Avoid Becoming a Victim of Lawn Care Scams

 

By John Egan

 

Five consumers in the Topeka, Kansas, area recently yielded to high-pressure sales tactics from a local lawn care service and paid the price. Now, the lawn care service has been ordered to refund more than $78,000 to the five consumers, all of whom are elderly.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says T’s Lawn Service of Topeka engaged in “deceptive and unconscionable practices” through advertising and door-to-door solicitation of home improvement services, such as lawn care and tree trimming.

In a lawsuit, Schmidt accused T’s Lawn Service of failing to disclose the total cost of services before completing the transactions and committing other violations under the state’s consumer protection law. In February 2016, a Kansas judge agreed with Schmidt and demanded that T’s Lawn Service refund the money paid by the five consumers who were bilked.

 

Be Smart, Be Wary

 

The Kansas case offers a wake-up call for lawn care customers. While the majority of lawn care providers are upstanding and trustworthy, consumers must be on the lookout for scammers who want to take their money and offer little or nothing in return. The police department in Amarillo, Texas, warns that elderly people frequently are the targets of lawn care scammers.

 

“It’s important to take the same amount of care finding a business to perform work outside your home as you do when you’re preparing to remodel,” says Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. “Always be sure you know who you’re dealing with.”

 

The Better Business Bureau warns consumers to be especially careful when dealing with lawn care providers who solicit door-to-door. Far too often, the bureau says, shoddy or incomplete work is performed, and then the lawn care provider vanishes.

 

Ask Around

Before and during lawn-mowing season, business cards and brochures for lawn care providers pop up in the mailboxes or on the doors of homes. But, the Better Business Bureau advises, a fancy business card or brochure is no guarantee that you’ll be happy with the provider’s work.

 

“A better predictor of your satisfaction is your friends’ and neighbors’ experiences with a company,” the bureau says. “Ask around. Find out what lawn services are used in your neighborhood and how happy they have made their clients. If you see them at work on your neighbors’ yards, watch carefully and note what sort of job they do.”

 

Ask Questions

If you are inclined to do business with a door-to-door solicitor, be sure to ask these four questions.

1. How long have you been in business?

If a business has been around for, say, 10 years, chances are it’s reliable. But a lawn care provider that says been around for just a month should raise suspicions, as the provider might be engaging in a fly-by-night scam.

2. Is your company a member of a professional lawn care group?

The National Association of Landscape Professionals recommends considering a lawn care company that’s licensed, accredited or certified by a national, state or local association. The association points out that some state laws require lawn care providers to be licensed, so inquire about that as well. Also find out whether the company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

3. Are you insured?

At a minimum, a lawn care provider you do business with should carry general liability insurance in case something goes wrong on your property.

4. How does your lawn care contract work?

Before a lawn care business cuts one blade of grass and before you pay a single penny, you and the provider should have ironed out a written, signed contract or plan. Details should include a description of the work to be done, the timetable, the cost and the payment terms, the National Association of Landscape Professionals says.

 

Steer Clear of Trouble

“If you fail to do your homework, you could end up with a substandard job and unwanted charges on your credit card,” says Paulette Scarpetti, president of the Better Business Bureau of Connecticut. “If a lawn maintenance contractor doesn’t do the job properly, you can end up with problems that will cost more money to fix.”

John Egan is editor in chief at LawnStarter, which enables people to find, schedule, pay for and manage lawn care services.

Follow John Egan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnJEgan

We at Pinnacle Lawns, LLC take pride in our service, our lawn professionals and most importantly, we take pride in making sure that our customers are 100% satisfied.  Feel Free to ask around.

CALL TODAY to have one of our Lawn Care Specialists provide you with a free Lawn Analysis

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Lawn Care and Fertilizer Tips to Create a Great Lawn

By Stephanie Arwine

One of the things homeowners take the most pride in is a great-looking lawn. It can be time-consuming and frustrating, but with persistence, you can keep your lawn looking beautiful. Here are a few lawn care tips.

Begin by raking up leaves and cleaning up all debris. If there are high or low spots in the yard, level them. This will give your lawn a much more lush and uniform appearance–it levels the playing field, so to speak.

Use a good grade of topsoil to fill any holes, since you want your grass to have the best medium possible in which to grow. If the yard has bumps, cut an X in the rise and then peel the sod back. Using a garden trowel, scoop out enough soil to level the area, and then push the sod back into place. Tamp the sod down firmly, to bring the roots into good contact with the soil, and then give the area a good soaking to promote root growth.

