FALL
- Remove faded flowers and replace with hardier ones
- Put up reflectors at the end of your driveway
- Upgrade & Repair walkways and especially pavers
- Replace cracking flower boxes with evergreen branches
- Water new evergreens and perennials thoroughly before the first frost
- Plan and plant spring-blooming bulbs
- Plant a rose bush
- Plant any new evergreens during September
- Divide overgrown perennials and cut to the ground after a hard frost
WINTER
Draft-proofing is one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to save energy - and money - in any type of building.
Both drafts and ventilation let fresh air into your home, but good ventilation helps reduce condensation and dampness. Drafts are uncontrolled: they let in too much cold air and waste too much heat.
To draft-proof your home you should block up unwanted gaps that let cold air in and warm air out. Saving warm air means you'll use less energy to heat your home, so you'll save money as well as making your home snug and pleasant.
Draft-proofing around windows and doors will result in savings on your energy bill each year. Draft-free homes are comfortable at lower temperatures - so you'll be able to turn down your thermostat. This could save you another 10 percent off your heating bill.
Drafts happen where there are unwanted gaps in the construction of your home, and where openings are left uncovered.
You'll find drafts at any accidental gap in your home that leads outside, such as:
- windows
- doors - including keyholes and letterboxes
- loft hatches
- electrical fittings on walls and ceilings
- suspended floorboards
- pipework leading outside
- ceiling-to-wall joints
You should block most of these - but be careful in areas that need good ventilation, such as:
- areas where there are open fires or open flues
- rooms where a lot of moisture is produced, such as the kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms
SPRING
Repairs
Make the repairs to fences and arbors now so they will be ready when the weather settles down. Clean out bird houses, if you dare. Watch out for wintering mice.
Seedlings
Spring is the perfect time for starting summer blooming seedlings indoors. By now, seed packets are available everywhere. It usually takes about six weeks for seeds to become strong enough for plants to be set outside in pots or a garden.
Some pruning this month
Roses, in particular, can be pruned and fed this month. Cut roses back sharply for more compact bushes and long, slender stems. Cut honeysuckle vines back to three feet. Prune the fruit trees before the buds appear.
Trees and shrubs
You can still fertilize trees and shrubs. Acid types go with azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreens, and conifers.
SUMMER
The warm, humid days of summer are perfect for creepy little creatures. Now is the time to wage war on ants, fleas, and the like.
It's tempting to dial up the pest control people when you see a number of insects, but it may not be necessary. You can set up your own military operation.
Information gathering and a good strategy plus the proper mix of tactics will carry you to victory. Identifying a pest is your first task.
Some are easy to identify, but some are not. Pest control people can advise you on what you've got and what to do about it other than sign up for their services. But always start with prevention:
- Seal openings around pipes and wires. See that the bottoms of exterior doors form a tight seal.
- Keep food in sealed containers and counters free of food particles. Empty trash regularly, and don't let pet food sit out.
- Select the correct outdoor lighting to minimize pests. Yellow bulbs or sodium vapor lights are less attractive to insects.
- Sweep corners of garages and storage areas to reduce spider webs.
- Keep basements, areas under sinks, and soil near foundations relatively dry.
- Vacuum frequently to pick up food particles and keep carpets free of fleas.
- Store firewood away from the house to keep termites and carpenter ants at bay.
Even the cleanest housekeeper can have a cockroach problem or be invaded by other kinds of bugs. In some cases, chemical action is the only answer.
Pests like termites, roaches, clothes moths, ants, and wasps are a serious matter and require immediate and effective action.
Some bugs that get into houses are relatively harmless, like centipedes, sowbugs (roly-polys), and crickets, though crickets have been known to chomp on clothing.
