Best on the Block: Top 10 Design Ideas to Light Up Your Home for the Holidays

December 10, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Landscaping • Houston

Aren’t you sure what to do with your home for the holidays? Check out our top 10 ideas for transforming your Houston home into a stunning seasonal success.

1. Emphasize existing landscape features and the graceful branches of deciduous trees by illuminating them with ground-level flood lights. Use existing landscape lighting or modular spotlights to highlight wreaths and green decorations. Fill fountains, urns, and birdbaths with gazing balls or evergreen boughs to maximize their seasonal appeal.

2. Think about your landscaping before you decorate. Watch for decorative plants that will complement your holiday display. Treat landscape shrubs in late fall to protect them and keep them looking healthy all season. Evergreens, hollies, and berry-producing shrubs are ideal for incorporating into your holiday display.

3. Place greenery, topiaries, garlands, and evergreen wreaths on entryways, windows, mailboxes, columns, and porches. These items will look beautiful during the day before the timer activates your lights.

4. Add … Read Full Post »

5 Reasons Why You Should Map Your Irrigation System

November 26, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Lawn, Lawn Care, Sprinkler Repair & Installation • Houston

While the amount of work that goes into setting up a lawn or garden irrigation system may tempt you to get it installed and be done with it, you should document the process. Even if your system works admirably for years and you never change a thing, knowing exactly where all the conduits and sprinkler control valves are will be helpful later. Read on to learn why mapping out your irrigation system with the help of a Houston lawn care specialist is such a good idea.

1. Ensuring Coverage Efficiency

Mapping things out before you start minimizes the water your system requires to keep your lawn healthy. This may not be a big concern, but if your area suffers a drought or implements summer water usage restrictions, your irrigation map will help you avoid watering the same place twice so that your plot stays green and pretty while your neighbors’ are fading.

2. … Read Full Post »

10 Worst Pests Around the World

November 22, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Houston

Texas is known for having some pretty destructive pests, from crazy ants to cockroaches, but these local bugs can’t compete with the problems worldwide. Below are 10 of the strangest and worst invasive species of insects, rodents, amphibians, and even plants found worldwide:

1. The Asian Tiger Mosquito. Originating in Asia, this black-and-white striped mosquito is now one of the most widespread animal species on the planet. In just two decades, it’s spread to 28 separate countries. Like other mosquitoes, it can carry West Nile virus and other blood-borne diseases.

2. The Cotton Whitefly. These tiny bugs measure just a millimeter in length and don’t seem threatening. However, they are devastating to plant life, carrying up to 100 different plant viruses and feasting on 900 species of plants. These bugs exist in every continent except Antarctica.

3. The Snakehead Fish. This fearsome fish has been destroying local ecosystems in several countries, including the … Read Full Post »

The Newest Invasive Species in Texas

November 6, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Houston

Texas is under invasion. Outside intruders are visiting our backyards, waterways, and agricultural fields. As people and goods travel across state and national borders faster than ever, invasive species from faraway places like Africa and Asia threaten our native plants and animals.

According to TexasInvasives.org, a multi-agency partnership that aims to educate Texans about the threat of invasive species, individual invasive species can cause crop and lawn damages of $100 million or more per year. Although only 15% of non-native organisms can be classified as “invasive,” these unwanted pests threaten the native species that make Texas unique and prosperous. Here are a few of the state’s newest enemies.

African Cluster Bug

This invasive insect is just as gross as its name implies. It’s often found in damaging swarms that can descend on cropland and gardens. With a fearsome reproduction rate and an appetite for local cash crops like flax and thyme, the African … Read Full Post »

5 Ways to Prepare Your Yard for the Changing Season

November 5, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Landscaping • Houston

Summer is over, but it’s not quite a time to hang up your lawn tools for the year. Here are the final five lawn care tasks you need to complete before winter:

Remove Dead Leaves Immediately

Raking your leaves might sound common sense, but many homeowners put it off until all their trees are completely bare. Trees can drop leaves for more than a month, and they’ll pile up. After a good rain, those leaves will become damp and heavy, and you’ll have difficulty blowing or raking them into a pile.

