Caring For Your Lawn In The Summer

Recent rain showers have led to some beautiful green lawns in our area, and our crew are busy!  But, as you may know soon the dry summer months will be upon us and your lawn will begin to dull and dry out. If not properly cared for you could end up with a drab yellow, or patchy, lawn.

So here are a few simple tips to keep your lawn healthy this summer.

1. Don't continue to mow your lawn once the dry months arrive. Once the dry months of summer arrive, your grass will stop growing, and regular mowing is unnecessary.

2. Toward the end of the Spring rainy season cut you grass to a height no lower than 3 inches.  Cutting shorter than 3 inches will promote dryness, when the drought season is in full effect.

3. To help your lawn survive dry conditions and stay healthy all season, raise your lawn mower to its highest setting and leaving the cuttings on the lawn. The clippings also help shade the soil so it doesn’t dry out and compact this will also provide 50 percent of the nutrients your grass needs.

4. Also, keep mower blades sharp. Dull blades leave ragged cuts; moisture leaks out, disease enters, and grass turns brown.

5. You can allow your grass to go dormant which is a natural way to manage your lawn, this will create some browning of your grass.  Or, you can choose to water the lawn to maintain the green. 

6. If choosing to water your lawn, water it deeply at least 1 inch deep or run your sprinklers for at least 1 hour in the early morning or late evening when the sun is not high in the sky.  Watering in the middle of the day can cause your grass to burn and die. 

Follow these tips and your grass will thank you for it.  Not sure you want to spend the time maintaining a lawn year round consider new landscaping.  A new trend in the landscape industry is sustainable landscaping,  a lawn free alternative, requiring little to no maintenance using drought resistant plants and stone accents.  

Enjoy your summer! And, call us anytime for a FREE lawn care consultation (517)945-1204!

Outdoor Entertainment Areas

Spring continues on with it's usual chilly Michigan start, but it doesn't keep us from thinking about all of the great things we can do to the yard to make it more inviting and create a wonderful area to entertain in as we enter my favorite time of the year. Summer!!

When pondering an outdoor entertainment area you should consider a few things. First, you'll have to decide what you really want to do in your outdoor living space. Is it a relaxing space, where you can lounge and visit? Is it a busy space where you can play outdoor games? Do you intend to have an outdoor eating area? Do you have existing landscaping or features in your yard that you want to highlight or blend into the new plan, like a swimming pool, fire pit, fence line, or retaining wall? As you consider some of these issues you can begin to shape your plan for your outdoor space. 

Just like with a major interior building project there are lots of decisions to be made, and you'll want to go into the project with a couple of essential things.

#1 a budget, having an established budget is important because it's easy to over spend and dream big.  By establishing what you can afford to put into your project in advance it will help you and your contractor put together a realistic project plan. There is nothing more stressful than starting a project and getting over your head financially before the work has even started. So, be vocal about your budget; a great landscape contractor can help you create a beautiful landscape while respecting that bottom line. Many contractors can even create staged projects that you can add a new finished section to every year, and after 3-5 years you'll have an amazing outdoor living space that is the envy of all of your neighbors!

#2 there are many different mediums to choose from having a general idea going in can help to give direction to the project. Some people prefer a more rustic feel and like to use natural wood, and stone. While others may prefer the worry free look of vinyl. Maybe something more industrial  like poured concrete, or metal. Write down a couple of your favorite ideas or visit websites like pinterest.com and houzz.com (look for our company on these sites!) to really get your creative juices flowing. Print or cut out pictures of items you really like and share them with your contractor.

#3 be active in your project, evaluate the progress of your project, and if you have questions ask your contractor to make sure you are both remaining on the same page.  At the end of the day you have to live with the outcome, so build a partnership with the crew doing the work, most companies enjoy having the input of their clients, because it's an easy way to make sure that your customers are happy, and happy customers are often return customers. So, ask questions and evaluate progress, and easy step to ensuring the space is exactly what you had envisioned.

