Author Archives: Martin John Company

With Summer Showers Here, How Do You Control All Those Weeds?

Summer is in the air across most of the United States, and that means plenty of sunshine – except for summer showers that tend to pop up throughout the day. Between that rain and sun, weeds can become a serious problem in your gardens, in your flower beds, and even on your lawn. Below are some expert tips for keeping those pesky weeds at bay, even when the environment is perfect for them.

Flower beds

Weeds in your flower beds can be a real pain. Not only do they detract from the look of your beautiful flowers, but some are nutrient and water hogs, meaning they can actually kill your flowers if they aren’t dealt with promptly. Mulching your flower beds will often prevent weeds from taking root, but if you’re already dealing with weeds, there are two main ways to safely remove them: pulling them by hand and treating them with a solution.

If the weeds are few, the best option is to simply remove them by hand. Wear thick gardener’s gloves and pull the entire plant – root and all – to prevent regrowth. If this isn’t an option, or if you’re noticing more than just a few weeds emerging among your lilies but they haven’t yet taken over, you can try applying a solution of vinegar and water directly to the weed. You’ll need to do it frequently if it’s going to be effective.

Gardens

There’s something special about growing your own food, whether you have a simple herb garden in the backyard or a quarter-acre garden filled with all kinds of fruits, vegetables, and berries. Garden weed prevention and treatment can be tricky since the plants here are intended for consumption, but there are safe and reliable options. For smaller gardens, mulch can do wonders by smothering the weeds before they have a chance to grow. You can also consider installing a weed fabric barrier, which can be more effective for larger gardens.

If weeds are already problematic, you can pull them up by the roots to put a stop to them, but this can be hard work and if you don’t use some sort of preventative measure, they’ll almost certainly come right back. In some cases, you might opt to use an herbicide – especially if the weeds have all but taken over. Some herbicides are designed to be used in your fruit and vegetable gardens, but if you choose to go this route, it’s important to thoroughly clean anything you harvest before preparing it for consumption.

Lawns

If the majority of your weed problem exists on your lawn, herbicides may actually be the best bet here. There are several different types of herbicides available, so make sure you’re choosing the right one for the job. When the weeds are already present, you’ll want a post-emergent herbicide. These options come in selective and non-selective formulas; the former treats common species of broadleaf weeds while the latter is best for grassy weeds. Of course, prevention is the best medicine for lawn weeds, so make sure that you always keep your lawn aerated, watered, and fertilized. The healthier your lawn, the more likely it is to be free of weeds.

Weed control can be a real pain, especially in the summertime. It seems that weeds love hot weather, and when it rains, they multiply exponentially. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent and treat weeds, and if the job is too much for you to handle, contact Martin John Company for help.

High End Fire Pit Styles That Will Bring Value To Your Home

Fire pits have quickly become one of the most popular accents to include in outdoor living spaces. Homeowners are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting from one of the many styles that are available.

If you’ve been trying to decide which fire pit style would best suit your home and provide additional value, this list will get you started:

Something that Matches your Existing Patio

One of the best ways to ensure that a fire pit brings additional value to your home is to match it to your patio area’s existing aesthetics. For instance, if the rest of this area has been finished with concrete, it makes sense to erect a concrete fire pit as well.

A Pit that Performs Double Duty

If space is at a premium in your outdoor living area, but you’re dying to incorporate a fire pit, consider installing one that can double up as a coffee table or BBQ. Many firepits have flat lids that can be decorated and function as a coffee table providing instant usable space when you are not having a fire. Several models come fitted with a detachable swinging BBQ arm that can be attached whenever you’re in the mood to grill.

Decorative Designs

If your home is comprised of more modern finishes, you may want to consider a fire pit that has been made with a decorative or ‘cut out’ metal design. This will almost certainly be a talking point among family and friends who spend time in your yard because it will stand out from the usual designs.

Slim Line Options for Smaller Yards

Just because your backyard is smaller than average, it doesn’t mean that you’ll have to forego having a fire pit installed. A number of slimline options are now available, which are not only practical but also highly stylish and elegant.

