Landscaping Ideas for Front of House

Many people dream of having a low maintenance front yard. It is really the thought of the maintenance cost that deter many people from realizing their dream. There are many professional landscaper in your area and it is very easy for you to find landscaping ideas for front of house. That reminds me of the saying. Where there is a will there is a way. If you have the will, then the rest is easy.

Cheap Landscaping Ideas for Front of House

If you get a professional landscaper to do the job for landscaping ideas for front of house, be sure to inform him that your goal is to have a front yard landscape which is agreeable and will not take exorbitant amount of work to maintain it. I feel that if you have that interest for having a good landscape, then you should be engaged in the making and maintaining of it without any problem. It should not be taken as doing a work but as a hobby which entertains you.

If you like a lot of grass, then be aware that it takes extra work and time mowing the lawn. I don’t forget the fact that there are many people who love the lawn. This is also an important information which should be given to your landscaper before he starts planning it.
If you are tight on money and time, clover will be an alternative to the grass. You can choose your colors and types to make your landscaping beautiful. A clover lawn is good for landscaping ideas for front of house even in areas which are prone to droughts. Since bugs hate clover, such lawns are good for those who like to go out and enjoy the front yard landscaping

Watering the yard is an important issue for the plants. If you enjoy doing it, it is fine, else incorporating an automatic irrigation system into the front yard landscaping design should do a great job. This will save you time and money and the yard will look much healthier. This should do a wonderful job especially during the hotter months of the year.
You can without difficulty find a professional to install one of these systems for design quickly and easily. Irrigating correctly is a key issue to the good look of the front yard as less or more water can do damage to the plants and yard.

Cheap and Easy Front Yard Landscaping

Finding the proper plants that will suite your climatic and soil condition is very important. You will have to find out what plants will thrive in your climate round the year. Some of them will do fine during certain months and not during others. So the best place for you to find out the information will be your local garden center. They should be able to answer such questions and guide you well to choose your plants and trees. In addition, you then take a trip to the library and check out some books on local flowers and trees.

Another good landscaping tip is to layer all of your planting beds. This will bring a sense of unity and balance to your entire yard. Choosing the right colors and spreading them well is also important.
To conclude this is something worth trying, and you will definitely enjoy the result when it is completed and the plants start to bloom. Good Luck to you for your beautiful front yard landscape.…

What to Look For in a Landscaping Companies

The first thing you should determine when looking for landscaping companies is whether or not their first concern is to enhance and protect the environment. They should have firm knowledge about “green” methods of design. They can ultimately be responsible for health problems in plants as well as human beings. They should know how to keep your plants healthy, not to be reliant on toxic chemicals and how to use as little water as possible.

Landscaping Companies

Determine whether or not the company builds healthy soil. The company should offer a soil test before starting the design and should then prepare the soil properly by adding compost and other enriching materials. See if the company knows about the latest, most eco-friendly ways to mow lawns. Do they use gas mowers? Or do they opt for mulch or reel mowers that leave the environment cleaner? The company should also “mulch” the garden beds annually with leaves, bark or compost to keep in moisture and to prevent erosion. Ask the company which types of fertilizer they use: “slow release” fertilizers last longer and do not over feed plants landscaping companies near me

Your landscaping companies should be one that considers the existing landscape when planning the design. They should remain aware of natural plants and grass growing in your garden and should utilize these for optimal growth. The company should make use of native plants that will thrive in the environment and should give you plant options that are naturally more resistant to insects and other pests. Determine if the company respects the environment by using “drought-tolerant” plants to save water.

Hands-on Approaches

The company should explain to you what pest control methods they use and these should be organic or environmentally sensitive. They should monitor your yard for pests, but only use measures against them when it is absolutely necessary and these measure should only ward off insects and not harm them. A company that uses minimum pesticides and more hands-on approaches: like mulching and cultivation is a company to trust.

