Planning A Wedding Amidst COVID-19

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Many couples are facing the difficult task of planning their wedding during these strange times of worldwide pandemic. A wedding day should be a couple’s most memorable experience, and although current regulations and restrictions may make the day different than expected, with the right preparation, it’s still possible to have a beautiful day. Here are some of the top tips for wedding planning during the times of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Rules To Consider Before Wedding Planning

Before discussing the top tips for wedding planning, it’s important to be aware of the rules and regulations laid out for COVID-19. Here are a few precautions and recommendations that you may need to consider for your wedding:

  • State regulations limit the number of people that can gather in a space. Check on your state’s recommendations before making plans and sending out invitations.
  • Certain states require masks to be worn while in public. If you are planning to have a wedding in one of these states, you might want to consider having masks available or patrons or anyone that comes from out of state.
  • In certain states, traveling to or from the state requires a mandatory quarantine for a set amount of time up to two weeks. If you have friends or family traveling for your wedding, check your state’s rules beforehand.
  • Some states or counties have recommended curfews. Check in the area you’ll be hosting your wedding to make sure your party won’t break any curfews.

Asides from these main rules and regulations, you will also want to consider ways you can help your wedding guests to stay healthy and safe while at your wedding. Providing masks and hand sanitizer is one great way. You may also consider more spacious seating so guests can practice social distancing, or even moving your party outdoors if weather permits. You may also want to talk with a few family law attorneys to get information not only on the marriage requirements in your state but also for recommendations of how you can protect your family in case anyone were to get sick while at your wedding.

Wedding Planning Tips

Set A Budget

When it comes to the top tips for wedding planning, a budget is one of the number one things you need to do when you start your planning.

It’s no surprise that weddings are expensive events. When you consider the price for engagement rings, wedding attire, venue, food, flowers, photographer, travel, and more, it adds up fast. Sit down with your partner to plan your budget and talk about where you want to spend more money and where you’re okay cutting back or doing things on your own. Here are some steps you can take to successfully create your wedding budget:

  1. Start with cash: When you’re planning your wedding budget, the first area of funding you’ll want to check is any savings you or your partner have set aside. It’s as simple as checking your bank account and any hard cash you have to total what you’ve got to work with from there. If you’re lucky enough to have contributions from parents or other loved ones, you’ll take that into account here too.
  2. Calculate remaining costs with monthly income: The next of the top tips for wedding planning when it comes to a budget is calculating for the rest of your funding. You’ll need to first calculate the leftover earnings each month after bills. Decide on an amount to set aside in a separate account each month that goes towards your wedding budget.
  3. Plan to track your spending: Whether it’s saving receipts or making a detailed spreadsheet, tracking your spending is key to keeping a strict budget. Do some serious research to get a good idea of what you should plan for with each line item. This might also include calling a few potential venues and vendors to get quotes.
  4. Prepare for surprises: No matter how much you plan, there will always be surprises along the way. That’s why the next of the top tips for wedding planning is to prepare for surprises. For example, you may think you are booking a vendor that does affordable wedding flowers, but as you add new varieties or more bouquets, you’ll be surprised how fast the bill adds up. When you are making your budget, either create a line item for surprises or make sure that you haven’t budgeted for every cent of funding you have. Better to be safe than sorry.
  5. Know when to DIY and when to spend the money: Its become quite popular in the past few years to DIY elements of a wedding. While it’s a great way to spend money, it can also turn disastrous very quickly. One of the top tips for wedding planning is to learn when a DIY will save you time and money and when it will just cause undue stress. For example, DIYing corsages for the groomsmen, making centerpieces and photo backdrops, and other decorations could save you hundreds of dollars. Taking on all of the floral arrangements or planning to do all of the decorating yourself will cause stress and could end up costing more money in the long run.

Creating a budget and sticking to it is number one on the list of top tips for wedding planning. If you don’t plan properly, you’ll end up needing to use your credit card or personal loans more than you planned for. Over 20% of people experience stress claim that it’s due to debt, and you don’t want to become one of those due to wedding charges.

Consider Dates And Seasons

Especially nowadays will travel being limited due to COVID-19, you will have to take some time to consider different dates and seasons for your wedding. You may want to consider planning it during the off-season to ensure open vendors and venues. Especially if you’re hoping to have a destination wedding in a more tropical or warm climate, you want to plan for a time when the city will be less crowded. You will also want to avoid holidays and other high travel dates. However, you will also want to plan for the flu and cold season as that is a more dangerous time for COVID-19. These considerations may push you towards picking a more unique wedding venue, such as a family or friend’s backyard. As long as you take into consideration travel dates and higher risk seasons, you should be able to find a date that will work well for you and any wedding guests.

