Beautify your Yard

Integrate Your Plants

Vegetables and herbs have a place in the flower garden. Use herbs to edge the beds and borders. Variegated mint arrives early and stays late. "In the garden, integration is the key. The mint's aroma wafts on the breeze when visitors brush against it, and the chefs in the garden's restaurants snip sprigs to flavor the day's fare.

Play Up Texture

Pay attention to foliage texture, as well as colour. For example, purple heuchera makes a lovely contrast against 'Burgundy Glow' ajuga and gray-blue stones.

Put Trees and Shrubs in Pots

Don't think container gardens are limited to annuals -- you can use trees and shrubs to make a bold impact. For example, ferny Sorbaria 'Sem' is a stunning partner for burgundy-leaf Red Majestic hazelnut.

Plan for a Grand Entrance

Defining an entrance makes a big statement - Place two spruces ready to usher visitors into a hillside garden of slow-growing conifers and alpine plants. The evergreens are just big enough -- about 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide -- to play hide-and-seek with the meandering path that leads to a vine-covered garden folly.

Leave a Spot to Enjoy Your Garden

"Gardens are magical places, and there should be reminders along the way: pretty vignettes and little escapes." Whether they're used or not, a decorative table and chair invite contemplation. The invitation stands: Come, sit awhile, and smell the flowers, listen to the bird song, and watch the grass grow

Grow Fragrant Herbs

Plant herbs in window boxes and containers so you can place them by your kitchen door or next to the grill so you can snip and tuck them into salads, soups, and sauces. They're a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds

Let Nature Be Your Guide

 A carved alpine pond in a hillside where frogs and toads join the chorus of birds splashing in the shallow water. "The trick is to work with the setting so the pond and plantings look natural. Lady's mantle and cotoneaster in the foreground and alpine firs and weeping Nootka false cypress in the background.

 Don't Forget Containers

In early spring, long before the garden bursts into colour, pot up  containers that bridge the seasons with bright foliage and subtle textures. Start with a weeping hemlock, then add a euphorbia or two. Next comes a sampling of Heuchera 'Marmalade' followed by a streak of Sedum 'Angelina'. "With foliage like this, who needs flowers.

 Incorporate Curves

The secret to cultivating intrigue in the garden, always have a curve. You want to keep them guessing -- What's up ahead? What will I discover? You don't need a lot of space to achieve that.

 Go with Rich, Dark Colors

Your garden will profit from the addition of plants with dark purple foliage that appears blackish. "Black foliage creates magical combinations in the garden. Look at these dark-leaved begonias and 'Bishop of Llandaff' dahlias."

Benefits of Purchasing a BUILT GREEN(TM) Home from Nicon

Benefits for the homeowner when purchasing a BUILT GREEN™ home built by Nicon Developments Limited

Energy Efficiency – Energy cost are the second largest expense that homeowners incur after the mortgage payment. With an energy efficient home the homeowner reaps the benefits with lower energy costs.

Comfort – Homes with improved ventilation and fewer drafts allows the homeowner more control over the temperature and humidity in their home. Proper designs in a new home can take advantage of sun in both the winter by using it to help heat the home and in the summer to help keep the home cooler. A less drafty home with improved ventilation increases the homeowner’s control of humidity and temperature.  Appropriate design and orientation can take advantage of the sun's warmth in the winter and reduce the sun’s impact in the summer.

Water Efficiency – As water becomes a more precious resource year after year, installing water efficient appliances such as low-flow fixtures allow the homeowner to better control the use of these resources. Energy Star dishwashers, clothes washers and water aerators on the faucets also help in our water conservation. Planting landscapes that are drought resistant or require less water are also easier to maintain as they need less attention.

Healthier Indoor Air – Well sealed duct systems are encouraged by the BUILT GREEN™ program making the ventilation system in your home healthier for you and your family.

Durability and Less Maintenance – Both inside and outside your home, more durable building materials are used to reduce both maintenance and the need for costly replacements.

By purchasing a BUILT GREEN™ home built by Nicon Developments Limited, you not only seeing the benefits as the homeowner but the environment and community are also seeing the benefits. Using local sustainable materials not only reduces the cost of the products used to build the home, it also reduces the pollution as less transportation is required to get the supplies to the building site. Buying locally also stimulates the economy and when the builders choose materials and products made from recycled content we see a reduction in the energy to extract new materials. 

Why Buy a Newly Built Nicon Home

Why Buy a Newly Built Nicon Home

12 Reasons why a new built home by Nicon is the way to buy

#1 You know what you are getting

When you opt for a newly-built Nicon home, you know that it was built via your choices and decisions, so it is something you can be totally proud of. You know what went into its construction and what lies behind the décor.

#2  You choose the builder
When it comes to a newly-built home, it is up to you to choose the builder based on their reputation and references. Nicon home builders are proud of the homes they have built and are committed to your satisfaction.

#3 Get what you want
Newly-built home builders offer myriad home models; you can choose the one you like and modify it with your builder. You can do anything from make the garage a few feet bigger to adding an extra room. You decide.

#4 Easy to maintain
Today’s newly-built homes come with designs that take into consideration the ease with which you can maintain them. Convenience and condition are major factors for home builders and they take into account what it will take to simplify your life.

