Keeping It Green: Energy-Efficient Home Maintenance Tips

New Home Source. October 10, 2016. Drew Knight: One of the biggest benefits of buying a newly built home is that today, more than ever, homebuilders are adopting green building techniques to make homes more energy efficient and better for the environment.

In fact, there are now numerous agencies and programs put into place to help monitor and rate builders and products to help first-time homebuyers like you make at-home energy conservation possible.

6 Ways Your Yard Can Kill Your Pet

Realtor.com. Oct 10, 2016. By Gina Roberts-Grey: Your yard can be your oasis, but it can also be a land mine of potential hazards to your pets. Whether you’re looking for a new house or want to spruce up your current backyard, there are a number of risks you should pay attention to in order to keep your furry friends safe. And breathing.

11 Ways to Respond to Water-Saving Clients

Total Landscape Care. October 3, 2016. Jill Odom: The West isn’t the only part of the country that suffers from drought, and even areas that aren’t currently in a drought can benefit by conserving water.

Ispirazioni e Decori per Cene d’Estate e Tavolate Sotto le Stelle

Houzz. July 18, 2016. By Valentina Lonati: Avere un giardino o una terrazza offre l’opportunità di invitare amici a pranzo o a cena, imbandendo lunghe tavolate pronte ad accoglierli. Qui di seguito abbiamo raccolto alcune immagini di ispirazione e qualche suggerimento utile per stupire gli amici quando decidiamo di organizzare un pranzo o una cena all’aperto. Perché spesso creare l’atmosfera giusta rende ancora più belli i momenti passati con le persone care.

Outdoor Fix-Ups: Improving Outdoor Lighting

Houzz. July 1, 2016. By Kerryn Ramsey: Here are some easy ways to introduce effective and evocative lighting in the backyard, without hiring an electrician. Great lighting will help you enjoy your outdoor areas all year long, however, it’s important not to have the light so bright that it washes people out and hurts the eyes. An ideal amount of illumination allows people to see each other, eat a meal and find their way around the area safely while still creating an intimate mood. While task lighting is essential, it’s the more whimsical additions that make outdoor areas come alive.

Safe Rooms and Other Hot Design Trends

Los Angeles Times. June 22, 2016. By Lisa Boone: Go big or go small. Or figure out a way to do both. That’s the choice facing design fans in Los Angeles this weekend.

12 Consigli Che Vi Faranno Risparmiare Soldi in Giardino

Houzz. June 19, 2016. By Lidia Zitara: A volte il giardino si trasforma in un terribile mangia-soldi. Ma arginare le spese è possibile: vediamo come. Le pavimentazioni
Un’altra delle spese maggiori in giardino sono le pavimentazioni.
Se avete una buona manualità e siete in grado di gestire calcestruzzo, livelle e rulli, realizzatele da soli, magari inserendo un mosaico. Ma dovete essere ben certi di fare un lavoro da esperto, altrimenti meglio affidarsi a un professionista.

Hummingbird Sage Lures Wildlife

Houzz. June 4, 2016. By Margaret Oakley: This native California ground cover thrives with little water on grassy slopes, under trees or in patio containers. Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) forms a fragrant carpet in the shadier spots of California gardens. The magenta blooms of this herbaceous perennial ground cover appear from late winter into fall, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies to their sweet nectar.

Green Your Garden with Ferns

Los Angeles Times. May 21, 2016. By Janet Kinosian: Don’t exclude ferns from your dream garden just because there’s a drought on.

Water-wise yet luxuriant ferns might sound contradictory. After all, don’t ferns and their flowy green fronds spread on wet forest floors and need constant spritzing when grown inside?