Lawn Care - Heat Safety Tips

The Oklahoma heat and humidity can be hard on us at times. So when it comes to taking care of weekly residential lawn care chores, what can Tulsa homeowners do to protect themselves from the heat’s ill effects?

Mow early or late. The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) advise residents to limit their outdoor activity to morning or evening hours in the hot days of summer. Often, you’ll see Tulsa homeowners gardening or mowing in the early hours of the day when the temperatures are lowest. In Oklahoma, it can still be pretty hot in the evening, so early mornings are often the best .

Take Breaks Often. Although it may take you a little longer to mow, breaks are so important. Take a 5 minute rest when you stop to drink water. Working with these breaks not only will help you maintain your energy but will also give your mower engine a much needed break.

Hydrate Regularly. It may not be in your best interest to wait until you’re thirsty to drink water, the OSDH reports. They said no matter your activity level, you should drink more fluids during summer, so imagine how much you’ll need to drink doing yard work? Drink water before you start and every 15 minutes while you’re doing lawn work, experts advise. You could also spray yourself with a light mist of water to help you keep from overheating.

It's good to wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothes and a wide-brimmed hat when mowing during the day. Apply a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher. Also use an insect repellent to keep away mosquitoes. Also wear goggles, gloves, and ear protection. You may at times also consider wearing light long sleeve shirts and long pants to protect yourself from bugs and debris.

“If you experience signs of heat stress such as dizziness, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, nausea, cramps, throbbing headache, dry skin (no sweating), chest pain, great weakness, mental changes, breathing problems, or vomiting,” contact your health care provider immediately,” the OSDH says.

If you don’t want to have to worry about residential or commercial lawn care in the Tulsa heat this summer, contact Oklahoma Landscape about their regular lawn maintenance programs. We would be glad to help.

Advantages of Organic Tulsa Lawn Care

We hear about “going green,” often. The benefits of organic foods and using organic products are often highly regarded. We may visit the many local farmer’s markets on the weekends. We may love Tulsa’s organic grocery stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods. We realize that these green foods and products are often better for us. We know too, organic is also beneficial for the environment.

So, of course there’s also a growing trend toward organic lawn care and gardening. More and more commercial property owners and Tulsa residents are using natural lawn care products and methods in their landscapes. What are some of the perks of using organic lawn care?

Soil and Root Improvement. Organic fertilizers nurture natural microbial and fungi activity in the soil by giving microorganisms in the soil organic material to feed themselves on. Thus, they decompose the organic material. In this process, more nutrients are made readily available for the soil over time. Because these nutrients are released, the soil and roots of grass and plants are strengthened, an ecological balance takes place, soil retains more moisture, and the soil’s texture and composition are of better health. And because the nutrients are released into the soil more slowly with organic fertilizers, the chance of over fertilization or “burning” is greatly reduced.

However, organic fertilizers may cost more than inorganic ones, and it may take longer to see the results because the nutrients are broken down over time in the soil.

Lush, Green Grass. Because the root system has more vitality through organic fertilizers, the grass itself is green and lush. Organic fertilizers also aid in photosynthetic process by releasing carbon dioxide into the soil. This healthy root and soil system also helps grass be better able to ward off weeds, fungus, disease and even cope with drought.

Biodegradable and Safe. Organic lawn care products are non-toxic and biodegradable, meaning they are safe humans, pets, and other wildlife. They also do not harm the water or air supply. Thus, natural fertilizers reduce the amount of chemicals released into the environment.

While it may take longer to see the results of your organic Tulsa lawn care, overall organic lawn fertilization provides many benefits for both the lawn, the environment,  and your family.

Mosquito Prevention Options for Your Tulsa Landscape

Summer has arrived here in Tulsa, and with that comes the universally unwelcomed mosquito. It's wise to include mosquito prevention as part of your regular Tulsa lawn care program during the summer. So how can you prevent these dreaded insects from ruining your outdoor living fun?

