welcome!

MMarch is here and that makes me happy! This month brings spring, daylight savings time, warmer weather and longer days – yay!

In this issue of Boerne Business Monthly we feature Northeast OB/GYN. This practice has been growing alongside Boerne and recently added two new practitioners to meet the needs of our expanding community. Turn to page 16 and learn more about Dr. Christine Van Ramshorst and Nurse Practitioner Cristina Bueche.

Spring Break happens this month too! Many of you will be heading out to the beach or the mountains, but if you plan to stay close to home this year we have some fun ideas of local places that are sure to please.

Also in this issue, Karl Eggerss of CapTrust fills us in on The Gray Divorce Boom, Hill Country Home & Land give us some spring clean up ideas & ADKF talks digital organization.

As the weather warms, so does the local Calendar of Events. Be sure to check it out so you don’t miss all the fun to be had this month!

Lauren Stumberg Owner/Publisher

Endless possibilities! This quaint cozy hill country home invites so many options for how you can use the floor plan – for example, the room off the main LR could be 2nd family room, guest suite, office, game room – whatever and however you want to use this amazing space with it’s own huge closet, powder room and outside access to patio. Talk about a very functional floor plan with study, two guest bedrooms and bath situated for privacy, open living area with vaulted ceiling, stone fireplace, and exquisite picture windows to take in long range hill country views for gorgeous mornings and peaceful evenings, step out to the patio for evening star gazing. This home features an oversized private master suite with door to the backyard, full bath and easy access his and her closets. Also enjoy views from this country kitchen to the side yard, which includes a deck and plenty of room for vegetable garden. Storage is abundant in this spacious home and plenty of room to entertain or curl up in your own private corner for an evening of reading or movie watching. Need to work at home? Perfect study with double doors for privacy and design your own personal space. So many options of how you want to live and the outdoors will be a huge part of this easy going lifestyle. This is hill country living at its’ best-- views, quiet, nature, HOME!

IT’S CLEAN-UP SEASON WHETHER YOU ARE SELLING YOUR HOME OR NOT

TThe warmer temperatures this time of year are enticing us to work on lawns and gardens; however if you have lived in Texas long enough, you know there can always be a "late" freeze. We live in Zone 8 and March 15 is the magic date to plant, but there are many tasks that can be done before that ever happens. So roll up your sleeves and tackle this short list. When everything really starts popping, you will be glad you did.

"March is a good time to take stock of your yard and see if it's time to thin out crowded beds and do some transplanting to fill in bare spots," says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook.

1. PRUNE AWAY DEAD AND DAMAGED BRANCHES

Where tree or shrub branches have been damaged by cold, ice and wind, prune back to live stems; use a handsaw for any larger than ½ inch in diameter. Prune summer-flowering shrubs, such as Rose of Sharon, before buds swell, but wait to prune spring bloomers, like forsythia, until after they flower.

2. RAKE LEAVES & CLEAN BEDS

Rake out fallen leaves and dead foliage (which can smother plants and foster disease), pull up spent annuals, and toss in a wheelbarrow with other organic yard waste. Once the threat of frost has passed, remove existing mulch to set the stage for a new layer once spring planting is done. Push heaved plants back into flower beds and borders, tamping them down around the base with your foot, or use a shovel to replant them. Now is a good time to spread a pelletized fertilizer tailored to existing plantings on the soil's surface so that rain (oh, please) can carry it to the roots. Add a 5-10-10 fertilizer around bulbs as soon as they flower to maximize bloom time and feed next season's growth. Use pins to fasten drip irrigation lines that have come loose and a square-head shovel to give beds a clean edge and keep turf grass from growing into the beds.

3. COMPOST YARD WASTE

Dump collected leaves, cuttings, spent foliage, and last season's mulch into your compost pile, or make a simple corral by joining sections of wire fence (available at home centers) into a 3-by-3by-3-foot cube. Shred leaves and chip branches larger than ½ inch in diameter to accelerate decomposition or add a bagged compost starter to the pile. Keep the pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge and aerate it with a pitchfork every two weeks. Just don't add any early spring weeds that have gone to seed—they might not cook completely and could sprout instead.

4. CLEAN PATHS AND WALKWAYS

Rake escaped gravel back into aggregate walkways and patios, and order more gravel to spread in large depressions, which often form near the driveway's apron. Refill joints between flagstones by sweeping in new sand or stone dust; water with a hose to set it, then repeat. If the freeze-thaw cycle has heaved pavers out of place, remove them and replenish the base material as needed before setting pavers back in. Use a pressure washer with a lowpressure tip to remove slippery algae spots or leaf stains from patios and walkways.

5. PATCH OR REPLACE AND PAINT WORN WOOD

Remove badly rotted or damaged pickets, boards, or lattice, then scrub wood structures clean with a mix of 2 gallons water, 2 quarts bleach, and 1 cup liquid soap; let dry. Patch rotted sections with wood epoxy; install new wood as needed. Check wobbly fence posts to see if they need replacing. Scrape off old paint, then sand wood all over with 60 grit to prep for a new finish coat. Once temperatures go above 50° F, brush on a new coat of paint or stain.

Adapted from an article from This Old House