  For colder climates, March is the month to begin fertilizing plants and trees. Use a quick-acting fertilizer to stimulate rapid spring growth. After fertilizing, be sure to mulch well. For grass, reseed any bare or brown patches in your lawn that are bigger than a pie plate, but hold off until April or May to fertilize. Any earlier and the grass is still partially dormant, and it’ll only be the weeds that will take the food!
   
• Build a Retaining Wall
  Building raised planting beds and retaining walls are beautiful and simple do-it-yourself projects. Using different colors as well as straight or beveled faced landscape blocks can add an interesting architectural dimension and style to any conventional yard. Don’t forget to end with a high grade, waterproof adhesive, such as PL Landscape Block Adhesive for a sturdy finish to your wall.
   
• Pressure Wash Patios
  Nothing can bring a halt to outdoor dining faster than dirty pavements and patio furniture. Luckily, pressure washers are an easy way to clean stained and dirty patios and paved areas. They are relatively inexpensive to purchase or rent and very simple to use. Plus, they use 80 percent less water than a garden hose while saving time and cleaning more effectively than scrubbing by hand.
   
• Fix Concrete Cracks
  Nothing can take away the beauty of your landscaping work if your sidewalks and driveways are full of unsightly and dangerous, cracks. Fixing cracks is very simple with products such as PL Polyurethane Self-Leveling Concrete Crack & Masonry Sealant This high quality sealant, trusted for use in high traffic areas, such as sports stadiums and parking lots, is perfect for sealing cracks or gaps in concrete since it looks like cured concrete and forms a permanent and flexible weatherproof seal.

Courtesy of ARA Content