Mosquito misting systems. A growing way of getting rid of mosquitoes, these systems spray a mist of insecticide to eliminate mosquitoes throughout your outdoor living space. These systems can automatically disperse the mist during high-risk times or can be managed with a simple hand-held control. This is good for when you’re getting ready for a cook-out or some other special outdoor event. The automatic misting units are available with either a traditional drum-top system or tankless system, both of which can evenly dispense the insecticide throughout the outdoor living space.

Misting systems from MistAway offer enhanced features like automatic leak detection and shut-off, wind sensors, and an agitation cycle that provides consistent insecticide concentration.
Oklahoma landscape can help you keep your Tulsa outdoor living space free from pests with these  mosquito misting systems.

Other Mosquito Repellants. Mosquito traps, citronella candles, and various other personal mosquito repellants like those made picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, or DEET. Make sure you use an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered insect repellent.

Mosquito netting and air curtains can also help keep mosquitoes away from you and your visitors. Air curtains, which are often used at businesses in entrances and drive-up windows, send a continual blast of air across an entrance opening to separate the outside from the inside while the entrance is open. The constant stream of air prevents many kinds of flying insects from entering an area. These can be used in outdoor environments and homes to prevent these insects from intruding. Air curtains are also helpful in preventing warm or cold air from escaping a certain area, which can save on costs for energy.

Mosquito Prevention. It’s important to drain or dispose of items in which mosquitoes would be likely to breed such as unused jars, ceramic pots, old tires, buckets, and other items that can hold standing water. It helps to turn these items over when not in use.

The Oklahoma City County Health Department gave this checklist:

Change water and scrub the containers holding outdoor plants twice a week.
Drain sagging swimming pool covers.

Change water in birdbaths at least once a week.

Stock ornamental pools with mosquito-eating fish and aerate the water.

Empty pet’s watering pans daily.

Keep swimming pools cleaned and chlorinated.

Fill any tree holes or stumps to prevent accumulation of water.

Clean clogged gutters. Remove any standing water on flat roofs.
Repair leaking faucets and air conditioners that cause puddles for several days.

Be careful to irrigate lawns so as to prevent water from standing for several days.

Eliminate weeds and tall grass.

Mosquitoes are not only irritating but can also transmit the West Nile virus.

 Contact the Tulsa outdoor living space professionals for help in preventing and eliminating these outdoor pests.

How to Give Your Tulsa Home Curb Appeal for Potential Buyers

Dick Gaylord, who has sold real estate for 27 years, told HGTV “If people drive by your home and are not impressed, they’re not going to walk inside,” in an article about “Which Home Improvements Pay Off?”

So you’re putting your house on the market…just need put a “For Sale” sign out front, right? We could only wish it were that easy, first you do well to make sure your home has good curb appeal. Why? Because, without exaggeration, first impressions can make or break your sell.

So when you’re making sure you property has curb appeal, keep these pointers in mind…

Landscaping. A healthy and well-maintained landscape is not only appealing to buyers in its own right, but also indicates to buyers how you’ve taken care of the actual home as well. So, it might be said regular Tulsa lawn maintenance is one of the most important keys of curb appeal.

The Chapel Valley Landscaping Company of Maryland noted, “Residential landscape maintenance can add as much as 14% to the resale of the home and speed up the selling process by as much as six weeks when it is time to sell,”. Landscaping can also help to keep up the property value of the entire neighbourhood, the article said.

What can you do? Regular lawn care includes not only mowing but also managing weed control and overgrowth, trimming of trees and shrubs, as well as irrigation. In addition to keeping your landscape well-manicured, you add more plants to your yard. A simple way to add curb appeal is to add mulch to your flower bed, and plant colorful new plants of various sizes in your landscape to create interest and as a way to gracefully lead buyers to your front door.

Hardscapes. An inviting walkway and driveway is major to curb appeal. Make sure your walkway and driveway are in nice condition or replace an old walkway with pavers to create a elegant path to your home. Driveways can also be stained or stamped to create more appeal and interest. The Tulsa landscaping contractors at Oklahoma Landscape can take care of all your hardscaping needs.

Outdoor Lighting. While most potential buyers will see your home during the day, it’s possible some may not. And at night, it will look much more inviting with even basic landscape lighting. Even during the day,  outdoor light fixtures and landscape lighting elements add character and charm to the home, as well as a feeling of security.

