Dress Up and Show Off! Window Boxes for All Seasons

Dress Up and Show Off! Window Boxes for All Seasons

Make the exterior of your home fashionable for spring-dress it up with window boxes full of colorful flowers and foliage. But window boxes are not just spring things, change their contents for each season and you’ll not only be keeping up with the Jones’, you’ll be way ahead of your neighbors in helping to beautify the neighborhood. Tongue- in-cheek jesting aside, do this for yourself and your family. The efforts are few and the rewards are many.

Window Box Styles

You can usually find window boxes in a variety of styles at your local garden center or chain building supply store. These include ready-made wood boxes as well as metal “hayrack” types. Or, if you have a handy-man (or woman) carpenter in the family, they can be custom-made from rot-resistant wood such as pressure-treated pine, cedar, teak or redwood. Just measure the width of your window, allow 8 to 10 inches for the height of the box and 6 to 8 inches for the width (bottom board). Drill holes for drainage in the bottom board. Attach it with heavy-duty hardware.

You can also find plastic or metal liner boxes which sit inside the wooden window boxes. These help protect the bottom board from rot, and they make planting easier. Just remove the liner box, take it to your potting table and fill it with potting soil and plants. It can then be inserted back into the box that is attached to the house.

Look for other unusual items to use as window boxes, such as old sap buckets. Make a grouping of three or four buckets and mount them on a board and attach it to the bottom of your window. Be sure to drill drainage holes in the buckets before attaching to the board. How about old bicycle baskets or other wire baskets, a grouping of old watering cans, even children’s brightly colored plastic buckets-well, maybe for a window at the back of the house or on a fence!

Planting Your Window Boxes

Keep in mind that these boxes will be hanging out there in mid air, so they will get more intense exposure to the sun and will dry out faster than plants in the ground. You can help remedy this by adding water-retaining polymers to the soil. Don’t put them on top of the soil; bury them in the bottom two to three inches of soil in the window box so roots can receive their benefits. Read the directions on the polymer container for calculating the amount to be added. After planting, water gently, but heavily. This allows the polymers to take up water, which they will hold until the soil around them dries out. They will then release their moisture to the roots of your plants.

Choose a good potting mix with fertilizer already added. This will insure that your plants get a good start and stay healthy throughout the season. When you change the plants out for the next season, you can simply work in more time-release fertilizer in the remaining potting mixture. For your wire or hayrack baskets, you will need to purchase cocoa mat liners, which can be fitted to the basket to hold the soil in.

Plants for Your Window Boxes

When selecting plants for your window boxes, think about which color, or colors, will look good against your house. You may choose only one outstanding plant, or a mixture of plants that complement each other. Remember to place the tall plants toward the rear of the box, the shorter ones in the middle and the trailing plants along the edge of the box. With your window box in place, you can enjoy planning and planting each season of the year.…

Landscaping Made Easy

Landscaping Made Easy

Do you wish you could wave a magic wand and your landscaping would look amazing? There are many people in the same shoes as you but they do know a great way to get what they want. They have found landscaping is made easy with the help of a professional. Depending on the climate and location where you are, it can be virtually impossible to really get your grass looking good on your own.

Most people have gone that route and feel that they failed. What is even more frustrating is that they spent lots of money to get to that point. New lawns though are going to be possible when you know what to do. Why wait for new grass to grow? That is a long process and one that can end up not offering you the results you had in mind.

How do you get it then? With new sod you can have green looking grass and new landscaping within the week. Most of that time will be spent talking to contractors and working out a deal. They are professions and can tell you how much sod you will need, what types they would recommend for your area, and then they can get it installed for you.

Before you say that you simply can’t afford this type of landscaping made easy, you need to find out what the cost will be. Too often people assume that the cost of it is going to be out of the ballpark. However, when you consider how much you will spend for your grass seed, supplies to till the soil, and other materials you are going to be spending money and not be guaranteed and results.

With the use of grass sod you will be able to get the changes you want for your landscaping right now. Summer is right around the corner so you will have plenty of time to be able to enjoy the new look. Don’t put off getting started with it today!

With new lawns you can have a look outdoors that you are really impressed with. You can have something that looks amazing each time you go outside. Other people are going to notice your new grass too. Don’t be surprised if they ask you about it because they too have been going through the same things you have.

The use of new sod is going to end your frustrations with your landscaping. While you won’t have a magic wand to change things, you are going to have the assistance of products and professionals that can help you to make your dream of a gorgeous lawn a reality. They can also help you to do it for an affordable price that fits well for your budget.…

More About Landscape Tips For Beginners

More About Landscape Tips For Beginners

In landscaping for the first time, you will need to understand the principles of landscaping. The trees, grass, flowers and plants are living creatures that you can mold to your liking in more ways than one. You have to care for not only them but their soil or they will die. You will need to at least have a plan of how you want your landscaping to look before you actually start digging up the yard. Monitor your ground so you will know which types of flowers and plants and grass you want to use in your landscaping. It is wise to spend at least a week watching the places where you will to start landscaping so you can see how the sun hits the area or keep track of its shade. If a lot of sun hits an area, you will know what kind of plants to place there.

You will need to keep an eye on the ground and how it reacts to rain. It is important to know what areas of your ground are soft after it rains or what areas have pooling of water. A lot of times trees are a factor. Think about whether or not you plan to keep your existing trees or not. They tend to leave an ambush of leaves in the fall season. This is okay if you do not mind raking them. Few people will have the trees removed and replace them with evergreens. Sometimes it is hard for grass to grow around the roots of an evergreen.

Having an eye for colors is an important attribute to have when you are landscaping. At least and understanding of what each one brings to the table and how they will all work together are the basics. This fits into every garden blueprint. You will need to know if you want the colors to be in sync with each other or not. Colors determine your garden’s moods. You will need to study the primary ones which are blues, yellows and reds. The secondary colors are your oranges, purples and greens and lastly a combination of the primaries and secondaries. Silvers, whites, grays and blacks are neutral colors that will help you mix the right shades.

When beginning to landscape for the first time, you should decide in your gardening or flower blueprint if you want the plants and trees together or lining a path. Will the colors be in sync? Will they all just have their own separate areas? Instead of sketching your ideas on paper, you can buy software that can help you do three dimensional planning. You can also get ideas from landscaping magazines or check out the books your local library may have. You will also want to make sure you have the right lawn and gardening tools and equipment for your landscaping. Most equipment can be rented, especially if you only need to use it like once or twice a year. This will depend on the size of your yards. If you are planning to do statues or ponds, you may want to hire a small crew or either a professional. You will want your yard to shine for your neighbors and passers by.…

Landscaping Ideas in Small Yard – Things to Consider

Landscaping Ideas in Small Yard – Things to Consider

If you have a small yard you may begin to think that there’s a big limitation on what you can do with your landscape. And while that may be true, it certainly shouldn’t be a hindrance in having an awesome looking yard. There are several landscaping ideas for small yard that you can definitely work with. In fact, the only limitation here really is the space, everything else would be up to your creativity and resourcefulness.

There are various ways you can work around having a small space for your landscape. The real trick is to maximize whatever space you have and to create an illusion of expansiveness. This is something you can do with some of the consideration I will discuss with you.

To get started, here are some considerations to keep in mind:

Plants

Plants should definitely be a part of any landscape design no matter how big or small. Plants are what gives vibrancy and life to any particular space. In your case, you would do well if you can select plant varieties that could thrive well even in small spaces.

Another idea you can entertain is to start container gardening. You can have some hanging ornamental plants. You can also have some of these lined up in places such as the entryway or stairs. With container gardening, space wouldn’t be so much of an issue at all.

Accents

Since furniture and other fixture requiring bigger space are out of the picture, you can have some smaller accents that would enhance the beauty of your yard just the same. For example, you can have a smaller, ready made water feature to adorn your yard. Water features like those serenity garden or maybe even a simple birdbath wouldn’t have to take up so much space.

Another thing you might want to consider is using rocks. You can lay out rocks of varying sizes at different corners of the yard. Those rocks wouldn’t take up to much space but they do contribute to vary the elements of your landscape.

Design

Since you are quite limited on space, you need to maximize whatever space you have. In order to do this, you can look at areas like near fences, stairs, walls and paved areas. They can be utilized as areas which you can use as part of the landscape.

Also, you need to be more thorough in the arrangement of your plants and other accents. You may have a small rock garden in the corner of your yard to utilize even that little space. You can arrange your container garden in a layered manner. You can have some of those ornamental plants hung on strategic places where they can be easily noticed and appreciated. These are minor things which spell out a big difference when you are landscaping a small yard.…

4 Reasons Why Plants and Animals are Heading for Extinction – Landscaping for Wildlife

4 Reasons Why Plants and Animals are Heading for Extinction – Landscaping for Wildlife

As human beings in the 21st century we live a very privileged existence compared to our ancestors. We live in the most technological era since the start of mans evolution. We now have access to gadgets that exist to make our lives and our day-to-day tasks easier and quicker such as washing machines, blenders etc. But at what price? The environmental damage due to modern industrial evolution has been drastic.

Early man respected nature. As hunter gatherers they needed both plant and animal life to thrive. They hunted animals and gathered plants as a means of maintaining their existence. They may have hunted some species of animals to extinction due to their ignorance but we, modern man no longer have that privilege or excuse.

Wildlife conservation does not seem to be a priority for many governments and individuals. Our dependence and reliance on natural wildlife resources seems to be increasing instead of decreasing. We do not appear to be taking steps to change that. Before we know it animal and plant life will be completely from this world.

There are many reasons why plants and animals are heading that way.

FOOD: As spoken of before, certain species of animals are being driven to extinction due to over culling by humans.

FASHION: In the history of man, animals have been killed for the use of their skins and furs. In the past as a means of protection against extreme weather conditions this has been quite acceptable. But nowadays you could argue that with the development of products such as man-made synthetic fibres and appliances like heaters this need has been eliminated.

HOUSING: With the population of earth now exceeding six billion people, the demand for land to house them all has increased. More and more wildlife is destroyed in the pursuit of this.

