As the weather warms and we move towards spring, it is clear that most of our entertaining still needs to occur outdoors. And, even for those of us who may be holding off on hosting dinner parties, being at home this much over the past year has certainly resulted in wanting to spend more time outside. So, as we prepare for spring, here are seven things you can do to make sure your outdoor living areas are ready to be enjoyed by you, your family, your pets, and your guests. 1. Remove the clutter. Removing clutter is always the first step. Before you can prepare any space for entertaining or comfortable, everyday living, you must first remove unnecessary items and put away any clutter that has collected over the last few months. Now is a good time to clean out and organize your garden shed as well, since that can free up space for some of the clutter currently hanging out on your patio. 2. Check your irrigation system. Doing an overall check of your irrigation system allows you to prepare for spring planting and to make sure that there are no leaks or wayward sprinkler heads affecting your outdoor living areas. Prune bushes blocking sprinkler heads, walk your system while it is running to look for leaks, adjust sprinkler heads to ensure the most efficient spray patterns, and check your rain sensor to make sure it is working properly. 3. Clean your home’s exterior and gutters. When the rainy season comes to an end, it is a good time to clean the gutters again, remove cobwebs from your fascia and eaves, and spray down the exterior of your home. The rain may have taken care of any accumulated dust, but it also may have splashed mud on the exterior walls, so a quick spray with a garden hose is probably in order. 4. Clean your outdoor kitchen. If you are like most folks in Ojai, you have probably been using your outdoor kitchen almost as much in winter as you do in summer. As the weather improves, you will likely start using it even more, so take this opportunity to give your grill a good cleaning, clean out the fridge, and get your servingware organized before your next al fresco dinner party. 5. Clean your fire pit, patio fireplace, or other fire feature. Since you have likely been using your fire features throughout winter, now is a good time to clean them, make sure they are functioning properly, and check for safety issues before the spring entertaining season begins. 6. Refresh your patio furniture. Clean metal or plastic patio furniture by wiping it down with a simple vinegar-water mix and a damp rag. If that doesn’t quite do the trick, make a paste by mixing baking soda with water to create a mildly abrasive cleaner for tougher spots. For wood furniture, use a wood cleaner followed by furniture wax to add a layer of protection. If a good cleaning is not quite enough to bring your patio furniture back to its previous luster, it might be time to give it a new coat of stain or paint to refresh its finish. 7. Clean or replace patio cushions and dog beds. Between the wind and the rain, patio cushions can get a bit worse for wear over the winter. Take the opportunity to launder or spot clean them as we move into the spring entertaining season. If they are beyond repair, or you simply want to freshen the look of your patio, you might consider replacing them instead. We mustn’t forget our furry friends when sprucing up our outdoor living areas. If you left your dogs’ beds out in the rain one too many times over the winter, it might be time to upgrade their outdoor living with new beds that match your patio cushions. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
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Californians are accustomed to ongoing drought conditions and have spent years honing our water conservation efforts. With so much else going on in the world at the moment, it is easy to let something like watching our water consumption fall to the wayside, particularly knowing that we moved out of a state of drought earlier this year. But La Niña seems to be making this winter drier than usual, which could mean an end to our current reprieve. This means we cannot let up on our efforts and must continue making water-saving choices whenever possible. One easy way to conserve water is to choose drought-tolerant ground covers when designing or re-designing your landscaping. So, if installing or replacing a ground cover is on your pandemic project list, here are five low-water options to consider. 1. Gravel: In the realm of drought-friendly ground covers, it does not get much better than a ground cover that requires no water at all. Gravel comes in a variety of sizes and colors and is a good choice for driveways, walkways, areas around fire features, and other outdoor living areas. Using gravel as a ground cover also limits weed growth and can help control erosion and runoff. 2. Mulch, Bark, or Wood Chips: This type of ground cover requires no water, is more affordable than many options, and is available in a variety of sizes, types, and colors. Like gravel, these can help limit weed growth, but they will eventually break down or fade, so you can expect to replenish these ground covers more often. 