When it comes to water, the company should be modest. They should be able to fit the irrigation to the soil you have and should recommend watering times that will lead to the least evaporation, for example, at night. The company should build the soil to retain moisture and should help you understand irrigation better: they should set the controller to water the plants more in summer and less in other seasons and they should show you how to skip cycles in a heavy rain season. A good company will also check your irrigation regularly for leaks and broken parts.

Ultimately, your landscaping companies should clearly know what they are doing. The specialists should ideally have good educational backgrounds in horticulture or landscape architecture, the company and staff should have hands-on experience as well as references or examples of previous work. The company will also ideally be affiliated with landscaping or ecological associations, such as the South African Nursery Association (SANA) and South African Green Industry Council (SAGIC).…

Mixing Roses With Other Landscaping Plants

Once upon a time, the rose was kept separate from the rest of the garden. It is conventional wisdom that roses need to be separated from other landscaping plants so that valuable nutrients, water and fertilizer will not be lost. Of course, this has since been disputed, and the opposite has been regarded as the gardening gospel. One tip of a growing rose is that combining your rose with other flowering plants can actually have enormous benefits, including improving the general health of roses.

Landscaping Plants

Let’s look at that one first. Flowering plants, by and large, are hardy and fragile and roses are no different. They can survive most anything, yet the wrong thing at the wrong time can knock them out of the loop and out of life. A monoculture garden (specifically, a garden with only one type of plant, i.e. roses) encourages insect infestation and disease, two problems roses are especially prone to. Planting other types of flowers landscaping plants around roses can serve to attract beneficial insects as well as improve the nutrient levels in the soil. They can also serve to protect roses in the winter and summer months from extremes of temperature and weather landscaping

Aesthetics

Aesthetically, there are so many rose types and colors that blending them with other flowers in your garden is recommended. By themselves roses, no matter how colorful, can look stark. Blending them with other flowers, other colors, can really make your garden pop with life and color and make it pleasant to look at. Other flowers can help you camouflage the defects of your roses as well, hiding bare stalks or crooked stems.

Blending Colors

You can blend roses with other plants in a number of ways that are both healthy and pleasing to the eye. Consider placing glossy green foliage plants where there’s room in the background – a background of green really makes duller roses appear more vibrant. Plant irises, gladiolas or bedding dahlias (all plants grown from bulbs) in between roses for a splash of color and the added beneficial insect attraction. Plant low-growing bedding plants in front of your roses to provide a splash of color and texture to things.

Compatible Plants

There are several things to bear in mind when selecting plants to blend with your roses. Firstly, use plants with similar horticultural requirements to your roses, namely, lots of sunshine, abundant water and plenty of fertilizer. When you tend your roses, tend the other plants at the same time. Avoid using plants that may form competing root systems, and also avoid plants that might smother the base of a rose’s stem. Keep these elements in mind, and your blending will be a success.

You might even find that you are pruning rose bushes less by mixing them with other flowers. While originally thought to be a taboo of proper gardening, blending roses with other plant types has since become an essential tool in every gardener’s arsenal in choosing landscaping plants. Blending roses can keep your roses happy, healthy and looking beautiful.

Blending can keep your roses from falling prey to insects or pernicious diseases, and can also liven up a stark garden, adding a much needed dose of contrasting color to make your roses look even more vibrant.…

Woody For Down to Earth Landscaping

Fall is coming! This is the absolute perfect time of year to consider all the wonderful woody perennials and assorted plants native to the mid-western states. The abundance of superb, lucious plants to choose from is so vast; it is close to being limitless! It’s definitely a good time to think down to earth landscaping.

