Lawn Sprinklers Repairs

Zoysia vs Bermuda Birmingham AL

When its time for new sod in Birmingham AL, Zoysia vs Bermuda is the great debate. We all want that lush, green, dense grass that makes you want to kick your shoes off and feel the soft carpet under your tootsies. In Birmingham, Alabama, where we live, there are fewer choices for which grass to install. The reason is Birmingham, AL has a climate with a wide swing between very hot and very cold. For that reason it normally comes down to Zoysia vs Bermuda for Birmingham AL lawn-lovers. Which grass is best in Birmingham, AL? The Zoysia vs Bermuda Continue Reading

HE VAN Nozzle by Rain Bird 2019

Attention to the Little Details for Everything We do HE VAN Nozzle by Rain Bird The Rain Bird HE VAN Nozzle reminds me of a conversation I had recently with a two-time Super Bowl Champion NFL coach. However, I won’t mention his name, because I didn’t ask him if I could. He and his wife are irrigation customers of Blue Sky Rain Sprinkler Specialists and Landscape Lighting. We completed a renovation project on his irrigation and outdoor lighting in Birmingham, AL. During this time, I noticed he was kind, knowledgeable and easy to talk to, so I asked him if Continue Reading

Color Inspiration palette to do Daring Things from This Unique Source

Color Inspiration Palette to do Daring Things from This Unique Source The perfect color inspiration palette never eludes you, does it? When you decide to paint a room does it happen like this? You run to the paint store, pick one chip, get the paint mixed, purchase the paint, paint the room and voila! The perfect color. Probably not. If you’re anything like my wife and I, you select a fist full of paint chips, take them home and hold each up in the room in different light comparing them to other elements in the room. Study it for several Continue Reading

What to do about Chipmunks Chewing Wires in Your Sprinkler System

What to do about Chipmunks Chewing Wires in Your Sprinkler System They are cute and fun to watch until you see them picking irrigation wire out of their little teeth! Chipmunks chewing wires can wreak havoc on your sprinkler system. I wish I were kidding. Did you know that chipmunks chewing wires can do some serious damage to your sprinkler system. They tunnel into irrigation valve boxes in your landscape and chew on the wiring causing parts or all of your sprinkler system to short out and not function. Re-wiring a sprinkler system in the wake of chipmunks chewing wires Continue Reading

Amazing Flower Combinations That Will Make You Smile

When I met my wife I knew we were a match, but when I found her amazing flower combinations in the yard, I was sure of it! How excited I was to discover that we both love gardening. But I soon found out that I wasn’t a gardener. I found that out from her. I had formal training in professional landscaping and irrigation systems and my wife is self-taught from hours and hours of reading books, magazines and plant tags at the nursery. Her studies plus her years of what she calls “experimental gardening,” sometimes trumps my training and experience. Her Continue Reading

When you see Rachio WiFi controller tested you may quickly want one

This is What Happened with my Rachio WiFi Controller Test If you want to know does it work and do we like it, the Rachio Wifi Controller trial season was a success. The Rachio WiFi controller is rich with features that work well and the support staff at Rachio is excellent responding to questions through email or a phone call within a couple hours. If you are more comfortable using a smartphone than your irrigation controller, this system will simplify your irrigation needs. If you get lost on your smartphone, you could easily get lost using a WiFi irrigation controller as Continue Reading

How to Spotlight Top Sprinkler System Repairs You Want This Year

With all that you already need to know to properly care for your home; your sprinkler system repairs are not giving you any breaks. (Pun intended.) Lack of knowledge is like cutting through a ranch on foot and not knowing where the cow pies are along the way. We’re here to expose the truth about irrigation. With a little extra sprinkle of sprinkler knowledge and the right irrigation service company around when you need them, your system can make your plants and lawn flourish becoming the perfect backdrop to your outdoor family enjoyment. To help you avoid the pitfalls, we’ve identified Continue Reading

Top Lightning Strike Damage Secret That Will Make You Gasp

You woke up this morning and your wife asked you, “Did you hear that powerful storm last night?” Oddly, you did not, but you look out the window to assess the fallen leaves and stuff in your yard only to notice that your neighbor’s tree was the sad victim of limb-shattering lightning strike damage. Is your first thought “A” or “B”? A. I’m so sorry for my neighbor. B. I’m so glad that wasn’t our tree. No need to confess your answer to me, but even if your neighbor’s tree was struck and not yours, you still may be in Continue Reading

Top 5 Garden Tips and Tricks To Do In February

Finally! Beautiful, warm, sunny days in the forecast, which makes February in Birmingham, AL a great time to get a jump start on garden tips and tricks in your landscape. Some weekends are better than others, but when it’s sunny and 55 degrees or warmer, I can’t wait to get out into my yard and start planning for Spring as well as getting a few things done that will make Spring and Summer that much better in my yard. Just think of it as the perfect time to work outside in the air conditioning! Garden Tips and Tricks Number Continue Reading

Gardening Dates Guaranteed to Make Your Marriage Bloom

I overheard my wife speaking with one of her friends about a book we both read before we got married called, “His Needs Her Needs,” by Willard F. Harley, (great book.) Her friend’s reply was, “you could write your own book on marriage.” My wife was thrilled to get this feedback from her BFF and I happy for such a nice compliment too. One of the premises of the book is to fulfill each other’s needs in five categories and one of those is “recreational.” My wife and I share several hobbies and one of our most rewarding is gardening. Continue Reading