During the first half of 2019, we received a great deal of rain in the San Francisco Bay Area. What’s more, the rainy season went on longer than expected, with storms hitting as late as mid-May. Despite bringing relief to a long-standing drought, all this extra rainfall has certain consequences, one of which may be a particularly bad mosquito season. Since mosquitoes can breed in as little as a tablespoon of standing water, the moister-than-average conditions could mean a spike in mosquito populations this summer. Read more

Goodbye, April showers…hello, May flowers! As growing season hits its stride in the Bay Area, it’s the perfect time to augment your garden by adding new plants, trees and turf. However, to reap the best results, you’ll need to know how to properly select and sow these materials. To grow your knowledge, read the following tips from Diamond Certified Expert Contributors in the landscaping and tree service industries. Read more

Everyone knows about spring cleaning, but some forget this annual ritual pertains to the yard as well as the home. After sitting dormant all winter, your lawn and plant beds need some freshening up to help them thrive throughout the spring and summer. Here are five maintenance steps to set your garden up for success: Read more

During the month of November and the Thanksgiving season, most of us are more focused than usual on the gift of gratitude. But given the positive impact of gratitude on others, perhaps we should think about ways to express our gratitude throughout the year.

I started reflecting on that the other day after listening to my voicemail. A local framing store manager called to let me know that my two paintings were ready to be picked up. Then, he added something extra—he said he sincerely appreciated my continued business, which meant a lot to him. Read more

California winters may be mild, but it’s still important to perform home winterization tasks in the fall. In our previous article, we covered exterior home winterization. In this segment, we’ll go over some interior maintenance steps to help you prepare your California home for winter. Read more

California winters may be mild compared to what other parts of the country experience, but the weather can nonetheless take a toll on local residences. When a home isn’t properly winterized, the heavy storms and occasional freezes can cause everything from dry rot and roof leaks to cracked water pipes and crawl space flooding. That’s why, even in California, it’s crucial to perform preventative winterization measures on your home and property in the fall. Read more

If you’re a pool owner living in or near the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, it’s time to start thinking about winterization. You’ve likely heard of people who drain their pools for the winter, or perhaps you’re one of them. But should you drain your pool for the winter in Northern California? Is it really necessary? If not, what does pool winterization entail? For that matter, is it ever necessary to drain a pool? To get answers to these and other questions, we spoke with Mike Doucette, general manager of Roger’s Pool & Spa Service Inc. in Sebastopol.

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