Getting that Perfect Green Lawn Part 2
April 13, 2010
You need to know what types of grasses can grow in cool season and in warm seasons if you want a lush green lawn.
The cool season grasses include Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescue, Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, and Bentgrass.
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky Bluegrass grows best in dark thick areas and really does not need much work to get it to grow and spread. This grass spreads quickly from runners while creating a deep green lawn with fine texture. Kentucky bluegrass does not do well in hot temperatures the summer has to be mild and even then, this grass will need plenty of water to survive. Temperatures over 85 degrees Fahrenheit will certainly kill Kentucky Bluegrass.
Fescue
Red Bladed and Fine Bladed Fescue do well in cool climates and is sometimes blended with various bluegrasses. Both types of Fescue likes shade and even dry conditions. They need low nitrogen soil, which will also help rid the lawn of weeds. Fescue is one of the strongest grasses the does not suffer from any type of problem such as disease or insects. Red fescue is perfect for rejuvenating a lawn, just over-seed the lawn and watch the fescue grow. In some cases, red fescue can be blended with Bermuda grass in the southern states (including Oklahoma) during the winter, which will help keep your lawn alive.
Tall Fescue
Tall fescue is a type of grass that does well in drought conditions and even in high traffic areas. Tall fescue does best in shade areas and all across the United States.
Perennial Ryegrass
This is one tough grass that grows very fast. It can be blended with Kentucky Bluegrass but the bluegrass will take over eventually. This grass can be used to jump-start your lawn. If you want to blend it with bluegrass, you should do a mixture of 20% perennial ryegrass and 80% Kentucky bluegrass. This is as stated before a tough grass that is resistant to insects and disease.
Bentgrass
Bentgrass is a grass that must be pampered. It need watering and fertilizing often. This is the type of grass you normally see at golf courses. It should not be used in high traffic areas. If you want to use this grass, be prepared to water daily and mow just about every other day to keep looking nice. This grass is susceptible to disease and insects. If you blend bentgrass with any other grass, use quite a bit more of the bentgrass or the other grass will quickly take over the lawn.
Next week, Part #3 will introduce you to the different types of warm season grasses that can be used to create a blend that will help your lawn become lush and green.
Getting that Perfect Green Lawn Part 1
April 3, 2010
Spring is in sight and Oklahoman’s are ready to start cleaning up their property and working on having a lush green lawn without any weeds. The sad news is that the Oklahoma red clay dirt does not fair well with grass seed and along with that the sizzling heat in the summer months can kill practically any grass you have growing.
In order to have a lush lawn during the majority of the year you will need to mix cool season grass with warm season grass. Before you head out to the nursery you had better learn a bit more about how to choose the grass that will grow better in your area and with the shade and temperatures, you often see. You may not even have to use blends once you understand the types of grass that grow best with all the factors you have in your front yard.
Cool season grasses are Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescue, Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, and Bentgrass. Warm season grasses include Bermuda Grass, St. Augustine, and Zoysia. You must also look at the climate zones for grasses and Oklahoma happens to be in the Transitional Area. Since we are talking about Oklahoma you will have to kind of make a decision regarding the type of weather you normally see but in most cases, both northern and southern grasses will grow well in this area of the country. Mountain areas are higher elevation and need cool season grasses while lower elevation does best with warm season grasses.
Dividing the nation where grass is concerned:
The Northeast and northern Midwest does better with 50% Kentucky Bluegrass and 35% red Fescues along with 20% of Perennial Ryegrass. Tall fescues should not be used in this area of the US. The northern plains and mountain areas, which can include parts of Oklahoma, should use a mixture of red fescue and crested wheatgrass. If you do water your lawn and live in the mountainous area of Oklahoma, you may want to use a combination of red fescue, perennial ryegrass, and Kentucky bluegrass. The northwest along the coastline known as the Pacific Northwest should use 30% red fescue, 15% colonial bentgrass, and 50% Kentucky Bluegrass. The southern states do best with St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Bermuda grass, which all do great with the high humidity found in the south.
This may sound very simple, but once again, we are talking about Oklahoma. Some areas have quite a few shade trees and even though the temperatures reach 100 degrees or more, Fescue may grow very well in the shady areas as long as you water the area daily.