Wall Mounted

Having a wall mounted fire pit can allow you to create a separate area from your pool – a place for the adults to gather while the kids swim under supervision. Some wall-mounted models can act as a BBQ as well and an additional disk can be placed on the wall behind to protect it from ash. If your yard area is small, consider a model that folds up when not in use.

Before rushing off to purchase a fire pit, it’s strongly recommended that you consult with an outdoor living space expert to determine which options will be best for your yard. Contact our team today to find out more about the various fire pit options that we can provide – all of which will add substantial value to your home.

Popular Outdoor Living Space Trends Happening Right Now

Are you ready to transform your plain and ordinary backyard into an entertainment oasis that your friends and the whole family will be able to enjoy? If so, you may be feeling overwhelmed at the sheer number of options that are available regarding furniture, décor, appliances, and other accessories.

Take a look at some of the trends that are currently happening in outdoor living spaces around the country:

Welcoming the Gnomes

If you’ve been looking for something fun that will add a little magic to your outdoor living area, garden gnomes may be the answer. Get the whole family involved in choosing a gnome and deciding where to place it in the yard – several different and exciting accessories are now available as well, such as miniature bridges, towers, gates, and stone pathways to make these fellas feel more at home.

Incorporating a Vertical Garden

With properties becoming smaller and smaller, it makes perfect sense for homeowners to maximize every inch of space they have – especially where gardening is concerned. Gardens that grow upwards instead of outwards not only save a ton of space; they add a lovely aesthetic to a home’s outdoor living area as well. Be sure to choose plant varieties that are best suited to the hardiness zone you live in, as this will ensure that they thrive once established.

Including Concrete Furniture

Concrete bench seating, tables, and fire pits have become more popular than ever because they are naturally weather-resistant and easy to keep clean – meaning that they will last a long time. Outdoor cushions can always be provided to add a little extra seating comfort.

Don’t Forget the Outdoor Kitchen

Nothing says summer like being able to prepare as many of your meals as possible out in the fresh air – and having an outdoor kitchen installed will allow you to do just this. When designing your outdoor kitchen, choose finishes and appliances that will handle the local climate and that you know you’ll use regularly.

Take your Office Outside

With the working from home trend looking set to continue indefinitely for many individuals, it makes sense to transform a part of a patio, terrace, or balcony area into an outdoor office. This area can be fitted out with weatherproof furniture and even an outside umbrella if there’s no roof over your outdoor living space. A quiet water feature can be added to provide a sense of relaxation that will help you focus on your work.

Now is the perfect time to start getting your outdoor living space prepared for the summer, which is just around the corner. If you would like to learn more about updating this area of your home, contact our team today.

7 Things You Can Start Doing Right Now To Get Your Outdoor Living Space Ready For Summer

Has your home’s outdoor living space seen better days or are you wanting to simply give it a facelift before summer arrives? Chances are that you may not know where to start – especially with summer arriving in just a few weeks.

Here are seven ways in which you can update your outdoor living space:

Install New Lighting

This is by far the easiest way to enhance the appearance of your outdoor living area and several weatherproof fixtures are available nowadays. If your patio area is small, a simple set of string lights will work wonders. A larger area can be lit up with slightly bigger fittings – and in many cases, solar options are now available.

New Accents Make a Difference

Is your budget super tight at the moment? If so, replacing accents such as seat cushions and throws can make a huge difference in improving the appearance and vibe of your patio area – without breaking the bank. Ensure that waterproof fabrics are chosen, as this will help them last longer.

Add Some Shade and Privacy

If you are looking for a way to bring some shade to your patio or deck but still want to see the stars at night, consider adding a pergola. Adding a pergola also makes it easy to add curtains to any side of your outdoor space to provide more privacy when needed.

Add an Area Rug

Adding an area rug to your outdoor living space will help give it a brand-new look at a cost-effective price. If money is tight, purchasing a cheap stencil and some spray paint will give even the plainest rug a fabulous facelift.