Down to Earth Landscaping

There is a huge selection to choose from – from wetland plants to an amazing array of the finest woody perennials you’ll find anywhere in the Midwest – all right at your fingertips via our website. One right after another you’ll find gorgeous plants and flowers everywhere on our site – Great Blue Lobelia, Sweetflag, Monkey-flower, Phlox, and Groundnut are just a few of so many, many more to choose from! These and a variety of other woody perennials provide fantastic options for any type of landscaping project you are sure to have planned for the nearing fall planting season landscaping ideas

One of the most fabulous plants you should consider for your next outdoor planting job would be the Crossvine (Bignonia Capreolata). This woody, climbing vine will generally grow to reach 50 ft. long. Most consider this a very showy vine as it flaunts orangish-red flowers that grow to approximately 2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches across that hang in little bunches of 2 – 5 and are shaped in a trumpet-like form.

Woody Perennials For down to earth landscaping

These hardy vines are occasionally seen high up in the trees, climbing their way up by use of the plants’ tendrils. The Crossvine has leaves that grow to 4 – 6 inches long and are usually about 2 inches wide; there is also a third leaflet which is modified into a tendril. Changing from a deep, dark green in the summertime to a gorgeous reddish-purple in winter, the Crossvine has semi-evergreen leaves that are persistent and glossy. This is a gorgeous choice for any luscious woodsy area.

Numerous native grasses and plants, which can be used in restoration and pond planting, are available as well. Among the more popular is many a landscaper’s favorite, Chairmaker’s Bulrush (Scirpus Americanus). This native midwestern grass is a perennial with long rhizomes and part of the sedge family. The seeds of the Bulrush are a favorite of many species of shorebirds and waterfowl, as well as many types of songbirds. Geese and beavers will munch delightedly on the rhizomes of this shoreline grass and the dense growth of some species of this plant will offer comfortable cover for various wildlife species, making it one of the best solutions for your sometimes-difficult down to earth landscaping need for a water-edge plant.

There are so many more native, midwestern woody perennials available, you are sure to find whatever you need and desire to plan your next big down to earth landscaping job. Look no further; the perennials you’ve been searching for, no matter how large or how small, how simple or how luxurious, are close at hand! Order today!…

Secrets to Maximizing Landscaping Materials Near Me

When it comes to planning out a dream design for your property, it is important to use the right landscaping materials near me. In general, they fall into two categories, hardscapes and softscapes. Hardscapes are permanent structures that are laid down or installed on a property, such as brick pavers, fences, patios, fountains, and other structures. Softscapes, on the other hand, are the natural living components of the design such as trees, plants, flowers, and grass.

Landscaping Materials Near Me

Combining both of this landscaping near me materials is the best way to create a cohesive and comprehensive design. Incorporating both types of materials results in a layout that is both functional and beautiful that will increase a home’s value and curb appeal while providing enjoyable living spaces.

Finding The Right Landscape Suppliers

Using the right landscape suppliers is vital when putting together an elegant design. Homeowners have to be conscientious when buying their supplies and this includes finding landscape suppliers that offer the best prices, quality goods, and complimentary hardscape and softscape materials. Using a supplier that can offer a wide range of landscaping materials near me under a single roof is arguably the best way to find the best deals and complimentary stock.

Hardscaping Ideas and Examples

Homeowners have a lot of choice when it comes to hardscaping on their property. Terraces are an excellent way to turn the slopes on your property from a nuisance to a beautiful part of the yard. Terraces can be designed as steps or step gardens and can be built from retaining walls or timbers.

Walkways and brick pavers add architectural detail to a yard and help to frame the entire design while giving it flow. They are used in nearly every yard’s design and come in a wide range of styles and colors to match any decorating style.

Decks and patios define outdoor living spaces and made for ideal gathering areas. Add in an outdoor fireplace to finish the design. Outdoor lighting goes hand in hand with both outdoor living areas and along walkways and pavers. Gardens ponds are like self-enclosed ecosystems and can be stocked with fish, waterfalls, bridges, or fountains. Finally, fencing frames the entire yard and can provide privacy and security.

Softscaping Design Decisions

First and foremost, choose species that will do well in your local climate, your neighborhood landscaping materials near me suppliers should be able to help you make the right decision. Non-native plants and flowers typically require much more care and upkeep, meaning more time and money spent on yard work and maintenance.

