Here are some projects we’ve worked on. Some great ideas for your yard.

Here are some ideas…

• Now is the time to plant colorful flowers such as Pansies, Snapdragons and Iceland Poppies.
• Cut back summer blooming bulb plants such as Gladiolus.
• Prune your summer blooming trees to allow growth in the Spring. Remove dead, diseased or damaged stems as well as crossing branches.
• Turn your sprinkler settings down. You only need to water once a week. If the weather heats up you can hand water certain areas as needed. Remember to turn off your sprinklers if there’s been a good rainfall.

Water your grass and trees more heavily, but less often, this saves water and builds stronger roots. 

Water your lawn only when needed. If you step on the grass and it springs back up, it doesn’t need water.

Water lawns during the early morning hours, or evening when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest. This reduces losses from evaporation.

Don’t put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or grass. Don’t use gray water in gardens with edibles because it can contain bacteria.

Did you know that water regulations are changing in San Diego County.  As of June 1st for the City of San Diego, and July 1st for the City of Escondido there will be strict water irrigation regulations.

Check out the city websites to find out how this will affect you.

San Diego website:   http://www.sandiego.gov/water  

Escondido website:  http://www.ci.escondido.ca.us/

Check out the watering guidelines by visiting your water districts website and reviewing the regulations.

Consider Xeriscaping for your yard, as this is a water wise landscape.  This may include replacing grass with drought resistant plants, trees and rocks. You may also look into installing a drip irrigation system instead of a pop-up spray system to use water more efficiently.

You can make your own hummingbird food by combining one part sugar to four parts water, and boiling it for two minutes. Cool and store in the fridge. Don’t use honey or red dye, which can be harmful to the birds.  Clean your feeder out every few days to prevent mold.
 
Birds prefer only 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water in a birdbath.
 
To get rid of ants find out where they are coming from. They won’t cross over: Lemon juice, coffee grounds, cayenne pepper, or cinnamon, so put a line of one of these in that area.
 
Plant marigolds in your yard as a natural bug repellent. The flowers give off a fragrance bugs and flying insects do not like.