THE CORPORATE ROLE: Big business has contributed to the depletion of wildlife and plants by their demand on our natural resources. Contributing to this are things such as manufacturing synthetic products, such as plastics, or by drilling for oil and thus disturbing the habitat of ocean wildlife.

We know there will always be a demand on the environment and its natural resources to enable man to thrive. However, what we need to do is create a balance. Surprisingly enough that which contributes to the cause of the negative impact on our environment is also contributing to the positive. Scientific research is being sought to implement strategies that will protect the environment. Also, by safeguarding natural areas and leaving them undisturbed they will flourish for future generations.…

How to Do Yard Landscaping in an Easy Way

How to Do Yard Landscaping in an Easy Way

It is part of everyone’s goal to have a front yard that does not require too much work to maintain. You can have a professional to make your yard easy to manage or you can just do it by yourself. In both ways you can have a facade yard that will take less work to maintain its fantastic look throughout the year.

Make sure that this goal of having a wonderful front house yard landscape with a little maintenance is discussed carefully with a professional if you are going to hire one.

Cutting grasses out every time they grow will take too much time and effort just to keep the grasses from ruining the design of your landscaping design.

Fewer grasses would mean less effort and time to spend on your garden.

If you are a busy career person, it is best to discuss with an expert about the alternative ways to maintain the good look of your front garden even if you have a small lawn while exerting the minimum effort to keep your yard at its best structure.

Clover will actually do better than grass and most people find it a good idea because it will save your time and money. It does not require mowing as often as grasses do. Clover lawn will also do well in areas where droughts often occur.

They look good almost everywhere and the best part about the clover is you can have fun on your yard with you and your family without bugs ruining the moment because bugs hate clovers.

Your yard will also need watering and doing so might take a lot of your time and money. But now people are putting automatic irrigation systems as part of their front yard landscape design.

It will be easier for you to keep your plants on their best condition even during hot days of the year as this system will automatically water your plants.

Another good thing is that you do not have to do watering by yourself like dragging the host to your yard or having a sprinkler to water your garden front.

You should hire a professional to install the automatic irrigation system in your front yard landscape to avoid leakages causing flood and excessive water to yard.…

Landscaping Designs Can Help Improve Your Lot Area

Landscaping Designs Can Help Improve Your Lot Area

The art of landscaping has been adored and recognized, not only for the residential areas but for the commercial areas as well. There are lots of ideas that can be applied for landscaping jobs, but it takes a skillful and imaginative landscaping artist to create such an art for each type of residential and commercial location. The purpose of landscaping is actually to blend colors, shapes, and objects to the natural beauty and wonders of nature.

Residential landscape may focus on modifying the appearance of the lot area. Landscaping designs can be done on the front area of your house, the backyard, the pool area, the patio, or the pavements. It may also focus on the cultivation of plants or the modification of the shape of the land or terrain. The main objective is to create beautiful scenery while promoting conservation of nature and its proper sustenance.

On the other hand, the commercial landscaping designs are focused on creating different artistic presentation, whether it is for small-scale businesses or large-scale ones. The artistic designs of landscaping used for such commercial areas are very important and significant for companies and organizations, because the exterior appearance of their office buildings will be the basis for their clients and customers’ first impression regarding the business.

Landscaping designs can be very beautiful in terms of decorations and house appearance, but aside from that, it can also improve the environmental and ecological balance of nature as the plants and trees used in landscaping can help keep and increase the green house effect in resolving the issues of global warming.

Plants and trees are the perfect natural sources for ecological balance. And since plants and trees are used as one of the materials in landscaping, the art of landscaping should also consider the necessary steps in conserving and preserving the sustainability of nature.

In addition to that, there are also lots of landscaping designs and tips that would enhance the beauty of the garden. The plants can be decorated with artificial materials like fences, stones, rocks, pebbles, woods, and other similar materials to create gravel pathway, artistic patios, pavements, driveways, and yard decorations. The area could also be added with swings, hammocks, fountains, bird cages, and many more, as long as it does not harm the nature and the people or animals around.

Landscaping designs can be a good way to improve the appearance of the area, residential or commercial. A well-maintained landscape reflects the value of the residents and the building owners. More than that, a beautifully landscaped land or terrain promotes environmental improvements and less-polluted surroundings.…

Plants Indigenous to the Brisbane Garden

Plants Indigenous to the Brisbane Garden

Brisbane is a beautiful place. It has amazing architecture showcasing the European influences as well as the modern influences of architecture. The CBD and Story Bridge are masterpieces of metal. Beautiful flowers line the walkways of South Bank Park. In full bloom you are in the middle of a virtual paradise even when you are walking at the heart of the city. The City is situated at the bank of the Brisbane River. The emerald water reflects the sun like tiny diamonds on its surface it is a sight that cannot be equaled in beauty.

You can bring home the beauty that you so admire with the help of a garden that works well within the eco-system. Although there are foreign species of plants that will work with a Brisbane Garden, you may want to try out indigenous plants to create your Garden to thrive in the unique Brisbane weather and environment.

Some of the benefits of using indigenous plants in your garden are that it works well with the natural weather of the garden. You do not need to create artificial means of survival for the plant. You eliminate the need for the creation of green houses.

Because of adaptation and evolution, the resources needed to help a plant from foreign surroundings thrive are a lot more significant compared to the resources of plants found in the local areas. For example, some foreign plants need more sun than Brisbane can provide. The same goes with rain and plants. Plants from outside of Brisbane may need more watering compared to a plant indigenous to the region. Remember that your garden is built to last and if you have to compensate too much for the environment, then, those expenses can add up.

Some of the indigenous plants you can use vary depending on the conditions you are planting them in. After all, there are a multitude of conditions that one can experience in Brisbane. For example, if one plans to grow a shrub in the shade some of the plants indigenous to Brisbane are Narrow Leaved Gardenias and Cat’s Whiskers. You can also plant shade loving ground coverings like the Native Violets dominant in the area or the low Rasp Fern that you can naturally find in many areas in Brisbane.

If you plan to work in areas fully exposed to the sun, some of the plants you can use include frangipani, a small deciduous flowering plant, and the butterfly bush, a glossy leaved shrub with white perfumed flowers.

There are more indigenous plants that you can choose from. It is important to choose wisely because not all plants can thrive in Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate. If you want to learn more about the many plants you can use in your Brisbane garden do not hesitate to talk to a local garden shop and I am sure that they will be happy to assist you. A few minutes with a professional can be your key to a wonderful Brisbane Garden.…

Landscaping Solutions – Tackling Problem Spots in Your Terrain

Landscaping Solutions – Tackling Problem Spots in Your Terrain

Anyone who has ever undertaken a landscaping project knows that landscaping can present some unique challenges.

Even if you are fortunate enough to pull off your design without a significant hitch, it can still be quite a task. Most aren’t so lucky, though. Almost any installations scheme will run up against at least a few problem areas that just won’t conform to the ideals of the landscape design plan. Fortunately, such problem spots can be overcome with just a bit of flexibility and creativity.

Erosion Problems

Soil erosion can be a significant problem on sloping land. The most practical means of curbing erosion is through terracing and building retaining walls. Retaining walls can be constructed from rockwork or by using railroad ties partially buried and spiked into the ground.

Drainage Problems

Drainage Problems are also a common source of distress for homeowners. Water can easily pool in low lying or flat areas. This is especially common in areas with very hydric soil (earth that retains water rather than allowing it to drain). If the areas of pooling are well away from any structures or other objects that might be subject to water damage, you might consider simply using wetland plants in those areas. If the location of the standing water is, itself, a problem, then a better option is to dig a swale (a shallow trough) to establish a channel for the water to drain into a more desirable location or even out into the street.

Drought Problems

On the other end of the scale are areas that get little rainfall, or that have soil that doesn’t hold water well. In these areas, xeriphytic plants are usually the way to go. Xeriphytes are plants that need very little water and do well in dry areas. If there are only a few areas of the property that consistently dry out, rock gardening can be a viable solution, as well. Rock gardens can be designed to look either natural or artistic and can be used in conjunction with xeriphytic plants.

Rocky Terrain Problems

Rocky terrain provides many of the same issues as dry areas, with the added obstacle of being unable to dig into the earth for easy planting. Rock gardening works well and looks natural in such settings. Soil can be imported into sections of the rock garden to add xeriphytic plants to add color and life to the rock garden.

Shade Problems

Highly wooded areas and areas blocked from the sun by structures can receive too little sunlight to support the majority of plants. However, there are a number of plants that thrive in shade. These should be used in any areas that present the problem of too much shade. Such areas can also be utilized and augmented with hardscaping. While you may have difficulty getting your plants to grow in the shade, a nice shady spot makes the ideal setting for benches, gazebos and other features. A little creativity can go a long way in addressing shade problems.…

Why Move to Chandler Arizona?

Why Move to Chandler Arizona?

Chandler Arizona is growing fast. The reasons for this phenomenal growth are clear once we take a good look at the city. Why move to Chandler Arizona? For the many things that it offers both business and resident.

The city of Chandler, Arizona is located near Phoenix. It is considered to be one most rapidly growing areas of the United States. The population of Chandler is about 200,000. The city has seen about 100 percent growth in just the last ten years along. Called the Oasis of the desert by the residents and locals, the city has undergone a metamorphosis from a small farming area to a large and forward-moving city.

Drawing both residents and business into the rapidly growing community of Chandler, the pull of Chandler is quite evident when you take a longer look at Chandler. The cornerstone of the community and the economy remains agriculture. While the farming type community makes Chandler desirable on many levels, encouraging the hard working and industrious resident, the area offers a great deal more.

Manufacturing has grown to play an important role in Chandler’s economy, as well as the electronics and technology fields for which the city is becoming famous. Residents here enjoy a lifestyle that is above the national average in several ways.

The average income for a worker in Chandler, Arizona is about $65,000 dollars. Home costs are very affordable, averaging $100,000 dollars for a home, which may range from a resort home to a condo, to a desert home with a breathtaking view.

The culture and educational opportunities that you find in Chandler are also outstanding in their breadth and scope. Nearly all year around a full range of arts, theater, and crafting shows are available to you in Chandler Arizona. The Chandler downtown area offers you a wide range of opportunities for culture as well. With a historical district that spans centuries of Native American and other influences, you’ll find restaurants, galleries, wineries, as well as an amazing array of shopping areas where you can find any type of goods that you may be looking for.

