Share Of Women In Construction At An All Time High

1. Shade the Sidewalk Consider placing a tree where it will shade the sidewalk to help create a pleasant environment and encourage walking and visiting among neighbors. Trees provide rain and sun protection, and temperature differentials of 5 to 15 degrees are felt when walking on tree-canopied streets. In urban areas trees help mitigate the  heat-island effect  and provide a connection to nature. Most cities require permits for adding trees to a parkway (or hell strip), but permits are not usually required for planting on private property. Sean Papich Landscape Architecture 2. Set the Fence Back Placing a low fence or wall back a few feet from the edge of the sidewalk allows room for planting, and plants provide visual interest for pedestrians. In addition to cheerful  daisies  like these, velvety plants such as  lamb’s ears  ( Stachys byzantina ;   USDA zones 4 to 9;  find your zone ) would work well. June Scott Design 3. Try the Funnel Effect Increasing th

1. Keep the yard green and pristine "One of the cheapest things you can do to enhance curb appeal is to keep your yard mowed and groomed," says Robertson, who also partners with Caldwell at  Timber and Love Realty . "Hire someone to mow it and keep it tidy, or take the time to keep it pristine." You don't have to have a green thumb to get a lush lawn when you know these  lawn care secrets . 2. Mind your driveway and walkway Hose down the driveway and walkway before showing your home or taking photos. Timber and Love Realty You might be inclined to overlook the driveway and front walk—how much can you really do to make  concrete  look good? But, truth be told, these areas are like the red carpet of curb appeal: They lead buyers to the main event, the inside of your home. A driveway and front walk with minor cracks and weeds popping up through the expansion joints (the straight lines that divide the driveway and walkway) are an eyesore. Luckily, it&

Despite the novel coronavirus throwing the global economy and U.S. housing markets into chaos, certain real estate markets are holding up better than others. For the third month in a row,  Colorado Springs, CO,  was ranked the hottest market in the nation, according to a  recent realtor.com® report . The monthly ranking is based on where buyers are clicking on the most home listings on realtor.com and where homes are selling the fastest, with the fewest number of days on the market. The hot list Metro Rank (April 2020) Rank (April 2019) Colorado Springs, CO 1 6 Fort Wayne, IN 2 54 Topeka, KS 3 15 Pueblo, CO 4 42 Columbus, OH 5 5 Modesto, CA 6 20 Manchester, NH 7 11 Lafayette, IN 8 2 Sacramento, CA 9 9 Fresno, CA 10 34

1. Throw in an accent rug Photo by Janof Architecture   Looking to redefine your space in one fell swoop? Look no further than a high-end accent rug. “The trend right now is to layer rugs on top of each other,” says  Pamela Durkin , owner of  Pamela Durkin Designs . “You can have a larger, more neutral rug in the room and then layer a smaller rug with more color and patterns. This is an easy way to bring a fresh look into the space.” 2. Build your own blanket ladder Photo by EL & EL Wood Products Corp. It's hard to find furniture that does double duty for looks and function—which is why we love the idea of this  DIY blanket ladder . “A blanket ladder is always great because your storage doubles as art,” says designer  Carmen Smith  of  Living Letter Home . “You don’t have the look of being unkempt with just tons of blankets lying around. Instead you’re storing them in a visually pleasing way that takes up even less space.” 3. Create a feature wall Photo by MK Pro

KMS Gardens and Design 1. ‘Red Obelisk’ Beech ( Fagus sylvatica  ‘Red Obelisk’) Beech are native to Central Europe and England; ‘Red Obelisk’ is a hybrid. Loved by:  Kathy Molnar Simpson of  KMS Gardens and Design  in Chicago Why this tree: Its columnar form maxes out at 5 feet wide when mature, which is great when height is needed in a tight space, Use these trees in front of a house or along a foundation, where they can help balance the scale between the home and lower garden plants. Pick up the leaf color in other plants grouped with this tree. The leaf coloration also pairs well with chartreuse and periwinkle colorations. Special features : “The narrow, columnar form and coloration are the highlights of the tree,” the designer says. “It also has a glowing mahogany fall color and winter interest from the tight branching form, undulating branches and smooth, silver bark.” Growing tips:  “This tree likes good, organic, loamy soil with plenty of regular moisture. It is pret