If you find bare spots, you’ll need to add grass seed. Make sure that the new seed will be tolerant of your area’s weather conditions, and also for the particular spot where you’ll be planting it. Some grass seed is tolerant of a fair amount of shade, for instance, while other seed needs full sun. Also take into account how much traffic the area will be getting, because some grasses are less tolerant than others of being walked or played on.

To maintain a lush, green yard, you’ll probably need to water it at times. When you do, water it deeply early in the morning, so the water will soak down to the roots and not just be evaporated into the air or merely wet the surface, causing shallow root growth. You want your grass to have deep, healthy roots.

When you mow the lawn, never cut off more than a third of the blades, and make sure your mower’s blade is sharp. For photosynthesis, grass needs an adequate blade surface area and if you remove too much, your lawn will be susceptible to disease.

Most of all, keep a close eye on your lawn’s health through regular inspection. There’s an adage that says, “The best fertilizer for a piece of property is the footsteps of its owner.” That’s certainly true of a vibrant, healthy lawn. Look for trouble spots, learn to recognize problems, and address them immediately when you find them.

This article brought to you by Stephanie Arwine

Pinnacle Lawns, LLC has the professionally trained staff with the experience to create green, lush and weed free lawn. One that you and your family will be proud of.

Call today for your FREE lawn analysis.

 

 

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1. Lawn Care Basic Tips
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Tree Care: How to Care for your Trees

How to Care for Trees 

Newly planted trees – those planted within the past three years – require regular water and care to thrive. Failing to do so can result in your tree not reaching its full potential size, as well as making it vulnerable to pests and disease or death.

Follow these simple, time-saving steps to properly care for your tree:

Water, Mulch and Protect

Ensure your tree receives 25 gallons of water per week, equal to 1.5 inches of rainfall.

• Prevent wasteful runoff by:
  • Turning on a hose on low for a half hour at the base of the tree.
  • Place a 5-gallon bucket with holes in the bottom at the base of the tree. Fill the bucket up five days a week.
  • Add a 25-gallon slow-release watering bag. Fill it up just once a week.
•  Read more tips on methods to water trees in hot summer months.

Mulch each season to keep the soil moist and to control weeds naturally.

• When mulching:
  • Use shredded bark or leaf compost.
  • Apply using the 3-3-3 rule: 3 inches of mulch in a 3-foot ring with a 3-inch space around the tree trunk.
  • Avoid volcano mulching.

Keep weed whackers, lawn mowers and wildlife clear from trees.

• Install a trunk guard at the base of the tree to keep its nutrient and water system from being cut. Trunk guards also protect trees from rodents and other small animals.
• Install deer fencing if necessary.

Pruning Tips

Tools

• Use clean, sharp tools.
• Sanitize your tools in between pruning different trees.

Cutting

• Always cut to a bud, lateral branch, or main trunk.
• Do not leave stubs.
• Use the three-cut method for large limbs which are more than two inches in diameter.
• When pruning back to a main stem or another branch, do not make a flush cut. Instead make a cut outside the raised branch collar. The collar contains chemicals that are a barrier against pathogens and help the tree form woundwood.
• Do not remove more than one-quarter of the living crown of a tree at one time. If it is necessary to remove more, do it over successive years.

Common myths

• Dress the wound. For most species, dressings can damage the formation of woundwood. The only benefit of wound dressings is to prevent introduction of pathogens in the specific cases of Dutch elm disease and oak wilt.
• When removing a branch from a tree, the final cut should be flush with the stem to optimize healing. First of all, trees don’t “heal,” they seal by compartmentalizing wounds and generating woundwood over the wounded area. Flush cutting removes the “branch collar,” creating a larger wound than if the branch were removed outside the collar. The spread of decay inside the tree is greater with flush cuts.
• Tree topping is the proper way to prune a tree. No. Tree topping is the most detrimental form of pruning. Topping a tree creates large wounds that allow rot and fungal decay to enter the tree. Topped trees are more likely to break apart in storms than trees that retain their natural shape.

Timing

• Anytime is the best time to remove broken, diseased, or damaged wood.
• Structural pruning is best done in the dormant season (roughly December to mid-March). When leaves are down from deciduous trees, you can see and evaluate the tree’s structure.
• For some trees that flower in early spring, pruning is best after flowering; while other flowering species should be pruned in the dormant season to reduce the chance of transmitting disease. Contact Pinnacle Lawns, LLC for a free health evaluation of your trees.