Both guests as well as residents of the city of Chandler, Arizona love the many different museums which Chandler houses. From the Dairy Farm museum to the Fairytales museum, the array of culture is mind-bending. If you’re into more outdoors-hardy activities, you’ll find that the skateboard parks, the ice skating, which is available year-round, as well as the horseback-riding and the golfing are all great reasons why move to Chandler, Arizona.

What’s the big draw about Chandler? Why move to Chandler, Arizona? How about year-round culture and entertainment, great educational opportunities, amazing sports, outstanding culture, weather that is remarkably temperate, and low prices on goods, utilities, services and housing? If those are not reason enough for considering a move to Chandler, Arizona, then you’re a difficult person to convince.…

How Parking Lot Lights Can Impact Your Business

How Parking Lot Lights Can Impact Your Business

One thing that every parking lot needs is decent lighting; it’s become an essential part of a business. Parking lot lights serve a lot of necessary functions from safety and security to increasing visibility at night. Installing the right number and type of lights as well as maintaining them is an important part of achieving the right look as well as maintaining adequate security and safety.

The Importance of Parking Lot Lights

Businesses want to provide a certain degree of safety for both their customers and their employees as they come and go from the building. After all if a business doesn’t feel safe customers, and even some sought after employees, may be inclined to choose a competitor if they feel more comfortable parking and walking to and from their building. Don’t underestimate the importance of creating a pleasant environment that feels safe.

The right lighting can also help keep your business safe. Besides creating a pleasant and safe environment to help attract people to your business, proper illumination will also help deter criminals. Most criminal acts committed at offices buildings and shopping centers occur in the parking lot. Granted parking lot lights won’t stop all crimes, but it can help significantly decrease them as places that are well lit are less tempting for criminals. In some cases providing a safe environment can even help prevent potential lawsuits.

Installing New Lights

When planning a new design and installing new lights it is essential to hire professionals for this. Installing parking lot lights is an investment; it is something you want done right so you can get the best benefit from your investment.

Professionals can help you come up with the best design to fit your specific needs. Maybe you simply need pole lights, but if you want a less sterile look you may want to use a mix of lights like pole and bollard lights, maybe even a few landscaping lights if you have landscaped areas in the parking lot.

Professionals will make sure the all the lighting is properly wired and installed. They can also help you find energy efficient lighting that will help save you money on your electric bills each month.

Maintaining Old Lights

If your system is older you may want to consider updating or retrofitting with newer energy efficient lighting. If the lights aren’t shinning as brightly, if they are flickering or if they burn out quickly they may need some attention.

Don’t underestimate the importance of parking lot lights. They can be an asset or a liability to a business depending on their condition.…

4 Landscaping Ideas For Parents

4 Landscaping Ideas For Parents

With regards to planning your very own landscape, everything is somewhat more difficult for any parent. The matter is the fact that children just like to run all over and get hold of stuffs, which often result in several delicate flower or plant shows becoming split to one side quite easily, plus some landscape style aspects could even bring in unwanted problems. Parents won’t go into all of these worries at the moment, but what exactly do they desire to discuss are a handful of hints for getting your own yard a little bit more enjoyable for the kids.

Appearances are necessary, however parents would also like a yard their youngsters could have a great time.

1. Provide Space to Run

One of the primary aspects you need to include right into a landscape crafted along with kids on your mind is definitely an open vicinity for running around. Truthfully, I personally do not typically suggest lawns into my landscaping content articles since they acquire plenty of maintenance tasks yet never render an entire lot back to the standard property owner.

However when you are considering households having young children, a yard could be a blessing since it produces a gentle, padded area and a lot of room to keep moving around. Complicated, ornamental scenery in which each and every detail can be damaged, smashed, or perhaps disorganized, tend to be a bore to little ones and limit their own movements.

2. Get Your Children’s Assistance

One more great factor concerning the yard is that usually children can easily know work values should you leave the constant maintenance to them as they mature. Although this does not have to apply to developing, mowing and trimming green grass – regardless of precisely how young your children will be, they are able to help you with many different landscaping duties. Take into account getting them assist you to plan everything out if they’re curious, plus they can assist you build it too. And also any good landscape requires standard upkeep.

3. Grow a Vegetable Garden

Another wonderful concept is to get a modest vegetable plot within your yard. This will allow children an opportunity to try things out with growing veggies. Hey, this is certainly actual science here, and it is a terrific ability to acquire.

4. Set Up a Rec Spot

Lastly, everything is ideal for your children, yet oftentimes they do merely want to enjoy. And it’s really great on their behalf. Think about placing a compact recreation spot within your yard, that comes with swings, trampolines, and perhaps even several monkey bars. This particular play spot provides a probability for them to get plenty of physical exercise whenever spending time around your house, and when you ultimately choose good quality equipment it can easily be a really appealing add-on to your yard.

Trampolines, specifically, make the perfect method to remain in shape.

Thus, having lively youngsters doesn’t have to keep you back from acquiring a stunning yard. You simply need to turn it into a yard which could manage slightly rough play and contains a great deal for children to perform. And the truth that they’re assisting you create and preserve your wonderful plants and flowers is likely to make this much more likely that they worth them enough not to harm them.

In this manner, our own yard becomes as this ought to be, a primary factor to a much better life for our household.…

Making Your Lawn Beautiful

Making Your Lawn Beautiful

Yard work is not an easy task and when you have kids or a career, doing the yard work is that much more difficult. The grass needs to be cut, the flowers planted and watered, and those pesky weeds that keep returning must be pulled. Sometimes just getting it done is a sigh of relief, but if a party you are hosting is coming up or you are inviting a few people to your house, it is important to have the yard looking nice. With those busy schedules, hiring a professional landscaper may be the smartest way to go. A landscaping service can get the job done for you so your yard and flower beds are in the best shape for your backyard party.

When you take care of your yard there are bound to be less problems with it later on in the future. Pulling weeds and watering and cutting the grass on a regular basis can save you a lot of time when you really need your lawn looking its best. Can you imagine if you barely ever pulled weeds or cut your grass? Your yard would probably start to look like a forest and no one would ever want to spend time in your yard. Things like watering, weeding, and cutting are the things that should be done often. Planting flowers and such can be a seasonal task. However, it is crucial that it gets done because that means less stress later.

Having a healthy lawn and garden can be very environmentally friendly. Studies have shown that plants can actually reduce noise pollution and carbon dioxide levels. They also provide clean oxygen for people and animals to breathe. When there are storms with a lot of rain or with simple everyday wear and tear, plants can help to reduce the amount of erosion.

Also having a great looking lawn can attract people to it. If you are throwing a party and there are too many guests to have all inside at once, it is always nice to have a beautiful lawn for people to be in. You can set up tables and chairs and even have a table for snacks and drinks. It is just important for that lawn to look nice and cleaned up for your guests. When and if you are trying to sell your home, the yard could possibly make it or break it. If they love your house but the yard is terrible, they may not buy it.

It is difficult to take care of a home, kids, and pets and keep up with the outside of your home also. Working on it little bits at a time or simply hiring someone who can do it for you is a great way to make sure that your yard always looks its best. From having people over to trying to sell your home, people will be interested in the way your yard looks. If you never take care of it they will notice but if you do, they will greatly appreciate your hard work.…

The Top Five Ways to Save Money on Irrigation Costs

The Top Five Ways to Save Money on Irrigation Costs

If you want to save on irrigation costs, here are some ways you can do just that. And not only will these save you money, but they’ll also save you time, so that you won’t be spending so much of your time monitoring your lawn or garden for its water needs.

Use an automatic lawn irrigation system

Automatic lawn irrigation systems can be costly upfront, but they’ll save you a significant amount of both time and money in the long run, especially when it comes to conserving water. You can, of course, simply drop a lawn hose or sprinkler into the middle of your lawn and let it do its thing, but an automatic lawn irrigation system is going to control the amount of water so that you only get the amount you need, and so that there is minimal evaporation to worry about besides. A lawn irrigation system lets you target those plants that need the most water, while only minimally watering areas that don’t need much. You can also set them so that they will water at times of day when evaporation is less likely.

Use hardy plants that don’t need much water

You can landscape your lawn beautifully by using hardy plants that don’t need much water and are drought resistant.

Don’t have your lawn be a “monoculture” disaster

Although satiny green lawns may be desirable on the surface, in fact, they’re generally a nightmare to keep up because they need such rigorous watering, weeding and fertilizing. In other words, let your lawn be a little bit diverse; let it go “au naturel” to some extent, in other words. You shouldn’t let it simply go to weed, of course, but a little variety is a good thing. Clover, as one example, will readily pop up if you don’t keep it away, and is a great way to naturally fertilize your lawn (and provide it some hardy drought-resistant cover as well) so that it stays looking green and nice.

Use drip irrigation

Drip irrigation simply uses tubes that have release points near places that need the most water. These systems use batteries to regulate flow and also prevent water from backing up and contaminating fresh water.

Use rainwater

You can of course simply “let it rain” when you want to water your lawn or garden, but if you want to save the rainwater that comes off your gutters, it’s pretty easy to do. Just put a collection container under a downspout or use what are called rain chains to collect the water and then use it where it’s needed. Even when water is scarce (and of course we all want to conserve water these days), you can have a beautiful lawn and/or garden at minimal cost. Simply be smart with your irrigation methods, keep your lawn and/or garden happy, and be mindful of water conservation and expense at the same time.…

Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

Designing a front yard is usually about accessibility and invitation. We spend hardly any time in the front yard as opposed to the backyard, but it is where we enter and exit our homes. For this reason, we may put much thought into driveways and walkways and then design everything else around that.

Landscaping your front yard can add curb appeal, a sense of invitation, increases the value of the property and acts as framing for your house. Though it is an important element of your house, you shouldn’t have to spend a lot of money to create a beautiful landscape. Something simple and functional can have maximum impact as well. Here are some ideas to help you update your front yard landscape.

