Monthly Newsletter From Your Friends at Cary Lawn

Landscaping For The Entire Family A good landscape can serve as a variety of purposes that range from functional to entertaining to keep every member in your house happy.

If you’re trying to figure out how to make your landscape family friendly, here are some ideas to get you going:

Room To Run Outdoor play space isn’t limited to old metal swing sets anymore. In addition to commercially designed playhouses and climbing gyms, you can also add a tree house, a “secret” fort and even an old-fashioned sand box. Remember that kids love to run, so simple open space complete with balls, bats and similar outdoor toys can often be all you need. Family Time Giving your family a place to gather outdoors is a great idea and there are several ways to do it. Decks and patios work, but you may also want to consider a pergola in the center of the yard atop a paved stone floor. Make sure there’s plenty of seating, especially if you’re going to entertain, and include favorite shade loving plants for a splash of color. Personal Space Scrapbooking isn’t the only way to preserve those precious memories. You can create a unique and attractive walkway from homemade stepping stones customized with personal mementos. Simply build your mold, pour in the concrete and start adding those one-of-a-kind accents as the concrete begins to cure. Things you can add? Handprints, footprints, seashells and colorful pebbles that give stepping stones some eye catching color. You can also have your kids write their names or draw a picture of something like a butterfly or airplane. Your Creative Corner If the handyman of the house has trouble finding a place to work, perhaps it’s time to build him one. A simple work shed can easily be customized with cork boards and shelves for convenient storage. Ample workspace will ensure that all those tools stay inside the shed instead of scattered around on the porch and in the garage. Fresh From The Garden Gardens aren’t just for grownups. Quite the contrary, gardening is an easy and fun way to get your kids involved in outdoor activities. One idea is to create a garden that is just for the kids, complete with favorite fruits and vegetables, as well as some well placed flowers to attract birds and butterflies. In fact, depending on your available space, there’s no rule that says you can’t have more than one garden, so don’t hesitate to mix it up so that everyone gets to plant their favorites. Tulips, pansies, violas and daffodils are great choices for spring and if you have big shady areas, try planting some bleeding heart.

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Inside this Issue:

Volume 3, Issue 3 March, 2009

Your Photo Goes Here

TM

James Thomas

Thought for the Month… Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us. ~ Dale Turner

Landscaping For the Entire Family Page 1

Thought for the Month Page 1

Take Medications With Water Page 2

A Bit of Laughter Page 2

Take the Trivia Challenge Page 2

Buying The Right Stuff Can Make You Happy Page 3

New Rule On Late Payments Page 3

Famous Birthdays Page 4

I’d Love To Hear From You!!

Whether you’d like to discuss your property or additional services or just want to email me just to say “Hi”, I’d

love to hear from you…

James Thomas Cary Lawn & Landscape Management

Cary, NC 27519 919-821-5566 ext 7501

919-869-2232 James.thomas@carylawncare.com

www.carylawncare.com

MEMBER: NC Nursery & Landscape Association

Going Green TM newsletter is published 12 times per year for valued clients and guests of Cary

Lawn & Landscape Management. For subscription information, please contact us by

phone, fax or e-mail per the above. Any portion of this newsletter may be reproduced or cited if full

contact information is listed.

(continued from Page 1) Dining “Out” Speaking of entertaining, if you plan to do any you might want to consider an outdoor “kitchen” to house your grill and cooking gear. The latest trend in landscaping is to bring the indoors “out” by creating outdoor rooms and the kitchen is a popular way to do that. Your outdoor kitchen can have running water, storage and of course seating in addition to the grill and plenty of counter space to prepare your meals. A Little Quiet Time Imagine finishing off your busy day at the office by relaxing and unwinding in your own private backyard retreat. Its not as difficult as you think. You can create a secluded spot with trees, tall plants and even some fencing. Add a few comfy lounge chairs and a trickling fountain and you’ve got yourself a “zenful” haven. This is also a great place for some aromatherapy so plant some fragrant blooms to appease all your senses. Want to talk about your landscaping issues? Give us a call – we’d love to help you find the perfect landscaping theme for your property.

Page 2 – March 2009 – Going Green

Take Medications With Water

Patients are advised to take their medications with a full glass of water. Cool water helps dissolve the pill, and cool water is emptied quickly into the stomach. There it can easily get into the bloodstream. Doctors at the University of Western Ontario found that grapefruit juice, orange juice, apple juice and apple products can diminish the absorption of anti-cancer drugs and some antibiotics.

A Bit of Laughter… Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served.

When little Logan received his plate, he started eating right away.

"Logan, wait until we say our prayer," his mother reminded him.

"I don't have to," the little boy replied.

"Of course you do," his mother insisted, "We say a prayer before eating at our house."

"That's at our house," Logan explained, "but this is Grandma's and she knows how to cook!"

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Do You Want To Win 2 Movie Tickets?