Little Touches. There are other minor enhancements you can do to dress up your home. Repainting or refinishing your front door (maybe in a bright color like yellow, or red, green) can give your whole house a fresh look and create a focal point. Replace worn hardware, trim, and fixtures. Adding decorative hardware or even a trellis to your garage door is also a pretty decorative feature. Also, adding decorative house numbers can be a nice, inexpensive touch.

For help with your regular Tulsa lawn maintenance or if you want to renovate your landscape to add greater curb appeal, call the Tulsa landscaping contractors at Oklahoma Landscape.

For more information on ways to add curb appeal, look at http://www.diyncrafts.com/5415/home/150-remarkable-projects-ideas-improve-your-homes-curb-appeal/5.

Increase The Resale Value of Your Tulsa Home with Outdoor Upgrades

The key is to make livable space that’s flexible, something not too personal, but something buyers can see themselves using like their Tulsa outdoor environment.

Liveable Space. Everyone could use more space, so if you add areas where people can entertain and enjoy themselves more fully, then you have a good thing. But you may think, “Shouldn’t I just covert my garage into a room?” And true, converting a garage may afford more space, but then you also don’t have a garage, which many homeowners want. Whereas, adding a deck, patio, or outdoor kitchen extends the confines of your home, creating more living space that’s even more practical. For instance, if you have an outdoor kitchen and decide to put your house up for sale in the spring, buyers can envision themselves having their own cookouts. Or if you added a deck or patio to your Tulsa home, prospective homeowners will imagine a variety of different entertaining ideas and nights enjoyed with their family.

Perhaps you’ve been thinking of adding an outdoor kitchen, pool, or outdoor fireplace to your home in Tulsa, besides the obvious, there’s good reason to do so – the added resale value that these upgrades can bring. Even if you’re not thinking of selling your home right away, making it more “sellable” is always a good thing, just in case you want to sell in the future.

How do outdoor living improvements add value to your home? Two general principles come to mind...1. The more liveable space you give to your home, the more the value of your home goes up. 2. The greater your curb appeal, the quicker you’ll sell or greater your value will be.

Sandy Koepke, Interior and garden designer in Southern California, was quoted in the New York Times as saying that there’s many reasons for building an outdoor kitchen. “You’re getting a lot of bang for your buck because you’re basically creating a very usable room for a lot less money than if you were adding on to the house,” she said in the article.


Curb Appeal. Consider this, if you’ve made major renovations inside, buyers may never see them if their first impression of the house scares them away.

“If I were going to spend money on a property, I would really work on making sure the curb appeal was strong” realtor Ron Phipps told HGTV in an article. “You really want to convey a sense of welcome. If all your remodeling is on the inside but the outside of the house is challenging, you’ll never have a chance to even show the inside,” he said.

Don’t underestimate how landscape maintenance can add resale value to your home by increasing its curb appeal. Having a professional landscape design and maintenance plan can greatly increase the curb appeal of your home while taking away the hassle of regular lawn care while you live there.

Regular landscaping and lawn care can update the look of your home and keep it looking beutiful and well-cared for overall.

Also you might consider putting in a walkway to the front door or a path to the side of the house to add interest.

 So if you are wanting to add much resale value to your property while at the same time make your home more enjoyable for your own family, the Tulsa landscaping contractors at Oklahoma Landscape can help you in every way.

Tulsa Landscapers Offer Beautiful Backyard Makeover Ideas

Deck and patio. If you’re looking to add liveable space to your home consider a custom deck or patio. A multi-level deck brings not only more room but also much style to the outdoor environment. A patio created with stone pavers gives a unique and fresh touch to your patio area, and comes in a variety of shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. Often these become the foundation of your entire outdoor living space and can provide ample room for cooking and dining, or relaxing.

Is your backyard looking a little uneventful or even depressing? Would you like to get more out of your landscape? Here are a few ideas on changing your landscape into the perfect Tulsa outdoor living area. And remember, at Oklahoma Landscape the Tulsa landscape contractors can take your backyard from barren to breath-taking!

