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Check Out ABC’s Ultimate Houston Lawn Care Guide [FREE DOWNLOAD]

. Posted by in , , , , • Houston
Houston Lawn Care Guide

Keeping your grass, plants, and trees healthy and well-maintained can be challenging. First, you have to have the time to dedicate to your lawn. You must also ensure you have the right equipment and everything is working. Finally, you need the expertise to know which types of plants work best in which environments, how often to water, and how to spot signs of lawn pests and diseases. For homeowners in southern states, the warm climate, lack of rainfall, and intense sun make it even more challenging to care for your outdoor spaces.

ABC’s Ultimate Houston Lawn Care Guide

ABC Home & Commercial Services is dedicated to making homeowners’ lives easier. Our lawn care technicians, landscaping experts, pest control pros, and sprinkler system specialists have compiled their best advice and tips into the Ultimate Houston Lawn Care Guide. This 8-page downloadable PDF resource includes sections on:

  • Lawn Care Seasonal Calendar
  • What Kind of Grass Is Best For My Lawn?
  • All You … Read Full Post »
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Pool Plants To Turn Your Backyard Into an Oasis

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
pool plants

The second your family saw the pool, you knew that you were going to be buying the house. What better way to escape the heat of southern summers than a backyard pool? Your kids have gotten to swim and play and have fun for hours at a time without you having to chauffeur them around or waste time packing swim bags and inevitably forgetting something. But if you’re honest, there are some regrets. You kind of miss having a bigger backyard. A garden. Plants. Trees.

Pool Plants To Turn Your Backyard Into an Oasis

Often, new pool owners make their backyard about the pool and little else. But while pools certainly require a lot of care and attention, you can have your lush, green yard and have a backyard oasis within it to swim in.

In fact, adding plants and shaping the landscape can turn the space into an absolute oasis—one that adds value to your … Read Full Post »

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Deer Proof Plants For Your Yard And Garden

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Deer proof plants

Is your yard a deer buffet? Do you plant a garden, only to wake up and discover your strawberries are trampled, your tomatoes have mysteriously vanished, and your greens are now sad little stubs? Thanks to deer, are your peach trees anything but peachy?

In many parts of San Antonio, deer face dwindling habitats and increased populations. In their search for their next meal, deer often find our yards a suitable substitute. As anyone with deer will tell you, they seem to eat almost everything.

Below we’ll look at ways you can make your yard and gardens less appetizing to deer and what deer proof plants you can add to your landscape.

Discourage Deer Visitors

When it comes to deer, you have a few lines of defense. You can make it difficult to get into your garden, you can try repelling the deer with chemical and physical tactics, and you can choose deer-resistant plants … Read Full Post »

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A Mowed Lawn Is A Safer Home

. Posted by in • San Antonio
How to burglar proof your home

Landscape Design for Improved Home Security

September is peak time for landscaping and landscape design in San Antonio—and doing so has many benefits. It can create a backyard oasis, add aesthetic appeal to your home, and increase the value of your property. But did you know that a well-maintained lawn could help burglar-proof your home as well? While it might not seem obvious, a well-thought-out design can improve your home’s security.

Read on to learn how smart landscaping tricks can make your home safer and keep burglars off your property.

Increase Visibility

One of the first steps to improving your home’s safety is maximizing visibility. In other words, make sure there’s no greenery blocking your windows, doors, or peepholes. Be sure to keep overhanging trees trimmed and any shrubs or bushes at bay. For hedges and shrubs along windows, ensure they don’t grow higher than three feet to remove any potential screens or hiding … Read Full Post »

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Backyard Beauty – Landscaping Ideas for Austinites

. Posted by in , • Austin
austin landscaping

Here at ABC Austin, we love the summer time. We’re suckers for a good backyard BBQ, weekend swims at Barton Springs, and of course, spotting the weird bugs that make their presence known around the city when the mercury is high.

But with the kids heading back to school and cooler temperatures (and evidently this year, lots of rain?) around the corner now is the perfect time to focus on a backyard redesign.

We’re ready to roll up our sleeves, be creative, and—finally—start working on a new backyard we’ve been dreaming of all summer long.

So whether you have a large yard or just a small space to work with, we have a list of ideas that are sure to get your green thumb moving. Here are a few of our favorites ideas.