Plants, flowers, trees, and shrubs provide the opportunity to utilize a number of colors and shapes throughout the yard. Flower gardens are a favorite among most homeowners and offer a lot of design flexibility with both annuals and perennials. Trees provide shade while shrubs provide ground cover. Mulch, grass, and ivy all add texture to an outdoor space, and mulch is a good low maintenance alternative for unused sections of the yard.

The right landscape suppliers are an excellent resource for ideas on how to use common and unique landscaping materials.…

How to Remove a Landscaping Bushes

Big trees spell big problem landscaping bushes. If you want to remove a big tree, you have to prepare for some serious work. It’s not really cruel to remove big tress. There’s always a reason for it. It can get in the way of your driveway, tree leaves can be a problem to clean up and you can free up a lot of space by removing big trees.

Landscaping Bushes

Ideally, big trees should be removed by professionals. They use guide ropes and big equipments suitable to safely remove trees. If you need to do it yourself, you just need wood saw and you can cut it just above its root. The issue lies when you have to remove the tree stump. A tree stump is the part of the tree base, which usually remains very hard to remove when a tree is cut off or fell. It would usually take a stump grinder to remove it but there are always other options. If you do not have stump grinders, here are some trenching and cutting tips to remove a landscaping bushes.

Clear the area

Before removing a big tree landscaping bushes, make sure that there is no interference or obstacles that can be in the harm’s way, like electrical lines and vehicles, etc. You should know exactly where to cut off the tree and where to haul them out.

Evaluate your tree

Get a good view of the tree in its entirety. A big tree should fall on its angle of growth. Define the angle where your tree naturally leans. Look for open, hollow and rotten areas of the tree. These usually indicate where the centre of the tree is. Make sure that the tree would not fall prematurely as it can be quite a danger. Professionals usually know where to cut the tree so that it naturally falls down on its own after a few chopping.
 
Removing tree stump

If you decide to make tree removal your DIY project, you need to prepare your stump removal tools. You would need an all-purpose utility bar, digging spade (heavy duty), a bench grinder (or a flat file), and work gloves to protect your hands.
 
Trenching

You should trend around the base of your tree using a digging spade and a shovel. Create a trench that’s about 8 inches to 12 inches wide around the tree stump. Its inner side should measure about 15 to 20 in. from the tree stump. This would create a clearance so you can have a spacious area to work around with. Using a spade, trench the moat all the way downwards until you reach the stump’s underside. You can water the soil so you it softer and easier to dig into. The best time to do this DIY project is after the rain when the soil is still damp.

Cutting

Successful trenching can help you expose tree roots so you can cut them off. When you have the roots exposed, get your utility bar and flat file and start cutting. As the tree stump got loose, give it a little wiggle every now and then and it would soon come off.…

Evergreen Landscaping Ideal

This may sound like a strange concept. You are probably thinking to yourself, “Isn’t all landscaping green?” Actually not all landscaping is green, there are some things you need to watch out for when planning your evergreen landscaping and the plants that you want to put in.

Evergreen Landscaping Ideas

1. How much rain does your area get each summer? Will you need to water often or do you need to try and find drought tolerant plants?

2. Try to find species that are native to the area you live in. If the species are native to the area that means they will need less maintenance than plants that are not native.

3. If the plants you want to use are not native, are they invasive? Invasive means will they spread if not contained.

4. Do you want annuals or perennials? Do you want to have to replant each spring, or do you want a garden that comes back each year?

5. Is the area you are landscaping sunny or shady most of the day?

6. Do you want to add hardscaping to the yard? Hardscaping means patios, walls, or pathways.

7. Do you want a water feature in the landscape landscaping ideas

Evergreen landscaping takes all these things into consideration. Landscaping that uses mainly native materials, whether plants or types of stone, is usually considered to be “greener”. This is because landscaping with materials that are native to the area makes less of an impact on the surrounding land. For instance if you live in a hot dry climate, planting species that take a lot of water to survive is going to be harder on the surrounding land, and will take more resources, not to mention work on your part.