Don’t Skimp On The Venue

While COVID-19 regulations or your budget may push you to select a different venue than you had originally intended, don’t skimp out on your selection. Remember that your venue for both your ceremony and reception will be in your photographs forever, so you want to make sure to select a location that fits your theme and allows for a beautiful layout. Whether that’s an antique church, a woodsy area, or a more modern warehouse space, really think through your options before making a final decision. If you are trying to stick closely to a budget, you may also want to consider venues that have added features like included table rentals or an attached kitchen for a caterer.

Take Time To Work On The Guest List

Especially during the times of COVID-19 when the number of guests you can have is greatly limited, the guest list will become even more important. Take some time to talk with your partner about who you really want to have there on your big day. If there are certain family members or friends that you would love to have there but know won’t be able to attend due to travel limitations or health, you may want to contact them and double-check before you make final plans. Because regulations are so tight, you can’t send out a large number of invitations and just see who is actually able to RSVP. You’ll have to be more specific about who you invite and check to make sure they will really be able to attend.

Get Advice From Other Married Couples

One of the most important top tips for wedding planning is to talk to other married couples for advice and recommendations. Those who have already gone through the planning process will be able to tell you where you can cut out unnecessary costs and where you should plan to spend more money. For example, if you’re thinking about getting personalized wedding rings but aren’t sure about the added costs, talk to friends who chose that option to see what they recommend. If you’re considering a certain caterer, talk to friends who used a caterer to see what they liked and what they felt was missing. Those who have already gone through the wedding planning process will be a great asset as you plan.

Be Picky When It Comes To Vendors

If you’re working on a tighter budget, you may be tempted to skimp when it comes to certain vendors. While most engaged couples spend time really considering different photographers, florists, and caterers, other options like companies that offer chair rentals for weddings, light designers, or transportation may be lower on the list. However, you don’t want to choose a cheap, lower-rated vendor thinking it won’t be that important and be stuck with low quality or even worse, a lack of on your wedding day. Take the time to talk with each of your potential vendors before you sign a contract to ensure you’re making the best choice for your day.

Book A Section Of Rooms For Guests

If you’re planning a destination wedding and will have family and friends traveling to stay out of town, you may want to consider booking a section of rooms so everyone can be close together. It’s also a great gesture for those who have traveled to celebrate you on your big day. Keep in mind that hotels are requiring different things from hotel guests per COVID-19 regulations. There may be certain amenities that are limited to protect everyone’s health. Check with a few hotels for availabilities before you book a hotel.

Postpone Honeymoon Planning

Even before traveling was made difficult due to COVID-19 one of the top tips for wedding planning was to postpone honeymoon planning. Planning for a wedding is stressful and expensive. Trying to conserve money in your budget for a dream honeymoon could add more issues and stress to the already tough situation. And especially when your dream honeymoon destination could be inaccessible due to travel limitations, whether it’s an adventure resort that’s closed or a country that is not accepting visitors, it’s better to wait than add honeymoon planning to your stress.

Be Considerate Of Guests Health

One of the top tips for wedding planning in the time of COVID-19 is to be super considerate of your guest’s health. If you go ahead with inviting friends or family to a ceremony or reception, you’ll need to have a setup that considers people’s desires to social distance. This includes not having chairs set up too close, open space for mingling after the ceremony, maks and hand sanitizer provided, and any other accommodations per your state’s health regulations. You could also talk to your family doctor about recommendations they have for how to keep your wedding guests healthy. You will also need to be understanding and patient with any friends or family that choose not to attend your wedding for their own health.

In Conclusion

Planning a wedding during the times of COVID-19 doesn’t have to mean a dull wedding. As long as you follow state and country requirements for health, you can still have a beautiful day that you’ll remember for years to come. Follow these top tips for wedding planning to ensure a successful wedding and the health of you, your partner, and your wedding guests.

Tips for Finding an Apartment in the City

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Did you know that 80% of Americans make their residences in 350 metro areas in this country? That makes it that much more difficult to find a place to live in these packed cities. To find the perfect place, you’ll have to be strategic. And if you’re trying to catch the attention of the ideal tenant, it’s definitely possible. Here are some tips for finding an apartment in the city.