Try to remove dead leaves at least once a week as soon as they begin dropping, and you’ll split up an enormous task into manageable chunks. Dead leaves will also prevent grass from receiving sunlight, which will decimate your lawn after a few weeks. Fungus and mold will also take their toll.

Eliminate Weeds on Your Lawn

Most plants begin to conserve nutrients in … Read Full Post »

In the News: Tiny Wasps Cultivated Here in Texas for Use as a Citrus-Saving Weapon

October 15, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Houston

While you no doubt love having your citrus trees, you’ve probably noticed that you aren’t the only one in the neighborhood who enjoys easy access to fresh fruit. Insects like the Asian citrus psyllid have been wreaking havoc in Texan citrus fields and home gardens, but pesticides may not be the best answer. Mass spraying tends to have pretty nasty side effects, and some species may even develop tolerance to such chemicals. Fortunately, a local lab is taking clues from nature by cultivating a non-stinging wasp that is a highly effective deterrent.

What’s Wrong with Psyllids?

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, wouldn’t be such a problem if all it did was suck sap out of new shoots on various citrus tree species. Unfortunately, these tiny bugs also create a toxic byproduct that mangles some buds and kills off others, preventing trees from growing out properly. As if this isn’t bad enough, … Read Full Post »

5 Ways to Prepare Your Yard for Autumn

October 1, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Lawn, Lawn Care • Houston

Summer is over, but it’s not quite a time to hang up your lawn tools for the year. Here are the final five lawn care tasks you need to complete before winter:

Remove Dead Leaves Immediately

Eliminate Weeds on Your Lawn

Most plants begin to conserve nutrients in … Read Full Post »

Seasonal Pet Safety: Tips for Keeping Furry Family Members Healthy this Summer

August 21, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Community • Houston

Hot weather can be brutal for humans and pets alike. If your furry family members could speak, they would ask that you keep these suggestions in mind this summer.

1. “Please give me extra water.”

Indoor and outdoor pets need additional fluids during hotter months. An automatic dispenser is ideal for pets that live outside. Indoor pets should have an extra water bowl available in an emergency.

2. “Please do not leave me in the car.”

Temperatures inside vehicles can quickly exceed the century mark. Even leaving a window cracked may not be enough to ensure your pet’s safety once temperatures outside reach 70 degrees. Leave pets at home if you go somewhere. They won’t be welcome.

3. “Protect me from tiny enemies.”

Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes take over the yard in warmer months. Fleas can be difficult to eliminate once indoors, ticks can carry Lyme disease, and mosquitoes can cause life-threatening heartworms. In addition to … Read Full Post »

Cloudy Pool Water Woes

August 9, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Swimming Pool Service & Repair • Houston

It’s finally summer, so you, your family, and all the kids in the neighborhood want to use your pool. But if you’ve been neglecting it all winter, it might need a little tune-up before anyone will want to jump in. But if you’ve already spent hours with the skimmer and the water’s still cloudy, we’ve got you covered.

Chemical imbalances, algae, or particles generally cause cloudy swimming pool water. The good news is that figuring out the problem is pretty straightforward. The bad news is that you might have to spend a few days mucking around with pool chemicals and cleaning. But first, let’s talk about how to diagnose your problem.

You do have a water testing kit. Go ahead and dust it off. If you’ve never looked at it, figure out what it tests for. Even the most basic tests should tell you your water’s pH, alkalinity, free chlorine, and total … Read Full Post »

Our Favorite Frenemies

July 31, 2013. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Houston

Insects walk the fine line between friend and enemy. As much as we want to put them on trial for their scream-inducing and creepy qualities, pests play an essential role in our ecosystem. Here’s a list of our favorite frenemies, and for a little extra fun, we figured we would let them present their defense.

Wasps:

Although I can deliver an undoubtedly painful punch when you threaten my nest, there is much more to me than just my dreaded stinger. Formally, I’m known as Vespula Pennsylvanica, but you can call me Wasp. As a natural scavenger, I like to snack on other insects, like crop-damaging caterpillars and flies. Some of my distant cousins also play an essential role in pollination. And even though I don’t expect an invite to your next BBQ, I help reduce the number of other pests likely to crash the festivities. Plus, who can rock a yellow jacket … Read Full Post »

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