Use your front door as a focal point – Paint the door a color that both contrasts and compliments the color of the house. The walkway should also flow easily to it so that people aren’t confused where to go. You can use a soft curvy line but keep in mind that you don’t want your guests to be wandering around thinking they took the wrong path that may never get them to the front door. In other words, it should be like following bread crumbs. Another way to lead them to the front door is to frame the house with smaller plants near the door.

Freshen up what you already have – At times all you have to do is prune and shape your existing foliage to revamp your front yard. Use vertical plants and shrubs to soften the corners of the house. You can also change out some of the potted plants you have for a different look.

Outdoor garden furniture adds appeal – If you think that outdoor furniture is only for backyards, you’re wrong. You can find an area near the front entry to place a small and sturdy aluminum table and chair; even if you have to clear away some old shrubs that are past their prime to do it. A nicely decorated seating area, maybe with outdoor cushions, gives guests the impression that they are welcome to stay for awhile.

Build an island garden – This can be done in less than a weekend. Pick a good spot somewhere like in the corner. Lay down layers of newspaper to keep weeds down and cover that with a large mound of black dirt. Add some shrubs and low maintenance perennials appropriate for the amount of sunshine in the area and cover the dirt with mulch or landscaping rocks. Use landscaping bricks or other type of edging around the perimeter and you’re done.

Use garden structures – Using an arbor, trellis or tall sculpture can add vertical height especially when the plants and flowers are growing at the same level. A garden gate leading to the backyard on one side could be used to balance round-shaped shrubs on the other side.

Add outdoor lighting – This is great for added security as well as to maintain the appeal of your house after dark. Solar lights are great for this purpose. You can place them along the walkway and underneath trees. They require no installation, wiring or electricity so pick your spots and that’s it.…

Timber Products

Timber 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. 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.

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

Landscaping with the help of timber 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. 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.…

Why You Should Approach a Sports Turf Design Consultant

Why You Should Approach a Sports Turf Design Consultant

Do you want to install sports turf on your athletic field in Texas? Then approaching a Texas sports turf design consultant should be your very first step. By enlisting the services of one of these professionals, you can eliminate any hassle involved in the process. The design consultant will take care of everything; from advising you on the perfect quality turf, to getting it installed in the field, all for a flat fee.

Why not simply go for a turf vendor?

True enough, there are several Austin turf vendors, and you could contact them for getting turf at wholesale prices. But you have to realize that these vendors will not make your work any easier. They can at best provide you with high quality turf and count the price. That’s it. Turf vendors do not bother with installing turfs, leaving you to do the needful, either yourself, or by hiring expensive professional help. This is why you should never go to a vendor when getting sports turf for your field.

What benefits will hiring the services of a sports turf design consultant get me?

Hiring a sports turf design consultant will get you several benefits that turf vendor will never be able to provide. These include:

1.A sports turf design consultant can survey your field and provide suggestions as to what kind of turf would suit it the best. They will provide you with several choices, from which you would be able to select the one that suits your budget.

2.These consultants often have professional installers on their roster who will get the turfs installed in your sports field. They will also provide you with useful suggestions as to how you can take care of the turf in the long run.

3.When you enlist the services of a sports turf design consultant, you get the assurance that if something does go wrong in near future with the turf, the consultant will not leave you in the lurch. They will provide you with support services for a small fee, and restore your field back to the ideal condition once more.

Always approach reputable Texas sports turf design consultants to get this turf installed on your field. You will get excellent services at affordable rates. For starters, check out . They own an 800 acre farm in Tioga, Texas, and have been successfully operating for many years. Contact them today, and you will never have to worry about the condition of your sports field, ever again.…

Tips For DIY [Do-It-Yourself] Landscaping for Your Home

Tips For DIY [Do-It-Yourself] Landscaping for Your Home

Beautifying ones home is always the major concern of home owners mostly for women and housewives. One way of making the house look amazing is through creating landscapes. Contracting somebody to do the landscape is a great option but, it can be too much expensive and impractical.

Landscaping is typically costly when done by professional landscapers. Although, it is true that the work done by the experts really worth the money spent however, economic crisis are continually growing vastly today, forcing us to spend very wisely only for the major necessities only. If you are really eager in making your home attractive and pleasing, simple DIY landscaping methods below can be of help to you.

Creativity. Use your imagination and creativity. Be experimental! Plan the landscape style you have perceived… may it be in the shape of tables and chairs or perhaps, it must be fully endowed with several seats and garden furniture, etc.

Area to be landscaped. This must be considered. Before buying any landscaping materials such as flowers, furniture, and other ornaments, make sure it will fit the location where the landscaping would take place. Choose only those that are simple. Do not over decorate, choose only 2-3 colors and blend them to complement it with your garden and the style of your home in general.

Materials to use. Use broadsheet in making all the flower beds. Use hose or any bendable materials to make any shape of the desired flower beds. Using the water hose, damp the tabloid and the entire area to be landscaped.

Clearing and applying soil. Remove unwanted plants and trees in your prospect area to be landscaped. Eliminate the of placing flowers and cultivate its surroundings which would be needed in the procedure. Buy enough soil and sawdust to cover the area. Do not leave even a small space unattended. The distribution of the soil and saw dust must be consistent to avoid unintentional high and low level land rise-up, unless it’s on your style.

Maintaining. Think of the needed plants and kinds of flowers which will grow in the yard. Use gay colored ornaments. Water your plants using programmed water sprinklers so that are watering the plants will not be a major concern anymore. Hide the pots used in some flowers via the saw dust and soil. Spread the particles evenly. Monitor the grass growth in the area by clipping the grass in the lawn as the need arises to maintain your landscape. Do not just let the unwanted grass ruin the landscape being made. And see for yourself the result of the landscape being made.

Landscaping is not really a tough task to do. In fact it is an enjoyable and now an income generating work to do. It only requires a green thumb and a lot of patience in growing the trees, shrubs and flowers as well as painting the nearby part of the house in relation to the desired landscape outcome. Although it requires the owner some money to purchase different landscape items and tools, the result of the labor is fruitful enough. All the hard work done in making the landscape will be returned a hundred folds once the owner will see the outcome and once he will start to earn through the landscape he has made.…

Avoiding Common Landscaping Misconceptions

Avoiding Common Landscaping Misconceptions

There are many common misconceptions about landscape design, which often compromises the health of the plants and the garden. To avoid this from happening, you can always read on landscaping tips, so that you will not be misled by myths and misconceptions.

If you want to take utmost care of your garden, below are some common landscaping myths and a short explanation for each.

Conserve water by watering the lawn during the evening

This is one myth that is a costly and expensive landscaping mistake. This belief originated from the idea that cooler soil at night can absorb more water than that when the sun is still up. The truth is, watering your garden after the sun goes down will only make the moisture end up staying on the surface thus, making it the perfect environment for disease and fungus to germinate. This will only cause you to replace your lawn if ever the problem becomes uncontrollable. Depending on the weather condition and climate, your lawn can survive by keeping it damp in the middle of the day. If you really want to save on water costs, watering your lawn at night is not the solution instead, get your showers, dishwashers and toilets replaced.

Keeping my grass short will make landscaping easier

Instead of making landscaping easier by mowing your grass short, it will only compromise your lawn’s health since you are cutting off the grass’ ability of producing sugar through photosynthesis. Besides, keeping it short will expose its sensitive roots to excessive sunlight. This will provide more nutrients and sunlight to weeds thus, encouraging its growth. When this happens, the grass will use its sugar reserves in order to keep up with the growth of the weeds. By cutting it too short after allowing it to grow long will shock the system of your lawn thus, removing the essential nutrients from your garden. When this happens, plans are unable to grow more shoots thus, leaving more areas bare and full of brown patches. This leads garden owners to think that they need to water their lawns more, which can only aggravate the situation.

I can do landscaping jobs without the help of professionals

Majority of homeowners nowadays sincerely believe that they can manage landscaping their lawn without the help of a professional contractor. However, this can cause a lot of problems during the process and in the future, especially if they do not possess the needed skills for plumbing and installation of waterworks. While mowing and planting is indeed easy, the end results that professional contractors can provide are simply incomparable.

If you want a high quality landscape design for your lawn, better stock up with contact numbers for professional contractors, so that you will have many options to choose from. Do the necessary research so that you know you are getting the most out of your money. You can always search the World Wide Web for the information that you need, or you can always ask for referrals from friends so that you know you will get the best landscaping job for your lawn.…

Landscaping Ideas for Wildlife Friendly Gardens

Landscaping Ideas for Wildlife Friendly Gardens

Creating wildlife friendly gardens can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. They are generally easier to maintain than traditional gardens because the planting will be suitably adapted to the local climate and soil conditions. Wildlife friendly gardens don’t have to fully replicate a natural one but can be designed and shaped to look modern and contemporary. Wildlife friendly gardens should aim to create food sources, potential shelter and protection for fauna.

To begin you should locate where you would like to build the garden. Investigate the permeability of the soil by digging a few holes and filling with water. If they take a few hours to drain the soil may need some additives like gypsum to break up the clay.

Next research the local plant species that were once located in your area and the type of vegetation communities that existed. Check with your Local Government Authority, National Parks information centres, local native plant nurseries and search online. Creating a wildlife attracting vegetation community, plant species should be selected from the canopy, understorey and ground-cover layers.

Trees will provide shade and habitat for larger animals and birds and provide protected landing and nesting areas for birds flying through your area. Shrubs and ground-covers in the understorey will provide protection to small birds and animals and lizards from the larger birds and animals. These should be planted in dense clumps or swathes as they will provide greater protection this way.

A mix of plants will also help to provide seed at differing times of the year to create food sources all year round. This doesn’t mean that planting design need to completely replicate the existing planting community structure. The garden can be designed to have singular plants massed together providing greater visual impact but maximise different species used to increase food sources.

Additional landscaping ideas for wildlife gardens should provide groupings of rocks and large branches to create habitat for small animals and lizards. Use natural mulches for example leaf litter or forest mulch to provide a more naturalistic setting. Water is another necessity and can be provided through a pond feature or a simple bird bath. A mix of both will provide safe drinking spots for both birds and ground dwellers.

Remember these landscaping ideas won’t attract wildlife over night and it will take a some years for plants to fully develop and then the wildlife to find it. If you are adding some of these ideas to an existing developed native garden then you may experience results sooner.…

Ornamental Grass – A Headache?

