There are more than five things you could do right now, but why not start with your landscaping? Here are five helpful tips:

1. Take inventory of the native and non-native species in your yard.

Are the non-native species crowding out native plant life? Native plants and trees in the Pacific Northwest like rhododendrons, ferns, Pacific Madrone, to name a few, require less maintenance than say, Black Lace Elderberry or bamboo. Even though there are benefits to the non-native plant life in your garden, consider weighing more on the side of the native species in the native-to-non-native plant ratio. Oregon State University has great information on native plant life.

2. Identify your plant cycles

This is key when it comes to transplanting and pruning and is most obvious regarding when to plant. Bulbs and seeds will have different timing, depending on the plant. Lilacs should be pruned in the spring before they bloom, just after the blooms are gone, or in the fall.

3. Remove dead, dying, or out-of-place plants

You’ve heard the expression, “dead weight”. This applies to gardening, too. Removing anything that is on its way out means creating space for things to thrive. If the leaves on an artichoke are failing, for example, cut them off and you will see new growth emerge within a week or two. The plant is still feeding energy to the dying leaves, so the cutting away encourages newer, healthier growth.

4. Identify the borders

Remove or move anything that interferes with the boundaries previously set. The defined lines will lend a tidier look to your garden. Sometimes it hurts to remove some of the plants that have been nurtured over the years, but those could be transplanted elsewhere or given away to neighbors in your local free group. Or, redefine your borders.

5. Pruning is for suckers!

Ever notice little green shoots coming out of the base of your lilac, trees, or other woody shrubs? Those are called suckers. These should be cut back so the plant’s energy is focused on the main growth. See #4 for when to prune your plants. If you’re pruning a tree in the City of Portland, the code is very specific. Street trees require a pruning permit unless the diameter of the branch you’re pruning is ½-inch or smaller. There are many more restrictions and in-depth tips on the city’s website.

I hope these quick tips get you started with a garden maintenance road map! Please feel free to send me before-and-after photos of your work if you’d like it to be featured here. Or, tag me on Instagram at @seanbessorealty. Happy gardening!

Published June 16, 2020

If you are hesitant about whether to buy or sell a home right now during a global pandemic, you’re not alone. Real estate business is considered essential, so under the Governor’s orders, we are continuing to conduct business. But, it is not business as usual. The concerns about transmission and infection are real. Real estate transactions have always been a very personal process requiring a lot of one-on-one time together. With the new reality we face, the process is still personal, but with less contact.

Some of the precautions I am taking to keep you, your family, myself, and my family safe are:

Masks

I wear a mask at all showings and transactions. I recommend my clients do the same.

Gloves

Switching lights off and on, door knobs, windows, any surface that is usually touched, I do so with gloves on. I throw the gloves out after each use.

Disinfectant Wipes

I make these available at my listings and carry them with me in my car. I am diligent about wiping down all surfaces that have been touched (even with gloves on) after a showing.

Physical Distancing

While it can be challenging to maintain a distance of six feet from each other, I offer live video conferencing tours of properties if you do not wish to meet at a home in person.

Virtual Tours and Staging

I include 360 virtual tours on my listings and offer virtual staging. The 360 virtual tour is a 3D-style walk-through using professional photography. It is not a replacement for the physical visit, but it is a close approximation. Virtual staging is where furniture is digitally placed into images of the space. This helps minimize the amount of time and people required in a space.

If you can or need to buy or sell, business is still happening. I am taking all the precautions to minimize/eliminate exposure, so you can transact with confidence. If you are hesitant to proceed, please contact me so we can have that conversation. It is important to me that you are comfortable and confident when making lifetime decisions.

Published January 13, 2020

Western culture celebrates the merits of spring cleaning, but what if we shifted our focus to our homes during the winter, where we Pacific Northwesterners spend most of our lives during the cold and rainy season? And what if we approached our homes’ cleanliness and orderliness from an environmental perspective?

The Japanese tradition of “o-souji” may be extreme for our multi-room, multi-level homes, but we could apply some of the principles to indoor home maintenance and living at the beginning of a new year. An oversimplified explanation of the principle is based on the removal of everything from the home, cleaning/airing everything inside and out, and putting back only the essentials. We’ve all heard about the Kondori Method (Marie Kondo) of putting everything in a pile and keeping only the things that “spark joy.” This could work for each room of the home, including the garage.

Moving

If you’ve recently bought a home and are preparing to move, this is an excellent time to exorcise the things that are weighing you down. Set a box aside for things you don’t want. Place them into the box as you remove items from shelves for packing. You will probably go through another filtering process as you unpack. Keep in mind that what you donate, you will not need to find a home for in your new space. For people in the Portland-metro area, refer to my list of places to donate once you’ve parsed out the things you can leave behind.

Re-gifting

You could also create categories for some items, such as those that could be re-gifted. While it’s “the thought that counts,” ask yourself if this is something the person you’re giving to needs, wants, or would appreciate. If they, too, are making efforts to streamline their homes, consider gifts such as consumables, experiences, or a donation to their favorite charity in their name. Over the holidays, my wife and I participated in the Icelandic tradition of re-gifting books we had read to others in the family. It not only recirculates beloved reading material, but provides a basis for conversation at the next gathering.

Recycling

There have been stricter regulations on what may and may not be put in the recycling bins here in the Portland area. Please refer to Metro’s guide for recycling waste. If you have Styrofoam you’d like to recycle, please contact me about collection. I frequently travel by Agilyx who recycles Styrofoam and #5, so I’d be happy to make a run for our community.

Bags

Oregon now charges 5 cents per bag (yes, even paper ones!) at all stores. Consider making totes out of scraps of fabric you already have stored for that some-day craft project. Or see if your creative friend would make one for you with your materials. Buying new non-biodegradable but reusable petroleum-based bags might not be the perfect solution, but you can make your own change by using what you already have.

What are some other tips you’d like to share for your environmentally-conscious winter cleaning projects?