Northampton Nursery and Building SOlutions
Courtesy of Northampton Nursery & Northampton Building Solutions     

August 2015     

Northampton Nursery


Northampton Building Solutions

In This Issue
 

Before & After

Outdoor Entertainment

Landscaping
Landscape lighting benefits


Home Improvement
Enclose your porch

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Landscaping

Landscape Lighting benefits

Landscape lighting can provide both curb appeal and safety to your home.  

 

Well executed landscape lighting enhances the architectural details of your home and highlights features in your landscape.  Putting your home in the best possible light will add an abundance of curb appeal.

 

Here are some things to consider:

 

Use uplights to highlight certain trees or architectural features of your home.

 

Combine beauty & function by adding lighting in a landscape bed along a walkway. This breaks up the "runway" look of too many fixtures along the walkway.

 

Use LED lights or switch your current landscape lighting to LED.  While the fixtures may be more expensive you should easily save a good amount on your electricty bill associated with your landscape lighting AND you will not have to change those pesky light bulbs for a long time.

Landscaping

It's Time To...  

Pay Attention to Your Yard's Watering Needs

This is the time of year when things hit their stride in your garden and yard. But it's no time to sit back, if you want to keep things beautiful from now through the fall. Here are a few things you should pay attention to this month.
  • With all of the HEAT we are having lately, #1 on your list should be to watch out for your own health and well-being while working outside this time of year! The best time to be outside tending to your assorted flora is early in the morning. If that's impossible, the cool of the evening is also a perfect time. 
  • Start with watering. With temperatures in the 90s, you can't rely on thunderstorms alone to give your grounds the moisture they need. A garden needs one inch of rain or water each week.
  • Early morning is the best time to water, because plants watered just before dark are more susceptible to fungus diseases because their leaves can stay wet overnight.
  • Pay special attention to your potted and hanging plants. Make sure their soil doesn't dry out. In extreme weather they may need twice-a-day watering to beat the heat.
  • Cutting flowers is best done with sharp shears or a knife which will help avoid injury to the growing plant. A slanting cut will expose a larger absorbing surface to water and will prevent the base of the stem from resting on the bottom of the vase. It is best to carry a bucket of water to the garden for collecting flowers, rather than a cutting basket.
  • Do not prune Azaleas and Rhododendrons after the second week of July because they soon will begin setting their buds for next year's blooms. 
  • Tip-prune deciduous & evergreen shrubs to shape. Now is not the time for heavy pruning.
  • This is also a great time to sow grass seed.
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Before & After

Northampton Building Solutions & Northampton Nursery - Outdoor Entertainment!

The above pictures represent the Before & After of an outdoor patio, covered porch, and kitchen/bar we had the privilege to complete.

 

The homeowner had an old patio at a couple of different levels, under an old patio cover which did not provide a large enough space for the entertaining they did with their growing family.

 

After a few meetings with the client the idea of enlarging the area under cover and raising this area to create two distinct yet connected spaces took hold.  The transformation began by removing the old patio cover and removing all of the existing hardscaping.  We then built walls to retain the upper patio area and built a new patio cover over this area.  We then constructed a large set of steps down to the new lower patio.  The center point of the new lower patio is the outdoor kitchen, including a built-in gas grill and under counter refrigerator.  

 

Both the upper and lower patios have Full Color Flagstone installed for the floor of the patios.  The walls, steps, bar top, and kitchen counter were created by custom fabricating Bluestone Treads.  framing out the outdoor kitchen area.  We then installed EP Henry stone veneer and a granite countertop.  The kitchen area features a built-in grill, sink with both hot & cold water, refrigerator, and the shelf for beverages that we created on top of the main counter.

 

The homeowner is now able to enjoy time out entertaining their family and friends in this beautiful space including an outdoor kitchen and bar.

 

Ever thought about refreshing the back yard of your home?  Contact Northampton Nursery, and we will start helping turn your dreams into reality.  It is EASY to start the process, just reply to this email letting us know to contact you and we will.

Northampton Building Solutions - Home Improvement Tip

Extend the season - Enclose your porch!
If you have a great porch, why restrict it's use to just summer?

When enclosing your porch there are a few elements you want to consider.  What kind of windows do you want (if any, some people just elect to install screens), You also want to consider the condition of any existing framing and how to accommodate the roof if the porch is not currently covered.

Other options to consider are the addition of lights and a ceiling fan in the new space.

Making this change can extend the use of your porch, providing the ability to enjoy outdoor living for additional months during the year and during inclement weather.