Ornamental Grass – A Headache?

For those garden lovers who have little time at hand, grass could be the ultimate bliss in a time twisted world that could keep greenery close to their lifestyle. That may be one of the reasons why ornamental gardening with grass has won a popular stance in the recent past with many households neighboring different types of grass rather than trying to house different kinds of plants.

No offence to tall giants that provides shade and endless relaxation, but grass is easier to maintain once it is being brought up to the full fledge form. However, it is without no doubt involves a lot of hassle in the initial stages to cultivate grass, especially if seeds are used in the process.

To take the easy way out, simply browse through the different types of grasses that is available to be used as ornaments. After discussing with your landscaper about the implications and the picture you’d like to paint in your garden, you could simply allow the expert to worry about how the grass grows, what kind of treatment is needed in the process and what extra care is needed during the infant stages.

This way, you will start appreciating the emerging greenery around your house without having to worry about the hassle and dazzle that is involved in the process. In short, leave the headache up to your landscaper and in a few weeks’ time, you will have a fully nurtured piece of green wonder in your garden.

Ornamental grass gardening is done using a several varieties of grass. The best time of the year to start seeding or division is the spring; however, depending on the area in which you live, the best timings may change. If you decide on settling for division, you will need to have a lot of patience until the job is completed. If not, it is best to leave the job up to a professional. Remember that if you are meaning to have the grass as ornamental, you must never allow it to grow in size. Therefore, proper trimming and division done on spot is a must.

Some people take the easy way out of walking in to a garden center and buying ornamental grass. The ugly truth is that they can be so overwhelmingly expensive that by the time you cover up a big enough proportion of you garden using those, you will near bankruptcy. Not worth the trouble for wanting some grass in your lawn, is it? So be mindful when you wear the ‘carefree shopper’ hat! Spending exuberant amounts on ornamental grass is a big ‘no-no’ to avoid.

If you are keen on doing the division of your own, get yourself a four inch pot or so. Then grab the tools that you need for division and go on dividing the grass as they grow. Before you place them in the garden, check with your landscaper that the soil is in perfect condition. A professional will always have good tips and tricks to add to your practice.…

Improving Your Curb Appeal With Solar

Improving Your Curb Appeal With Solar

I am sure that you have all heard about the tax credits for new home buyers by now. The extended dead line for having a contract signed is April 30th, 2010 with the closings to be held by June. It is recommended that for those who are considering selling their property put it on the market now to take advantage.

With so many homes on the market yours will need to stand out and attract as many buyers as possible to get the best price. You want to make sure people notice your home and that you get this done with as little expense as possible. For starters make sure that the landscaping is trimmed and that the lawn is cut. This costs little but will make a big difference when someone looks at your home. Next make sure you attract as many buyers as possible. Take some solar spotlights and shine them directly on the for sale sign. People who pass by at night buy property too, and you need to make sure they are attracted to your house. You can also put some string lights around deck perimeters, patios and around windows that that don’t have electric handy such as an attic window. This will help night buyers get an idea of the size of the home, and more effectively notice decks and patios often overlooked during the day.

When you put some solar lights on the edge of the pathways, this adds a touch of class day and night. By putting in these guides it will avoid people inadvertently stepping on delicate plants.

A nice touch to the outdoor landscaping display is a simple solar water fountain. The peaceful sound of water moving sets the mood of a peaceful place; something most people want in their prospective new home.

Now you are probably thinking that tall this can be done by tying into grid power and you are right. Solar however has several advantages: The buyer isn’t adding the dollar figure in their head when they see this, as they have no electric bill, they are not tripping over extension cords (not the prettiest things in the world are they?), when the power is out solar lights are still on, and just think of the value that you are giving when you can honestly say that you used a green environmentally friendly source of power. Remember every little bit helps.…

Landscape Lighting – How it Can Change Your Landscape

Landscape Lighting – How it Can Change Your Landscape

When you decide to work on the landscaping around your home, make sure to thing about things other than your lawn.  Functional things such as decks, porches, verandas, and pool areas provide looks and use.  Visual items such as fountains, statues, trees, gardens, and flowerbeds provide a nice appearance.  You can directly work on those areas, but choosing to add some nighttime improvements with landscape lighting will give you a new dimension to your landscape.  Below are a few ways you can use landscape lights to accent your landscape.

1. Use spotlights to highlight the front side of the house.

2. Use path lights to illuminate walkways and paths.

3. Light up high traffic areas with general landscape lighting.

4. Improve the ambiance with specialized lighting.

The first thing you want to do is to use spotlights to highlight the front side of the house.  Spotlights focus light on a small area, which help accentuate their subject.  In the case of your house, it would help to put focus on your house.

The second way is to light up paths with path lights.  Path lights spread light indirectly on the ground, and can help light up pathways with softer light.

The third thing you want to do is to use general lighting sources to illuminate high traffic areas.  Places such as your patio, porch, or deck are good areas for this lighting.  There are several choices for general lighting, such as floodlights, post lights, or wall sconces.

The last way is to improve the ambiance with specialized lighting.  You can create changes in the mood of an area with soft, indirect, and diffused lighting.  Rope lights, for example, can help to create a soft highlight of an area.

The Landscape around a house, whether simplistic or involved, can benefit from some nighttime accents from landscape lighting.  There are so many choices to choose from that you will be sure to find something that works for your taste and needs.…

I Want a Picture Perfect Landscape

I Want a Picture Perfect Landscape

You just moved in to your new home or have an exciting home and you want to add some beauty and value to your home by improving the landscape. Turn your ordinary property into your landscaping dream that others will admire and you will be able to enjoy for years to come. You want your front yard to welcome you home and your backyard to be your favorite get away.

Decide what will be your budget for your landscape project, decide if you are going to do it yourself or do you hire a landscape designer. If you choose to hire a landscape company then you should have several landscape companies give you estimates for the project. The designer should listen to your goals and visions, then add his expertise and experience after he has done an analysis of your property. The great thing about landscaping is that you can do your landscape plan in stages that are spread over several seasons. But landscaping takes time, resources and a lot patience to get that picture perfect landscape.

A landscape designer will always try to preserve all of the best natural resources that are already part of the present landscape. They can suggest plants, flowers, shrubs and trees that are native to your area, so you are not planting items that will not survive and wasting money. There are so many landscaping ideas to consider, but remember of all these options they should blend with your home and your lifestyle. Other options to consider are trellises, trellis, arbors, pergolas, water features, retaining walls, patio, decks, fences and outdoor lighting.

If you want perfect lawn, then you have to understand when is the best time to irrigate so you need to establish a watering schedule that is best for you type of grass, plants and of course weather conditions. Also you may have parts of the yard that retains water so you might have your landscaper discuss with you about having a French drain installed. You definitely do not want to deal with bugs that can make your favorite get away their home because of the standing water puddles.

If your budget allows, hire a professional landscape designer that can design, install and manages all aspects of a landscaping project from conception to completion of your picture perfect landscape.…

Plan a Xeriscape Yard For Water Efficiency

Plan a Xeriscape Yard For Water Efficiency

If you live in an area where water is scarce and summers are dry, a xeriscape garden planted with drought tolerant native plants is the way to go. Xeriscape landscaping does not mean just gravel and rock with a few cacti. Drought tolerant plants can be just as colorful and interesting as plants that thrive in moist conditions. Many will attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Most are easy to maintain and quite hardy.

Choose a sunny spot for your xeriscape garden. Good drainage is essential for drought tolerant plants. Some dry regions will have a layer of caliche below the soil. If this impervious and hard layer of sedimented calcium carbonate lies beneath your topsoil, you may need to break it up so water can drain properly. If you are unsure about the drainage, build a raised bed, fill it with soil and compost, and add some crushed granite. This will slowly decompose and add essential minerals to the soil.

Once your chosen plants are in the ground, mulch the area with shredded bark or pine needles. This will act conserve the moisture in the soil in hot weather and help keep roots cool. Mulch will also soak up available water so it acts like a water reservoir. As the mulch slowly decomposes over time, it will contribute to the soil’s texture and add nutrients.

To encourage your new plants to get established, water them thoroughly when you plant them. Then during the first week water them lightly every day. Each week water them less often, and after 6 weeks they will need watering only every second week unless it rains. Look for drooping leaves that indicate your plants need watering. It is always best to water deeply and less often.

Many drought tolerant plants are commonly available in nurseries and garden centers. You can also find seeds and plants by searching on the internet. A few of the best common xeriscape plants are as follows:

Salvia lyciodes: Also known as canyon sage, this perennial grows into a small bush. It has cobalt-blue blossoms in both spring and fall, and silvery green evergreen leaves. Many salvia species are available, with various bloom colors, and all are loved by butterflies.

Echinacea purpurea: The purple coneflower has purple daisy-like blooms with an orange conical center. It grows up to 2 feet tall, blooming from spring through summer.

Lychnis coronaria: Commonly called rose campion, this perennial with vivid magenta blooms can grow to 2 feet. It has fuzzy gray green foliage that deer will not eat.

Armeria maritima: The sea pink is a small perennial with pink ball-like blooms. It has short evergreen foliage, and is very hardy.

Achillea species: Achillea or yarrow is a common wildflower with deeply divided silvery-green scented foliage. Many cultivars have been developed, and blossoms range from white to yellow, orange, pink and deep red.

Ceanothus: An attractive shrub that has small clusters of blue flowers that butterflies love. Species of this can be ground hugging or bushy, and some can be trained as a small tree.…

The Pros and Cons of Using Vinyl or Wood Fencing

The Pros and Cons of Using Vinyl or Wood Fencing

When you have a fence built for your home, the different options and types of fence can be a huge task in itself. Currently, the best choices in the fencing industry are wood and vinyl fences. You may have heard the proverb – “good fences will earn you better neighbors.” When you select which kind of fence to install, you will have to consider many factors such as price, quality, durability, etc. Before making the call to an installation expert you should think about the benefits and disadvantages first.