Evergreen Landscaping

This does not mean that you cannot have a beautiful landscape. You just need to plan ahead. Consulting a landscape specialist in the area is usually a good idea. Most landscapers will be happy to talk to you about your plans even if you are going to do the work yourself. They can help you find plants and materials that do well in your area and provide a beautiful outdoor setting.

Let’s go back to that hot, dry climate for a minute; this would be a good area for hardscaping. Adding an outdoor patio with a pergola would be perfect in this area. It would not only add usable outdoor space that is shaded, it would also help to keep the interior of your home cooler. Spaces like this that reduce the inside temperature of your home are considered green because they help reduce the amount of energy it takes to cool your home. They usually increase the value of your home as well. This can be an excellent idea even if you do not live in a hot, dry area.

When you are planning your evergreen landscaping, think about your lifestyle and how much time you will have to maintain it. Many people just do not have the time to replant each spring, and some just do not want to have to mess with replanting. Not all of us are avid gardeners. I usually suggest a combination of annuals and perennials, just because it is nice to be able to change the look of your outdoor space from time to time.
For those that want a beautiful space with almost no work involved though, perennials are the best solution. These are plants that will grow again each spring with very little effort on your part. If you still want to add some different colors you can always use planters for a few annuals.

Beautiful outdoor spaces are in demand all over the world. Ensuring that your space is also green is just an added bonus.…

Landscaping Timbers Products

Someone rightfully noted that the only thing constant in life is change. Whether we are hostile towards it or welcome it with open arms it is inevitable. Even the world we live in and call a ‘global village’ is struggling to transform into a ‘villa’. It has witnessed all happenings right from the beginning -when grueling labor made way for tools. Landscaping timbers with the help of landscaping timbers offers limitless possibilities with both recycled products and natural timber available in different sizes and shapes it helps your canvas of imagination to fill up with ideas.

Landscaping Timbers

It has beheld the craftsmanship of humans and observed the keen willingness of learning and betterment. Century after century mankind shaped up new methodologies and processing ways and replaced it with older banalities of life and these new philosophies slowly started getting accepted. The basic tools paved way for sophisticated creation – encompassing ideas and products that became a souvenir of ages they represent. Simple needs transformed into cultural legacy like in case of wood artistry.

Over centuries the artists have fashioned extolling wonders in this field and transformed the aesthetics of decades ranging from Renaissance to contemporary craftsmanship. This technique has been refined and perfected according to the demands of time mapping out the expressions for each successive age landscaping

Like everything else much advancement has entered the field of wood artistry. The current times are observing an increase in the diversifying landscaping timbers products and veneering. Industrial revolution can directly be linked to the increase in production of timber veneers across the world.

Timber Products

It started to appear in public and private sector buildings and soon was as lavishly decorated luxury vehicles like ocean liners and railway, with its acceptance widening in the domestic furniture industry. However, today we see veneer paneled walls and doors with complementary furniture. This industry has also gained momentum through public awareness and responsibility towards maximizing the planet’s resources.

The maintenance for timber veneer is not difficult; like natural timber this veneer should be avoided to be used in wet areas or exterior walls. It should always be coated with an apt coating as a final finish and never be used without it. This can drastically reduce the adverse effects of light and discoloration from the surfaces.

Not only is timber being used for furniture, beams and panels but with a little brain storming they can add a whole new dimension to one’s abode. For example one can create terraced flowerbed with the help of landscaping timber. It helps build a raised flowerbed that is easy for maintenance and utilizes relatively lesser area; this makes it suitable for small yards.

However, planning is extremely crucial for landscaping as depending on the dimensions of the area and purpose one needs to calculate how much timber is required.…

Tropical Backyard Landscaping Ideas

When we think of vacations, we automatically think of white sand beaches and palm trees. If you want to have a piece of this relaxing ambiance, then you should be on the lookout tropical backyard landscaping ideas.

