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Fall Clean-up Tips

As the seasons change, so do our household to-do lists. Fall brings the harvest, fun holidays and family gatherings, all things pumpkin and apple, and, of course, the changing of the leaves in many areas of the country. Those leaves, however, contribute to most of the autumn chores. Here are some tips for outside fall clean-up:

Mow Your Grass: Before you put the lawnmower away for the season, trim it one more time. This Old House recommends going down to one and a quarter inches for the last cut of the year. Shorter grass prevents disease.

Fertilize Your Lawn: Fall is a good time to replenish your soil with nutrients it might have lost over the warmer summer months.

Pick Up Leaves: Raking and cleaning up your leaves prevents wet foliage from suffocating your lawn. That can lead to disease, and we want healthy grass! Use a tarp for easier gathering, and then bag them up and dispose of them how your local community prefers. Or you can also add them to a compost pile if you have one.

Check and Clean Gutters: Just as you remove leaves and debris from your lawn, do the same for your gutter system; this will prevent any damage-causing build-up in the winter.

Clean and Store Patio Furniture: Fall clean-up isn’t limited to yardwork. Clean off any outdoor furniture, and then get it ready for the cold weather by storing it away or covering it.

Transformations: Setting Up Your Outdoor Home Gym

Outdoor structures are so diverse! On our blog, in the past, we’ve featured a few creative uses for outdoor structures, including home offices, potting rooms, and chicken coops. This month, we introduce another idea: the home gym. It’s a like a permanent gym membership!

Maybe your house doesn’t have enough space for your equipment, or perhaps you just want a sanctuary separate from your living quarters that allows you to get out of the house—even if it’s just a few yards away.

The investment of this on-site outdoor gym will vary. For instance, you might already have an outdoor structure on the property that you can transform into a workout space. Or, perhaps, you already own a few pieces of exercise equipment. The size of the shed may vary, too—but make sure you get one spacious enough for the type of workouts you typically do. Either way, this is a project that can pay off if you’re committed to your fitness routine as gym memberships can be pricey!

You also have many options for designing your outdoor shed—you can certainly leave things bare bones, or you can completely finish the shed by adding siding, flooring, windows, storage, and then painting and decorating.

If living a healthier lifestyle—mind and body—is important to you, but you don’t necessarily want machines, you can still create a retreat where you can do yoga, meditate, or aerobics.

Setting up an outdoor gym in a shed or other outdoor structure can be an exciting project, and there’s an option to fit varying budgets. Most of all, this type of retreat will encourage healthy habits right at home!

Transformations: Backyard Office

This month, we’re dedicating our blog posts to a few of the many ways you can transform your outdoor structure from an empty shell usually meant for storage into something practical. In the first of this three-part series, we’ll look at how you can turn your storage shed into a backyard office.

Today, many people work from home, whether they’re a solopreneur or a remote employee for another company. Sometimes, though, finding space in an already-full house can be a challenge. Or, if there is indeed a space available, sometimes it’s not a quiet or out of the way as you’d like.

Enter the outdoor structure. If you have the land available for one, ready-made outdoor structures provide a fantastic shell in which to make a home office. Start by replacing or adding new doors and windows. You’ll need to install insulation and a wall covering, like drywall or paneling, and flooring. Add some trim work, paint to your liking, decorate, furnish, and your interior is set.

One of the most important considerations for turning a shed into an office would be power and connectivity. You’ll most likely need to be connect to the Internet by line or wi-fi, and, in some cases, you’ll want to also have access to a landline phone depending on your communication needs. Power outlets are important—try to think ahead of how many you might need: computer, printer, chargers, lighting, air conditioner/fan, etc. And you want to make sure you’re comfortable in whatever the whether – heat and cooling is important.

Here’s an example

of an IBM employee who turned a 10×12 shed into a backyard office – complete with a little bit of humor.

Conservation Tips: How to Save Water in Your Yard and Garden

Conservation Tips: How to Save Water in Your Yard and Garden

According National Geographic, more than 60 percent of a household’s water use is from yards. Another brutal statistic? We can lose up to three gallons of water per day just from one leaky faucet or hose.

Never before, especially with the constant droughts in the western United States, has such an emphasis been placed on water conservation. We can all make changes to how we care for our yards and gardens. Here are some ways in which we can save on water—and not all of them have to do with limiting our use of water; there are many strategies to consider!

Find your baseline; in most areas, an inch of water per week is adequate to water plants and grass.

But perhaps you don’t need to do this yourself; the rain might take care of it for you! Pay attention to rainfall counts in your area, and do an experiment yourself by putting a measuring cup in your yard. This will give you a more realistic view of how much water your property needs.

Think about xeriscaping.

This somewhat new term (or at least in it being a widespread trend) refers to adding plants that can survive in extremely arid areas. By adding plants that can tolerate drought conditions, you’ll not only increase the variety of plants you have but also enhance their aesthetic appeal, while reducing the number of plants that require water. Add a little Arizona to your Pennsylvania!

<p><h3>Recycle water.

There are a number of ways to do this; a cistern (water barrel) can collect rainwater, which you can later use to water plants and yo

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using a hose attachment. Be sure the barrel is covered to prevent evaporation, and monitor closely for mosquitos; that’s the

on

e downfall of having standing water. Other ways to recycle water is to get out of the habit of dumping unfinished water or leftovers from boiling water for vegetables. Use that to water your greens!

Finally, remember that mulch locks in moisture and native plants require less water.