Decorate your Deck

Has your deck surface seen better days? Instead of replacing it or covering it with a boring coat of plain varnish, why not stencil a design on it and paint it with weatherproof paint instead? Your imagination is the limit here and it’s a project that you can allow the kids to help with as well.

Create a Cool Fire Pit Cover

Virtually no one will want to sit around a fire pit on a scorching summer day – unless, of course, you have the grate do double duty by painting a board game surface on the top side of it. Family and friends will still be able to gather around the fire pit and spend quality time together this way.

Clear Away Clutter

Before inviting guests over, ensure that all clutter such as garden tools, unused outdoor toys, and anything else that doesn’t belong in your yard is packed away. If you don’t have a garage, consider using seating that doubles up as storage space for this purpose.

Preparing your outdoor living area for the upcoming summer season need not cost a lot. In fact, some of the more affordable updates will often provide the most visual appeal. If you’re looking to expand your outdoor living space and aren’t sure how to get started, get in touch with us today.

5 Reasons Why An Outdoor Kitchen Will Bring Value To Your Home

Outdoor kitchens have become one of the most popular upgrades for homeowners to install over the past few years. If you’ve been considering having an outdoor kitchen installed in your backyard, but haven’t taken the plunge yet, now is the time to do so.

Here are some reasons why performing this upgrade will provide additional value to your home:

Enhance your Entertainment Experience

One of the most important reasons why homeowners install outdoor kitchens is that it will make summer far more enjoyable when you’re hosting friends and family for meals and just enjoying time together. The adults can grill on the BBQ and socialize, while the kids enjoy the outdoors.

Boost your Home’s Value

After having your outdoor kitchen installed, you’ll be able to enjoy a significant increase in the value of your home overall – especially if you’ve chosen high quality appliances to be installed. Regardless of whether you intend to sell your home in the near future or you’d just like to give its overall equity a boost, you certainly won’t go wrong by installing an outdoor kitchen.

Expand your Family’s Living Space

Virtually every property owner wants to increase the size of their home at some point but performing traditional renovations that involve adding rooms, building walls, knocking other walls out, and altering foundations ends up being extremely costly.

Incorporating an outdoor kitchen into your property usually won’t require any of the above to be done, meaning that it will be a far more cost-effective way for you to expand the living space on your property.

Keep those Food Odors Outside

Preparing and cooking food outdoors will help prevent your home from filling up with smoke and prevent food odors from lingering inside for hours after a meal has been enjoyed. This is especially true in the case of foods such as fish and deep-fried items – and during the hot summer months.

Simplify your Cooking

Being able to cook outside will prevent your indoor kitchen from becoming too crowded with people – giving all new meaning to “too many cooks spoil the broth!” You’ll also have everything you need outside to prepare food that is being cooked on the grill, so it will eliminate having to run in and out of the house to fetch utensils, cutlery, and crockery.

Do you have an idea of the layout, appliances, and finishes you’d like installed in your outdoor kitchen? If not, we will happily assist by providing various options and ideas for the space you have available for this exciting project. If you already know what you want, our team can turn your plan into reality.

With summer just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start planning your outdoor kitchen and having everything installed. If you would like to find out more about how our team can assist you, get in touch with us today.

Already Have a Pool? Try these 5 Hardscaping Ideas the Whole Family Will Love

Although you may already have a fabulous pool in your backyard, chances are that you’ve been looking for a few other features to include that will complement it.

Hardscaping is a term used to describe virtually any type of practical or decorative structure in your yard area – and the ideas below will help get you started with incorporating that little something extra into your outdoor entertainment area:

Pavers

Brick pavers can be laid over an existing concrete patio to give it a more updated and luxurious appearance. Alternatively, you can opt for flagstone if you prefer your yard to have a natural look and feel – these can be arranged to create a lovely, smooth surface that is easy underfoot and convenient to clean.

