Waukesha County Home

By Eileen Mozinski Schmidt Special to Waukesha County Home The arrival of a warmer season means many homeowners will turn their attention to the outdoors and sprucing up yard space. In demand in recent years have been projects centered on the con- cept of outdoor living, according to Tracy Jenks, a landscape designer at MJS Landscaping Services LLC. "What's really popular recently is the extension of outdoor living spaces and specifically of outdoor fires," she said, noting that some homeowners have been interested in installing gas fires that can be topped with natural wood for their yard spaces. MJS Landscaping serves cus- tomers throughout the Waukesha area, including into Washington and Ozaukee counties. One feature that MJS offers that Jenks said clients appreciate is 3D animation of proposed projects. She said people enjoy being able to walk through an imagined outdoor space. She said the current wait times on projects is about a year and the com- pany is currently booking projects for next spring. Small-scale vibrancy, plantings For those looking for smaller- scale outdoor projects, Jenks said homeowners can enhance spaces with night lighting. "It can illuminate trees or even a home all year long," she said. For planting, she said fall and spring tend to be the best times. She noted that the nursery MJS works with on a wholesale basis does have some supply shortages, which may be true on the retail side as well. Native cure If encountering a shortage when looking for plants, Jenks recom- mended thinking imaginatively, looking at different size plants or considering plants native to our growing zone of the upper Mid- west. C O N T E N T S Reconstructing the tropics in Wisconsin Realtors explain why we are not in a housing bubble — it begins with supply and demand The resurgence of water closets A publication of the Waukesha Freeman and Oconomowoc Enterprise • June 2022 Living outdoors this summer Plants, lights and other ideas for enhancing yard space Submitted by MJS Landscaping Serv ices Lighting is a way to enhance outdoor spaces, according to Tracy Jenks, a land- scape designer at MJS Landscaping Services LLC. "It can illuminate trees or even a home all year long," she said. See OUTDOORS, PAGE 2

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