San Antonio gutter cleaning
You might consider it a tedious chore, but cleaning your home's gutters is an important task. Keeping the gutters clean can prevent other, more expensive problems like rotting wood and a damaged roof. Clean gutters are also more capable of diverting excess water. Consider there have been nearly 130 floods in the city between 1993 and 2014, it pays to keep the gutters working! Cleaning the gutters also makes your property more attractive, and it can be an excellent part of all-around home maintenance or home improvement program. This is especially important if you're trying to sell your home.
Spring Cleaning
Most people thoroughly clean their home's interior in the spring. But it's also a great time to clean around your house. In addition to ridding the gutters of debris, this includes painting, setting up outdoor living areas, and even landscaping. While getting a home neat and tidy in the new season is probably something you do without really thinking about, history shows that in the past, spring cleaning was so crucial to the city's residents that there was a festival dedicated to the ritual.
Fiesta San Antonio
Spring cleaning became virtually mandatory in the city in 1891 with the launch of Fiesta San Antonio. The festival is now a 10-day celebration, held annually in April, that honors the arrival of spring's warmer weather and the concept of spring cleaning. The first festival was designed to make the town presentable and rally citizen support for the upcoming arrival of then-president Benjamin Harrison. A number of impressive events accompanied the inaugural festival including a carnival, lavish parties, and fancy balls. Fiesta San Antonio proved so popular the first year that it quickly became an annual tradition. Now, more than 100 years later, it is still an essential part of San Antonio's identity. In addition to providing a fun way for neighbors to relax and socialize, the event still inspires the city's residents to tidy up their own properties, as if the president was still coming to town. As word spreads of the festival's fun activities, more and more people visit for the festivities each year.
Top Native Species
Because of San Antonio's dry, arid climate, you may be surprised to learn that there are more than 60 varieties of native plants, trees, and flowers that thrive in the region. Any one (or combination) of them can be a lovely addition to your yard. The advantage of native species is that they are specially adapted to the environment, which means they do well in San Antonio's hot, dry summers, and they're more resistant to drought.
Live Oak
Despite the name, these trees are actually a type of evergreen. Oak trees can reach a height of 50 feet or more when fully grown. They also hold a fair amount of water, which makes them a good choice for a fire-resistant tree. Oaks are best placed near the perimeter of your property or at least some distance away from your home and sidewalks. Since they can grow to be quite tall, they can make debris accumulate in the gutters quickly. They also have vast root systems that can grow beneath the sidewalks, driveway, or your home's foundation. If you're not sure about spacing requirements, ask a lawn care specialist for assistance.
Cedar Elm
Cedar elm is a deciduous species, meaning it loses its leaves in the fall. While this creates a colorful display on your property, it also means you'll need to clean out the gutters if you have an elm growing nearby. Cedar elms are relatively larger, with a full-grown height of 25 to 50 feet. Their spread can reach anywhere between 25 and 35 feet.
Agarita
If you want to make your property more attractive but you don't want to spend time pulling debris from the gutters, shrubs are another great option. Agarita is an evergreen shrub that produces colorful red berries between February and April. It also has picturesque yellow flowers. Although its flowers and berries are attractive, this shrub has tough, prickly leaves and should be handled with care. A mature agarita can reach three to six feet.
Flame Acanthus
While many native local species thrive in full sun, flame acanthus does well with full sun to partial shade. It reaches a height of three to four feet when fully grown. Flame acanthus produces colorful red-orange flowers in the summer that last through fall. These flowers also attract pollinators. Spring and fall are the best times to plant this shrub.
Texas Sage
This shrub is identifiable for its colorful purple flowers that appear several times throughout the spring and summer seasons. Texas sage grows to a height of about four or five feet, making it an excellent choice for a beautiful property border.
Black-Eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan is a deciduous flowering plant commonly found in Central Texas. It is recognizable for the large yellow flowers it produces throughout much of the year. This flower can reach a height of one to two feet.
Rock Rose
While many plants, flowers, and trees in Texas do best with full to partial sun, the rock rose prefers shade. It requires very little maintenance (and water), making it a good choice for a simple but effective home improvement plan. This rose produces lovely pink flowers in summer. It also creates a sweet, fragrant aroma.
Decorating your property with ornamental flowers, trees, and plants goes a long way in improving your home's exterior. However, it also means you'll have a little more yard work. The gutters should be cleaned out seasonally, especially in the summer and fall when dry debris can catch fire. It's also important to clear out the gutters after a rainstorm. Otherwise, they can overflow with water, which then gets directed towards your roof. This can cause substantial damage. In autumn, the leaves should be removed from your yard to avoid covering (and ultimately killing) the grass underneath. For help in cleaning your gutters, contact Lawn Love. We would be happy to take care of it for you.