Our final piece of advice, enjoy the process, change can be challenging and there is always that initial shock when you see a contracting team tearing up your turf, but try to remember how wonderful the finished project will be, and how much more enjoyment you'll get out of your new outdoor living space.

Call Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape for a free consultation to upgrade your outdoor living space this summer! 517-945-1204

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
517-945-1204
www.greenersolutionslawn.com

Get To Know Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape

We talk a lot about our services and our company, but we think it's important that you get to know us as people, and as a family too.  I always like to know who it is that I am working with when I hire a contractor to do any work at our home, or on our property.  We are huge advocates of supporting local contractors, and our community economy. 

Our President:

Andy Bailey was born and raised in Jackson, MI more specifically in Vandercook Lake.  He is a VCL alumni, having graduated in 1996.  In 1998 he married his wife of 15 years, Courtney (Alldaffer) Bailey, and they continue to live in the Vandercook Lake area with their three children. Jordon age 15, Logan age 12, and Brianna age 10. 

Andrew has held many managerial and sales positions over the course of his career, and has spent more than 12 years in the building and construction trades industry.  He was a top earning outside sales representative for Building Supply of Jackson from August 2000 until the company was sold to Siding World at which time he was selected for store management, where he further developed his skills in customer service and sales.

In 2007, Andy created Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape.  He created a company with a cause, driven to provide the best customer service and the highest quality of work to all of our customers.  Andy also committed Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape to a high level of community improvement and involvement, sponsoring little league ball teams, 4H organizations, and local Relay For Life Events.

In an effort to provide a wide range of services, Andrew Bailey completed his training and licensing as a builder for the State of Michigan, and became a member of the Jackson MI Home Builders Association in 2011. Andrew continues to look for new ways to become the best lawn and landscape company for any outdoor services needed, whether residential or commercial.  With the support of his family and community he will continue to grow a wonderful community business, that we all can be proud of.

Check out our website for more information, or follow us on facebook, and twitter! Thank you for your support, we appreciate it!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
517-945-1204
www.greenersolutionslawn.com

Outdoor Planting

It's time! That's right it's finally time to get out there and clean out those garden beds and start planting! I know it seems a bit too cold but I promise there are a few hearty seeds that love to get started now.  Here is a short list of what you can plant now and how to get the best results!

1.) Carrots.  Carrots should be planted outdoors 3-5 weeks prior to the last Spring frost.  Here are a few more tips for great carrots.

• Make sure your soil is free of stones; carrots need deeply tilled soil that they can push through.
• Have you ever seen a carrot that has grown “legs” or forked? Fresh manure, or even recently applied rotted manure, can cause carrots to fork and send out little side roots. Don’t use it before you plant your seeds.
• Plant seeds 3-4 inches apart in rows. Rows should be at least a foot apart.
• Gently mulch to retain moisture, speed germination and block the sun from the roots.
• Soil should be well drained and loose to prevent forking and stunting of the root growth.
• Once plants are an inch tall, thin so they stand 3 inches apart. Snip them with scissors instead of pulling them out to prevent damage to the roots of remaining plants.
• Water at least one inch per week.
• Weed diligently.
• Fertilize 5-6 weeks after sowing.
• Carrots taste much better after a couple of frosts. Following the first hard frost in the fall, cover carrot rows with an 18-inch layer of shredded leaves to preserve them for harvesting later

 Carrots will be ready to harvest, after 2 1/2 months or when they reach a diameter of 1 1/2inches.

2.) Lettuce. Lettuce is a wonderful cool season crop.  Planting to late in the season can cause early wilting, and low yields.  Direct sowing is recommended as soon as the ground is able to be worked. By sowing early you can get a spring crop, and then replant in early fall for a second late season harvest. Here are few more tips for growing great lettuce.