Vinyl fencing is a wonderful choice for a modern person who desires a new-age look over the natural wood finish. Vinyl fences are graffiti resistant and more versatile than wood fencing. Temperature changes or humidity will not affect them adversely. Vinyl fences are free from rust, termite and corrosion. Scratches and cracks rarely appear. They usually have warranties for many years and it doesn’t require constant upkeep. Vinyl has less weight and cleaning them tends to be an effortless job. Depending on your home and landscape, vinyl fencing is available in a wide range of colors in order to choose appropriate color combination as you visualize the overall layout. If you are content with these features, vinyl fences may be ideal for you.

There are a few disadvantages for vinyl fencing. Its price is the biggest deal killer. They are very costly and initial investment for vinyl fencing is expensive compared with wooden fences. They may be recycled after extended usage, however they are not eco-friendly. If you favor ecological fences for your home, wooden fences may be the appropriate choice for you.

Wooden fencing encompasses many of the benefits of vinyl fencing. Wood fences are inexpensive and the initial cost is much less. They are quite eco-friendly; therefore they will be a good selection for those who love ecological products. They will provide a natural appearance to your home and you can easily decorate your fence with flower pots and bird homes. Painting the fence creatively and giving it an extraordinary touch may add to the appeal. They are easy to repair and you can personalize your fence in numerous designs, colors and styles.

There are just a couple disadvantages regarding wooden fences. They require annual upkeep and repairs to keep it in top condition. Temperature changes and moisture may affect some types of wood while certain heavy woods are hard to work with. Also, insect issues, termites along with fungus could cause long-term issues in your fence. Wood fences are less stable and sturdy compared with vinyl. The possibility of wood rot is also very high.

So, both have their advantages and disadvantages. If you’re looking for something long-term then vinyl may be the way to go. If costs are an issue, then wood may be the best choice for you. Either way, there are many fine choices with either type of fence.…

Landscaping For the Environment

Landscaping For the Environment

Landscaping is an activity that changes the environment. It does not matter how big or small the lawn is, landscaping can make it much more appealing for the homeowner and guests alike.

Because of the impact that changing the landscape can have on the surrounding area, careful planning should go into each project. Things that were not an issue prior to changing the landscape, such as water runoff, could crop up and create some nasty issues that must be dealt with.

Not all of the issues raised by landscaping are immediately obvious. There are some things that can be done to help minimize the impact on the environment and end up with an earth-friendly landscape.

1. Use drought resistant plants

No matter the amount of rainfall in the season that plants are put in, with each new season, there is the threat of drought. Planning ahead and using plants that are tolerant of these conditions means less watering that will need to be done.

In times when water is plentiful, these plants will flourish. In the dry weather, they may become somewhat dormant. Choosing plants that do not demand large amounts of water will make maintaining the landscape an easier job no matter how much moisture the season brings.

2. Use organic fertilizers

Man made fertilizers can have a negative effect on the soil. This is especially true when used by homeowners since most homeowners tend to over apply them. These fertilizers block the amount of nutrients that plants can absorb from the soil.

Over-applying the fertilizers means that the ground may not hold all that is put down. This is when the chemicals are available to leach into the water tables. This is the underground water that flows all over. Wells can become contaminated, causing unsafe drinking water and health issues for anyone consuming it.

Man made fertilizers are also made of chemicals that are not necessarily healthy for humans. Exposure to these chemicals (most commonly bare skin) can cause health issues.

Organic fertilizers contain decomposed natural materials. There is no chemical basis for them. The only exposure issue is that the person applying the compost may get dirty, or not like the smell. The compost is full of ingredients that occur in and support nature. Ground water contamination is no longer a concern, neither is the drinking water from any wells in the area.

3. Use trees to support the landscape

Trees serve several purposes. Not only do they provide shady areas around your lawn, but they can also protect the house from the elements helping to reduce energy costs. Trees have extensive root systems which helps to hold the soil in place.

4. Divert rain water

During seasons when rain is scarce it becomes more obvious to everyone that conserving water is important. When designing your landscape, why not build in a way to divert rain water so that it can be used to support the plants or other parts of the landscape?

Finding ways to use rainwater can be as simple as installing the roll away sprinklers that attach to the bottom of the downspouts on the house. If the landscape includes a pool, the water can be diverted to help refill the water in the pool. Use a rain barrel to catch excess water from the roof and use it to water the plants when the weather is dry.

Thinking about your landscaping and the environment does not have to mean major changes to plans. There are many subtle differences that can have a major impact. The landscape designs of one small yard can help nature improve on the ability to support itself and the area around it.…

How Landscaping Will Increase the Value of Your Home

How Landscaping Will Increase the Value of Your Home

Like with anything the best part about landscaping is the final result and in this case the final result is the increased value of it. If you want to sell your house then I highly suggest starting to landscape your yard using a decent design and a modern layout. The nice part about landscaping is that you can increase the value of your home substantially with very little effort and a small budget.

Do you know what works to increase the value of your home through landscaping? The best way to increase the value of your home is to create a eye popping design and layout that way your home is the centerpiece of a piece of work instead of the centerpiece of a eyesore. Some of the most common things people do to increase the value with their landscape is add trees, plants, grass, and lawn ornaments in order to attract your eye, but that is not all people do. If you want to get the most attention from the people passing by then you need to implement some kind of attraction such as a water feature or a large object.

Things to add to your landscape

Water fountain – The thing I like the most about a water fountain is that you can have them running year round and they will continue to attract peoples attention. If you spend roughly $500 on a water fountain I bet it will add at least $1500 to the value of the home as long as it is placed in a decent spot.

Unique fence – Not all unique fences will help increase the value of your home but there are examples of some that will. I saw a fence that was hand crafted using cedar that had wooden animals carved to the top posts ever 5 feet. It was so unique that I had to ask the owner why he did what he did and he said that he wasn’t too sure but he was glad he did because it increased the value of his home by $5000.

Fake animals – Something that works really well if you live near a mountain is placing fake animals in your yard. The reason this works great is because it will make people stop and take a look. I know this might not increase your value a bunch but it will make people stop and look which is one way that you determine eye candy in a home.

I know this might not be enough ideas for you and if not then take a look at some of these simple landscape ideas.…

Landscape Your Lawn – Reap Comfort and Serenity

Landscape Your Lawn – Reap Comfort and Serenity

Everybody wants to have a good place to stay. People buy their dream houses and make it as beautiful and presentable as they can because of that same reason; they want the place where they are to be like their kingdom or palace. I barely know anybody who does not want to have a good, comfortable, and nice place to live at.

Do you have enough space for a garden? Then why not turn that garden into a beautiful landscape that could as well reflect the personality of the people living there.

Landscape gardening can be compared to painting a picture. It can be treated as another form of art where you can express yourself clearly by what you put around. Like a painting of a picture; your garden should have a main point where you are going to focus the interest and then develop the surrounding area as the background to the picture.

How can you effectively do this? There are just a few things to remember. The lawn is treated like your canvas. As much as possible, leave it as simple as you can and do not put too many things on it. At some points, breaking up the big lawn can be done by putting some bedding on some special points to create the illusion of dividing your canvas. The bedding that you use should not disturb or make it more difficult for you to mow the lawn. Adding a gazebo can be your main point of interest in your lawn then start to develop the picture by putting some focal points like little shrubs on the side and then some flower beds on the other. You can also put in some trees if your lawn is quite big but you should also consider the probable height of the trees first before you do that. You do not want to have overly grown trees placed between or in the midst of some shorter trees. The lawn also needs to have sunlight to grow and flourish well, and you do not want to have overly grown trees casting a big shade over your lawn.

The color of leaves from the trees can also create certain mood and feeling to your landscape garden so try to be creative when it comes to matching and pairing the trees that you put on your lawn. That is landscape gardening!…

Helpful Ideas for Effective Outdoor Decorating

Helpful Ideas for Effective Outdoor Decorating

Just like indoor decorating, outdoor decorating is also important. A beautifully landscaped, relaxing backyard doesn’t only provide you and your entire family a comfortable hang out place but it also invites people to come and visit your amazing home.

Creative outdoor decorating guarantees 100% return on your investment and certainly improves the value of your home. You can enhance your home’s curb appeal with just a few helpful tips. Start with a well-thought plan which includes lighting, landscaping, an outdoor feature, pottery, a focal point and a sitting area. Avoid committing costly mistakes by taking your time to carefully think things out.

Before starting with your outdoor decorating project, take a photo first of your house’s front view. This will give you the chance to look at your front yard in an objective manner. Get the picture form the curb and check if your door stands out or blends with your current outdoor decor. Your front door should stand out since it is your focal point. Your front door leads your visitors where to enter. A fitting color or a pottery placed on its both side can accent your front door.

Landscaping is another great way to improve your home’s overall curb appeal. Make sure to carefully choose your plants as they will certainly reward you by thriving with less care and effort from you. You can also add different heights, textures and colors to improve your outdoor decor. Maintain all the trees in your yard as they provide shade and decrease energy costs by cooling your home in a natural way. Colorful flowers can make a statement and indeed effective in beautifying your front yard. They direct the eye to the front door and make beautiful accents.

Another effective way to decorate the exterior of your home is by coming up with outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting gives light to walkways and adds carriage lights around doorways – definitely a good investment. Outdoor lights’ availability will not be an issue as they even come in a wide range of designs and styles to complement your outdoor decor.

If space permits, a sitting area in your front yard will be a good addition. You can place a nice outdoor bench or maybe a pair of rocking chairs matched with a fitting beverage table. You may also want to add a couple of relaxing fabric pillows in your sitting area for comfort. Another option is to add some hanging plants for a more refreshing ambience.

Remember that outdoor decorating should extend into your backyard so you can maximize your outdoor living area while building functional spaces. Maintain a style or theme that perfectly blends with your home decor. With proper planning and perfect execution, you can have a very nice relaxation area, an outdoor kitchen area or even an entertainment area.

Involving yourself in an outdoor decorating project is indeed very exciting as you want to end up making your front yard an amazing view for everyone.…

The Benefits of Using a Landscaping Contractor

The Benefits of Using a Landscaping Contractor

When you have a garden that needs to be tidied up and if you want to add an entertainment section to your yard the best thing to do would be to hire a landscaping contractor. This job requires the contractor to have an intricate understanding of all aspects of gardening and outdoor entertainment. When you have a project that needs to be completed in your garden, you should look carefully for a landscaping contractor who will provide more than one service and who is fully qualified to manage the project for you.