 

RELATED ARTICLES:

1. Trees: How to Care for Trees in Winter
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       AND DON’T FORGET TO SHARE: 

Lawn Care: 5 Steps to Proper Lawn Care

Proper lawn care is a process and for you to have that great looking lawn you always wanted there are steps that you must first take. We have asked experienced lawn care professionals for their top lawn care steps and have collected their responses to help you along the way to having a yard you and your family can enjoy.  

Lawn Care: What are the essentials?

Lawn Care Service

 

Your lawn is a reflection of you and your home. That’s why lawn care service takes on even greater importance in the summertime, when you want a healthy, green lawn that can serve as a focal point for outdoor parties, backyard barbecues, yard games and gatherings with friends and family.

With these outdoor activities beckoning, it’s not uncommon to hear a homeowner ask, “What is the best lawn care service?”  

Lawn Care: Lawn Care Myths

Found this article from the Lawn Care Academy. Found it interesting and thought we would share it with you.  

Lawn Care: Winter Lawn Tips for a Better Spring

Winter Lawn Care Tips for a Better Spring

The winter is when you spend the least amount of time thinking of your lawn. Unless you live in an area that is relatively warm all year long, chances are you have put the lawn mower away and are ready for a few months of relaxation before you have to start the lawn maintenance routine again.

There are a few things you can do during even the harshest winter that can ensure a beautiful, lush yard once spring rolls around again.

Fertilizing in the Winter

Late fall or early winter are the best times to fertilize cool season grasses. Since the majority of the lawns in North America are made from these grasses, like Bermuda and bluegrass, it is a good bet your yard has a typical cool season blend.

Before the first freeze, give your lawn a thorough fertilizing to replace all of the nutrients that can be lost from the soil during the hot summer months. Once the weather turns cold, the fertilizer will remain in the soil and feed your lawn’s roots all winter long.

When spring comes your lawn will be full of healthy, lush, green grass that has been feeding on good fertilizer nutrients underneath the snow.

At Pinnacle Lawns, LLC, we specialize in taking care of your Lawn and Trees to make sure you landscaping is healthy all year round. Contact us today to schedule your free Lawn and Tree Maintenance Program designed specifically for your property.

RELATED ARTICLES:

 

1. Lawn Care: Quick and Easy guide to a Lush Lawn
2. Winter is Coming… Prepare your Lawn
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Lawn Care: Winter is Coming

The first thing you need to understand about winter: your lawn will feel its effects no matter how hard you try.

Winter’s snow, ice storms and harsh winds can do permanent damage to your lawn, but you can help lessen some of winter’s harshest effects on your yard and get it ready to thrive in spring by taking some steps to prepare your lawn for winter.

Take these preventative steps to help your lawn survive the season’s harsh elements.

Mow or Mold? You choose.

This tip is mainly for the northern states, where you may have to deal with extended wet weather and humidity: keep mowing your lawn so you keep the snow mold from living (on your lawn). Neglecting routine mowing could result in gray or pink spots. They’ll be small at first, showing up on your grass blades, but will likely spread if you’re not careful. The best way to play it safe is by ensuring your grass is properly mowed (learn more about proper mowing routines here).

Break the Wind

No, not the wind you’re thinking of… THIS kind of wind .  While it might look beautiful, having your garden thrash to the wind is only suitable for a Harlem Shake video. Looking for a simple solution? Wind breaks! And no, we’re not talking about the jacket, either.

Decide on what trees and shrubs you should use as wind breakers (and insulation) based on what trees work best in your area. Evergreen options include Colorado blue spruce, ponderosa pine and Oriental arborvitae, but you should always double check with a Pinnacle Lawn specialist on any additional suggestions. Make sure the number of rows of plants and trees amount to 2-3, and always estimate the mature height of your trees before deciding how far apart you should plant them.

We’re not kidding about the insulation benefits: Texas A&M University reports “23 percent savings when comparing homes landscaped with windbreaks and homes without them.”  You know wind breaks are serious business when a university writes about them! Placing wind breaks in the right area will result in a decreased risk of your garden contracting winter damage, mold, and you’ll have a cheaper electric bill as well –who could say no to a thicker wallet?

Don’t Leave the Leaves

Resorting to a city pickup for excess leaves would be the easy route, but they’ll end up burning those leaves and the hazardous chemicals they contain will end up polluting our air past federal health standards for air quality. So here’s the million-dollar question: how do you deal with excess leaves in a sustainable way?

