Protecting against a fight for the ages

It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but an epic struggle between tree roots on your property and your home’s sewer line is an alarmingly real possibility. Since tree roots care about seeking moisture and out-spreading the competition, they’re inclined to overtake anything in their path, including manmade objects like sewer lines. This can have serious ramifications for your plumbing system. Fortunately, it can be prevented in many cases.

Why Do Tree Roots Affect Sewer Lines?

Although sewer pipes are made from tough, supposedly impenetrable materials, tree roots can work their way inside them over the course of many months or years. Tree roots seek and grow through sewer lines for several reasons:

•    Sewer lines may be obstructing their natural growth pattern
•    The root may identify the line as a root from a competing tree
•    Sewer lines contain essential nutrients, including water, minerals and … Read Full Post »

One person’s weed is another’s wildflower

Flower gardens, with their gorgeous colors and delightful fragrances, are a welcome addition to any property. Plus, they tend to draw butterflies and birds, both of which add another dimension of beauty. Unfortunately, amid all these garden pleasures, one not-so-spectacular thing is certain: there will be weeds.

Weeds seem to pop up overnight, almost cheerfully defying your best efforts to have a perfect garden. However, while most people work relentlessly to rid their gardens of them, you might find weeds far less annoying if you stopped to consider a few overlooked facts. Some weeds flower quite beautifully; in fact, the only real difference between weeds and the other plants in your garden is that weeds grow where you don’t want them, often spreading rapidly in the heat of our Central Texas summers.

Interestingly, many of these unwanted plants were once very desirable not only for their beauty … Read Full Post »

Choosing bushes that beat nature’s biggest plant predators

When it comes to improving the outside appearance of your home, nothing is more important than landscaping. The grasses, trees and shrubs that you choose for your yard can make a big impact on what your home looks like and how much you enjoy it. Unfortunately, choosing plants that deer don’t love eating can be a challenge. If you’re looking for deer-resistant plants for your home, consider beautiful, drought-resistant evergreens.

Choosing Viable Evergreens for Your Home

Choosing the right plants for your yard is essential to the success of your landscaping. Whether you’re just plotting out your yard or want to add to your current landscape, it’s important to look for plants and bushes that are well suited to the local area. Choosing native evergreens is a great way to create a gorgeous yard without worrying about how you’ll water and maintain sensitive plants.

As you … Read Full Post »

Attracting butterflies with beautiful blossoms

Splashed with vibrant color and scented with wonderful fragrance, a garden is a delight to the senses. Perhaps these are the same reasons that butterflies are so often attracted to gardens as well. Just watching them flit from flower to flower is part of the pleasure of being in a garden. In fact, luring butterflies into your Central Texas garden is just a matter of growing flowers that they enjoy. The right colors and shapes make all the difference in creating a butterfly garden that attracts people, too.

Plants with clusters of tiny flowers where butterflies can perch for a moment and sip the nectar are their favorites. Vivid yellows, reds, oranges and purples are the colors that attract butterflies’ attention. White also works well. You can’t go wrong combining these colors in your garden.

Sunflowers are a great choice. Ranging from 1 to well over 12 feet … Read Full Post »