It can be a tough job overseeing a project like complete landscaping or building, so it is always a weight off your shoulders to get someone who is professional and qualified to do it for you. This is just one of the major benefits of using a landscaping contractor.

Another benefit is that you will get a professionally designed and completed garden in no time. It will take a team of landscapers a much shorter amount of time to finish the project than you would ever take to do it yourself.

There are plenty of landscaping contractors that you can use for your renovation project, but to choose the perfect one who you trust, you will have to do a bit of research and check each contractors testimonials to see which ones are the best in your area.

You can enjoy the many benefits of a landscaping contractor for your next project by looking online or in local directories. If you want to get contractors contacting you and giving you free quotes there are also great websites that you can find that will cater for this.

When you have found someone ideal for your landscaping project you will have to make sure that they are available and be sure to book them well before you need the project started just to make sure that you will have the landscaper that you need.…

Who To Ask About Your Landscaping Problems Now

Who To Ask About Your Landscaping Problems Now

Does your outdoor space frighten away neighborhood birds and squirrels? There are plenty of home owners in the same situation as you, but fortunately, there are a lot of simple landscaping tricks you can use to beautify your property. This article is filled with tips to get your yard looking fantastic.

It can be a challenge to landscape an entire property at one time. Dividing your overall project into phases will make it much easier on both you and your budget. By doing your landscape in phases you will also be able to make any necessary changes along the way.

When landscaping, it is wise to utilize simple design elements. Anchor plants will provide continuity for diverse areas. When many shrubs are continuously planted, your yard will have some unity. To help create balance in the landscape use similar plants in an area or use similar planting patterns. Incorporating plants with different textures and colors will provide you with great variation and interest.

Include several different plant varieties while landscaping. This will protect your yard against both diseases and harmful insects. If you only use one type of plant in your yard, they will most likely all be lost. When you landscape, you want to make sure you have diversity; it’s crucial for plant health.

Try adding some variety among your flower beds or borders with different types of ornamental grass. Adding texture to a flowering bed and breaking up a border that is flowered are easily done by using adorning grasses. They can also be used as borders themselves. With a large selection and a variety of different levels of upkeep, there is sure to be a grass that can be used to fit your needs.

Landscaping is more than planting a tree or laying down sod. To give a professional look to your yard, look into using iron, wood or cement structures. Pergolas, archways and water features create visually striking elements in any landscape design. There are many different elements such as these that will fit your budget.

Create a landscaping design that works on many levels. Terraces, steps and fountains can make an ordinary space more interesting. Though a backhoe can be beneficial for heavy digging, it is not necessary in every yard. You can create gentle slopes and small terraces using just a shovel and some elbow grease.

Consider a variety of resources for landscaping plants and materials besides your local stores or mail-order catalogs. Check out any local botanical garden or arboretum where you can find a variety of native plants and materials for sale. Often, you can’t even get these types of plants elsewhere in your area. As well, neighbors might have plants they need to remove, like extra perennials they can’t use.

Whether your goal is to get the birds to gather out front so you can watch them or to have a backyard barbecue, this article has provided you with useful information. Use the information here and you should find success as long you remain dedicated and are willing to work.…

Landscaping With Rocks – How to Use Rocks Properly in Your Landscape Design

Landscaping With Rocks – How to Use Rocks Properly in Your Landscape Design

Landscaping with rocks can add a certain appeal to the design of your landscape. Which is why stones, boulders and rocks are one of the most common accent used by professional landscaping artists in their design. This is one of the few fixtures you can easily add to your own design as well.

However, there are some things you need to consider if you are going to use these types of accents. Yes, even simple things like rocks need to have their proper placement in a perfect landscape design. You couldn’t just carelessly place them anywhere if you want to make its presence adding appeal to the whole panorama.

Some things you need to look into if you are going to use rocks in landscaping are:

Sizes of Rocks

The size of the rock you are going to use does matter. Sizes alone may make the difference of the rock adding beauty to the whole landscape or being a nuisance to the eye. There will be instances when a boulder would make the perfect addition and some instances when smaller rocks makes the perfect cut.

Key consideration in choosing the right rock size is that it has to look perfectly natural to be placed in its specific spot. An example would placing a protruding rock on an open space with grasses as ground cover. Just make sure though, you have a clear idea on the focal point of the whole landscape.

Depth of the Rock

Another important things you should ensure is that the rock has to be slightly buried. The depth should entirely depend on the size of the rock being used.

Again, having the rock protruding would make its presence more natural. If you compare this to just placing the rock without burying it a bit, it would make a whole lot difference for the whole design. The first would make the rock appear as if it is in its natural place while the next would make it seem as if it was just placed there carelessly and would prove to be more of a nuisance rather than adding appeal to the design.

Blending

Both the sizes as well as the protrusion of the rock works well because it blends well with the entire design. And that’s what exactly you should thoroughly consider in everything else – from rock types to colors and designs. Everything has to work together to achieve the kind of design you want.

Therefore, when you are buying the rocks you are going to use for your landscape, you have to ask yourself if its color and shape is appropriate for the landscape design you have in mind. Each and every fixture has to have the same purpose – adding beauty to the whole. And this includes rocks of every shapes.…

Greening the Corporate Park

Greening the Corporate Park

Global warming is a hotly debated topic with varying opinions and numerous agendas. The general public perception is that industrialization has led to increased greenhouse gasses, in turn the ‘greenhouse effect’ and ultimately an increase in global temperatures.

It is believed that the simplest solution or at least the simplest way to try and prevent further damage is to reduce carbon emissions and to increase the amount of plant matter on the planet (plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis).

This has resulted in a trend by many companies to think ‘green’, or at the very least to be seen to be doing the right thing by taking steps to manage any negative effect that they may have on the environment.

Many companies, especially multi-nationals are seeing the benefits of being environmentally pro-active and trying to reduce their carbon footprints. This is something that creates a positive public perception of the company and its brands (and therefore stimulates their marketing efforts), and has a positive environmental impact on the planet, which benefits us all – it’s a win-win situation!

So how do corporate giants, which typically operate from massive concrete and glass office buildings and factories reduce their carbon footprints?

One way, is by using these buildings to create ‘green’ areas. Most of these office buildings are surrounded by gardens and some greenery, which add some welcome aesthetics to the hard, man-made structures and can also provide beautiful surroundings for visitors and staff.

More forward-thinking companies are using spaces that were not traditionally used for planting in order to create something truly special – something that:

• enhance the aesthetics of the buildings

• can assist in reducing contamination which stormwater has the potential to spread

• can reduce their carbon footprint

• can reduce the effect of ultraviolet rays from the sun, resulting in an increase of the life-span of waterproofing products that are used to seal roofs

• can reduce their energy costs by providing additional insulation and reducing air-conditioning requirements.

These non-traditional spaces are essentially the outer shells of the buildings – the roof and walls. Thousands of square meters of surface area that would otherwise be barren are now being used to create soft, natural, environmentally-friendly plant areas.

Although they are only now gaining mainstream popularity, green roofs have been used in Europe as far back as the early nineteen-hundreds. In recent years, they have become more and more popular and can now be found in cities throughout the world.

Living walls or ‘green’ walls are typically created using a modular system using plant trays that are hung vertically on the wall, similar to a picture frame.

These panels are planted, ideally with low-maintenance plants, which will grow to cover the trays and provide a beautiful display and numerous other benefits as discussed above.

Many architects are no longer simply adding small gardens and greenery around the buildings, but are incorporating green roofs and living walls on the structures, even making them focal areas of the building.

Regardless of which side of the global warming debate you find yourself, greening the corporate environment will at the very least provide a more enjoyable, beautiful work environment and this is a trend that is likely to be with us for many years to come.…

Effective Swimming Pool Landscape Design Tips

Effective Swimming Pool Landscape Design Tips

Swimming pool landscape design is something you may have considered to aesthetically improve the look and surrounds of your pool. If it’s a new pool, you will need to bring it in to the existing design of your garden to give a more rounded and comfortable place to spend your time and perhaps host some great pool parties.

Ideally, swimming pool landscape design is something that you should do before you actually have your pool installed as you will need to check any zoning regulations as to what you can and can’t do. If you are just doing your research at present, you are in the best position as not only can you decide on the type and shape of your pool, landscaping options are the most numerous and the advice you can get will be the most useful.

Whatever the shape or size of your pool, if you are hiring someone to install it, they are a great source of information and ideas. Remember, they have seen a lot of pools and landscaping designs! Whether you are installing the pool first, or already have one, then budget is something you will obviously consider. Realistically, when setting a budget, remember to add in at least 10% more for mistakes and unforeseen problems. If you keep to budget, you can always get better poolside furniture!

If you have children they will of course be your first consideration in your pool landscape design. Alarmed and lockable fences are essential, but don’t always look that nice so you may need to consider planting something that will screen eventually screen it, at least from certain parts of your garden.

Be creative in terms of plants and furniture. If you live in a bright sunny climate, palm and citrus trees will look fantastic. Although with trees, be careful. Keep a check on where you put them because of root growth (you don’t want them to break through your pool!), if they are too close to the water, then you will have a lot of leaves to get out and increase cleaning time. Watch out that you do not block out all the sun or you will just end up digging out some plants anyway – so think first.

Get the background planting well organised and planned first and personally, I feel the use of pots for smaller flowers is good as it allows you to move them around when everything else has grown up and you have a clearer picture or just want to move the pool furniture around.

I guess the bottom line here, as with any landscaping designs, is to get a budget, decide what you want to achieve, get your swimming pool landscape design and just get on with it!…

Swimming Pools – Donating Your Pool Water

Swimming Pools – Donating Your Pool Water

Here is a novel idea, when it comes time to renovate or you have decided to remove your pool, do you just dump the water from your pool? NO! What a shame it would be to waste all of that water when everyone in Australia is working so hard to conserve. Don’t be selfish, donate it. That is right, donate it. Donating pool water is a very simple process, one phone call is all it takes. Since the water from your pool is already treated, it will only be suitable for use in another swimming pool. When you get ready to renovate, contact SPASA give them your information (quantity, quality, and location), they will then send out emails to other members. Interested members will then make arraignments for the water to be pumped from your pool, transported and then to be placed in a new pool.

