Category: Outdoors

Turn your plain patio into a space you look forward to using. These trends help you create patio perfection.

Choose Square, Modular Furniture

Select the right style of furniture to create an oasis in your patio space. Choosing a square, modular look provides that feeling of a contemporary hotel that you don’t have to leave home to enjoy. You can pick from a variety of styles, like those with a rattan or wicker base and comfy cushions. When adding cushions, try the popular navy blue, burnt orange and red colors, and purchase cushions that are moisture-proof. Place the furniture in pods best suited for conversation.

Cover It Up

Have a pergola and ceiling fan installed over your lounge area to add shade and air circulation for a more comfortable entertaining environment. Or maybe you need full cover with a tented section for extra hot days and inclement weather. Think about which direction your patio faces and what kind of weather would affect your enjoyment of the space.

Be Selective With Potted Plants

Keep your potted plant selection limited so the space feels open and welcoming. Create a theme and then select pots with character that tie into that theme. Have fun with it and use pops of coordinating colors for dynamic impact. Consider using tall grasses in corner pots. Small herb pots like lavender or lemon balm add a natural, pleasant scent to your space and can help keep the bugs away.

Light With Edison Bulbs

Edison bulbs are hip and look great for patios. These bulbs provide more diffused light than the older, fairy lights version, and the soothing light helps create a relaxed environment. Most Edison bulbs are usable outdoors, but check before purchasing. Go the safe route and have an electrician properly wire your new space so everything is up to code for years of worry-free enjoyment.

Gas Fire Pits Are In

If you want to stick with trends, think gas fire pit over the wood-burning option. Gas fire pits are cleaner, easier to use and appeal to buyers if you decide to sell your home. Adding a built-in model is great for maximizing space and offers a sleek, modern look to your space. Don’t worry, you can still roast marshmallows over the gas fire pit for the perfect s’mores snack.

Find more easy tips to enjoy your home this summer.

Timing is everything. Having the best-looking yard in the neighborhood can be accomplished by performing proper yard and lawn care projects at the right time. Fall is the perfect chance to get started.

Aerate and Fertilize

Aerating is so beneficial to your yard. Removing the dirt plugs allows oxygen and fertilizer to more easily reach the grass roots over the cold winter months so your grass is refreshed when spring arrives. If you only fertilize once a year, fall is the ideal time to do it. Give your lawn the nutrients it needs to support root growth even when the blades of grass above ground grow more slowly as the fall temps drop. Aerate first and fertilize next.

Plant Grass Seed

The best time to seed a lawn in Iowa and Illinois is between mid-August into late September. Cool season grasses are best for our Quad City climate, as they do well in the spring and fall when temperatures are moderate. The more southernly your home is located, the later into September grass seed can be successfully planted. Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue and tall fescue are the four cool season grasses recommended for our area.

Clean Up Debris and Mulch

Fall debris clean up can take a while, so don’t stress about getting it done in one day. Clean out your gutters. Rake up leaves and debris in your garden and flower beds so plants can absorb water more easily. Apply a layer of mulch 2-3 inches thick to serve as a warm blanket for shrub and perennial roots as well as to help prevent soil erosion when snow and ice melt in the spring.

Plant Spring-Blooming Bulbs

Vibrant colors breathe life into our yards after a long winter. Spring-blooming bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, crocus and hyacinths should be planted in September or October when the soil temperatures have cooled. Bigger really is better when selecting bulbs to plant, so choose bulbs wisely. Pick a good location for planting, as most bulbs do best in full sun and well-drained soil. Bulbs should be planted pointy side facing up and into the ground 2-3 times deeper than the bulb is tall.

Find more tips for homeowners at www.melfostercoblog.com.

What are some of the biggest outdoor trends in 2018?  Think outside is the new inside. This year it’s really about making your outdoor space function like an interior space for all things fun, relaxing, and entertaining. What does that mean for you? Browse these outdoor trends that may just provide the inspiration needed to spice up your patio this fall.

1. Outdoor Rooms

Now more than ever homeowners want their indoor spaces to blend seamlessly with the great outdoors. The goal is to find ways to bring the inside out. Try framing sitting areas with water and mildew-resistant curtains. Anchor furniture with outdoor rugs. Fill tall planters with low-maintenance ornamental grasses to create the illusion of walled space. If you have a covered deck or patio, consider covering the ceiling in raw, untreated wood planks to warm things up.

Continue reading “Biggest Outdoor Trends in 2018”

As summer winds down, cool off with a trip to your local pool. Here’s some public swimming pool locations near you for hours of family fun.  Canonball!

Splash Landing Aquatic Center in Bettendorf

2220 23rd Street

Hours of operation

Annie Wittenmeyer Aquatic Center in Davenport

2816 Eastern Avenue

Hours of operation

Dohse Pool in Davenport

622 S. Concord Street

Hours of operation

Continue reading “Public Swimming Pools Offer Hours of Family Fun.”