Canning and Preserving

I read a great article this morning in the 

NY Times. I thought I would copy the link and share.

Canning and preserving your farmers market, or very own garden veggies and fruits isn't as difficult as you might think. I have really been wanting to make my own Jams. I recently made my own home made BBQ

sauce and canned a bunch. My grandmother was religious at canning and freezing her veggies. 

Check out the article

NY Times Canning not so difficult

7 simple ways to increase curb appeal

Your castle, your getaway, your home, your crib. 

Ask yourself these questions. Is your casa an eyesore to your block and neighbors? If you had to put your house on the market tomorrow what would your curb appeal be? 

We are going to focus on a few simple techniques, ideas, and suggestions for your curb appeal. We have to get that brain thinkin about sexifying the front of your humble abode, your pad, your chateau! Ok I promise I will stop. 

Symmetry

Symmetry huh?? Arranging perfect symmetry is pleasing to the eye and just makes the front of your house stand out better. Symmetry leaves no question to any passers that walk or drive by ... YES I INTENDED IT TO LOOK THIS WAY! Make a statement with your symmetry. Lights, Statues, Planters, climbing vines on either side of the driveway. Create symmetry in what you do. Even if it's just with the color of annuals you plant. It really is a simple thing to do that adds consistency and structure to the front of your home. 

Picture from Better home and gardens

Lighting

Illuminate your path to the entry. Simple and easy with todays solar led lighting. Yes, it may not be as bright, but it is still effective. One tip I'd like to share if I may, please don't cheap out on the lights. Honestly nothing looks worse then crooked beat up solar lights on your walkway that scream " I cheaped out, and just don't care anymore! " Huge pet peeve of mine, crooked uneven lights on a landscape. Why bother? You can get good deals for some great lighting at the end of summer. You can also spend a little more and go low voltage led. Low voltage tends to be a little brighter. Remember the first rule above, Symmetry is key. 

Remember... no busted up cheap plastic lights out front ok? 

I will site you with a Green Thumb Barbers Fine! 

Mulch

Make your landscape pop! Mulch not only makes your plants and flowers shine brighter, it keeps weeds out. Refresh every Spring with a fresh layer of mulch around the front landscape. These days we have a lot of different colors and variety of mulch. You might say what about rock. Yea rock is ok, but rock can be overdone and look terrible. I do not care for rock unless it's done lightly and tasteful. Too many people go the rock route for convenience. Rock can generate a cold phi-sod to your curb appeal, where mulch can generate contrast and warmth. Same rules apply with mulch as it does lighting. No one wants to see some busted up, old, dingy, faded mulch. Keep it up, it really isn't that expensive. You can get a yard for about 40 dollars, and usually delivered for free. 

Green is good

When you are looking for plants or flowers, pay attention to the foliage. The greener the better. I don't know what it is, but greenery in the front of a home is like curb appeal cash growing. Flowers bloom and die. The foliage remains. Get different shades of green to contrast against the mulch. Keep your yard Green!! 

Green, Green, Green!! I can't stress it enough. Hanging plants, trellis vines, an arbor, planters out front... keep green in them. Think of it like your little money trees out front. 

Drip

Add a drip line out front for your plants and flowers. You can run them up to hanging pots as well. Many believe that drip systems are expensive and a hassle. I promise they're not! Very easy to install, you can even get a timer that attaches to your water spigot. Run the main line under your mulch and have drip pop up. You can use fun micro sprayers too. It will save you time having to water your landscape. Having a drip line tells people looking onto your landscape " We mean business, and keep up our landscape. " Potential buyers love to see drip lines... LOVE! Call me up or send an email, I will direct you to where you can get inexpensive drip line materials and timers. 

Pressure wash

Power/Pressure wash your concrete, shutters, windows, driveway, and garage doors. You can get inexpensive pressure washers nowadays. After the winter give the front a once over with it. Spraying down the front keeps your curb appeal looking new and fresh. It helps reduce the aging of your concrete as well. Very simple, and very effective. 

Own it

Make it yours, have fun with your front of house landscape. Keep your mailbox looking fresh. Ensure your gutters are clean and downspouts look new. Put out a great door mat for the entry way. A garden gnome, some fun statues, or bird houses. The key is to make it look like a home that warm and enchanting. Google ideas if you don't have any. Don't go too crazy with who's it's and what's it galore! Haha some Little Mermaid there for ya. Neat, Clean, and Tidy is what you want... with a little of your own flare. If you have the budget... Do some landscape design of your own. Go with a Tuscan theme, or a Japanese Garden. 

