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How To Prevent Lyme Disease

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
How to prevent Lyme disease

As a tick-borne illness, Lyme disease is a serious concern for people all across the United States. If the disease isn’t treated soon after exposure, it can cause debilitating pain, weakness, and other chronic impairments. Learn more about what Lyme disease is, the symptoms, and how to prevent Lyme disease.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Humans contract the disease through bites from deer ticks and black-legged ticks. Most commonly found in the Midwest and the northeastern US, individuals suffering from Lyme disease are also spread all across the country, as well as in 60 other countries. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme is the most widespread disease spread by animals in the US.

Lyme generally isn’t fatal. However, people with untreated Lyme disease experience chronic pain and disabilities. Lyme impairs the functioning of organs and causes mental impairments, pain, and … Read Full Post »

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How to Restore Your Lawn and Prepare for Winter

. Posted by in • Austin
lawn restoration

Cooler temperatures are upon us and summer is officially over. While you might think the temperature change is a good indication that you can take a break from lawn care until the spring, think again. Contrary to popular belief, fall is a great time to care for your lawn.

Many homeowners tend to ignore their lawn once they experience cooler weather. They also notice slower-growing grass and assume it requires less treatment. But the opposite is true. In preparation for winter—and in an effort to recuperate from our extremely hot temperatures—your lawn is absorbing energy, moisture, and nutrients for the months to come. Whether you contact a company for lawn restoration services or choose the lawn restoration DIY route, investing time in your lawn during the fall will pay dividends all year long.

Read our tips below to learn simple things you can do to keep your yard happy and healthy.

Let Your … Read Full Post »

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Banish Brown Patch From Your Lawn

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
what is brown patch

Our Texas weather can be brutal on yards and landscaping. Grass can suffer from our area’s unrelenting heat, flooding events, and lack of consistent rainfall. Another reason it may be hard to keep your grass looking its best is lawn diseases.

Some lawn disease can develop as a result of environmental factors, such as drought, shady conditions, or very high or low temperatures. Sometimes, pests are the reason behind the problem. Other diseases can be linked back to how we care for our lawns.

During cool, wet weather we have to remain vigilant against a fungus called brown patch. This disease can pose as big a threat to our turf as heat and drought.

Banish Brown Patch From Your Lawn

Below let’s look at what brown patch is, how you can identify it in your yard, and most importantly, how to get rid of brown patch in your lawn year-round.

What is Brown Patch?

Brown Patch … Read Full Post »

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How To Throw The Perfect Backyard Party

. Posted by in • Houston
backyard party ideas

Now that the weather is cooling down, it’s the perfect time of year to host a party in your backyard. You and your guests can relax outside without the sweltering heat or hovering mosquitoes.

Backyard Party Ideas

Though the idea of hosting a party sounds fun, many of us find it overwhelming. All the cooking, decorating, setup and cleanup can seem like a huge chore. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little planning, you can host and enjoy the perfect backyard party. Follow these tips to reduce the extra work and amp up the fun.

Think through your party plan

Before sending your invitations out and setting a date, sit down and think about your party plan.

  • Consider choosing a theme for the party and start collecting ideas. Start a Pinterest board (public or secret) to collect backyard party ideas. Don’t get intimidated. This is just one way to get started.
  • What … Read Full Post »
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Fall is Tree Planting Season in Austin

. Posted by in , • Austin
tree planting tips

Tips and Tricks for Planting a Tree This Fall

Fall is one of our favorite times of the year. Between sipping apple cider, snacking on pumpkin muffins, and preemptively planning for this year’s Thanksgiving Dinner, there are just so many activities we look forward to.

And though you might be more interested in carving pumpkins or watching football, you might want to consider planting a few new trees around your home. Did you know that fall is the perfect time of year to plant new trees in Austin?

Below are a few of our tree planting tips.

Selecting Your Tree

Properly planting a new tree starts with your selection. The first step to choosing the right tree is deciding its purpose. For example, will it provide privacy or is it simply for aesthetics? Deciding how your tree will enhance your home will help you decide which tree you should look for.