• Leaf lettuce: Plant 4 inches apart.
• Cos and loose-headed types: Plant 8 inches apart.
• Firm-headed types: Plant 16 inches apart.
• Water thoroughly at time of planting.
• Fertilize 3 weeks after transplanting.
• Direct sowing is recommended as soon as the ground can be worked. Plant seeds ½ inch deep. Snow won’t hurt them, but a desiccating cold wind will.
• You should be able to sow additional seeds every two weeks.
• To plant a fall crop, create cool soil in August by moistening the ground and covering it with a bale of straw. A week later, the soil under the bale will be about 10 degrees F (6 degrees C) cooler than the rest of the garden. Sow a three foot row of lettuce seeds every couple of weeks—just rotate the straw bale around the garden.
• Consider planting rows of chives or garlic between your lettuce to control aphids. They act as "barrier plants" for the lettuce.
• Make sure soil remains moist but is well-drained.
• Retain moisture with mulch throughout the summer months.
• Lettuce will tell you when it needs water. Just look at it. If the leaves are wilting, sprinkle them anytime—even in the heat of the day—to cool them off and slow down the transpiration rate.
• Some thinning may be required for directly sown seedlings; use the space guidelines above.
• Weed by hand if necessary, but be careful of plant roots: They are shallow.

At harvest time cut from the base of the plant, and harvest int eh morning before the sun hits them for the day.  Harvest just before fully mature, and the head will last for a week to 10 days stored covered loosing in plastic in the refrigerator. 

For more planting dates and information visit:
 http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/MI/Jackson

Let's get gardening! Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape can help install a raised garden bed for your vegetables at a great price, give us a call for FREE estimates!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
517-945-1204

Happy Easter!

Well, tomorrow is Easter, and one more day closer to returning to our work; which we are so thankful to have. But before we move on to quickly we want to take a moment to be thankful for the blessings around us this Easter season.

Greener Solutions Lawn And Lanscape wants to wish you and your family a very Happy Easter. We hope you have plenty of relaxing time with family and/or friends!

 

 

Spring is finely coming around so after the holiday festivities if you find yourself needing some help with a good Spring clean up on your property, then give us a call, we're happy to help!

Happy Easter, and God Bless!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
517-945-1204
www.greenersolutionslawn.com

Complete Outdoor Maintenance

Many homeowners are overwhelmed with the thought of getting started with their early Spring to do list.  Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape is here to help. We have a unique program designed to take all of work out of your outdoor maintenance providing you with a worry free outdoor living space, that is well maintained year round.

Our complete outdoor maintenance packages are special because they are completely customizable, and offers a single monthly rate that is guaranteed not to change.  You decide which services you want to have completed by our team of outdoor professionals, and can still do the things that you enjoy. Complete outdoor maintenance packages also include 24 hour emergency services at no extra charge!

Packages can include:

Lawn care                                                                  Garden Bed Maintenance
Trimming                                                                    Spring and Fall Clean-Up
Edging                                                                        Leaf Removal
Tree Trimming/ Pruning                                            Gutter Clean Out
Shrub Care                                                                Snow Removal
Mulch installation and maintenance                        De-Icing
Annual and Perennial Planting                                 And More!!

The benefits are endless, and if you pay for 1 year up front, we will provide a 10% discount; that's more than 1 full month of service for FREE! As always our estimates are FREE, call anytime 517-945-1204 for more information about our outdoor maintenance packages, and enjoy worry free maintenance of your property at a low fixed monthly rate!


Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
517-945-1204
www.greenersolutionslawn.com

More Spring Preparation

We wanted to take a moment to share with you one of the Spring promotions from Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape, to help you with your outdoor landscape this season.

First, I know many of you have read and are following out blog for early indoor vegetable planting. Thank you for your interest!  Greener Solutions is offering a special this Spring on raised garden beds to further help you get your garden growing this year!

There are many great reasons to use a raised garden bed. Raised beds offer a clean slate, guaranteed not to allow your plants to take over your yard or other garden areas, raised garden beds keep plants contained.  Raised garden beds also offer you an opportunity to start with the very best soil.  Clean soil with the proper pH will ensure healthier plants, and higher yields. They are also quite decorative, and can be a nice addition to your outdoor landscape. Plant, vegetables, herbs, or flowers, the possibilities are endless!