Packing Up

The worst part of moving is the first part — the preparation process. In the olden days, this was usually accomplished by persuading your closest friends with the largest vehicles to help you by offering them free food. But that approach can get particularly challenging if you’re transitioning from a house to an apartment. Going through your possessions to determine what stays and what goes can be arduous and time-consuming. If you’ve got a lot of stuff, it might be a good idea to hire a company that can help with your apartment moving needs.

Moving services can help you whether you need to purchase or rent equipment only, such as boxes and trucks to hiring a firm to have employees take care of the heavier lifting and transfer of your stuff. Be sure to do your comparison shopping, though, to make sure you get the best deals.

Even if you do have a lot of things to pack up, remember that not everything needs to go with you. Storage companies can help you keep your possessions safe if they can’t fit into your new apartment rental.

How to Find Your Place

More than 90% of renters are looking strictly online for their new dwelling, according to Tech Crunch. And about 60% percent of renters are searching on mobile devices. Many of those mobile shoppers are combining this more modern approach with the old-school approach of driving around areas in which they want to live, then texting or calling real estate agents seeking access. The reality is that finding a place to live is moving online and there are many websites that can connect them to their next abode.

While there are various places online to search for apartments for rent, you also have to consider the veracity of those posts. Sometimes, what you read is not what you get. What if you’re moving across the country in a hurry and don’t have the time to look and research online? One of the classic tips for finding an apartment is hiring a Realtor. That’s right — they don’t just help with matching homeowners with houses. If you let them know what your price range is and the other specifics, they can save you a lot of time. If you find a Realtor with a reputation in the area, he or she can likely find what you’re looking for quickly.

Features to Consider

One of the best tips for finding an apartment is simply: “Location, location, location.” Renting in the city often means that you are near shopping and entertainment facilities, but there are other things to consider. Access to health care is important, especially if you have children. Being close to hospitals is good, especially if you’re someone with pre-existing conditions, as well as urgent care clinics and pharmacies.

Remember also to do your research about the area you’re interested in. Although a rental doesn’t carry the same stakes as a home purchase, it’s still worth studying the trends in the place you’d like to live. Are businesses attracted to it? Is there growth? One of the most important details is transportation. Not everyone has a vehicle, especially in a city setting. If you can find a location that has an active and reliable transit system, it’s not only convenient — it’s also helpful to the environment.

Another point to consider is easy access to fresh fruit and vegetables. A recent study by Food Trust shows that cities with easier access to fresh fruits and veggies have up to 20% lower obesity rates. So having that access is important, along with access to restaurants.

In this fast-paced internet world, wi-fi access is also extremely important, especially as so many workers transition to working from home. In cities, it’s easy to connect to a fiber optic network because more cable companies offer that option. If you’re working from home, one of the best tips for finding an apartment is knowing that you have reliable online access. If you’re moving into a larger development, your choices here might be limited if the property owner already has a long-term contract with an internet provider.

For those who would prefer an apartment complex, perhaps for the sake of security, some other factors might come into play. For instance, having a secure place to store your vehicle can be important. It can save you money as you’re shopping around for car insurance.

Check with potential rentals to find out if they provide residential garage door openers so you can drive directly into the garage and close it behind you. That way, you can access the dwelling from the garage. Even if there’s no garage, if your potential rental apartment can offer guaranteed parking, that’s an advantage. Having to park in the city without a space dedicated to you is a non-starter to potential tenants.

As a renter, this is a great opportunity to have easy access to a pool without having to maintain one yourself. Just be sure that it is professionally maintained by employees of your complex.

Another factor to consider is access for those who are disabled or are senior citizens. Not only does that mean handicapped parking zones for the facility. One of the tips for finding an apartment that are optimal for physical limitations is ensuring that you or your roommate can access everything that’s needed. That means being able to reach all the amenities outside the building — and inside. Is there wheelchair accessibility in the actual apartment? Be sure to consider the apartment’s compliance to the Americans with Disabilities Act in this case.

If you’re moving with your family, you’ll want to consider an area that has areas for play or perhaps even daycare services nearby, if not on the premises. Your apartment doesn’t need to have a playground built in — location factors in again here. When searching for your ideal apartment, one of the most family-friendly tips for finding an apartment that there is is to look for nearby parks and recreation, especially if it involves a nature setting.