What type of tree would … Read Full Post »

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Three Reasons To Outsource Your Lawn Care

. Posted by in • San Antonio
i need someone to mow my lawn

For many homeowners, regular lawn care is the bane of their existence. You work all week long, take care of your family, run errands, attend kids’ sporting events – and the list goes on.

The last thing you want to do in your free time is mow, edge, and weed your lawn. Maybe you alternate between doing it yourself and hiring the neighborhood teenagers, but they aren’t always available. So you end up doing it yourself most of the time.

Wouldn’t it be nice to rid yourself of that burden, and still enjoy a healthy, well-cared for lawn? Consider hiring a lawn care service that will maintain your lawn and save you time and money in the process.

Choose Happiness

There are numerous reasons why choosing to outsource your lawn care is better than doing it yourself. The first one is self-evident: if you want to be happy, you shouldn’t spend precious time doing … Read Full Post »

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How to Aerate Your Lawn for Happy Green Grass

. Posted by in , • Austin
happy healthy grass

Beautiful, healthy grass makes a great yard for play, right? While this is something many of us would love to have, it’s easy to overlook some of the factors involved in having such a luxury – including the soil below the lawn.

In many ways, the soil underneath your lawn is like the foundation of your house. The key function of the foundation is to provide a stable base, so your house doesn’t shift.

Similarly, the soil beneath your lawn must be healthy and nutrient-rich for your lawn to thrive. The best way to keep the soil beneath your lawn healthy is to aerate your lawn.

Aeration provides important benefits to any lawn

The process of aeration removes small plugs of dirt and help to break up compacted soil, where it can be difficult for plants to grow. There’s less space for roots to spread out in compacted soil. That means those roots can … Read Full Post »

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When to Fertilize Your Lawn for the Greenest Grass

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
buying a new home in Texas

Imagine yourself as a newly-minted homeowner. You’ve recently purchased and moved into a beautiful home with a well-established lawn.

As part of your home maintenance schedule, you start to think about how to maintain this lovely lawn – mowing, watering, weeding and fertilizing all come to mind. Each of these tasks seems pretty straightforward, especially mowing and watering which happen on an as-needed basis.

But what about fertilization? When is that supposed to happen for best results?

How do you know when to fertilize your lawn?

Fertilizing seems like an easy task in and of itself. You may remember watching a parent or neighbor spreading those little white fertilizer pellets on lawns in your neighborhood.

What you may not remember about that process is when it happens and why. There are several factors you should consider before deciding when to fertilize your lawn. Here are a handful of factors you might want to consider.

Learn about … Read Full Post »

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Watering Your Trees in the Dry Summer Heat

. Posted by in , , • Bryan-College Station
watering trees in summer

 

Summers in Bryan-College Station are hot and dry. Even in a year when we’re not in a drought, our trees, shrubbery and other landscaping plants will struggle to make it through our long summer days.

Established trees can withstand stretches of dry conditions during the summer, but if you planted any new trees or shrubs in the past year, they might be struggling by now. Lack of water causes stress that weakens plants, making them more susceptible to disease and fungus, and their root systems can become compromised.

Why is this an issue? Isn’t the drought over?

Even with all the rain we received this spring and early summer, the heat and intense sun will dry out the soil.

Each day, trees take in water through their roots and then transpire that moisture out through their leaves. Your majestic oaks have developed extensive root systems, including deep tap roots, which allow them to find … Read Full Post »

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Ladybugs: Your Backyard’s Best Friend (And Foe!)

. Posted by in • Austin

What’s the first image that comes to mind when thinking of a ladybug? If your answer involves a picture of a grandchild dressing up as one for Halloween, or making a wish on one as a child, you’re not alone.

Ladybugs, unlike other pests, are often paired with positive memories, and typically thought of as harmless creatures. And with their delicate wings and beautiful black-spotted backs, it’s hard to image them as anything other than a pretty creature.

But when it comes to your backyard, these gentle critters can offer more than just good luck. They can help combat destructive pests like aphids, mites, and scale. Here are a few ways you can attract (and keep!) ladybugs in your backyard.

Plenty of Pollen

Like all pests, ladybugs need to eat, and they have their favorite meals. To attract ladybugs to your backyard or garden, consider including a few pollen plants in the area. These … Read Full Post »

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