Next, week Part #2 will introduce you to the different types of grasses that can be used to create a blend that will help your lawn become lush and green.
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Easy Ways To Go Green Part 2
March 27, 2010
Next on our list for going green is saving water. There are all kinds of ways to save water but one of the easiest and fastest ways is to install a low flow toilet. This type to toilet only uses 1.6 gallons of water each time you flush when the older toilets manufactured before 1994 use around 3½ gallons of water per flush. If you do not wish to purchase a new toilet, you can easily adjust your float valve so it will only allow a specific amount of water into the tank.
All your household faucets should have an aerator on them. This one small act will cut your water consumption in half. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth. When you wash a load of clothing, do not use enough water for a full load if you are only washing a small load.
Now on to cleaning your home. Learn what cleaning products are safe for the environment as well as non-toxic to you, your family, and your pets. Read labels before purchasing any cleaning ingredient for eco-friendly ingredients. If you cannot find green cleaning ingredients create your own. You may wish to make your own cleaning products, if so, check out the books “Clean and Green” and “Better Basics for the Home” by Annie Bertold-Bond.
Replace your bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. These nifty light bulbs use 66% less energy than those old incandescent bulbs you have been using for years. If you switch out one 100-watt bulb with a 32-watt compact fluorescent light bulbs, you can save $30 over the life of the CFL bulb, which actually lasts 10 times longer than those other bulbs.
Start using less paper or look for 100% post consumer recycled paper. This type of paper actually uses less tree pulp and will even help with keeping paper out of the landfills.
There are many ways you can go green. Purchase a green bag or two from the grocery store and instead of using those plastic grocery bags use the green bags. It may be hard to believe but Americans toss 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags into the landfills every year. These plastic bags include such things as trash bags, grocery bags, and even sandwich bags. Every little bit helps; whether you start using reusable Tupperware for your lunches or your own bags for groceries, you will be doing your part to save Planet Earth.
In some cities and towns across America, you are provided with not only a large trash container but also a container for recyclables, start recycling today. This small gesture is the fastest way to go green and keep those recyclable items out of America’s landfills.
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Easy Ways to Go Green
March 26, 2010
Going green does not have to be a major life-changing event. You do not have to start using everything solar or buying a cow for your steaks or even growing your own veggies. There are easy ways you and your family can make a huge a difference.
Of course, you must know if you want to help the environment, you must start at home not out in outer space. Small changes you do around your home are truly beneficial to the environment such as recycling or making a few small changes at home will help the planet as well as your health.
Recycling is probably the easiest and even the fastest way to be earth friendly. You may not realize this but the Unites states creates around 208 million tons of solid waste every year reported by the National Institute of Health. Just cutting down on the amount of trash, we create and recycling as much as possible will certainly help planet earth. Just so, you can get an idea of how you can help – by recycling one glass bottle you will save enough electricity for a 100-watt bulb to burn four hours. Wow!
The best way to go green is by starting at the beginning. The Environmental Protection Agency explained that the biggest energy hog in our world are the appliances we use every day such as our refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer. Home appliances use around 18 percent of the total energy bill. Check all of your appliances. If they are 10 years, old or more you need to replace them with newer models. The reason being, new models are energy efficient, but you should still look for the “Energy Star” logo before you buy. Appliance bearing this logo use between ten and fifty percent less energy and water than regular models.
The next big energy hog is the temperature you set the thermostat at to heat and cool your home. In cold weather turn down the thermostat a bit more than normal and in hot weather keep the thermostat just a tad higher. If you could just turn down your thermostat to even one degree below 68 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, you would save 3 to 5 percent more heating energy and then keep your thermostat at 78 degrees in summer will save you money and energy.
Talking about heating and cooling your home. Other ways to save energy besides turning up or down the thermostat is to clean the filters in your home monthly. You may even need to purchase a new furnace that carries the Energy Star logo. Instead of burning up during the summer months, shade the east and west windows this will help keep the house cool. In addition, wait until evening hours to run your dishwasher.