The point is... if you take the time to do the above steps and own it... you will maintain it. If you get tired of maintaining it... well that's what GTB is there for. 

You are the King of your Castle!! Let's create an entry suitable for a king. 7 simple ways to increase curb appeal. 

Be Different, Be Green

Summertime Vines

Annual vines require a lot less commitment and time than perrenials. I just think they are more fun. The annual vine gives us a chance to try new things with our landscapes without regret. I get so tired of seeing the woody wisteria everywhere I go. C'mon people live a little, and try a new summertime vine. 

Morning Glory

Morning Glories have always been a favorite of mine. Blue, pink, and white cascades of trumpet like flowers can spark a new focal point in your landscape. These beauties grow very fast and can easily take over a wall or trellis and bloom till the frost comes. Morning Glories like to start at first light blooming... hence where they get their name. Grown from hard seeds, many gardeners recommend scraping the seeds with a file or soaking them overnight to encourage germination. Soaking them for 8 hrs is great, but make sure to plant when temperatures are above 50 degrees consistently at night. 

Cypress Vine

The Cypress vine is not a favorite of mine. Why? I just don't care for the foliage

that seems to thicken and take over everything. That being said, if you want hummingbirds this is the right vine for you. Tiny white, pink, and red flowers are just the right size for little hummingbirds to drink out of. Blooming is best in hot summers which is perfect for our Northern California weather climate. Very pretty, but can be very invasive. Keep in eye on these and prune regularly to avoid the light feather like foliage from consuming your landscape. 

Mandevilla

Go Tropical with this vine. Very full, and happy flowers can give great curb appeal to your landscape. These bad boys can grow up to 20 feet or higher in hot 

humid climates. A very elegant vine in my opinion and can be potted too. Try planting in a hanging pot for a different look. Mandevilla are not invasive and are easy to prune. You can pick up some at your local nursery in a pot and they are grown annually. Summertime and the livin is easy for the Mandevilla. 

Spanish Flag

I love this vine!!! It's just different. The Spanish Flag comes from the Morning Glory family impmoea. In hot summer climates this vine thrives and can grow up to 15 feet. Spanish Flag has firework type flowers of red and yellow. The contrast from the ripe green leaves against the flowers looks fantastic. Blooms summer to frost. It's also another great option to intrigue are little flying hummingbird friends. 

Hoping these summer vines gave you some ideas to have fun in your landscape this summer. 

All in one for Lawns

Best Liquid Lawn Fertilizer 

I was lucky enough to come across a great company that offers great products last fall. 

Nature's Lawn and Garden Inc.

Nature's Lawn is a company based out of Western New York. Stuart Franklin is there President of business operations. I recently wrote to Stuart telling him how much I love his products and commitment to organic methods and solutions to gardening and lawn care. In 1988 Nature's Lawn wrote a book called building a healthy lawn a safe and natural approach.

Thousands of professionals and home owners have used this book to enhancing their landscape. Over 30 years of experience in organic lawn care service. 

Nature's Lawn believes as we do here at GTB. Nature's Lawn believes that one of the primary reasons that lawns are weak, weedy or prone to insects and disease is poor soil quality. This can be corrected. They also believe that most pesticides can be harmful to you, your children, your pets and the environment. Today, we have natural/safe products that we can use instead. 

Treat the Cause and not just the symptoms.

I have seen first hand the effect All in one for Lawns can have... I am speechless. Yes, it takes more than one application... in fact several to reverse the damage done by other synthetic fertilizers that have corroded the interior heart of your yard.

This one product Fertilizes, Aerates, Bio-Activates Soils and Grass, Improves Organic Matter and Soil Structure, Dethatches and Improves Root Development

Green Thumb Barbers uses All IN ONE for LAWNS as it's main fertilizer treatment for all residential accounts. It's GTB Certified!! 

Stuart Franklin shipped me out a bunch a products to give away here at Green Thumb Barbers in a contest. I will be doing two other blogs that show off other products at Nature's Lawn, and then I will have a contest to give away these free products for you to try, and fall in love with. 

All in one for lawns is simply fantastic and doesn't just work, it's transforms your lawn into what it should be... Safe, Thick, and Green. 

For More Information Head Over to Their Website

Nature's Lawn

To start your seasonal treatment plan with Green Thumb Barbers give me a call if you are in the Solano, Yolo, or Napa Counties. 

Be Different, Be Green

Local Newspaper Article about GTB

Vacaville Reporter ran a nice article Q and A in the Sunday paper. 

To view the article go here:

http://www.thereporter.com/business/ci_20560723/new-business-aims-enhance-landscaping