Maintenance Free Beauty
Yes, it's possible - when you choose high-quality products like this Mega Laffit-Toscana paver. It's just one of the features you'll adore in your "Belgard backyard." See the collection at SCV Design Center, Inc. 284-5944

Labor of Love
Swoon-inspiring Sale Begins this Month
Oasis Garden & Patio's Labor Day Sale is a perfect time to buy new furniture at the lowest prices of the year. They are clearing out inventory to make room for 2015 models and offering fab bonuses - like free assembly and delivery - just in time for the last big barbecue weekend of the summer. The best deals and biggest discounts are always the first to go, so get there early! The Labor Day sale is going on now. 255-9909

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End-of-summer Garden Smarts
Pick zucchini and summer squash every day or two to keep the plants producing.

You may notice a dust or talcum-like powder on your roses, lilacs or phlox this time of year. Apply a fungicide.

Hot peppers will keep best if stored after they dry. Thread the peppers on a string and hang in a cool, dry place.

Don't miss Green Thumb's patio furniture sale beginning Friday, August 29. You'll save up to 40 percent off marked prices. Furniture floor samples, replacement cushions and umbrellas are all on sale, too, and you can take up to 50 percent off selected accessories and gift items. 259-1072






"Darker, Earlier" Means You Need more Exterior Light
Outdoor lighting enhances the beauty of your property while providing safety and security. It also allows you to take advantage of your outdoor spaces after dark and adds value to your home. Let there be light!

• A well-lit front entrance enables you to greet guests and identify
visitors. Wall lanterns on each side of the door will give your home a
warm welcoming look while assuring the safety of those who enter.

• Under a porch or other overhang you can use recessed, chain-hung or
close-to-ceiling fixtures. A separate rear or side entrance can be lighted
with a single wall lantern installed on the keyhole side of the door.

• Outside the garage, mount a lantern on each side or install a single
fixture above to provide lighting for safety and security.

• Consider installing a motion sensor on these fixtures or a photocell
that turns the lights on at dusk and off at dawn to save energy. For
added security, illuminate any side of the house that would otherwise
be in the shadows. Spotlights installed on your eaves will accomplish
this, or, for a more dramatic look, consider ground lights pointed up to
graze your walls.

• To conserve energy, install a sensor that will switch on the light only at
night or upon motion. If using "up" lighting, aim the fixtures so that
the light is captured by your eaves to lessen light pollution.

• Steps, paths and driveways should be illuminated to make sure family
members and guests are able to move about easily and safely after dark.
You can install path lights or post lanterns - or attach lights to the side
of the house.

• Low-level path lights, which spread circular patterns of light, will
brighten your walkway while highlighting nearby flower beds, shrubs
and ground cover. Low-level path lights can also be used to define the
boundaries of long driveways.
Valencia Lighting 254-9070

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Get Cooking on your Outdoor Kitchen
Fall is the time to get cracking on your outdoor entertainment dreams. Start now and you'll finish before Thanksgiving (Barbecued turkey, anyone?), allowing you to expand your guest list and party-perfect square footage for Christmas and beyond. But where will your guests relax after you serve them al fresco? Top choices for great year-round gathering spots include fireplaces and their more affordable cousin, the fire pit. Also popular: fire troughs highlighted with the sparkle of crushed-glass beneath the flame. You can even gift yourself with a pool before the calendar turns. Today's energy-efficient heaters will come in handy when Mother Nature serves up a sunshine-filled day in January.
MHB Landscape Construction 297-5169