Ceiling fans can aid in keeping the home cool instead of running the air conditioner 24/7. Just by turning on the fan you can make the home feel a bit cooler than it really is, as the circulating air feels cooler. It may be 82 degrees Fahrenheit in the house but it would feel like around 78 degrees while the fan is slowing circulating the air.
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Planning for a Successful Home Renovation
March 21, 2010
Renovating your home can be a very exciting time in your life whether you want to make small changes in only a couple of rooms or you want to transform your house into a home. The renovation can be easy and fun if you plan before you begin.
First, you should do research on the renovation projects you have in mind or at least look at different renovations that may give you ideas for the room or rooms you wish to renovate. You can even talk with family and friends to see the way they renovated and designed their new look. As you are researching, you should also consider your family and the needs of your family as well.
Decide on a budget. Once you know what you wish to do in the way of renovating, you need to decide just how much you can spend. If you are contemplating getting a loan for the renovation, this should also be decided before you go ahead with the plans. You may find that there are a wide array of options for financing.
Do research on local contractors that have done renovations similar to the ones you desire. Always talk with more than one contractor and receive more than one quote. Ask for references and the names of previous customers so you can talk with them about their renovations. You may also need to hire an architect to create the floor plans so you can provide the information to the contractor. It will be very difficult for a contractor to give you a bid if they are trying to envision the work at hand. The contractor will need these plans when he obtains building permits. Do not just agree with the contractor; let them know your budget, this way they can provide you with money saving options so you can stay within your budget.
Do not jump on board with the lowest bid. The contractor could be mistaken on what you are expecting from the renovation and you may be surprised when the cost goes up during the renovation. Be sure to draw up a contract. In the contract, you should have every job or task outlined in writing, as this will ensure that you and the contractor are on the same page and understand the work that is to be done.
According to the renovations you have planned, you may need to also plan how you will live or if you need to vacate the home during this time. If only one room is being renovated, you may be able to stay out of that room until the work is finished. Of course, if the kitchen or baths are the center of the renovation, you may find yourself without water for several days. Other renovations may have the electricity turned off. These are things you should be ready to deal with or stay elsewhere during the renovation.
Have a good relationship with the contractor. Do not stand in his way and ask all kinds of questions. He cannot finish your renovation if you are constantly in the way. The same goes for other family members. Children love to watch, but they can be bothersome to workers and it is not the place for the workers to keep an eye on the children so they are not harmed with the various tools lying around the area. Try not to change things after the workers have begun the renovation. This can be costly and can void your contract.
As long as you have hired a contractor, you trust then you should put the renovation in his hands. There is nothing wrong with asking him about the progress but every day is a bit overboard.
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Spring Cleaning Advice
March 17, 2010
Spring is coming up fast and it is time to rid our homes of that old musty air and clean so our homes are just as fresh and clean as the Spring air that will drifting in the open windows.
When you are ready to clean, get organized, write a list of the chores or items that need cleaned. Some individuals clean their house top-to-bottom to ensure that the walls, ceiling, baseboards, and floor are sparkling clean. Pick a room. Let’s leave the kitchen and bathrooms, for last. Now, pick a room. Start by dusting. You should start at the top of the room and dust down. If you start with the tables or other items when you get to the pictures on the wall you will be letting the dust fall on the tables you have already dusted, then you will be doing double work.
Starting with walls get a small bucket and put in about ½ gallon of warm water. Add to the water ¼ cup of ammonia, 1/8 cup of vinegar, and 1/8 cup of baking soda. If you have textured walls, the best way to clean since a cloth or sponge will truly cause a mess and leave behind pieces of the material, you can cut up a pair of panty hose or nylon socks. This will not leave material behind. If you have wallpaper, all you have to do is use a dust mop, preferably or a rectangular mop that you can tie the dust cloth around. Start at the top near the ceiling and wipe downward.
To clean your mirrors the best solution is Dawn dish soap and warm water. This solution will not streak and will remove greasy fingerprints, hair spray, and even smoke. Glass shower doors should be cleaned in the same manner. For your handles, faucets, etc… Furniture polish does wonders to make it shine again, even the showerhead if it is metal. The best way to clean grime and stains from tubs and sinks is with a product known as The Works. In Oklahoma, you can find this miracle cleaner at the Dollar General Store. This product will even remove concrete from tubs in newly built homes. Just squirt some on and let is sit for a few minutes. You may need to use a razor knife to help remove the larger chunks, but The Works will truly make the job easier. You should wear gloves as this product can burn the skin, however, it is safer to use than lighter fluid, paint removal, and kerosene as some suggest. You can use the same products in the kitchen as you did in the bathroom.