This season we can build and install your new raised garden bed, including top soil at a great price. All you have to do is put in the plants!  We offer a wide variety of exterior building materials including, treated lumber, stone, or vinyl, and can build your raised garden to the size and height of your choice. Call us anytime to schedule your free consultation for raised garden bed installation. 517-945-1204

Prices include, preparing the area by leveling the ground, building the exterior wall structure with the materials of your choice, installation of garden underlayment for weed control, and new fresh top soil fully installed! This is a fully customizable service, so call anytime for a FREE consultation.


Continue to follow our blog for more information about our company and services! Thank you

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
517-945-1204

Seasonal Lawn Care Tips

There are many steps that can be taken to help prepare and your yard and garden throughout the year for the change in seasons. Many people think of this in terms of the late fall season, and preparing your lawn and garden for the harshness of the winter cold and snow.  However, preparing your lawn for the growing season is equally as important.

I spoke briefly about de-thatching techniques in an earlier post and this is the first step in preparing your lawn.  Coupled with aeration your off to a great start.

Aeration is technique used to remove "plugs" of grass and deep thatch from your lawn. Each portion removed is anywhere from 1/2inch to 1 1/2inch in depth; depending on the equipments used to do the job.  The removal of these bits of grass, thatch and tight roots; allows water, air, and fertilizer to get deep to the remaining roots and ultimately creates healthier, stronger, greener grass to grow. 

As a quick tip for fall preparation that will help with these steps later, make sure to trim your grass to about two inches the late fall season.  This will help prevent deep thatch from developing over winter.  If your grass was quite long at the end of the season, you may end up with bald spots, fungus, and grass mold. Long grasses in the fall are breeding grounds for rodents too, like field mice. Mice can be particularly damaging to your lawn during the fall and early winter as they feed on the surface root systems of your lawn.

Once your lawn has been de-thatched, and aerated, allow the young grass shoots to grow out before cutting for the first time.  Grass should get to an initial height of 3-4 inches before trimming for the first time.  Then for the first 2-3 trimmings remove only 1/4-1/2 inch at a time.  Cutting too much, too soon, too fast can shock the grass and cause it to die! It's easy to forget that grass is alive, and can be easily damaged by "rough" care. 

After two or three regular trimmings, you can apply your first treatment of consumer grade fertilizer, and seed your lawn if needed.

If you want regular; worry free lawn care, and property maintenance consider hiring a professional many services are much more affordable than you may think.  Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape hires and trains top quality individuals to know the best techniques for seasonal lawn maintenance. Let us take the work and worry out of caring for your lawn. Call today for a FREE, no obligation consultation.



Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
www.greenersolutionslawn.com
517-945-1204

More Help With Those Tricky Tomatoes

In an earlier post we discussed starting tomato plants from seeds, and the need to use tomato cages when transplanting to an outdoor garden bed. I have just a few more tips to grow the healthiest tomato plants possible, and ultimately get more fruit out of your plants!

First, before the first shoots appear, keep your seed starters in a warm place and keep soil moist until germination takes place.  Once the first shoots appear, move into direct sunlight and continue to keep soil nice and moist. 

Tomato plants can have weak stems if you don't condition them for outdoor conditions.  The best way to do this indoors is to turn a fan on to the plants for 10-15minutes per day.  The swaying of the plants in the breeze helps to strengthen the stems.  Once true leaves appear, you can use the palm of your hand to gently brush across the tops once or twice a day to further encourage strong stem growth.

Also once true leaves form on the plant, begin to add soil in the pot, up to the bottom of the true leaves.  Tomatoes can develop roots from their stems, so adding more soil will encourage new roots to form. The development of a strong root system, ultimately leads to a healthier plant, and more fruit. Further this concept at the time of transplantation into the outdoor garden bed by trimming off the bottom leaves from stems 6inches in height or more, and bury the plant up to the remaining height of the leaves.