You’ll also want to keep the quality of the school districts in mind if you have school-age children. Several real-estate listing sites also provide information about nearby districts and you can also do your own research.

Here’s one of those fiscal tips for finding an apartment — think about your short- and long-term plan. Are you moving to take a job that’s on a contract basis? Are you trying to move closer to family? If you’re not planning to stay at the location for a long time, avoid a multi-year lease. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself paying a steep fee to get out of the plan. Your plans can always change of course, but if you start out intending to move to a city for a year and stay for a longer time, it’s much more friendly to your wallet to swing that.

Four-Legged Friendly?

One of the best tips for finding an apartment that can save you a lot of trouble is to make sure you’re aware of its pet policy. Some renters are very strict about pet access, or will only consider animals that don’t have fur because it can be difficult to clean out pet dander. Any trace of pet hair is a turn-off for those who are allergic to pets. That’s why some renters won’t allow certain sizes and breeds of dogs (if they shed too much).

If you have an aquarium or terrarium, that still counts and some landlords have concerns about those enclosed animals as well, especially if damage to enclosures might cause permanent issues within the apartment.

Be upfront with the person renting the apartment. It might be a little more difficult to find an ideal place if you’re bringing a four-legged friend with you, but the last thing you want to do is neglect to mention your pet. If you sign a lease and then it’s revealed that you’ve broken one of the rules, it could cost you big. There are plenty of websites and real estate agents that can help you find a place that will fit your pet’s needs.

If the landlord or property owner would be willing to accept pet insurance, that’s a great way to cover you and your pet. Not only does it help cover damage to the apartment, it also helps you pay for any potential animal bites. Overall, it allows you to cover health care costs associated with your dog or cat, which is worth the expense whether you’re renting an apartment or not.

Building owner? Tips for Attracting the Right Tenant

Maybe you’re trying to ensure that the right tenant finds you as an apartment building owner. There are some tools to employ from this perspective as well.

Knowing that so many people search online for rentals, the owner might consider an advertising company that provides SEO services. That stands for search engine optimization and the proper use of it can push your listing higher up on an internet search. This is important because studies have shown that landing on the first page of internet searches can be enough to grab customers’ attention because they rarely go beyond that. So investing in this strategy can attract renters. This isn’t so much one of the tips for finding an apartment as it is a tip for making it more likely that you are found!

When potential renters find you online, it’s a great idea to have an intuitive website that users can easily navigate and use to contact you. Website design is hard work, though — it might be worth it to hire a professional if you’re not comfortable with building a website.

As a building owner, it’s also important to maintain your property so it’s attractive to renters. It’s important to keep your building up-to-date and to have all the necessary paperwork up to date. It’s also a good idea to do a safety sweep to make sure your structure is sound, from the basement to the roofing.

As mentioned, access to a pool is a positive for some renters. Be prepared to demonstrate that the pool is regularly maintained. It’s a good idea to hire a company that specializes in professionally handling a pool opening and closing for each season.

One of the most common tips for finding an apartment among tenants is to find a place where utilities are considered in the rent. That’s an attractive feature, especially for potential renters who are on a budget. It’s easier to provide this benefit in a larger complex.

When potential tenants are considering a new apartment, it’s vital that they have confidence in the property manager or landlord. It’s important to monitor social media reviews of your properties because so much of online searching happens online. Another great idea is to try to be present when a tenant visits for a tour so that you can answer questions and assuage any potential concerns.

Conclusion

In closing, one of the best tips for finding an apartment that will help you through the entire process is ensuring your finances are in shape, and that you are renting something you can afford.

Also consider researching renters insurance, which can cover you from fire, vandalism, and damage done from a neighboring structure. Renters insurance can even help you cover damage done by visitors and medical costs incurred from someone who is injured during a visit to your apartment. Then, once you find the best location that works for your price range and features the accommodations that are important to you, you’ll land in the most comfortable place for you that’s within city limits.

How to Maintain a Beautiful Yard if You Live in the City

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Landscaping is the idea of making a piece of natural land look its best, and this is broadly split into two concepts: greenery (planting trees, shrubs, and flowers) and hardscaping, or adding water features like swimming pools, a wooden deck, a garden shed, and the like. Both routes can make your front and back yard (regardless of their size) look great, and you may be wondering: how to beautify a yard in the city? After all, if you live within city limits, your front and back yard will probably not be the expansive lawns of a rural home, but you can still get some landscaping done all the same. When you look up “how to beautify a yard in the city”, you will find all kinds of ideas that can suit a yard of any size or in any climate, and there is no shortage of references out there, both in print and online. You may soon go from asking “how to beautify a yard in the city?” to having a lawn that is the envy of the entire neighborhood.

