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April Home Maintenance Checklist: Get Your Home Spring-Ready

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As the days get longer and the weather warms up, April is the perfect time to refresh your home after winter and prepare for the months ahead. This month’s checklist will help you tackle essential maintenance tasks to keep your home in top shape. 1. Inspect Your Roof and Gutters Winter weather can take a toll on your roof and gutters. Check for missing shingles, signs of leaks, and clear out any leaves or debris from gutters to ensure proper drainage. 2. Service Your HVAC System Before the summer heat arrives, schedule a professional tune-up for your air conditioning unit. Change your filters and clean vents to improve air quality and efficiency. 3. Check Windows and Doors for Leaks Inspect seals and caulking around windows and doors to keep cool air in and pests out. Replace weatherstripping if needed to improve energy efficiency. 4. Freshen Up Outdoor Spaces Power wash your driveway, deck, and patio to remove winter grime. Check for loose boards or cracks and make any necessa...
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November Gardening & Planting Tips

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It's time to enjoy autumn's camellias and dried flowers.
Grow Now: Paperwhites
With fragrant flowers and multiple blooms, paperwhites are seasonal favorites. Great for a new gardener or one with a green thumb, these bulbs are so carefree that they don't even have to be planted in soil to bloom (they can grow in pebbles or water). Start by choosing large, plump bulbs from a garden center or a mail-oder source. Select a glazed pot or bowl, and fill partway with pebbles; place bulbs on pebbles. Add a few more pebbles to support the bulbs. Pour in water up to the bases of the bulbs. Flowers should appear in three to six weeks. Stake, if needed (just cut bare branches from your yard). No time for all that? Buy bulbs prepotted and ready to grow. Easy - and remember, they make great gifts!
Buy Now: Sasanqua Camellias
These evergreens work great in pots and as specimens, espaliers, or hedges. Try 'Orchid,' 'Kanjiro,' 'Pink-a-Boo,' 'Bella Rouge,' 'Bonanza,' and 'Inspiration.' Some of these are in the SL Plant Collection. Buy sasanquas at your local nursery.
Rake Leaves
Piles of leaves can become wet blankets after rains smother your grass. Rake leaves from your lawn regularly throughout the fall, or gather them with the bagging attachment on your mower. Add the chopped leaves to shrub beds or flower beds to mulch plants and enrich your soil.
Perennials
In the Lower and Coastal South, dig up and divide daisies, irises, and daylilies. Use a garden fork. Gently pull apart lifted plants with your hands. Set divisions back at the original growing depth, firm soil around plants, and water.
Rex Begonias
The elegant foliage of these beautiful houseplants will illuminate any room in your home. Leaf colors can come in pinks, purples, greens, and silvers (they pair perfectly with the blooms of African violets). They prefer bright, indirect light. Let the soil dry slightly between waterings.
Fall-Blooming Shrubs
In the Lower and Coastal South, the blooms of the Confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis) will surprise you with their size and beauty. Flowers can be 4 to 6 inches across, opening white or pink and then turning red.

Original Article via Southern Living

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