Here's you list of home maintenance tips for spring and summer to get your home and homestead looking sharp. Winter weather can be harsh on your house. The good thing about warmer months is that you get to take care of your home while enjoying the sun. So, now is the time to prevent unexpected problems and do home maintenance. Follow our list of home maintenance tips – spring and summer edition – to get the most out of this season. Home Maintenance Tips: Check The AC Unit Ideally, you should check your AC unit monthly and replace air filters at least once every three months. Dirty air filters can only cause you harm. The unit has to work harder, and it can lead to increased energy bills and potentially damage your equipment. Also, make sure the insulation of your home is installed and functioning properly. You don’t want the warm air or cool air to escape through windows and roof. If you’re not sure what type of insulation fits your needs, check insulation4less to … [Read more...] about Home Maintenance Tips for Spring and Summer
Best Trees for Small Yards
The Best Trees for Small Yards include some real surprises, including a small magnolia tree and a gorgeous Japanese maple tree. Most trees just don’t fit into small yards. At mature size, popular trees such as oaks, maples and magnolias get too large for today’s suburban lots. That’s why the editors of HomeGardenandHomestead.com have created this list of the best trees for small yards. In addition to being small enough to fit into small yards and smaller spaces within larger landscapes, these best trees for small yards also offer extra benefits. Most of the trees on our list put on a colorful show of flowers each spring and/or summer. Many of the trees on the Best Trees for Small Yards list offer colorful fall foliage. And all of these trees are distinctive enough to become cherished horticultural focal points in your yard. So if you’ve got a small space that needs a bit of pizzazz, we’ve got the trees for you. Once you have selected the small trees that are perfect for … [Read more...] about Best Trees for Small Yards
Best Garden Tools Make Gardening Easier
Are the best garden tools in your tool shed? They should be! Every gardener and homesteader knows the joy of having great garden tools. The right tool makes the difference when you’re digging a hole, weeding a flower bed or pruning your favorite shrub. Let’s face it, having well-designed, well-made and truly great garden tools makes any garden or yard work job easier—and a whole lot more satisfying. From shovels to weeders and from pruners to watering accessories, garden tools help to keep plants healthy. And great garden tools keep the entire yard looking great. So, let’s give a big shout-out to the best garden tools. Let’s hear it for the yard and garden tools that are a pleasure to use because they get the job done. You'll love all these tools-- made well for years of hassle-free performance. Best Garden Tools The editors of Home, Garden and Homestead have been digging in the dirt and caring for plants longer than we care to admit. We’ve bought our share of discount … [Read more...] about Best Garden Tools Make Gardening Easier
Best Weeding Tool: CobraHead Weeders
Owning a best weeding tool is an absolute necessity for every gardener or homeowner. Without an effective weed puller, it’s virtually impossible to grow a great garden or a lawn that’s the envy of the neighborhood. Everyone who grows plants in the soil knows that weeds happen. These unwanted plants seem to grow everywhere there is bare or cultivated soil. “Weeds start to sprout in spring even before vegetable gardens and flower beds are planted,” said Noel Valdes, president of CobraHead, the company that makes CobraHead weeders and cultivators, widely regarded as the best weeding tools. “The simple act of digging in the soil combined with Spring rainfall can give weed seeds a chance to grow. And most plants that we call ‘weeds’ are very aggressive growers.” An Old Digging Tool is Reborn as a Best Weeding Tool Valdes knows all about weeds because he has been a dedicated organic gardener his entire life. He was digging in his garden with an old-fashioned five-tined cultivator … [Read more...] about Best Weeding Tool: CobraHead Weeders
Homestead Living Ideas
When it comes to homestead living ideas, it's all about a more sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle. Use organic practices on the landscape and in the gardens. Make and use homemade compost in the family vegetable garden. Pay attention to energy efficiency in the design of buildings. And select appliances based on their efficient use of resources. The homestead and ranch life can also include raising chickens for a steady supply of fresh eggs. (This is true for large acreage properties and even in some suburban homes.) On larger ranch and homesteads, becoming more self-sufficient means drilling wells and installing backup water pumps. Here are some great products and homestead living ideas that make the ranch, homestead and self-sufficient lifestyle easier. For information about planting fruit trees on your homestead property, read Top Five Fruit Trees for some great advice. Also read How to Build an Instant Rusted Corrugated Metal Fence. Deep Well Hand Pump Keeps … [Read more...] about Homestead Living Ideas