3. Lantana: One of the great things about lantana is that it is very easy to find. This flowering, evergreen perennial spreads easily, requires little water once established (I hardly ever water mine), and comes in some beautiful colors, including purple, pink, white, blue, red, yellow, and orange. When purchasing lantana, make sure you choose a ground cover cultivar, since it also comes in shrub cultivars that will not work well as a ground cover. 4. Creeping Rosemary: This evergreen perennial herb cascades quite nicely, so this is a good choice for raised borders or allowing to grow over walls. As a ground cover, creeping rosemary spreads quickly and is drought tolerant once established. It blooms with clusters of blue blossoms, attracts bees to your garden, fills the air with its aroma, and can even be harvested for culinary purposes. 5. Mexican Fleabane: Mexican fleabane is a fast-growing, flowering perennial native to Mexico and Central America. Often chosen for planting in rock gardens or in spots where it can thrive in the crevices between paving stones, this hardy ground cover loves full sun and will happily self-seed to promote spread. This one requires a bit more maintenance and water than lantana or creeping rosemary, but if you love the idea of a carpet of daisy-like flowers, you might not mind. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
The new year has finally arrived, and I am sure hoping it is a big improvement over this last year we all endured. As we look to the future and set our intentions for the year to come, I thought it might be a good time to focus on setting some New Year’s resolutions that will help us continue to come together as a community to get through these trying times. So, as you come up with your personal goals for the coming year, consider adding a few of these to the list. 1. Support local businesses. I’ve said this before and am sure to say it again, but supporting local businesses has never been more important. I know Amazon is a convenient way to buy everything from groceries to home improvement materials, but we gain more as a community while still meeting our needs if we shop at our local grocers and hardware stores instead. 2. Use local contractors. Many of us are spending more time at home and are taking on some of those home improvement projects we have been putting off forever. If you are considering painting, repairing your roof, adding a covered porch, or just tightening some loose doorknobs, commit to using local contractors whenever possible. 3. Donate regularly to Pantry 4 Paws. We are all still working our way through the pandemic and what life will look like afterwards. An important piece to this is coming together as a community to support each other in whatever ways we can. Folks who can afford to donate dry dog and cat food can help those in need by dropping off unopened bags of food at the Humane Society of Ventura County (402 Bryant Street) for the Pantry 4 Paws program. The food is then distributed through dispensers placed throughout the county. 4. Set up a monthly donation for a local organization. Most non-profits and community organizations have made giving simple by setting up automatic, monthly donor programs. If your budget allows, find a local organization that resonates with you and could use your help, such as HELP of Ojai, Ojai Raptor Center, Ojai Land Conservancy, Turtle Conservancy, or Secure Beginnings. 5. Clear your clutter for a cause. If cleaning out closets or finally organizing your garage is on your list of resolutions this year, make clearing your clutter more enjoyable by doing it for a cause. For example, household items and clothing donated to 2nd Helpings Thrift Store provide lower-cost necessities for local families while supporting the services provided by HELP of Ojai. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Pride of ownership is seen throughout this beautifully remodeled, single-level Arbolada home. The welcoming, traditional design begins in the living room with a gas fireplace, built-in bookshelves and oak floors. This opens to the slate-floored dining room adjacent to the casual dining area and well-designed entertainer’s kitchen with granite counters and Miele, Viking and Sub-Zero appliances, including a wine cooler and bar refrigerator in the buffet. A second fireplace and Jacuzzi soaking tub in the master suite makes this an ideal place to unwind at the end of the day, while the separate, 500 sq. ft. office offers the chance to finally work from home or write that novel. Outdoor living areas include a gas fire pit, seating areas, a built-in BBQ, and a saltwater pool and spa with a Baja landing. There is also a 4-car garage, RV parking, and guest parking. This home offers far too many updates and upgrades to list here, so this truly is one that you must see to fully appreciate. Features include:
1953 ranch-style, single-level home Four bedrooms, three bathrooms Two fireplaces Wood and slate floors Sub-Zero, Viking and Miele appliances Wine cooler and bar refrigerator Granite counter tops Formal and casual dining Two walk-in closets in master suite Jacuzzi soaking tub in master bathroom Separate, approximately 500-square-foot office Two gated entries Saltwater swimming pool with Baja shelf and spa Gas fire pit Built-in barbecue grill Mature landscaping and oak trees Raised, river rock garden beds Four-car garage RV parking with hookups Guest parking Walk or bike to downtown, schools, farmers market Approximately 70 miles to Burban Find more photos of this Arbolada Ojai home for sale on the property information page, or contact Nora today to schedule a private showing. Enjoy spectacular sunsets and amazing mountain and basin views from this remodeled, four-bedroom home overlooking the Ventura River Basin. Low-water, low-maintenance landscaping means less time caring for your yard and more time enjoying it, including gathering around the fire pit on the flagstone patio, playing or picnicking on the easy-care, artificial grass lawn, hosting al fresco dinner parties, or ending the day with a glass of wine overlooking the basin. Bring the entertaining indoors into the large dining room with gas fireplace and gorgeous views. The remodeled kitchen features an island with a breakfast bar, as well as plenty of cabinet space and counter space for food prep. Find yourself in your private retreat as you enter the main bedroom with more gorgeous views, sliding door to the outdoor living areas, and en suite bath with oval soaking tub and dual-sink vanity. Plus, there is a laundry room/mudroom between the garage and the house, as well as gated toy or RV parking. Features include:
Four bedrooms Two bathrooms Gas fireplace in large dining room Remodeled kitchen with island and breakfast bar Laundry room Oval soaking tub in main en suite bathroom Dual-sink vanity in main en suite bathroom Ceiling fans Two-car garage Gated RV parking Low-water landscaping Fire pit Beautiful mountain and river basin views Close to Ojai Valley Trail Short drive to Ojai and Oak View Approximately 15 minutes from Ventura and beaches Visit the property information page for more photos and information about this Oak View home for sale, or contact Nora to schedule a showing. Grab a cup of coffee and head to the covered porch to start your day with mountain views while waving to neighbors walking their dogs or taking a morning jog.
This charming Oak View home for sale is ideally located for enjoying the Ojai Valley lifestyle with an easier commute to Ventura. Just minutes from downtown Ojai and Lake Casitas, this great location is in walking distance to the Ojai Valley Trail, markets, restaurants, the post office, a coffee shop, and all that Oak View has to offer. Low-water, low-maintenance landscaping gives you more time to enjoy the multiple outdoor living areas or Jacuzzi spa, while fruit trees allow you to pick fresh fruit for breakfast right in your backyard. The updated kitchen features a large, single-basin sink and subway tile backsplash, while the dining room features plenty of built-in storage. Easy-care luxury vinyl tile flooring is found throughout the main living areas and main bedroom, while the guest rooms feature cozy carpet, as well as ceiling fans. Visit the property information page for more photos and additional information, or call Nora or Kellye to schedule a showing. Just 65 miles from Burbank, Upper Ojai offers country living minutes from shops, restaurants, spas, golf, and the weekly farmers market.
A private, gated road leads past the lighted tennis court, horse facilities, caretaker’s quarters, and over-sized RV garage to deliver you to this expansive, hacienda-style home with guest quarters, gym, game room, office, large vestibule, wet bar, and two fireplaces. Head to the central courtyard to lounge by the pool or grill a feast for your family on the built-in BBQ, ride horses or motorcycles on your own property, harvest fruit from the family orchard, grow fresh produce in the vegetable garden’s raised garden beds, soak away the city stress in the master bedroom’s two-person spa tub, or simply spread out and enjoy the space on your private retreat spanning more than five acres. Now is the time for you to live your dream of a simpler, country lifestyle, so come meander through your irrigated pastures and enjoy the beautiful mountain views. For more information and photos for this Upper Ojai horse property, visit the property information page. You have been spending more time at home for months now, which probably means you have already replaced your patio rug, updated your cushions, and hung some festive string lights to enhance your outdoor living areas. You may have even painted your patio furniture or installed shade sails to make all the time you are spending in your backyard even more enjoyable. If you are starting to run out of project ideas and plan on spending the fall months dining, working, and playing outdoors as much as possible, here are five more projects you might want to consider. Plus, if you plan on entertaining folks you are not isolating with, it is safer to do it outdoors, so let’s get those patios ready to go. 1. Declutter. This is probably the first thing you did when you started upgrading your outdoor spaces earlier this year, but it’s probably time to do it again. If there are a few too many pool toys, art supplies, or yard tools cluttering your patio, now is a good time to find them a home. Since you might be doing more activities outdoor these days, consider purchasing or building a storage cabinet where you can stash boardgames, craft projects, or homeschooling supplies when not in use. 2. Update your patio ceiling fan. The weather may be cooling off a bit, but if you are spending time outdoors during the day, I’m sure you are still using your ceiling fan. As fan styles change, an older fan can pretty quickly make your patio look dated. This makes this small project an easy way to update your outdoor living area, particularly if you plan on entertaining this fall. Handy homeowners will likely be able to replace an existing fan on their own by following the instructions provided by the manufacturer. If you are not comfortable working with electrical wires or are installing a ceiling fan for the first time, call a local professional to complete this project for you. 3. Paint your patio planters. This easy project gets bonus points for being both a way to beautify your patio and a craft project you can do with your partner or kids. Grab some paint and paintbrushes, lay out some of the cardboard from all of those online orders you are doing these days, and enjoy an afternoon painting planters to add cheery pops of color to your patio. 