If you’re keen to create walkways in parts of your yard, concrete pavers will usually be your best option. Leaving a small space between each of them will provide a modern appearance, while also making it easier for excess water to drain away during inclement weather.

Water Features

Adding a built-in water feature to your yard will provide a sense of relaxation for friends and family as they listen to the soothing sounds when it’s flowing. Placing natural stones around its edge and under the running water section will help create additional sound if desired. Ensure that the feature you choose is scaled to the size of your yard.

Pool Decking

Is your pool looking somewhat out of place in your yard because it doesn’t have anything surrounding it? If so, adding a concrete or even wooden deck around its perimeter will not only enhance the visual appeal of your pool; it will make it easier for everyone to step in and out if it as well.

A Firepit

Although these hardscaping features have become an absolute must-have over the past few years, many homeowners think they’re too pricey to consider. However, a simple fire pit can be constructed by using a metal fire pit bowl and surrounding it with cinder blocks or your choice of outdoor pavers that will help mimic the appearance of a stone one.

A Play Structure

Including one or more age-appropriate play structures in your backyard will allow your kids to enjoy their time outside as much as possible, while also keeping physically active. Your kids and their friends will have fun sliding, swinging, climbing and playing in the safety of your yard.

Wherever possible, opt for structures that are designed to grow with your children because this will ensure that they’ll be able to get maximum use from them.

Regardless of the hardscaping features you decide to install, it’s strongly recommended that you hire the services of reputable contractors to get the job done. This will ensure that everything is installed and set up according to the required safety standards – allowing every member of your family to make the most of the time they spend outdoors without worry.

How to Step Back into your Garden after a Long Winter

If you’re an avid gardener, you’ll most likely spend the winter months thinking about and planning what you’ll be doing outside as soon as the weather improves. As spring starts arriving, it will be necessary to do the right preparation to ensure that you’ll experience the best growing season possible.

Below are some basic tasks to complete in your yard and garden once winter has finally released its clutches on this part of your property:

Assess any Damage

The first thing you should do is perform a visual inspection of your yard and garden for signs of damage to any trees, shrubs, plants, and lawn. You may find infected or dead grass or broken and damaged branches as a result of winter storms.

Ensure that all snow is removed off of your lawn, around tree roots, and out of flowerbeds – this should be done carefully to prevent further damage from occurring to existing plants.

Start with a Cleanup

This might sound obvious, but successful spring gardening relies heavily on ensuring that the areas you intend to use for planting are properly cleaned up and prepped. This project should be started as soon as the weather warms up enough to go outdoors.

Start by removing old plant debris that may have escaped your eye with your autumn cleanup. Leaving old plant debris in your garden provides one of the fastest breeding grounds for soil-borne diseases that will affect your new plants, and it will also attract many undesirable insects or pests. Now is also the time to remove any weeds that may have started sprouting.

Prepare the Soil

Regardless of whether you’ll be planting flowers, veggies, trees or shrubs, the soil in your yard and garden will need to be as healthy and fertile as possible – and it will also need to drain properly. In most cases, the best soil is that which is loose, dark and crumbly and spring will be the ideal time to add organic matter to improve density and structure.

It’s recommended to add between 25% and 30% organic matter to your total soil volume, which should equate to approximately four inches of compost or peat moss. This should be spread as evenly as possible over the soil’s surface and then worked in thoroughly.

Start Watering Regularly

Dehydration is one of the most commonly experienced problems with plants during the winter months because freezing conditions turn water sources into ice – leaving plants without the water they need to remain hydrated.

Thoroughly watering your garden will also help ensure that the remaining snow and ice is melted, and it will also help get rid of any de-icing salts that may have been used during winter.

Performing the necessary preparation in your garden as soon as the weather starts thawing out will help ensure that you’ll be able to get maximum growth and benefit from any flowers, trees, shrubs, and lawn that you intend to plant and tend throughout the rest of the year.

Spring Time Means House Selling – Tips for Amazing Curb Appeal Buyers Will Love

If you’ve decided to sell your home, you’ll likely have heard the term ‘improving curb appeal’ more than once. The outward appearance of your property will play a tremendous part when it comes to potential buyers deciding whether they will want to take a look inside your house or not.