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Tulsa Police Talks:Nothing New
March 6, 2010
Police union leaders as well as city leaders had nothing good to report to the public concerning progress in negotiations to bring back 89 Tulsa police offers that were laid off a few months back.
Jim Twombly, Director of Administration met with Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 93 representative during the morning hours and will more than likely be speaking again next week.
The police union along with Mayor Dewey Bartlett’s administration has exchanged proposals for the former officers to be rehired this fiscal year ending June 30 but still have not reached an agreement. At this time, the next fiscal year’s labor contracts are under negotiations.
Jim Twombly stated, “I guess I would characterize this meeting as boring,” and went on to say, “It was very much about the nuts and bolts.” “There was some discussion about bringing back the officers, but I would say the bulk of it had to deal with next year’s contract.”
Twobly stated he can “safely say that both sides are keeping the option on the table.”
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge spokesperson, Laurel Ledbetter stated, “We’re kind of at the point where we are asking, ‘What do we do now?’”
The administration in February offered the police union a seventeen month proposal. In the proposal was a 5.2% cut in wages but it would not affect the pensions and other concessions. At this time, the union has not voted on the proposal.
The Fraternal Order of Police offered a counter proposal. The details have not been released except the information explaining the proposal only extended through the end of this fiscal year.
In the beginning, 155 police offers were to be laid off. Due to some agreements in negotiations, only 124 officers were laid off. The agreement that allowed 31 officers to keep their jobs were the officers that lived outside city limits would no longer take vehicles home and other restrictions. Thirty-five of those officers that were laid off were rehired February 1 with federal grant money.
Tulsa is still without the police officers they need and some services will not be met with an officer coming to the aid of Tulsans such as an accident without injury or an accident without another crime involved.
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Origin of Valentine’s Day
February 13, 2010
Valentines Day like many other holidays celebrated today are shrouded in mystery and wherever you look for the answers, you will find that there is more than one version of the origin of the various holidays. Valentines Day is like every other holiday with several versions of the first Valentines Day.
Valentine’s Day Origins
St. Valentine, a Roman that refused to give up his Christian beliefs was martyred on Feb. 14, 269 AD. It is told through legend that St. Valentine left a note for the jailer’s daughter who had befriended him while in prison and signed the farewell note, “From your Valentine”.
Another story is that St. Valentine was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Emperor Claudius imprisoned St. Valentine for defying him. Pope Gelasius in 496AD set Feb. 14 the day to honor St. Valentine.
In ancient Rome during the reign of the Roman Empire, February 14 was a holiday to honor Juno the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The goddess Juno was the Goddess of women and marriage. The holiday was followed by the Feast of Lupercalia beginning on Feb. 15.
No matter the origin, throughout history there have been many traditions seen in the celebration of Valentine’s Day. A few of the traditions include:
In England long ago, children dressed up as grown-ups and went caroling from one house to another.
In the Middle Ages, names were in placed in a bowl with young men and women drawing names to learn their Valentine. The names that were drawn would be worn on the sleeve of their garment for one week.
In Wales, what was known as wooden love spoons would be given as gifts on February 14. The spoons would decorations carved on them, which were keys, keyholes, and hearts with the meaning of “you unlock my heart”.
The beginning of sending Valentine’s Day cards in the United States is attributed to Esther Howland. By the 1800’s valentines became commercialized. Today, Valentines Day is spent celebrated in many ways for one to show another that they love them dearly. In most cases, it is a day set aside for lovers, however, children give Valentine’s Day cards to classmates, parents give gifts to children, and so on and so forth.
We at Tulsa Real Estate Mall, would like to take this time to say, Happy Valentine’s Day! May you spend the day with those you love and enjoy the love that is bestowed upon you.
