Plan your Colonial Williamsburg trip now. You'll see spring all around the colonial capital. Here are some recent scenes:
(If you would like to consider making your new home in Williamsburg, contact Dan now. Dan knows Williamsburg. Email me.)
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It's Time to Smell the Azaleas & Dogwoods
With the great weather we are having, take some time (if you've not already) and see the spring greenery which has come to life again. In particular, catch the magnificence of the dogwoods which look more spectacular this year than ever. You don't have to travel far in Virginia to see these glorious sights---along highways, in wooded areas, residential areas, parks, etc.
Azaleas (the rhododendron family) are in full bloom now, as well. Colors are astounding. Great time to add some color to your landscape. If you have room, go for the rhododendrons. Roseum elegans is a hardy purple variety you might like. Make sure to prepare and/or have an acid soil location---pH in the mid 4s.
[Article content solely that of Dan Bonner, part-time gardener and horticulturist, with years of broad gardening experiences, and with knowledge from many nationally-known and locally-known lawn & garden experts.]
(Northern Virginia & Virginia- USDA Zone 7) - Condo & Apartment Gardening
Possible Projects:
>Take inventory of your potting soil and pots.
>Consider potting soil with polymers or add polymers to your mix to keep soil moist. One choice: Moisture Mizer.
>Prepare pots for plants:
--Create bottom drain hole if the pot does not have one;
--Cover the drain hole with landscape fabric (which allows water to drain through);
--With larger pots, consider using Styrofoam "popcorn" for filler, or use a bottom layer of small rocks.
>Consider an organic fertilizer, such as Espoma Plant Tone when you initially pot your non-acid loving plants and flowers.
>Then, consider a liquid fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro 12-4-8, which is used with an attachment to your garden hose. Schedule Miracle-Gro feeding about every 2 weeks.
++Be Creative & Have Fun++
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Town Home & Single Family Home Gardeners
Possible Projects:
>Consider submitting a soil sample to your local Extension Office; contact the Virginia Tech website for more information: http://ext.vt.edu. Take several soil samples of your lawn. There is a nominal charge for the service; when the written results are returned to you, you'll have a complete analysis of the quality of your lawn. The pH value of 6.5 is considered optimum for having a nice lawn. The report will let you know this pH and more.
Also, the report will indicate whether lime is necessary. Until you know your pH, put off liming your lawn.
Other considerations for those wanting an above average lawn and/or garden: consider an investment into a quality pH measuring device. With plant/shrubs/trees pH reference listings, you'll have better control.
[Article content solely that of Dan Bonner, part-time gardener and horticulturist, with years of broad gardening experiences, and with knowledge from many nationally-known and locally-known lawn & garden experts.]
Today, April 16, 2008, and every day, let us not forget the events of a year ago.
On the 265th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's birthday -plus a day, it is well to remember his love for gardening. Speaking to Charles Wilson Peale on August 20, 1811, Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying,
"[No] culture comparable to that of a garden...I am still devoted to the garden, but tho an old man, I am but a young gardener."
He was 68 years of age at that time. 
Photos by Dan Bonner.
Mark your calendars for April 19th. That's when Historic Garden Week in Virginia gets underway. Sponsored by The Garden Club of Virginia, the 75th Historic Garden Week will run through April 27th. It's a remarkable time to see private homes and gardens from Alexandria to Winchester. More Information: www.VAGardenweek.org; by phone: (804) 643-4137.
[The pictures of Westover and the Westover garden were taken by Dan Bonner at last year's Historic Garden Week.] Westover was built by William Byrd II in 1730; it is located on the James River via Route 5, in Charles City County, about 25 miles east of Richmond and west of Williams
burg.
One of the most important tasks in marketing your home for sale is pricing. If you really want to do things properly, you should contact an appraiser (for Virginia properties, an appraiser licensed in the common-wealth and one who knows your area). There is a nominal fee for the service ($300, $350, etc.) and it varies, depending on the size of property and the scope of the appraisal.
The appraiser will be able to properly determine the square footage of the improvement (the house, itself) and to properly value the land. He or she will know the appropriate comparables to use in basing a valuation.
Selecting comparables requires research and knowledge. The process involves bracketing by square footage, with a range of home sizes (GLA or gross living area) which are equal to yours, less than your home size, and slightly more than your home size.
Comparables should come from the most recently sold properties, generally within the last six months. Those most recently sold are better comps. Adjustments are made to the comparable properties, as it relates to your home (known as the subject property). These adjustments which determine your valuation may include such factors as site, location, view, design and appeal, chronological age, effective age (factoring system upgrades and updates), quality of construction, the various interior features and fixtures, and more,
Please Note: If you select a REALTOR, one who is not licensed as an appraiser, you will generally get a CMA (comparative market analysis). The CMA will be, in some cases, less reliable. Obviously, the appraiser has more training and expertise as it relates to valuations.
Finally, the valuation you receive (if it's "market value") is a value that is timely. It is the value as of today (for most appraisals and not related to estate appraisals).
Tomorrow's external factors and market conditions may bring another value.
(Article content is solely that of Dan Bonner.)
