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HOMES PLUS 5 APRIL 2012 224779001 air filters and cutting blades. In some instances, maintaining the lawn mower not only preserves its life, it prevents problems from cropping up in the yard. “You need to have a sharp blade when cutting grass,” home improvement expert Danny Lipford said. “Otherwise, it doesn’t cut the grass, but tears it instead. (This) can lead to a diseased lawn.” Once the lawn mower checklist is com- plete, grass cutting can begin. Lawn care experts generally recommend grass height range from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches tall. While spring is generally synonymous with planting flowers and gardens, it also can be an ideal time to consider planting or transplanting a variety of tree species to spruce up a lawn. Steven Becker, owner of New Berlin-based Tree Transplanters, said spring is the best time of year to replant a tree, so long it is dug up from the ground. When visiting a nursery to select a tree, Becker said it is best to think beforehand about the configurations of a yard and where specifically the tree would be plant- ed. “Certain trees look really good in the nursery,” Becker said. “I recommend peo- ple think about how big (the trees) are going to be before they make a decision.” The horticulture team at the University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension rec- ommends several small steps be taken to ensure a yard is in pristine condition as the weather warms up. In the later months of fall and through- out the cold, dormant months of winter, it is all too common for a variety of loose debris – including leaves, branches, twigs and garbage – to settle into a lawn. Before tending to any yard maintenance, UW- Extension staff recommends picking items up off the ground. Early spring also is an ideal time to take inventory of a yard. If there are any bare spots with minimal or no grass, the area should be reseeded to give a yard a full look. UW-Extension staff recommends consulting a lawn care expert for any areas with significant areas lacking grass. As temperatures warm up, a variety of invasive species – including crabgrass – can invade yards and deprive grass and other native plantings from flourishing. Treating a yard with an herbicide is an ideal way to curb this scenario. Lawn Continued from Page 4 Lighting tips create home ambience SPECIAL TO HOMES PLUS (StatePoint) – Are you looking for a way to spruce up your home but don’t want to spend a bundle? Consider your light bulbs and fixtures. Lighting can go a long way in creating ambience in a home, and is often cheaper than painting. Plus, it’s more functional than unnecessary knick-knacks cluttering your living spaces. Here are some lighting tips to create a welcoming atmosphere in your home: - First impressions count. Make your guests feel at home by using floodlights, which provide illumination across a wide area. And consider adding a light bulb dim- ming switch, which allows you to illumi- nate the entry but creates a lower level of light to help visitors adapt to sudden changes in light levels when coming in from outside. Floodlights can also create added drama in hallways, kitchens and guest rooms. - Add color. Looking for a subtle shift in the color of your living spaces? Light bulbs are available in a variety of color tempera- tures, from warm, soft white to cool, natu- ral daylight. Each changes the look and feel of a room. You can filter out dull yellow rays pro- duced by standard incandescent bulbs with CFL or halogen lights. Or use a special incandescent light, such as GE’s Reveal bulb, to make colors “pop,” bringing out the vibrant colors and textures of fabrics and furniture that would typically go unno- ticed. - Cozy up in the kitchen. Often a main gathering place, the kitchen should be well lit for both cooking and entertaining. Cre- ate a cozy look using recessed downlights that also offer a well-lit work surface for creating those gourmet meals. Place them six to eight feet apart for even illumination. - Let the dining room glitter, not glare. To achieve a welcoming ambience in the dining room, keep your chandelier dimmed. For extra sparkle, consider installing small recessed downlights on either side of the chandelier. If your dining room table, china cabinet or fixtures incorporate dull materials such as wood, pewter or wrought iron, coated Reveal bulbs offer a softer illumination that brings out the textures of these mate- rials. And they’re offered in candelabra, globe and other shapes fitting for decora- tive applications. - Enhance brick and stone. Many of today’s home fireplaces incorporate stone and brick walls that can be highlighted with a wall-washing technique called “grazing” to showcase their great color and texture. Place recessed directional fixtures six to eight inches away from the wall and 12 to 30 inches apart for a dramatic visual effect. More lighting tips can be found at www.gelighting.com.
With the proper lighting, you can change your house into a home.