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Gardening Ideas for Summer

Late April showers are bringing in May flowers but this summer gardeners will need to focus their attentions on irrigation. It’s not too late to plant a few items for this summer but save the big planting plans for mid-October when the wetter weather begins to roll in.

1. Tropical Gardening - Hot summer weather is a perfect climate for growing sub-tropic plants like hibiscus and bougainvilleas. A little water to get them started and they become very tolerant of dry spells.
2. Citrus Fruit - Now is still a good time to plant citrus fruit. In super hot areas, whitewash bare trunks with thinned latex paint (50:50 with water) to protect bark from the scalding sun. Save on watering and fertilize less often by letting fallen leaves remain on the ground.
3. Too Late for Drought Resisters - Due to little rain this winter and rumblings of a drought this summer, many are thinking of planting more drought resistant plants. Hold that thought and wait until fall to do any planting since even new drought resistant plants are temper mental about summer weather and need regular watering.
4. Mulch to Save Your Plants - Mulching with compost or wood chips makes for healthier plants throughout the summer. The mulch helps to cool the roots and conserve moisture. Use a heavy enough mulch to not blow away in the wind or float off with a little watering.
5. Summertime Veggies - Peppers and tomatoes are once again cream of the crop for summertime planting. Rule of thumb is to plant tomatoes deep, up to their first set of leaves because this plant will root all along the buried stem.
6. Floral Extravaganza - Have a multi-climate backyard? For sunny areas, try planting bedding dahlia, gloriosa daisy, marigold, petunia, verbena and zinnias. In the shady places, plant bedding begonias, coleus, impatiens, and forget-me-nots.

Ask any Realtor, a landscaped yard and blooming flowers add that special touch when trying to sell your home.

Real-Estate Investors Should Beware of Scams

Make a million dollars now! No money down! No-risk offer! Maybe you've heard these come-ons, or similar ones, offering you the chance to learn how to become a real-estate investing millionaire? One primary reason that real-estate investments attract newcomers is that debt is an accepted tool for doing business. Thus, you can get into the business with no money down. These high-volume, low-brow pitches are common from promoters of real estate investing seminars.

1. The first part usually is a goal-setting exercise.
2. The middle part gives some information about what could be done but not how to do it.
3. At the end, it all leads to having to take more expensive -- $3,000 to $5,000 -- seminars and boot camps to receive the actual hands-on experience you need, suggesting that if you didn’t take it, you would fail.

But not all real-estate investing seminars are a bad bet. Indeed, many will help you learn about the business of investing and can be a worthwhile place to start, experts say. How can you tell the good from the bad?

Savvy would-be investors should take their time developing their knowledge of the real-estate industry and shouldn't look to get rich overnight. The number of seminars offered to would-be real-estate investors has exploded along with the booming real-estate market. Public seminars may be fine for an introduction to investing, but clearly the business of real-estate investing can't be learned in just a few days. The skills it takes to be successful in real estate take years to accumulate, such as the skills of a Professional Realtor.

Some hints from the Federal Trade Commission:

1. Take your time.
2. Don’t be rushed into buying anything at a seminar.
3. Avoid high-pressure sales pitches that require you to buy now or risk losing out on the opportunity.

Remember, solid opportunities are not sold through nerve-racking tactics.