If young plants begin to bud before it is time to transplant outdoors, then simply pinch off the buds.  Budding too early can stress young plants.  Also watch for the development of suckers in the crotch of the plant.  These are tiny leaves that form where the branches of the plant split. These leaves have no real purpose and drain nutrients from other parts of the plant. You can simply pinch these off as well. Remeber to remove any dead or dried leaves on the lower portions of the plant too over the course of the season.

There are many varieties of tomatoes that you can choose from too.  Think carefully about how you would like to use the fruit once harvested.  For example, beef steak tomatoes are great for slicing and are usually very juicy.  Whereas the pompeii variety is a great tomato for use in sauces, and salsas. And cherry tomatoes are a wonderful addition to salad.  A little research in advance can help you decide which type will work best for you! Happy gardening!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
www.greenersolutionslawn.com
517-945-1204

The Benefits Of Attending Your Local Home Expo

Spring is nearly here and it's time to start your annual home improvement wish list.  I love this time of year it inspires me to look at my home and property and look for opportunities to freshen things up, and make some changes!

There is no better place to become inspired than at your local Home Expo!  These home and garden shows are a great way for area homeowners to meet local contractors, interior design experts, and lawn and landscape companies. As well as learn about the newest trends for home improvement, and how to make those ideas a reality in your own home. Finally, these shows are entertaining, the companies and vendors who attend often put together unique interactive displays that are just fun to see and learn from.

The local home show can help you in selecting a great contractor. Finding the right company to take on your project is like choosing a doctor, this is someone you need to be able to trust to work in your best interests. Local home expo's are often times supported by your communities home builders association, so you can be rest assured that the contractors that you are meeting are quality, licensed contractors that you can trust.

A few tips to make the most of your Home Expo visit:

1.) If you have a specific project in  mind, bring some pictures or references for vendors so that everyone is on the same page
2.) Be open minded to the suggestions of the vendors, they are the experts!
3.) Be aware that many vendors may not provide pricing at the show but prefer to look first hand at the space and measure anything needed prior to giving any final price quotes for projects.
4.) The home expo is a busy place and you may have to wait to speak the representative, be prepared for short waits, the vendors try very hard to get to everyone.
5.) Be prepared to walk, Home Expo's are often held in large expo or convention centers that require a lot of walking.
6.) Have your calendar ready so you can schedule time for contractors to come out to prepare estimates if you have serious interest in getting your project started.

Now that you're fully prepared; come join us and the Jackson MI Home and Lifestyle Show, March 22-24 at the American One Fair Events Center! We'd love to discuss your ideas, and inspire you this spring!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape

Preparing For Spring

As we prepare for the start of a busy Spring season; I'm reminded of a few things that should be done on a seasonal basis for your lawn, gardens, and equipment.  Here are a few tips and reminders to prepare your outdoor living space this Spring.

1. Perform a quick maintenance on your mower in the spring.  Cold weather can effect the performance of your equipment and it's a good idea to take care of a few things before restarting your mower in the Spring. Change out spark plugs, oil and fuel filters.  Clean old clippings and leaves out from under the mower deck, and change the oil and fill with fresh gasoline before restarting.

2. Be patient with your lawn, it's not advisable to run out on the first warm day of Spring and attack your lawn.  It's been dormant for an entire season and starting lawn care too early can risk damaging the new grass shoots, causing bald spots to develop in your lawn. 

3. When you do start your lawn care regimen start with raking, or de-thatching.  Removal of dead grasses from past seasons can help aerate the upper crust of the soil and allow new grass shoots to flourish.

The thatch is the old dry grass remaining from previous seasons

Commercial de-thatchers pull the dead grass out leaving only the bright green healthy shoots

4. If you find a lot of areas that are not soft when walking, or are compacted from heavy snow; you can try aeration. This is a service that we recommend you have done by professional, improper aeration techniques can cause more damage than good.  Compacted soils can be loosened with aeration and roots systems will be stronger if performed correctly.

5. If you know your lawn is prone to weed growth, Spring is a good time to consider applying consumer grade herbacides.  It's much easier to try to prevent the weeds from cropping up than to deal with them once they have taken root!