Reuse them! Leaves provide much needed natural fertilization, but be careful because if you use too much you’ll end up suffocating your grass.

Through a process called “Grasscycling,” you can gather up your leaves and throw them in a leaf shredder, and follow that by sprinkling the leaves all around your yard to give your lawn all of the nutrients and micronutrients it needs. Everyone wins and you’ll help in keeping our sky blue!

Time for a Trim

Just like your hair, trees and shrubs need a cut as the winter weather comes. Why? More so than any other season, trees are vulnerable to the weather and pests during December. Wide temperature fluctuation and extremely low temperatures are the biggest culprits for tree stress, meaning your tree is more sensitive to things like frost cracks, sunscald, and winter burn. And while it’s dealing with all of those, pests and critters plan on making your tree their stomping ground.

The winter pounding will seem like it never ends, but proper fertilization and grooming will help keep your tree healthy well into spring. Pinnacle Lawns can also help with tree and shrub services catered to meet your tree’s every need, whether it’s overwintering insect control or targeted trunk injections

Bundle Up

You’ve probably got your thick clothes ready to rumble for the next polar vortex, but that’s not the kind of bundling we’re talking about. This year Pinnacle Lawns wants to make your winter prep a little easier: ice melt delivery (available only in select areas) includes a 50 lb. bucket of ice melt, a scoop and an additional 50 lb bag of ice melt for refills (which you’ll most certainly go through with all the snow coming in this year).

You’ll spend less time in the snow because we’ll deliver it right to your door. We know how much of a hassle driving is during the cold months and we want to make your property safer by clearing snow and ice effectively.

What are some other ways you plan to prep your lawn for the winter? Share your ideas on our Facebook page  with fellow Pinnacle Lawns’ customers!

RELATED ARTICLES:

1. Tree Care: 5 Things That Are Threatening Your Trees This Winter

2. Tree Care:4 Signs Your Tree Is In Need Of Fertilizer

3. Lawn Care: 12 tips for Fall to prepare you lawn for Spring

 

NWA – Time to Stand and Stare

Although this article was written by Susan Bisous, I found it oddly similar to a recent trip I took through the Boston Mountains via Scenic 7 and 71B.  Enjoy and please feel free to share your images of NWA in the Fall.

———————–

Finding the time to ‘stand and stare’. It seems like only last week I was lamenting the end of the summer holidays and somehow the children and I were trying to get back into the school routine of early mornings; bundling everyone into the car on time, usually while someone is carrying their shoes and someone else has a drooping backpack half-open with books threatening to make a bid for freedom. We’ve just about got organised, the daily drill has almost fully fallen back into place and now here we are eagerly looking forward to the two week autumn holiday known as les vacances de la Toussaint. 

Time flies, and as the days zip past, I sometimes feel we see little more than what is right in front of our noses, whether it’s the computer screen, the piles of paperwork, laundry (oh, the endless laundry with a large family), more paperwork or the garden that is crying out for some attention and a house that is bellowing ‘clean me’ even louder.

Earlier this week I had my eyes opened a little in a different direction. You know when you drive a terribly familiar route, one can lapse into auto-pilot, not even really seeing the  traffic, but lost in your own world and thoughts. I had a trip like that on Monday, driving home from school, with the car quiet and empty, just me and Evie, my constant companion. It’s not a long journey, just ten minutes or so, but it’s amply long enough for me to be alone with my thoughts which is something of a rarity in my life. Ahead the road was blocked; a combine harvesting the corn had broken down and the few cars that used the road were being diverted. I was sent down narrow lanes I had never driven before and by and by I passed an old farmhouse unknown to me, just opposite was a field full of sheep, something of a rarity as we don’t see many around here. What’s more, they had recently been shorn, and with the sharp chill of the mornings this week I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them, thinking they must be feeling cold without their wooly jumpers to keep them warm. I was annoyed I had forgotten my camera; Monday mornings are even more rushed than normal as everyone seems to always get up a few minutes later after the weekend! I only had my phone but I stopped for a second, snapped away and promised myself I would come back.

Of course, one of the many things I love about writing this blog is that it has opened my eyes to so much around me, to places and views that before I would probably have passed with just a cursory glance. Now though, I find myself permanently on the look out for new things, and I imagine how they would appear to someone who doesn’t know the area, or perhaps to someone who has never visited France. Anyway, the next day I gulped my morning coffee, left my paperwork in a neat pile until I returned, hung the laundry on the line to appease some of my guilt, and then sneaked off for an hour or so to explore with my camera.

