Giving Your Backyard a Summer Makeover
Summer is here! Nothing makes those times more satisfying than putting some work into your home’s landscaping and beautifying your garden. These makeover tips will help you create the backyard you’ve always wanted.
Upgrade your deck
Whether your deck is the focal point of your backyard or a space to stow your grill, a few simple touches can have it looking completely refreshed. By creating a seating area on one side of the deck, you’ll establish an inviting space for gatherings. If you barbecue on the deck, arrange your seating area on the opposite side to save room. Add in some colorful throw pillows and plants and you’ll have a hang-out spot in no time. Pergolas and patio umbrellas provide shade, protect against any summer rains, and help to add a large splash of color. For seating, durable, weatherproof chairs and bench seats with underneath storage are popular, functional options.
Improve Your Landscaping
Making improvements to your yard and garden can be hard work. Fortunately, putting in a handful of hours can make a huge impact. Before you know it, you’ll be wiping sweat from your brow and admiring the progress you’ve made on your backyard makeover.
Walkways can make a huge difference to your backyard’s aesthetic appeal. Design your walkway to be an extension of your home, creating a sense of flow from the house to the backyard. After you’ve picked your pavers, roll the path as flat as possible before setting them in. Decorate the pathway with potted plants and flowers to bring in color.
Backyards are also meant for relaxing. After taking care of the tough landscaping work, your backyard is just a few steps away from feeling like an oasis. Install a water feature or birdbath to bring serenity to the space and watch the neighborhood birds flock to it. Nothing says summer like lying in a hammock under the sun. String one up between two trees or look for hammocks that come with a stand and swing the sunny afternoons away.
Your backyard oasis would not be complete without a healthy, blooming garden. Here are some gardening tips for this month in areas around the Western U.S.
Pacific Northwest: Now is the time to plant gourds and cucumbers, deadhead any spring bulbs with spent blossoms, and begin to pick strawberries that have ripened.
Southwest: With typically hot days and cool nights, June in the Southwest is when you’ll want to be certain your irrigation systems are working properly. Mulching will help to preserve the moisture given off at night.
Northern California: Inspect your garden for insect pests and diseases before temperatures start to increase. To yield beautiful tomatoes later in the year, stake, mulch, and fertilize them now.
Southern California: As in the northern part of the state, be on the lookout for evidence of insects and fungal diseases in your garden. Roses, citrus, and avocado trees are primed and ready to be fertilized this month. Give your irrigation system a checkup before summer temperatures rise.
Mountain West: Warm days that give way to chilly nights make June the perfect time to plant vegetables like beans, corn, squash, and melons. Prune shrubs that have finished blooming.
Hawaii: June in Hawaii is peak harvest time for short-seasoned fruits like lychee, mango, and papaya. Plants that are ready to seed this month include tomatoes, marigolds, okra, and basil, among others.
I hope these ideas and information encourage you to make your backyard the best it can be. All of us here at Windermere hope you have a happy, relaxing summer.
Easy Grill Recipe: Ratatouille Skewers
It’s not easy to find a recipe for a grilled meal the whole family can enjoy. Fortunately, these Ratatouille Skewers are the perfect solution! Everyone can choose their personal favorite skewer combination for a tasty, healthy summer meal.
Ingredients
8-12 wooden skewers
2 medium-sized summer squash
2 red bell peppers
2 large tomatoes
1 large eggplant
1 large sweet onion
salt and pepper
Vinaigrette
2 cups of basil leaves
¾ cup olive oil
½ cup parsley leaves
¼ cup mint leaves
1 tbsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove
Instructions
Prep your vegetables by cutting them into roughly 2-inch pieces
Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes, preheat grill to medium-high (450°F)
Add the vinaigrette ingredients to a food processor and blend
Skewer the vegetables and add salt pepper, and vinaigrette
Grill uncovered, turning every 5 minutes until vegetables begin to char
Bon appétit!
Home Pricing Guide
Here are the average three-bedroom home sale prices in some of the neighborhoods served by Windermere. Data from September 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021.