Get Ideas Down

Investing in landscaping is going to be a bit costly, and even if your intended landscaping ideas are on the modest side, it is a good idea to write down your ideas and get your hands on some references before any of the hard work is done. In many ways, landscaping is similar to interior remodeling, and when you look up “how to beautify a yard in the city”, this process may feel similar to something like “how to remodel my kitchen.”

The budget is a good place to start; you don’t want to bankrupt yourself doing this and end up not having grocery money. The Department of Homeland Security suggests that you have at least 72 hours’ worth of food for each family member, and during these difficult times of COVID-19, your budget might be a bit tight. But will this slow down your home improvement ideas? Draw up a budget, check your bank accounts, and see what the numbers say. Even if you can only afford a minor landscaping job, this can be a good investment, since a landscaped yard can impress home buyers when you put your property up for sale later on. Studies say that investing a modest 5% of your property’s value in landscaping can yield a ROI (return on investment) as high as 150%, similar to how interior remodeling can boost your property’s value. Spending some money now can pay off later, and a landscaped yard may prompt some home buyers to make offers pretty quickly.

Assuming your budget is all set, there is another step to take before hiring landscapers to remake your property: getting some references. If you are new to this, you are no doubt wondering how to beautify a yard in the city, given the limited size of your yard and the close proximity of your neighbors. But as mentioned earlier, there are plenty of references, since you are far from the first person to wonder how to beautify a yard in the city (or anywhere else). Check out some magazines on the topic, and find websites such as Pinterest, where other homeowners like to show off their own home remodeling and landscaping to give other guests ideas. You can take note of any styles or ideas you like, and combine and rearrange them to suit your own tastes and budget. This is also a fine way to note current trends in landscaping, to impress guests and make your property look trendy. Once you have drawn up a precise image of what your landscaped property will look like and how much it will cost, it is time to quit wondering how to beautify a yard in the city and get the real work done. You’re ready for a transformed and beautiful yard.

Install a Water Feature

When it comes to front or backyard landscaping, you will want to factor in the weather, mainly for plants and water features. If you live in a dry region such as Arizona, the water might evaporate too fast, and in cold states like Maine and Montana, it might not be worth the constant threat of freezing. Otherwise, if your area’s climate permits it, try adding some nice water features to the yard. Looking up “how to beautify a yard in the city” is bound to include images of koi ponds, fountains of all sizes, and even a swimming pool. Not everyone can afford a pool in their yard, but if you can, and the weather is often suitable for swimming, give it some serious thought. This form of hardscaping gives you a 24/7 place for cardio, since swimming is a great workout for burning calories (and it works out all muscle groups). And it’s plain old fun, too. A backyard pool will definitely catch the eye of home buyers.

The same may be true of a few fountains and birdbaths, which can elegantly complement a garden. Birds are an important part of a healthy garden, along with bees and spiders, and they will want a birdbath where they can cool off and get clean.

Consult With a Pro

When you are wondering how to beautify a yard in the city, you can turn to professional help as well as Pinterest and magazines. You don’t have to design the backyard all by yourself if you can’t or don’t want to; a residential landscaper can be a great reference too, and these experts will know what sort of plants, hardscaping features, and patios/decks work well with your yard’s size, your budget, and the local climate. This helps you avoid installing a patio that ends up sinking, or planting plants that suffer from the weather. After all, interior remodeling jobs often involve consulting architects and interior design experts, so you can do the same if you are not sure what a properly (and practically) remodeled yard should look like.

Take Care Of Your Trees

Trees are easy to take for granted, since they are huge, solid, and never move. In fact, sometimes you might not even think of them as alive. But trees need proper care too, and having a few of them in your front and back yard is a great idea for many reasons. For one thing, looking up “how to beautify a yard in the city” may show you some lovely trees, from blossom trees to evergreens to oak trees, and these trees can help shade a garden from strong summer sunlight and even bear fruit, if they are the right species. A tree is a natural air filter, like shrubs, and it can reduce CO2 and dust in the air and act as a windbreak (which helps block freezing winds from hitting your house during winter). These trees can also shade your home in summer and cool it down.