Contrary to popular belief, improving curb appeal need not cost a lot either. In fact, there are several things you can do to spruce up the outside of your property that are more affordable than you realize:

Start with a Coat of Paint

Although homeowners often underestimate the power that a simple coat of paint has when it comes to improving the outside appearance of your home, this alone can often sway a potential buyer’s mind to investigate the inside of it.

When choosing paint colors, it’s best to stick with neutrals like gray, beige, taupe, white and cream. While you may think that pink or blue looks fabulous, potential buyers may be put off by loud colors and move on to the next property for sale instead. Be sure to give your home’s front door a coat of paint as well.

Replace Outdoor Light Fixtures

Outside lights are another item that homeowners often forget about – until such time as they put their property up for sale. Many excellent options are available for outdoor lighting nowadays, ranging from basic fittings right through to solar powered units that are powerful enough to light up an entire backyard.

When choosing replacement light fixtures, ensure that they’re rated as being waterproof and suitable for outdoor use because this will prevent them from malfunctioning during inclement weather. Opting for LED bulbs will also not only provide more light; your energy bill will thank you as well because these use up to 75% less electricity than standard globes.

Hire a Professional Landscaper

There’s a significant difference between just raking up the leaves in your yard and cutting the lawn and hiring a professional landscaper to perform a makeover in your yard. Experienced landscapers will know how to make the most of available yard and garden space and ensure that this part of your property looks lush and green – making it as appealing as possible to potential buyers.

Pressure Wash your Porch and Deck Areas

Pressure washing these areas will not only help them look shiny and visually appealing; it will remove any moss, fungus and mold that may have accumulated and could cause a slipping hazard. If you don’t own a pressure washer, some hardware chains rent them out for fairly affordable daily rates.

Even something as simple as replacing your mailbox will go a long way in helping to improve your home’s curb appeal substantially. In many cases, professional landscapers and even real estate agents will be able to provide additional tips for getting the outside of your home to look as appealing as possible when that ‘For Sale’ board goes up on your front lawn.

Why Now is the Perfect Time to Plan that Outdoor Kitchen before Summer Gets Here

Have you been considering the option of having an outdoor kitchen installed, but thought it would be best to wait until summer to plan it? If so, you may not be doing yourself any favors because summer will be the time that you’ll want to entertain friends and family – and it will be when you need your outdoor kitchen the most.

Here are some reasons why now is the right time to plan that fabulous outdoor kitchen for your home:

Lead Time Is Crucial

It takes time to get plans created, permits approved, and materials ordered and delivered. The sooner you work with a professional landscaper designer to discuss and finalize your plans the better. Additionally, landscapers start to get really busy once the weather turns nice. Finalizing your plans now allows you to get on the landscaper’s work schedule ahead of those that wait to the last minute.

Be Ready to Entertain as Soon as Summer Arrives

Most households look forward to summer because they know that they’ll be able to spend as much time as possible outside – and if your outdoor kitchen has already been installed and set up, this will allow you to spend even more time out in the fresh air than planned.

Increase your Home’s Value

Once your outdoor kitchen has been established, you’ll not only improve your family’s quality of life; this additional entertainment space will increase the overall resale value of your home as well – which will come in handy should you ever decide to sell and move elsewhere.

Enjoy Several Advantages of Cooking Outside

Homeowners who had outdoor kitchens installed have noted that there are many benefits that can be enjoyed when taking food prep and cooking outside, such as:

Not being stuck inside while everyone else is outside. An outdoor kitchen allows you to stay connected with your family and friends while preparing the meal.
Keeping the heat from stovetops and ovens out of the house, resulting in less air conditioning being required inside – causing a drop in summer energy bills.
Preventing food smells from lingering inside your home long after meals have been prepared.
Less time will need to be spent keeping your inside kitchen clean because most meal prep and cooking will be done outside instead.