#5 A great design
The newly-built homes of today blend function and style to create an open-concept, inviting living area that incorporates lots of light, work spaces and flexible layouts that can accommodate changes you may want to consider in the future.

#6 Create an energy efficient home
Using more advanced products and materials, home builders use energy efficient products from construction materials to heating systems that create a newly-built home that will save you money and save the planet.

#7 Upgrade the finishes
From the hardwood floors to the bathtub, you can select all the finishes that reflect your particular taste, whether it be super minimalist or incredibly traditional.

#8 A good community
When builders have plots of lands in specific areas, these new developments are planned in a way that fosters a neighborly atmosphere without sacrificing privacy. These communities boast green areas, playgrounds, and safe roads and bicycle paths.

#9 Enjoy great indoor air quality
Between the clean air and comfortable moisture, thanks to central air and (de)humidifier installation, there is minimal risk of mold or unpleasant odors. Newly-built homes are designed to give you the best air quality.

#10 No major repairs
While a newly-built home may be the largest purchase you make in your lifetime, you can rest assured that you will not have any major repair bills or replacement costs of items in the home for many years to come.

#11 Take comfort in the warranty
One of the great advantages of buying a brand new home is the warranty that comes with it. Professional builders stand behind their work with an after-sales service program and a guaranteed third-party warranty.

#12 Feel safe
Newly-built homes are constructed with respect to the latest building codes (smoke detectors, safety glass, electrical circuit protectors, etc.), and new homes include these safety measures so you can rest assured that you and your family are safe.

Take advantage of buying a newly-built home today

If you are interested in buying a newly-built home or building one from the ground up, check out the www.nicon.ca or www.trumpeterpointe.ca websites for a selection of our new homes and lots available today.

Cleaning Gutters and Down Spouts

Cleaning Gutters and Down Spouts

  

Spring is here once again and it is time to start those annual chores to ensure that we have a great summer season. One job no one likes is cleaning the gutters and down spouts but it has to be done.

Gutters and down spouts route the rain and debris from the roof to where it can drain away from the house. This protects the siding, windows, doors, and foundations from water damage. It also helps prevent basements from flooding.

You could hire an outside contractor to do the job for you or you could take it on yourself and save at least $100. If you decide to do the job yourself, will first need to decide what you are going to do with all the leaves and other matter that has collected in the gutters over the past year.

Choose a sturdy ladder, and place it on a firm, level base. A tall stepladder can be easier to use than an extension ladder. If you must lean an extension ladder against a gutter, protect the gutter by placing a short piece of 2 by 4 inside it. Stand on the ladder with your hips between the rails, and don’t lean out over the sides. Never stand on the top two rungs.

When cleaning gutters, wear work gloves to protect your hands since gutters often have sharp metal parts or screw points sticking out into their troughs. Also wear safety glasses or goggles. In some situations,

There are various methods to cleaning out the gutters themselves including:

Scoop and Drop Method 

This when you scoop out the gutter contents and drop them to the ground onto a plastic tarp or drop cloth. This method is fastest and all you have to do is move the plastic tarp along with you as you move the ladder. When it gets full, just dump the leaves into your compost or trash bag.

Gutter Bucket Method

This method is fairly common and involves taking a plastic bucket with a metal handle, cutting the handle in two at the center. Then bend the ends of the handle halves into hook shapes that you then hook onto the edge of the gutter. You simply scoop out the gutter and empty it into the bucket. Be ready to do a lot of up and down on the ladder though with this method since that bucket gets filled up quickly.

Gutter Bag Method

When you have dry gutter contents a better way to clean out and collect the dried leaves and sticks is what is called the gutter bag method. You take a plastic bucket and fasten the handles similar to what we did in the gutter bucket method in the previous section. But here, you will cut off the bottom of the bucket creating a bottomless bucket.

Now, take a trash bag and fasten it around the bucket just under the metal handle. You can fasten it tightly with a large rubber band, or duct tape. Now you can easily empty the dry contents into the plastic bag with the bucket serving as a form and throat for the bag. The reason this works well is that the leaves are dry so they are light, but bulky.

With your method of leaf collection established from the previous two sections, it's now time for the fun part. Cleaning the gutters!

Once the gutters are cleared of debris you'll want to make sure the downspouts are cleared BEFORE you rinse the gutters.

Take a hose and place it into the downspout. Have a helper turn on the water and check for downspout flow. If it's clogged do the following to clear it out:

·        Pack the downspout opening around the hose with a rag sealing the hose tight.

·        Turn on the water pressure as hard as it will go, looking for the clog to clear and water to flow freely from the bottom of the downspout.

·        If the clog persists you'll have to clear it. Remove the hose and manually clear the clog using a plumbing snake. Feed the snake from the top of the downspout until it hits the obstruction which is usually at the point of a curve.

·        Once you think you have it cleared, test for flow with a hose.

OK, got everything cleared out? Good! The next step is to rinse the gutter and downspout system and flush it out.

Do this with a hose supplying water at the farthest gutter section from the downspout opening.

Once a gutter section is rinsed clear, repeat the entire process in this tutorial on the next gutter section proceeding around the house.