Plant Local Varieties

Shopping local has become quite the fad in recent years—and why shouldn’t it be? Choosing local products is an excellent … Read Full Post »

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Xeriscaping 101

. Posted by in • Austin
what is xeriscaping

When you water your lawn during hot Texas summers, you might as well be lining your hose with dollar bills.

Most of Texas, including the City of Austin, experienced historic drought conditions in 2010-2011, leading Austin to impose strict watering restrictions. Even with recent heavy rains, another drought could be right around the corner. Making matters worse, thousands of people are moving to Austin, which causes increased demand for water.

What this means is that water supplies in Central Texas are limited, and costs for water will continue to rise. In light of increased costs and watering restrictions, what’s the best way to keep your front yard looking great through our long, hot Texas summers?

At ABC Home and Commercial Services, we have a solution: xeriscaping.

What is Xeriscaping?

Xeriscaping replaces high-water, high-maintenance plants with native and adapted plants. It also introduces rock formations and other landscape features that require no supplemental watering.

You can incorporate … Read Full Post »

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Hot Rebates & Coupons for Summer Maintenance in San Antonio

. Posted by in • San Antonio
SAWS rebates

Ah, spring is lovely in sunny San Antonio. The temperatures have hit the 70’s and 80’s and the weather is finally perfect for lounging in the yard. But there may be one thing you didn’t account for: Unsightly weeds, overgrown grass, and hedges and trees that need some work.

You haven’t landscaped your yard in a while and it is not looking so good. Worry not! We have you covered with some great coupons and rebates to get your lawn looking its best for less. To be clear, landscaping coupons are used before the purchase while rebates are money returned to you after the landscaping work is finished or planned.

The very best coupons and rebates from San Antonio Water Saver (SAWS)

WaterSaver Patioscape Coupon: Thinking of changing your backyard into a nice patioscape? Then this coupon is perfect for you! With the WaterSaver Patioscape Coupon you can save $100 or $200 per … Read Full Post »

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3 Landscape Rebates in Austin that can Save You Money!

. Posted by in • Austin

Summer is approaching and with it comes the time for hot days, relaxing by a poolside, reading a book in your yard and of course summer landscaping. Summer is the time in which you spend most of your day enjoying the nice weather and you will most likely want your yard to look perfect to set the mood. Luckily for you, Austin has some amazing rebates to reduce the cost of your summer landscaping. A rebate is money that is refunded to you by the city for taking cost or energy-saving measures with your home or yard maintenance.

Fixing your yard for the summer in Austin? Check out these rebates that could be available for you!

Landscape Survival Tools Rebates

If you use any of the following techniques or a combination of them for your home you could qualify for this rebate and also save money by reducing your need for water. The … Read Full Post »

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Feel the Berm: Earthworks Make Austin Yards Stand Out.

. Posted by in • Austin
berming austin landscaping earthworks

Positive drainage can help you protect and maintain your home’s foundation. Good builders always construct homes to have “positive” drainage. This term is civil engineering speak for: “Water flows away from the base of the house, and not towards it.”

But over time, negative drainage conditions lead to serious potential damage to the foundation of your home. Negative drainage occurs if for example, a house is missing rain gutters, or if the soil expands and contracts with moisture or temperature changes, or if there has been a general lack of maintenance over time.

Berms may be the solutions to foundation problems.

Berms are little man-made mounds with slopes that adorn the landscape. Adding a strategically located and constructed berm is one of the things you can do to prevent water from pooling near your foundation. This helps prevent expensive foundation damage, flooded crawl spaces, mold proliferation and other fun adventures in homeownership that … Read Full Post »

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The 4 Best Garden Stores in San Antonio

. Posted by in • San Antonio
san antonio gardening stores

Are you thinking of starting a vegetable garden, but don’t know where to begin?

The first thing to know is the best place in your area to get materials. These four gardening supply stores in San Antonio will provide you with everything you need to start your vegetable garden.

Fanick’s Garden Center (southeast)

Nestled a few minutes off Interstate 10, Fanick’s Garden Center offers a wide variety of gardening products in a picturesque setting. Originally founded by Eddie Fanick Sr. in 1939, the store still belongs to the Fanick family, who are regularly found helping customers and doling out advice. Fannick’s also offers a variety of events at the store, including a spring vegetable seminar on March 19, 2016, from 10:30 am to noon. You can also join their frequent shopper club and receive 20% off your first purchase (in addition to other discounts).

Shades of Green (central)

Located on West Sunset Road just east … Read Full Post »

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