Outdoor fire pits and fireplaces. Nearly any Tulsa landscape can be enhanced by an outdoor fireplace or fire pit for those chilly spring and fall Oklahoma nights. An outdoor fireplace turns your backyard into a private haven for your family. With comfortable built-in seating around the fireplace, you can entertain friends gathered around the fire talking or enjoy a night underneath the stars with your loved ones. If you want to esthetically highlight the outdoor fireplace, add a pergola to cover it and you’ll have an visually amazing outdoor space.

Outdoor kitchens. Not just simply an outdoor grill, these sophisticated Tulsa outdoor kitchens can  come complete with pizza ovens, stainless steel appliances, sinks, granite countertops,wine coolers, mini refrigerators, and more. Tulsa homeowners are building complete outdoor kitchens in their backyard. You can have the ultimate outdoor dinner party with a complete outdoor kitchen.

Landscape lighting. If you want a stylish Tulsa outdoor living space you’re going to need well-designed landscape lighting to go with the décor and purpose of the outdoor space. It can be subtly used to guide guests to the backyard or as a way to accent your deck or patio, landscape lighting can help beautify your outdoor environment while creating more functionality, safety, and security.

Custom pool. With an increasing array of  accessories and features that can be built-in to a custom pool, there’s seems to be no end to the possibilities for a luxurious backyard. Entertain guests or have a relaxing day in your own custom swimming pool or spa, or both. The Tulsa landscape contractors Oklahoma Landscape can design and build a one-of-a-kind pool as a beautiful counterpart your home and your lifestyle.

So, if these ideas have you thinking about creating an amazing outdoor environment. Let the Tulsa landscaping company Oklahoma Landscape take your outdoor living space dreams and turn them a reality.

How to Have a Great Summer Party in Your Tulsa Outdoor Living Space

Tulsa residents will have fun firing up the grill in their outdoor kitchen this summer and entertaining friends and relatives as they celebrate goodtimes. But planning a party can get stressful, so we’ve got some great tips to getting your Tulsa outdoor living space all ready for the event.

Here are some tips from Real Simple on outdoor entertaining:


Outdoor lighting is a must. A little ambient lighting is enough to keep your guests safe out the dark. Globe string lights that are elegant and give off a warm glow, the article reported, are great for outdoor dinner parties as well as hurricane lanterns and tealights along with string lights.  The landscape lighting experts at Oklahoma Landscape can also install the right accent and pathway lighting to complement your home and landscape during anytime of the year.

Make sure there are enough seats. If you anticipate running low on seating, you might think about using some of your indoor furniture or even renting folding chairs. Another option the magazine mentioned could be to spread out quilts on the ground for picnic-style seating, if it’s a very casual party.

Repel flying pests. If you don’t have a mosquito misting system already in place, you might try adding some fans to your outdoor living space. “Mosquitos are weak flyers, so even if a fan is set on low, it can create enough airflow to keep them away,” Laura Harrington, an associate professor of entomology at Cornell University told Real Simple. This works best in small areas like a deck, she said. Also she recommended emptying anything with standing water in it, and giving guests bug wipes that contain repellent picaridin in place of DEET, which could damage clothing.

Keep the kids entertained. Many Tulsa homeowners have a custom swimming pool area where kids can have fun during the party. But some other kid diversions, Real Simple suggested were blowing bubbles, a Slip ‘n Slide or sprinkler, and even some inexpensive disposable cameras to let them capture the event, “say cheese”.

Make the music memorable, not just loud. Don’t make guests have to cover their ears with blaring music. “If you’re using a boom box or an iPod dock, place it above ear level so it’s not blasting directly at guests’ heads,” Michael Antonia, owner of the Flashdance, a Los Angles production company said. “And turn it toward the side of the house – you can make it a little louder and the sound will spread out better.” For the best music setup, the article noted that using four or more speakers, spread out and set at a lower volume work best.

Remember these outdoor entertaining tips to have a fun and be safe! For more ideas on designing and building the perfect outdoor living space, contact the Tulsa landscape contractors at Oklahoma Landscape.