How to Have a Relaxing Backyard Landscaping

It’ll be very dandy if you can take the tropics with you. It’ll make for a very refreshing environment. If I may say so, it will even feel like you are taking a vacation all year round if you have this kind of landscape right in your own backyard landscaping ideas

There are major considerations to achieve this kind of landscape. And whether you will hire a landscape artist or you design your own, fact remains that you still have to go through every aspects of backyard landscaping you get the kind of landscape that’s perfect for your home. Some of these are:

Plants Play

Plants play a very essential role in achieving the tropic feel of your backyard. The choice of plants you are going to feature in the backyard landscaping is one important thing you need to focus on. In choosing the plants, you need to think of those kind which is easily associated with the main theme of your landscape, which, in this case is the tropics.
For example, when you think of tropical vacation, you can immediately picture out palm trees. The same goes when choosing which kind of flowering plants and ground covers you’re going to use.

Fixtures Pathways

From pathways to stones to outdoor furniture, each of these fixture must complement with the overall theme of your landscape. Due attention should be given when selecting the furniture and fixtures found in your backyard.

Pathways for example, are important for you to enjoy thoroughly the lush greeneries in your backyard. You can complement it with shells or tropical stones scattered around the whole place. If you are deciding on furniture, it is best that you go for wooden ones or at least those that complement the surroundings.

Water Features

Water is one of the key feature in tropical backyard landscape ideas. Most landscape of these types include a pool as the focal point of the whole landscape. If a pool is out of the question, have at least a fountain or a pond included.

ater is both refreshing and very stimulating. There’s something definitely relaxing when we get to hear splashes or even the gentle sounds made by flowing water. Thus, this feature helps enormously in achieving the look as well as the feel of your backyard landscape.…

Ideal Small Backyard Landscape Ideas

With funds tight these days, maybe buying a large jungle gym or swing set for your child isn’t feasible. However, it doesn’t mean that your backyard needs to remain a vast wasteland either. Below you will find a few ideas to transform a piece of your small backyard landscaping ideas.

Small Backyard Landscape Ideas

The sunflower fort is a great idea for people who have a relatively flat and grassy backyard. When the sunflowers have finished growing, your children will have a secret garden to play in that allows for both shade and sunshine landscaping ideas

Sunflower Fort

Germinate the seeds 3-4 days prior to planting by placing seeds between a few damp paper towels. The seeds that have started to germinate after 3 or 4 days are ready to be planted. Outline a square in a sunny area of your backyard, preferably on flat land, at least 5 feet on each side. You could also outline a rectangle.

Create a 2 foot wide space on one of the sides of the outline. Plant sunflower seeds in a straight line. Water the seeds as necessary.
Tips: Plan in advance, as you’ll need time for the sunflowers to grow. When the back of the sunflower turns brown, harvest the flower for seeds!

Reader’s Corner

If your child likes to read and the weather is amenable, creating a shady little reading nook for your him or her would be a welcome surprise. A simple set-up such as a child sized blow-up chair, some bottles of water, a tin of cookies, and a blanket are a perfect set-up. Complete the area with some of her favorite books and let her know that is her space for reading.

Hammock “Tent”

Usually the space beneath your hammock is much good for anything except for grass. A 6-7′ foot pole can be used to transform your favorite napping place to a wonderful “tent” for little ones. It’s a simple matter of securing the pole into the ground in the middle of the hammock, then gently letting the hammock fall on top of the pole. This works by itself for a canvas hammock, but if you have a net hammock, use a pillow between the hammock and the pole.

Tree House

The ultimate in childhood fun has become more rare these days largely due to homeowners insurance regulations. However, if you have a sturdy tree worthy of a house for your little ones to safely play in, nothing beats a tree house. A quick search on the net will provide you with loads of blueprints and plans to build your child’s dream “tree” home.

You may pay a bit more for a tree house, but the rewards are certainly worth it, and a well-made tree house has a lot more character than an assembly line jungle gym/swing set.…