Take my trivia challenge and you could win! This is one of my favorite sections. Each month I’ll give you a new trivia question. The first person to call my office with the correct answer will win 2 movie tickets. Take your best guess, then call me at 919-821-5566. Here’s this month’s trivia challenge:

Q. Which U.S. state is nicknamed “Land of the Midnight Sun”?

A) Hawaii B) Montana C) Maine D) Alaska Call me right now with your answer! 919-821-5566

Congratulations to last month’s winner!

This is a new section. See next months issue.

Beauty and the Best was the first live stage production by Disney in 1994.

Landscaping Question Corner… Q. I’m thinking about a small container garden on my patio. What vegetables

would do well? A. Fortunately, there are plenty of edibles that do well in containers so you should

have no trouble finding several to suit your needs. Spinach, beans and peppers - both bell and jalapeno - are great choices for container gardens, as are broccoli, beets, cabbage and carrots.

Tomatoes grow very well in any container that’s at least 6 inches deep, however,

remember the bigger the pot, the bigger your plant (and its fruits) will be. In addition, any viney plant should have some sort of “stake” or cage to help support the weight of the branches. Different vegetables have different growth requirements so be sure to read the instructions on the back of your seed packet. Corn, for example, does better if sown directly into the soil, while tomato plants do well when transplanted from a smaller pot.

And don’t forget your herbs! They do wonderfully in containers!

Do You Have A Question You Want Answered? I love hearing from all my good friends and clients who enjoy reading my monthly letter. And I’m always looking to answer pressing questions you might have about anything relating to landscaping. If you have a question, please send us an email. Perhaps I’ll feature you in a future issue!

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Thanks to YOU our business is growing! There’s no better compliment we can receive than a positive referral from a valued client. We are truly grateful for the trust and con-fidence that so many of you have expressed. If you know a friend, neighbor, or family member who may be considering the services we offer, it would be the highest compliment to refer them to us. I’ll make sure they get extra special attention and care. Or, if there are any additional services that we may provide for you, please let us know. Instead of growing our business from the outside, we prefer to pay closer attention to our existing clients and their referrals.

Page 3 – March 2009 – Going Green TM

New Rule On Late Payments

The Federal Reserve has ruled that credit card companies must offer borrowers a reasonable amount of time to pay before charging a late fee. Some consumers complain that by the time they get the bill, they only have a few days to pay. If they're a day late, they are charged with a fee of up to $39.

Buying The Right Stuff Can Make You Happy

Super bargains are available right now on a lot of things that might be on your want list. But before making a big purchase, you should consider whether the item will make you happy for months and years ahead. Psychologists at Harvard say our greatest sources of happiness are our relationships with friends and family. Any significant purchase should take that into consideration. Home prices make buying a first home or upgrading to a larger place a qualifying choice. Be sure not to buy one in an upscale neighborhood for the sake of prestige. Think about travel time to work and how the location could decrease family time if it's too far away from work or schools. The price should not stress your budget, which could increase stress for all. Remodeling can be a good choice if it will have a positive effect on you and your family. A deck, for example, would create a gathering place for you, your family and friends. It could be a better choice than granite countertops. A new car creates excitement and could be recommended if your present car needs frequent repairs. During these times, however, it might not be best to buy a luxury car. Spend less and put more money into your savings or retirement plan. TV and appliances are on sale. The biggest price drop has been with plasma television sets, 17 percent on average, according to market researcher NPD group. If you can buy for cash, you and your family could solve your big-screen envy problem and enjoy watching TV specials and sports events together.

Banks Offering New Incentives

Many banks are looking for low-cost funding, according to bankrate.com. One credit union raised $15 million in two weeks by offering a nine-month CD yielding 5 percent interest. Some banks offer rewards for new checking and credit card accounts.

Page 4 – March 2009 – Going Green

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1939 High House Rd, Suite 190 Cary, NC 27519 Phone: 919-821-5566 Fax: 919-869-2232 Email: info@carylawncare.com

We’re On the Web! www.carylawncare.com

Famous Birthdays in March Does your birthday fall in March? Did you know you share it with some pretty famous people? Here’s a few names you might know with March birthdays: ♦ Roger Daltrey, 1944 ♦ Jessica Biel, 1982 ♦ Ed McMahon, 1923 ♦ Freddie Prinze, Jr., 1976 ♦ Mickey Gilley, 1936 ♦ Michael Caine, 1933 ♦ Gary Sinise, 1955 ♦ Queen Latifah, 1970 ♦ Keven Federline, 1978 ♦ Mariah Carey, 1970 ♦ Elle Macpherson, 1964 ♦ Celine Dion, 1968 ♦ Dee Snider, 1955

Happy Birthday!

What’s Inside… ⇒ Landscaping For The Whole Family

⇒ Take Medications With Water

⇒ What plants do well in containers? Find out in our Landscaping Question

Corner!

⇒ Take the trivia challenge and you could win a <<your prize here>>!

⇒ Are YOU our client of the month???

⇒ And More!!

TM

Free Spring Lawn Treat-ment with a referral