We hope these tips help you prepare for the spring lawn and garden season.  Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape can help too! We offer full scale lawn and landscape services including, de-thatching, aeration, grass seeding, and mowing. Call anytime for a free consultation.

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn and Landscape
www.greenersolutionslawn.com
517-945-1204

Tips For Starting Tomato Plants From Seeds

Tomatoes can be a temperamental plant, and especially when started from seeds.  Generally the best time to start you tomatoes from seeds is 6-8 weeks prior to planting. Do Not transplant to outdoor beds until after the last early spring frost, or you'll lose your plants and your hard work. 

Tomato seeds should be sown in fertile planting soil, 1/4 inch deep and approximately 0.5 inches apart from one another.  If your using the biodegradable newspaper planters from our previous post then sow only 2-3 seeds per container. Allow seeds to germinate in damp soil until stems begin to show and then make sure that you move your plants to a sunny place or under florescent bulbs. Tomatoes require a lot of full sunlight to grow strong.

After about 15 days you should begin to see the early baby leaves of the plant open.  They should be bright green, if yellow or pale, get more light and water slightly less (but don't allow the soil to dry out completely). These early leaves are called the cotyledons, an additional 15 days of growth and you will begin to see the first true tomato plant leaves growing above these tiny first leaves.  Once true leaves are present you can thin your plants to 1-2 per growing container as needed. Keep in a warm sunny place, and make sure to water regularly.

Once temperatures have reached a consistent (day and night temperature) of at least 55 degrees, then you can transplant your tomatoes into the outdoor garden bed.

When transplanting your tomato plants, be sure to remove the cotyledon leaves and plant low in the ground bringing the soil up to the first true leaves.  Tomatoes can grow roots from their stems, by burying deep in the garden early, you'll develop a much stronger root and stem system for your plant. Water thoroughly immediately after transplanting, and set up your tomato supports. 

There are many types of tomato cages that you can choose from. They are very important to the health of your plant and the condition of the fruit.  Tomatoes that are not properly supported can have stem breakage, and fruits resting on the ground will develop soft spots (bruises) and over ripen much faster. Follow manufacturer suggestions/ instructions when erecting your tomato cages.

Continue to follow our blog or website for more information about getting you garden growing!

Andy  and Courtney Bailey

Greener Solutions Lawn and Landscape

www.greenersolutionslawn.com

ww.greenersolutionslawn.blogspot.com

 

Let's Get Your Garden Growing

As March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb; it's time to start thinking about that spring and summer vegetable garden.  Growing vegetables from seed can be tricky, and there are a few that you should get started now so they will be strong enough for planting in about 6 weeks. For more information on what seeds to get started and when to start them visit the links below:

http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/MI/Howell

http://awaytogarden.com/when-to-start-what-vegetable-seed-calculators

Here is a very simple method for early planting that easily transplants into your garden at the end of the 6 six week indoor growing cycle.  Using old newspapers, and a soup can (full or empty from your pantry).  Cut the newspaper into strips approximately 4-6 inches wide, and the along the longest length of the paper, you may need to use a couple of layers of paper per container.  Roll the paper onto the soup can loosely, with an inch and a half overlapping the bottom of the can.  Tape the side together, and close and tape the bottom together as though your wrapping a gift.  This will create a paper "cup" that is completely biodegradable!

Use a sharpie marker to write the seed type on the side of the paper cup, fill with potting soil, peat, or composted soil, and add 2-3 seeds per cup.  Place the container in a larger box, or tray, water the seeds, and leave in a warm place until seeds sprout,then move them to a sunny spot in the house that won't be disturbed by pets.

This is a great, inexpensive solution for getting those seeds started, and after six weeks, you can plant the entire container into your garden with no fuss!

Continue to follow our blog via our website, or direct link for more vegetable gardening tips, and ideas. We have so much more to share! Happy gardening!!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
www.greenersolutionslawn.com
www.greenersolutionslawn.blogspot.com

Home Expo 2013

Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape is proud to be an active member of the Home Builders Association of Jackson MI.  Each year the Home Builders Association hosts a great event, The Home Expo, at the American One Events Center in Jackson MI.