4. Work on your vegetable garden. Lots of folks who are spending more time at home have either started a vegetable garden or expanded their existing garden. If you planted tomatoes, carrots, and other typical garden fare early on, you are probably harvesting your bounty right about now, and it is time for the next round of planting. For your fall planting, consider radishes, kale, spinach, celery, chard, asparagus, onions, beets, and, of course, another round of carrots. 5. Make sure your fire features are ready for fall. You will likely start using your fire pit or outdoor fireplace more this month, so now is good time to clean it and make sure it is working properly. Make sure you have plenty of fuel and that it is stored safely away from your fire feature. Check your fire screen, and replace it if necessary. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher or bucket of sand on hand to quickly put out the fire if things go awry. You might also want to invest in some skewers or roasting sticks so that you will have them on hand for roasting hotdogs or making s’mores. Side note: Don’t forget to clean your rain gutters, change your HVAC filters, and adjust your automatic irrigation system once the weather starts cooling off a bit more. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
This beautiful Ojai home for rent offers the privacy of being located in the middle of a 16-acre ranch with a gated entry and plenty of space to spread out with four bedrooms, two offices, formal living room, great room, formal and casual dining, and a multi-room master suite.
Features include: Four bedrooms + Two Offices Three full bathrooms, two half bathrooms 4,200+ square feet of living space Vaulted ceiling and brick fireplace in great room Formal living room with fireplace Remodeled kitchen with breakfast bar, Wolf range Separate Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer Wine refrigerator Soaking tub, walk-in closet in master bedroom Ample space to spread out and enjoy country living Located on 16+ acre ranch Gate entry Approximately 1,000-square-foot, attached garage Tennis court refinished in 2020 Balcony with views off master bedroom Spacious deck with amazing views Covered patio with outdoor kitchen Fountain with brick walkway Surrounded by lush lawn Short drive to shops, restaurants, and farmers market Monthly rent: $8,500.00 Security deposit: $12,750.00 One-year lease Water and landscape maintenance included. For more information or an application, contact Nora today! This custom, three-bedroom, ranch-style home sits back from the road on 1.27 acres at the end of a cul-de-sac off historic Creek Road. Interior features include two fireplaces, remodeled kitchen, formal and casual dining, spacious loft, exposed-beam ceilings, laundry room, and many upgrades. Outside, you will find a three-car garage, drought-tolerant landscaping, large front porch with pergola, an expansive outdoor living area with pergolas and a patio fireplace, horse or livestock facilities, RV parking, trailer parking, and plenty of space to customize with a pool, arena, or sports court. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy country living just minutes from the shops, restaurants, spas, galleries, tasting rooms, and weekly farmers market in downtown Ojai. Plus, the fishing, boating, camping and water park at Lake Casitas are just a short drive away. Features include:
Three bedrooms Loft for office or seating area 2.5 bathrooms Approximately 2,086 square feet Two stone fireplaces with custom wood mantels Exposed-beam ceilings Ceiling fans Dual-sink vanity in master bathroom Formal dining room and breakfast nook 2016 kitchen remodel Hammered copper farmhouse sink in kitchen Granite counters and breakfast bar Laundry room with folding counter and storage Hammered copper sink in powder room Ample closets, cabinets and pantry for storage Many recent updates and upgrades Approximately 1.27 acres Three-car garage Expansive outdoor living areas Three pergola-covered patios Beautiful, stone patio fireplace Separately fenced backyard Three dividable corrals with shelter Open tack and feed room Mature trees Low-water landscaping Large, gated area for parking or expanded horse area Nearby mountain views Located at end of cul-de-sac Room for pool, shop, family orchard, hobbies Short drive to schools, shops, restaurants Short drive to boating and fishing at Lake Casitas For more photos and information, visit the property information page. To schedule a showing, contact Nora Davis. |
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