Alameda
Alamo
Albany
Alpine
Anaheim
Antioch
Bakersfield
Baldwin Park
Beaumont
Berkeley
Big Bear
Big Bear Lake
Blackhawk
Brea
Brentwood
Burbank
Cardiff by the Sea
Carlsbad
Carmel Valley
Carson
Castro Valley
Cathedral City
Chino
Chino Hills
Chula Vista
Clayton
Cloverdale
Concord
Corona
Coronado
Costa Mesa
Covina
Dana Point
Danville
Davis
Del Mar
Desert Hot Springs
Diamond Bar
Discovery Bay
Dublin
El Cajon
El Cerrito
El Sobrante
Encinitas
Escondido
Fairfield
Fallbrook
$1,240,000
$1,611,000
$1,401,000
$690,000
$672,000
$492,000
$282,000
$554,000
$389,000
$1,503,000
$484,000
$587,000
$1,474,000
$811,000
$665,000
$1,052,000
$1,820,000
$1,025,000
$1,495,000
$602,000
$936,000
$421,000
$555,000
$774,000
$601,000
$849,000
$440,000
$687,000
$573,000
$2,016,000
$1,032,000
$647,000
$1,761,000
$1,281,000
$663,000
$2,059,000
$291,000
$728,000
$736,000
$1,005,000
$608,000
$1,141,000
$654,000
$1,446,000
$626,000
$573,000
$455,000
Folsom
Fresno
Fullerton
Gilroy
Granite Bay
Hacienda Heights
Hayward
Huntington Beach
Imperial Beach
Indian Wells
Indio
Irvine
La Canada
Flintridge
La Jolla
La Mesa
La Quinta
La Verne
Lafayette
Laguna Beach
Laguna Niguel
Lake Arrowhead
Lake Elsinore
Lakeside
Livermore
Lodi
Long Beach
Loomis
Manteca
Martinez
Merced
Modesto
Monterey
Moraga
Moreno Valley
Morgan Hill
Murrieta
Napa
National City
Northridge
Novato
Oakland
Oakley
Oceanside
Ontario
Orinda
Palm Desert
Palm Springs
$575,000
$406,000
$765,000
$814,000
$748,000
$669,000
$785,000
$1,137,000
$786,000
$944,000
$402,000
$1,020,000
$1,599,000
$2,060,000
$697,000
$683,000
$737,000
$1,469,000
$2,360,000
$1,026,000
$519,000
$407,000
$603,000
$867,000
$458,000
$858,000
$710,000
$456,000
$689,000
$280,000
$375,000
$1,190,000
$1,326,000
$394,000
$820,000
$480,000
$856,000
$532,000
$810,000
$689,000
$1,011,000
$536,000
$639,000
$478,000
$1,448,000
$608,000
$849,000
Palo Alto
Pasadena
Paso Robles
Piedmont
Pinole
Pleasant Hill
Pleasanton
Pomona
Poway
Rancho Bernardo
Rancho Cordova
Rancho Cucamonga
Rancho Mirage
Rancho Santa Fe
Redlands
Richmond
Riverside
Rocklin
Roseville
Rowland Heights
San Bernardino
San Clemente
San Diego
San Dimas
San Francisco
San Jose
San Leandro
San Lorenzo
San Mateo
San Ramon
Sacramento
Salinas
Santa Clara
Santa Rosa
Santee
Solana Beach
Sonoma
Spring Valley
Stockton
Temecula
Tustin
Vacaville
Vista
Walnut
Walnut Creek
Whittier
Yucca Valley
$2,738,000
$1,074,000
$598,000
$2,134,000
$643,000
$879,000
$1,175,000
$484,000
$741,000
$835,000
$408,000
$607,000
$760,000
$1,898,000
$534,000
$637,000
$515,000
$515,000
$499,000
$647,000
$351,000
$1,502,000
$820,000
$721,000
$1,517,000
$992,000
$803,000
$743,000
$1,680,000
$1,134,000
$434,000
$660,000
$1,374,000
$624,000
$609,000
$2,677,000
$950,000
$583,000
$364,000
$613,000
$893,000
$491,000
$638,000
$802,000
$1,181,000
$642,000
$306,000
Arvada
Aurora
Boulder
Castle Pines
Castle Rock
Centennial
Cherry Hills Village
$525,000
$411,000
$978,000
$646,000
$499,000
$493,000
$1,395,000
Denver
Englewood
Evergreen
Fort Collins
Golden
Greenwood Village
Highlands Ranch
$545,000
$480,000
$726,000
$466,000
$676,000
$947,000
$510,000
Lakewood
Littleton
Lone Tree
Parker
Thornton
Westminster
Windsor
$500,000
$515,000
$767,000
$511,000
$427,000
$439,000
$433,000
Big Island
Hilo
Kohala Coast
Kona
Puna
$403,000
$790,000
$1,000,000
$303,000
Maui
Haiku
Kahului
Kihei
Lahaina
Wailea/Makena
Wailuku
$1,124,000
$707,000
$1,007,000
$1,891,000
$3,410,000
$740,000
Boise
Caldwell
Coeur d’Alene
Eagle
Grangeville
$489,000
$332,000
$468,000
$806,000
$304,000
Hayden
Lewiston
Meridian
Moscow
Nampa
$581,000
$266,000
$465,000
$335,000
$379,000
Post Falls
$390,000
Sun Valley
Hailey
Ketchum