We look forward to participating again this year, and  will be available for the full length of the event to answer any questions that you have, and help inspire you to make a few upgrades to your home and property this year.  Join us March 22-24th, 2013, at the Jackson County Fair grounds, fair events center.

Follow us on facebook, twitter, and pinterest for even more great ideas, and updates about upcoming events! We'll see you at the Expo!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape

Winter Fun

We made it through this winter storm, and had some fun doing it! We hope that our clients, and their families stayed warm and safe!

We are beginning to prepare the spring season, if you'd like a FREE estimate for spring clean-up, lawn care, or landscaping give us a call 517-945-1204.

The local spring home shows are right around the corner too! We'll let you know where to find us! Stay tuned...

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn and Landscape

Preparation for Winter Weather

As we begin to see the early effects of this latest winter storm, we want to remind you all to be careful. Take some extra time to get to work, and walk slowly on potentially slippery sidewalks and parking lots.  Greener Solutions takes pride in the properties that we attend to.  We prepare lots in advance of snow events to help prevent the build up of black ice, and our skilled team, works hard through the storms to make sure that the parking lots, and sidewalks are cleared.  We put the safety of our customers and their clients and employees first.  Need some tips on how to better prepare your home and/or vehicle for an ice or snow event, here's a few that we recommend.

First, working in cold weather can put extra stress on your body.  If you have a history of health conditions, please be safe, and follow any advice from your doctor in regard to strenuous activity. Ask for help if needed, and if you decide to do the work yourself then dress warmly, work slowly, and take frequent breaks indoors.

Add a few essential items to your vehicles emergency kit. Including, blankets, warm dry clothing, a small snow shovel, and rock salt, or sand for traction if needed.

Just like your vehicle you may want a few emergency supplies on hand at home too, like bottled water, canned foods, a battery operated radio, and an extra heat source in case of power outage, like fire wood for fireplaces, or oil or kersosene heaters. Write down an emergency plan for your home that includes reminders like turning on water faucets slightly to prevent pipes from freezing during prolonged power outages in the cold weather.

Before the storm arrives take some time to pre-treat sidewalks and walkways with de-icing products or rock salt. This will help to prevent early build up of ice in these areas making clean up later a little easier.

Be cautious when walking over areas of compacted snow this often times will have a layer of ice underneath, and can cause fall injuries.

Use the blade of your snow shovel to remove all snow and ice from walkways and treat with de-icing products or rock salt again, and repeat this often as the snow and ice begin to melt.  Puddles of melted snow and ice can re-freeze overnight creating new slippery areas that may appear to only be wet.

Be safe and remember we are available for 24 hour Emergency service. Call us anytime 517-945-1204!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn and Landscape

Winter Weather Advisory February 26-27

Beginning tomorrow February 26th, around the noon hour the Jackson MI area is expected to see some strong snow storms coming in. This weather front is expected to drop 2-4 inches of snow from noon on the 26th through the evening hours, and another 2-3 inches into the next day, for a total snow fall accumulation of anywhere from 4-7inches.  Check out the attached link for more information, and stay safe! Call anytime for emergency snow clean up services 517-945-1204.
 

Andy and Courtney Bailey

 http://www.weather.com/weather/tomorrow/Jackson+MI+49203:4:US

New Website

We are so proud to present to you our new website! www.greenersolutionslawn.com,  this new website provides an over view of our business, and services. We will stay committed to keeping you updated on weather conditions and upcoming events, and new innovative ways to enhance your property residential or commercial. Thank you, and enjoy the new website!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn and Landscape

Welcome

Greener Solutions Lawn and Landscape is a locally owned and operated business, that values the opportunities afforded to us by the communities that we serve, we wanted to utilize this blog as way for you to get know us better.  Learn about upcoming events, and new technologies that we offer as a company in this very competitive industry. We look forward to working with you!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn and Landscape