Home Winterizing Tips
January 25, 2010
When the north wind begins to blow, we start putting up all of our spring and summer toys, attire, and other items we will be using for months. One important thing that many of us forget to do is winterize our home for the upcoming season. As soon as the leaves starting turning we should start getting our home ready for the winter. The following tips will ensure that your home will stay in great shape during the winter months even if you put on a few pounds over the holidays.
Of course, not everyone lives where they can expect ten feet of snow and cold north wind blowing most of the time; however, there are still things you will need to do to prepare your home for the upcoming season.
The winterizing tips include:
Inspect your furnace – In most cases, you should contact an HVAC professional to check your furnace to ensure that all is working properly. Your heat/air professional should visit your home before winter and once again before summer each year. Purchase new filters and change them. Ensure that you have not stored any flammable objects nearby the furnace.
If you have a fireplace, now is the time to have it cleaned by a chimney sweep. In the spring, if you have not already, you should have a screen on the top of the fireplace to make sure that mother robin does not choose your fireplace for her new home. Store the wood for the fireplace in a dry area and not up against the home, which can cause mold to grow and even invite snakes and rodents to move in.
Check all the doors and windows for cracks, broken or cracked weather stripping, and cracks in the caulking around the windows. While checking all areas it is a good time to remove the screens and replace with your storm windows and doors.
Check the roof and gutters. Look for any damage to the roof, which should be repaired. A large heavy snow on an already damaged roof can be a catastrophe. Clean out the gutters as well.
Check the foundation and crawl spaces. Move all debris and plants from the foundation. If you see, any cracks no matter how small seal the cracks. Mice can find a way into your home through the smallest cracks. If you have crawl spaces under your home, seal them so as not to invite animals to move in under house to stay warm.
Time to change batteries in your smoke detectors. If you do not have smoke detectors, it is time to buy a few and install them in your home. Carbon monoxide detectors are also great preventive measures to have in your home. You should install this device close to your furnace or hot water heater.
Know where your water main is, you may have to turn off the water in case of a pipe bursting. Drain all water hoses and place in storage. Insulate any water pipes that are exposed to the weather this includes air conditioner pipes.
Check for low limbs that may be too close to your home or to electrical wires, trim if necessary. Now is the time to seal such things as decks, driveways, and patios. Bring in all potted plants that cannot handle the cooler temperatures.
Clean, tune-up, and repair any tools and equipment you will not be using in the winter months such as lawnmowers and gardening equipment. Prepare winter tools such as snow shovels, snow blowers, and purchase salt and sand.
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Housing Stats
January 15, 2010
The Housing Stats are In
As reported recently by the Institute for Supply Management the monthly index of manufacturing is on the rise. In November, the index was at 53.6 and by December, it has risen to 55.9. This was the fifth month in a row to see expansion and was the fastest pace of growth we have seen since April of 2006. Any reading above 50 signifies expansion.
Total construction fell 0.6% in November after dropping 0.5% in October as reported by the Commerce Department. This was much better than what economists had expected since they believed a decrease of .04% would occur.
Factory orders rose 1.1% in November reported by the Commerce Department, which is quite a bit more than economists had expected which was 0.5%. This marked the seventh gain in the last eight months, which follows a 0.6% increase in October alone.
The pending homes sales index an indicator that looks at the future based on signed contracts from the National Association of Realtors showed a decrease in November of 16%, which followed an increase of 3.7% in October. It is believed the decline seen in November was mainly due to the expiration of the tax credit for first time home buyers; however, this tax credit has been extended. The tax credit not only was extended for first time home buyers but also now includes move-up and repeat buyers.
Labor Department reports indicated no change in the unemployment rate in December, which is holding steady at 10%. However, employers cut 85,000 jobs. November payrolls showed that 4,000 jobs were gained which is the first gain seen since December of 2007.
Wholesalers increased their inventories by 1.5% in November as reported by the Commerce Department which was the largest gain seen since October 2004. Economists were wrong again since they had anticipated a drop of 0.2%. Sales at the wholesale level rose 3.3% in November, which was the eighth monthly gain in a row and the largest increase seen since January of 2008.
Indicators are looking good for the most part across the board with some areas of the country reporting better percentages in various areas including housing developments.