Tree pruning is a topic to take seriously, as a tree may need some twigs or small branches clipped off to make the whole plant healthier. Be sure to consult gardening experts and arborists, so you know what problems to look out for in your trees and how to handle them. Also, you may consider having bark dust or mulch placed around your tree, to help block weed growth and prevent the soil from drying out too fast. If your tree is sturdy enough, you can even add fun features like a rope swing set or a treehouse, too. Some treehouses can be downright impressive.

Invest In Regular Lawn Maintenance

When you have some shrubs, trees, and flowers planted, these plants will need some regular care, and the same is true of the grass, too. A neglected yard will soon become unhealthy and look bad, but taking care of it is no trouble at all. Regular lawn maintenance like mowing is easy to figure out, and if you live in the city, it’s probably best to get a push lawnmower rather than spend a lot on a riding lawnmower. Also, be sure to look up how and when to prune your shrubs, rose gardens, and trees to keep those plants healthy and looking their best. You have probably seen people in TV and movies standing there in their yard, trimming the shrubs with those shears to make a smooth surface of greenery. You can do that too, and you should also be sure to pull weeds from your garden. If you’re wondering how to beautify a yard in the city even after the landscaping work is done, here is the answer. A gorgeous yard must be maintained regularly, but the effort is worth it.

Think About the View

This is a simple but helpful topic to explore: sliding patio doors. You will enjoy getting a full view of that gorgeous lawn of yours if you own a set of sliding glass doors, as opposed to a wooden door, and that sliding door should be in good shape. Be sure to regularly clean the glass and perform maintenance to keep the door sliding smoothly, and if you don’t have such a door, you may consider hiring experts who can install one. As for home security, be sure to have a light or two that will illuminate your back porch and have a lock on that door, so no one can easily break into your home via the glass door. Glass doors look great, but they aren’t the most secure door type, necessarily. Having a fence for your backyard can also reduce the odds of forced entry.

Consider Hardscaping

This topic was mentioned earlier, and now it is time to discuss it in more detail. Hardscaping refers to most landscaping types that don’t involve plants, and hardscaping can both make your yard look nice, and make it more functional, too. Having paving stones put down, for example, is a great way to complete your garden, and you can make a trail of them that leads from your back door to the garden, and all the way through it. Or, you can put down stepping stones directly on the grass to make a trail with ease, and you can just as easily pick up and relocate those stones. Such stones can be round, square, or any other shape.

Meanwhile, consider having your fence fixed or replaced, or have one installed if there is none. When it comes to how to beautify a yard in the city, a painted fence will look wonderful, and double as a line of security. A tall, sturdy fence will block unwanted strangers, stray dogs, and some forms of wildlife, and you must make sure there are no holes in the fence itself. Some fences are chain-link, since they are inexpensive and you can see through them. If you want added privacy, invest in a wooden fence, which blocks strangers from looking into the yard. Just be sure to install a gate if need be, such as adding a gate near your garage so you can walk from the driveway to your yard. Consider having a lock on that gate, too. One note: a wooden fence has support beams on one side, often forming a shallow Z shape, and it’s important that this side is facing inwards, not outwards. Those support beams would make for good climbing surfaces otherwise, and you don’t want that.

Pest Control

It can’t be helped; some wild animals will sneak into your yard and try to eat things or break things, and you must know what to do in response. For example, imagine your new vegetable patch getting raided regularly by rabbits and raccoons, or squirrels attacking the bird feeder. Worse yet, gophers can tunnel right under a fence and ransack your vegetable garden. It may be messy or even illegal to try and kill these animals, but you can invest in other methods of pest control. A good line of defense is to set up chicken wire fencing around your garden, supported by wooden rod and braces, to block raccoons and rabbits from reaching your vegetables at all. You might even put a roof on the fence to block them completely, with a hatch so you can access your own garden. As for gophers, you can install underground wire meshes that block these tunneling rodents, or set up sound-emitting speakers down there that scare them away.

As for weeds, as mentioned earlier, you can simply pull them out of your garden when they appear. This will be a never-ending necessity, but it’s worth it to keep your garden in good shape. Pulling weeds can become a weekly activity for your garden’s sake.

Investing in landscaping will take some work, but it can be done, and with the assistance of some experts, your front and back yard will become beautiful spaces that are fun and relaxing to spend time in during fair weather.