What Does Toni Have To Say?

As you can tell from reading my former blogs, I really like trees.  One "problem" with trees is they create a lot of shade.  Having shade in your yard is GOOD for your electric bill and great for relaxing away from the hot sun, but it can make it difficult to have a lot of blooming flowers.

Several years ago, I went to visit a friend who had a very shady backyard.  All along her fence she had these tall bushes (15') with these beautiful blue flowers.  Each flower was a little smaller than a baseball.  She told me that the plants were called Rose of Sharon.  Since I had just bought a home in Hoover Alabama, with nothing but 2 large trees in the backyard, I was looking for something that would flower in the shade. I went to a big box and bought two of them.  One I placed in front of my living room window and the other I placed in the back corner of the yard.  They were only 2' at time.

When they started to flower, they were not blue.  They were a pearly white with a maroon center - really pretty.  I did some research and found out they were a plant called Althea (not the Rose of Sharon as the label had said).  They also grow very well in the shade and are quite a treat.  The plant in the back corner is now well over 15' tall and makes a nice privacy shield between the next door neighbor and me, and also gives a view of plenty of beautiful flowers for both of us.  The plant next to the living room window is not quite as tall (the ground in very hard clay) but it has beautiful flowers as well.

If you have a shady spot and want something that flowers, I would recommend the Althea for several months of summertime blooms.

Looking for tips on fixing your house up to sell in Hoover Alabama or the greater Birmingham Area?  I can help.  Contact me at www.tonibird.com.

Yes, Summer is here!  Temperatures in the 90's, and the humidity makes it feel like over 100!  Those plants - such as petunia - that looked so good in May, have to be watered constantly, and even then are beginning to look really tired out. So what about Curb Appeal!!  I think Lantanas are a wonderful choice for our hot summers.  They come in several colors: bright golden yellow, yellow and orange blends and lavender.  The golden variety is a perennial and will come back next summer (not in the spring for those of us who tend to be impatient).

 I put some in my hanging baskets this year (on the west side that gets the late afternoon sun). You know how tough hanging baskets are on plants.  Well these have held up well and although they need to be watered daily in the hot sun, still look great.  

Are you ready to Sell A Home in Hoover, Alabama?  If so, plant some lantana for great curb appeal.

If you'd like informartion about Homes for Sale in the Greater Birmingham area, visit my website at www.ToniBird.com. From there you can search the MLS and find information on ALL properties for sale in this great city.

Stay cool.

Home sales in the Hoover, Alabama ticked up slightly with 111 homes closing in the month of May - up from 100 in both April and March.

In the Hoover Alabama area, the average salesprice was $285,423 with prices ranging from $56,000 for a 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath at the Four Seasons Condos off of Lorna Rd., to $599,900 for a 4 Bedroom, 3.5 Bath home on 4 acres in Grand Oaks which is a new subdivision off of South Shades Crest Rd. Forty Four closed sales were new construction. Currently there are 949 homes on the market which represents an 8.46 month supply.

If you would like any specific information about YOUR neighborhood, or to sign up for Hot Breaking News on New Listings, contact me at www.ToniBird.com.

It is no secret I love trees.  I cried when they started cutting down the trees to widen HWY 150 in Hoover.  Do you remember how the trees used to make a canopy over the road by the Lake Crest subdivision?  It was always 5 degrees cooler when you passed under those trees - not the 100+ temps we drive in now!

The benefits of trees are endless. I have two large trees is my backyard.  One is a cottonwood that gives me the worst case of sinus in the spring - but the tree isn't going anywhere!!

I was walking from my car to Rhodes Park last month to attend the Do Dah Day Festival.  Walking through the streets in Highland Park, we had to keep going up and down on the cracked sidewalk because the tree roots had pushed the sidewalks upward.  There was shade everywhere and it didn't seem to matter to anyone as those 100+ year old trees were more important than the sidewalks. Yes, it does cause you to have a little more personal responsibility so you don't trip over a crack but I think I can handle it!

Last year I had a home listed that had a large tree in the front yard.  The house was built in the ‘70s and the tree had pushed the sidewalk up.  Many people commented on it and a few even thought they would take the tree down, but a little dirt and a redirect on the sidewalk that was a straight shot from the street to the house would have made the entryway more attractive. There's so much fun stuff you can do with concrete these days. Colors can be mixed into it (integral concrete); acid staining can give an old world look; and stamping can give concrete the very realistic look of stone. A wider, meandering path instead of the straight shot to the front door would also have added to that curb appeal.

If you have landscape challenges caused by trees, and can't think of a solution, give a landscape architect a call.  They have lots of ideas and you can save those old trees that are such a benefit to all of us.

Thinking of selling you home in Hoover, Alabama or the greater Birmingham area, and want a realtor who will appreciate your old trees - contact me at www.ToniBird.com.

 I've mentioned before that Curb Appeal is critical to getting top dollar when Selling Your Home is Hoover, Alabama.  I know it is getting hot now that June is here and it's only going to get worse, but if your prospective buyers don't like the way the house looks on the outside, you won't get them past the driveway.

Have a sidewalk leading to the front door? "Soldiering" -- the act of running single plants or flowers in a file beside a sidewalk or driveway -- is "out of fashion." Why? Landscapers will tell you it looks odd and unnatural to have a single flower occurring by itself -- and nature doesn't work in strict rows, anyway.  It is better to plant grouping of flowers so they look like bouquets - this is more like how they occur in nature.  Rather than have one flower, you should plant in multiple odd numbers such as 3, 5 or seven plants together. Shrubs, annuals, perennials -- everything can work this way. The only time you should have one plants is if you want to highlight that plant or tree. To accommodate this, beds can often break from the linear mold, too, and be more rounded and shapely.

Want more landscaping advice - check out this article from Msn.com.  If you want advice about selling your home in Hoover Alabama or the Greater Birmingham area, contact me at www.ToniBird.com.