$519,000
$1,463,000
Bozeman
Hamilton
Helena
Missoula
$703,000
$263,000
$315,000
$397,000
Boulder City
Henderson
Las Vegas
North Las Vegas
$393,000
$369,000
$311,000
$297,000
Albany
Ashland
Astoria
Beaverton/
Sunset Corridor
Bend
Canby
Cannon Beach
Cascade Locks
Clatskanie
Corvallis
Cottage Grove
Creswell
Dallas
Eagle Point
Eugene
Florence
Gearhart
Gleneden Beach
Grants Pass
$334,000
$503,000
$409,000
$534,000
$633,000
$435,000
$1,223,000
$283,000
$334,000
$407,000
$330,000
$343,000
$440,000
$371,000
$397,000
$402,000
$557,000
$449,000
$391,000
Gresham
Happy Valley
Hermiston
Hillsboro
Hood River
Jacksonville
Klamath Falls
Lake Oswego
Lebanon
Lincoln City
Madras
McMinnville
Medford
Milton-Freewater
Molalla
Monmouth
Newberg
Newport/Seal Rock
$409,000
$559,000
$272,000
$447,000
$627,000
$528,000
$246,000
$783,000
$303,000
$448,000
$398,000
$415,000
$535,000
$232,000
$353,000
$371,000
$471,000
$452,000
Portland
North
Northeast
Southeast
West
$493,000
$513,000
$463,000
$634,000
Prineville
Redmond
Rogue River
St. Helens
Salem
Sandy
Scappoose
Springfield
Sunriver
The Dalles
Tigard
Tualatin
Warrenton
Wilsonville
$331,000
$425,000
$449,000
$328,000
$358,000
$388,000
$395,000
$358,000
$577,000
$329,000
$501,000
$480,000
$397,000
$479,000
Bountiful
Coalville
Layton
$399,000
$577,000
$377,000
Midvale
Orem
Park City
$501,000
$382,000
$1,400,000
Provo
Salt Lake City
West Valley City
$371,000
$527,000
$390,000
Aberdeen
Allyn
Anacortes
Arlington
Auburn
Bainbridge Island
Belfair
Bellevue
Bellingham
Bingen/
White Salmon
Birch Bay/Blaine
Bonney Lake
Bothell
Bremerton
Brinnon
Burien
Camano Island
Camas
Cathlamet
Centralia
Chelan
Chewelah
Clarkston
Cle Elum
Colville
Deer Park
DuPont
Edmonds
Ellensburg
Entiat
Enumclaw
Ephrata
Everett
Federal Way
Ferndale
Gig Harbor
Goldendale
Granite Falls
Issaquah
$233,000
$453,000
$631,000
$506,000
$474,000
$1,121,000
$383,000
$1,171,000
$565,000
$607,000
$498,000
$453,000
$681,000
$407,000
$372,000
$538,000
$611,000
$500,000
$368,000
$320,000
$681,000
$224,000
$239,000
$669,000
$242,000
$371,000
$412,000
$745,000
$413,000
$425,000
$492,000
$237,000
$512,000
$452,000
$482,000
$658,000
$309,000
$478,000
$910,000
Kelso
Kent
Kettle Falls
Kingston
Kirkland
Lake Forest Park
Lake Stevens
Lake Tapps
Lakewood
Leavenworth
Liberty Lake
Long Beach
Longview
Lopez Island
Lynden
Lynnwood
Maple Valley
Marysville
Mazama
Mercer Island
Mill Creek
Monroe
Moses Lake
Mount Vernon
MountLake Terrace
Mukilteo
Newcastle
Northport
Ocean Shores
Olympia
Omak/Okanogan
Orcas Island
Packwood
Port Angeles
Port Ludlow
Port Orchard
Port Townsend
Poulsbo
Prosser
$315,000
$499,000
$298,000
$633,000
$1,031,000
$697,000
$535,000
$747,000
$434,000
$798,000
$440,000
$286,000
$325,000
$915,000
$453,000
$604,000
$579,000
$456,000
$768,000
$1,540,000
$696,000
$558,000
$275,000
$482,000
$543,000
$779,000
$904,000
$128,000
$336,000
$463,000
$245,000
$957,000
$345,000
$382,000
$660,000
$433,000
$510,000
$543,000
$338,000
Pullman
Puyallup
Quincy
Redmond
Renton
Republic
Sammamish
$314,000
$430,000
$315,000
$974,000
$609,000
$225,000
$1,008,000
Seattle
North
Northwest
West
Downtown/Central
Southeast
$876,000
$999,000
$771,000
$1,192,000
$756,000
Sedro Woolley
Sequim
Shelton
Shoreline
Silverdale
Snohomish
Spokane
Spokane Valley
Stanwood
Stevenson
Sumner
Tacoma
Tri-Cities
Twisp
University Place
Vancouver
Vashon
Walla Walla
Wenatchee
Westport
Whidbey Island
Winthrop
Woodinville
Yakima
Yelm
$432,000
$476,000
$359,000
$682,000
$476,000
$645,000
$312,000
$331,000
$542,000
$516,000
$446,000
$414,000
$347,000
$465,000
$521,000
$437,000
$950,000
$354,000
$415,000
$331,000
$537,000
$559,000
$947,000
$326,000
$377,000