First I went back to photograph the sheep.

and then I turned around to an old unused barn behind me.

I seemed to see wood stacked in readiness wherever I roamed.

I drove down familiar and unfamiliar narrow streets

and I checked on some houses that I have watched being slowly renovated all year long

One particular building, below, has been a work in progress for what seems like forever, I found this photo I took when the builders first moved in.

It’s an important village house of some standing, originating from around 1750, and although it’s been a major restoration process it seems the end is nigh. I am still undecided about the red shutters though and I’d love to know what you think? Perhaps it’s because I am addicted to the more subtle tones of greys and blues.

I then I came across this archway on the outskirts of another village

Intrigued I parked and wandered inside, conscious that I was probably trespassing but keen to know more.

A little google research when I got home told me that what at first appears to be a ‘folly’ is actually a pigeonnier that once belonged to the L’abbaye de Montierneuf. Most of the ruins which date back to 1072, are situated on private property, scattered amongst the adjoining houses and after 20 years of restoration work are apparently soon to be opened to the public. The pigeonnier was classified as an historical monument in 1951 and the archway was registered as an historical monument in 1941.

Leaving behind the mysterious pigeonnier I went for a walk, the temperature was perfect, neither too hot nor too cold.

But as is my wont, I lingered a little too long. I should have been clock-watching as Millie came out early from school and so returning to the car I took what I thought would be a shortcut. It wasn’t! Furthermore I got distracted by this little chap who the moment I stopped came up to the fence to say hello. I felt so guilty I didn’t even have a mint for him, for I have never in my life met a horse or pony that doesn’t like mints, but I did give his face a good rub, entwining my fingers in his comical mane which stood straight up like a wire brush.

Of course I was late picking Millie up; fortunately, or unfortunately, this is a far too common occurrence and she was not in the least bit perturbed. With a scant amount of homework to do that day she was more than happy to come and do some further exploring with me and together we set off in the opposite direction to home, not knowing where we were going.

We found some ancient sandstone cliffs

and an old communal wash house, long since disused

and we skipped down a couple of narrow alleyways with great curiosity, never knowing where we would end up.

In the midst of nowhere we came across a modern barn, its south facing roof covered in solar panels, an increasingly common occurrence in rural France as farmers make ends meet. With grants, tax credits, interest-free loans and other benefits, solar power is a viable way to produce additional income, whether one uses some of the power for domestic use, or whether one sells it back to EDF (Électricité de France) for five times the amount you pay for your domestic units. It’s a win-win situation, apparently.

The next morning, I grabbed my camera before leaving with the children. No, we weren’t early enough to be able to stop and take photos, but I did hand it to Hetty, beside me in the front seat, and I gave her a thirty second crash-course in how to use it. We all knew the sun would blind us as we reached the brow of the hill and I slowed the car just a fraction (not much as, surprise surprise, we were on the verge of running late) and she clicked away through the windscreen as we raced on towards school.

By the time I had dropped them off and returned, the ‘light’ was mostly all over and the clouds were already closing in. Timing is everything!

I stopped and snapped away nonetheless. Not every day can have blue skies, and not every photo can have perfect light; but even without those attributes we can surely still appreciate what has stood for centuries, and what we take for granted is of course actually history, and there are so many scenes in France that could tell a thousand stories if only they could speak.

Halloween Week-end Reading List

Photo: Allen

Boo! Read these stories about the scariest weekend of the year while getting over your candy hangovers.

1. “I Was a Halloween Costume Model.” (Freddie Campion, GQ October 2015)

Looking to make a little extra money, our anonymous hero answered a Craigslist ad.

2. “The Husband Stitch.” (Carmen Maria Machado, Granta, October 2014)

A sexy, spooky take on the tale of the woman with a ribbon around her neck.

3. “Not That Kind of Ghoul.” (Wailin Wong, The Distance, October 2014)

In the midst of pop-up shops and online superstores, Fantasy Costumes in Chicago endures year-round.

4. “Monsters at the Door.” (Chris Randle, Hazlitt, August 2014)

Meet Emily Carroll, whose horror-laced comics are as stunning as they are scary.

5. “31 Fairly Obscure Literary Monsters.” (J.W. McCormack, Electric Literature, October 2014)

A detailed glossary of villains and weirdos and spooks.

6. “Why is Scaring People So Much Fun?” (Alana Massey, Pacific Standard, October 2015)

“It took until the end of the school year for me to come clean and apologize for fabricating the entire story of Jules, the doll-dwelling murdered girl.”