Problem solved, you are not wasting thousands of liters of water and another pool owner will be able to fill their pool without using any mains water. It is a win/win situation. You are being responsible, the new pool owner gets the water that they need to fill their pool and Australia does not loose any more water. Keep in mind that all donated water must be filtered and ready-to-swim. You should allow at least three weeks notice for water pickup. Donating water does not insure that when it comes time to refill your pool, donated water will be available to you. No worries, you have other options, you can hold on to your water. Programs are in place to temporarily store your pool water for you until you are ready to return it to your pool. The water is pumped from your pool and stored in a water bladder on your property. The water bladder makes an excellent storage vessel for a short period of time. When you are finished with your renovations, YOUR water is returned to YOUR pool. Talk about conserving, you will just be recycling what is already yours.

Recycling or donating your pool water goes a long way to show that you are a responsible and conscientious pool owner. No money changes hands when donating water, so there is no added expense to your renovation. You will also be avoiding the need to be approved for pool fill up by the water authority, because you will not be using any mains water. All people enjoy the privilege of being able to spend time with family and friends beside the pool. A responsible pool owner can also relax knowing that you are doing all you can to ensure that everyone in Australia has access to plenty of the precious water that is in such high demand.

Let us all work together to conserve water in Australia…

How The Different Departments In An Organization Benefit From Landscaping Services

How The Different Departments In An Organization Benefit From Landscaping Services

The traditional organization has four major departments. The first of those is the operations department, which concerns itself with the creation of the products (goods or services) that the organization in question trades in. The second of those departments is the human resources department, which concerns itself with issues to do with workers: hiring staff, retaining staff, disciplining staff and so on. The third department would be the finance department, which concerns itself with financial matters; with the fourth department being the marketing department. The latter concerns itself with marketing the product (in case of a for-profit organization), or getting publicity for the organization (in case of a non-profit organization).

We are interested in finding out how landscaping – which is all about improving the aesthetic appeal of the organization’s surroundings – is relevant to all these departments. The need for such exploration is in the fact that there are many line managers who tend to feel that landscaping is not relevant to their departments.

Starting with the operations department, in order to appreciate how landscaping is relevant to this department, you have to take into consideration the fact that workers tend to be most productive when in a ‘conducive’ environment. People working in a well manicured, lush ‘campus’ will tend to do better than people working in a ‘concrete jungle.’ Therefore, the work that goes into landscaping is likely, at its fruition, to have the effect of making the organization’s surrounding more aesthetically attractive, and hence more conducive to optimal worker-productivity.

Turning to the human resource department, we see one of the parameters used to gauge its success being its ability to attract and retain the best staff. Then we need to take cognizance of the fact that people will tend to show preference for working with organizations which look prestigious and friendly. And undeniably, proper landscaping is one of the things that go into making an organization look prestigious and friendly – the sort of an environment anyone will want to work with. You also have to keep it in mind that organizations have to compete for the most talented staff, and if the lush results of properly carried out landscaping is one of the things that can make such talented staff want to work for the organization, it is definitely important for the organization’s bottom-line. With respect to staff retention, you will also notice that a well landscaped organizational campus tends to have the effect of making the workers to (subconsciously) feel at home. This would make them more inclined to stay with the organization, whose environment, even at a physical level, is friendly.

Moving on to the marketing/publicity department, we see properly landscaped grounds having the potential to make the organization look good in the eyes of prospective clients and donors. And this is important, especially when you take into consideration the fact that there are many instances when decisions as to whether to give funding (or business deals) are made on the basis of, among other things, organizational appearances.

Finally we can turn to the finance department. And to the extent that proper landscaping can improve worker productivity and improve the organization’s image to clients or donors, its potential effect on the organization’s bottom-line would be obvious. That effect is also obvious, to the extent that proper landscaping increases the chances for attraction and retention of the best employee talent.…

Ranch Home Remodeling Tips – From Bland To Beautiful

Ranch Home Remodeling Tips – From Bland To Beautiful

One of the biggest complaints about the most commonly built style American home – the ranch – is that it is quite simply rather boring. In their most basic form the single story ranch can be a little dull. Four walls, a roof, rather plain, not many bells and whistles architecturally speaking. Even those with a second story are not always something worth writing home about.

That does not mean you are condemned to living in a nice but plain house. They are plenty of remodeling tweaks – some big, some small – that can add a little of that “wow” factor to your ranch home.

Landscaping

Nothing livens up the exterior of a ho-hum house as well as a departure from the featureless (if well manicured) lawn into a landscaping project that is a little more adventurous. Think winding paths, flower beads, exotic shrubberies, even water features. Enlist the aid and expertise of great landscaping professional and your ranch home could be the breakout star of the block in no time.

Siding

Most ranch homes have vinyl siding and, in many cases, rather boring, drab siding at that. There is nothing wrong with vinyl siding but why not upgrade to give the exterior of your home a lift? Just changing this single design feature can make a huge difference when it comes to remodeling ranch style homes.

Aluminum or concrete siding gives you the opportunity to spice things up a bit with a daring paint job and cedar shingles or faux stone will make it look like a different house altogether. Even the simple addition of small stone or brick accents for chimneys or bump-outs can add a nice texture.

Decks, Porches and Patios

Because ranch homes are generally built to be economical and affordable these outdoor features are often omitted or, if they are there, are very basic. By hiring a skilled deck builder or patio designer to help you create something extraordinary you get more enjoyment out of your home as well as enhance its aesthetic appeal.

Windows

Many homeowners underestimate the impact new windows can have on both the home’s exterior appearance and their energy bills. In general larger windows are better in design terms as they let in more light.

One of the most important things you can do when remodeling a ranch style home is to add texture to the uniform exterior. Bay windows are a great way to do that, but also don’t overlook picture windows which can be equally as attractive and effective.

Radical Remodels

If you have a little bit of money saved up that can be put to good use undertaking a more extensive remodeling job on your ranch home our advice is go for it, so long as you find a good, reliable general contractor to manage and execute the project.

If yours is single story ranch, adding a second level is a possibility well worth considering. Gabled dormers for the newly created upstairs bedrooms add a lot more of that “exterior texture” we were talking about earlier and a nice covered entry way can add a little extra something to your front door area as well.…

Factors to Consider Prior To Starting a Landscape Supply Company

Factors to Consider Prior To Starting a Landscape Supply Company

Irrespective of one’s financial status, starting a company or rather business is not a walk in the park. It gets even harder when it is a landscape supply company. Unlike other supply businesses, a landscape supply business is highly profitable. Suffice to say, it is a very lucrative business that requires one to have necessary resources and ample skills to effectively run it.

Therefore – prior to starting such a business – it is imperative for one to understand what needs to be done, when and how to go about the entire process that is involved in the daily running of a landscape business. Being a self descriptive venture, it provides customers with landscaping supplies for the beautification of their gardens and lawns. Listed are factors to consider prior to setting up a landscape supply company.

For starters, structure your business’ entity. Structuring ones business entity is inevitable and crucial at the same time. To be legally allowed to run a landscape business, one can either form a limited liability company; sole proprietorship or better, a corporation. However, the process of establishing a business entity requires the assistance of an attorney or a certified public accountant. Visiting ones secretary of state website to form a limited liability company can also suffice.

Next, obtain a tax identification number from the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS). This is the second and the most fundamental step to starting a landscape company. In order to carefully plan and manage the running of a landscape business, in regards to hiring employees, expanding and effectively building credible business credit; obtaining a tax ID is necessary, if not very important.

For the records, one can easily obtain a tax identification number by calling an IRS representative over the phone. Or – if detailed processes are your thing – you can gladly print form SS-4 from the Internal Revenue Service’s website then physically put it in the mail. Nonetheless, the simplest and easiest way to apply for one is just by visiting the IRS website, period.

Lastly, acquire a license. While this is necessary, it is noteworthy to check first with the secretary of state or local chamber of commerce to determine if a business license is required for the operation of a landscape supply company in your area. Afterward, determine if you want to operate solely the company through an office or online with just a website. Finding suppliers that can sell landscape supplies to customers, establishing a merchant account and creating marketing materials can also be considered at this stage.…

More Trees in Your Landscaping

More Trees in Your Landscaping

Trees then and now

When I was a boy I was surrounded by trees. One step out my back door and there they were, trees of all sizes and shapes.. But where are those trees now? New homes have so much stone, so much grey, and so little green, they are surrounded by walls, brick fortresses, built to keep us safe. Trees aren’t safe, there fun, they’re beautiful, they don’t tell others to keep out, not like a brick wall does. A tree is welcoming, and that does not seem to be popular these days. They take time to care for, time to water, time to prune. Stone

doesn’t need us to care for it, stone is happy alone.

My father and trees

My father was always so enthusiastic about the trees in our yard, he took special care to explain the different varieties to anyone who would listen. He would tell them about a certain tree and where it came from, when he planted it, and how much fruit it had given to him. I dare say he spoke more about the trees than he did me. Of course I didn’t give him buckets of fresh fruit, and I cost a lot more to raise than the few dollars it took to fertilize a tree. Dad would often arrive home from the office, change out of his stuffy suit, grab his pruning shears, and head outside to give his trees a little trim. He was at his happiest then.

Why plant more trees?

We all know how trees benefit the environment and how they give us clean air to breathe. Did you know that one tree releases enough oxygen into the atmosphere to support two people? Other than clean air, trees supply us with food in the form of fruit. One apple tree in your back yard can supply an apple a day to a family of five. Apples are just the beginning though, depending on your local climate, you can plant plum trees, apricot trees, citrus or pear trees, and a host of others. As well, a fruit tree will feed the local bird population and keep small animals fed and happy. Besides providing fruit, trees give us shade, privacy, and nesting areas for the local bird population. There is so much a tree can offer to you and your family. We need trees to feel something softer than stone, something only a tree can give, a connection to something outside of ourselves. So today I am going to plant a tree, and I hope you’ll do the same.…

How to Build Your Own Fencing Panels

How to Build Your Own Fencing Panels

Building your own fencing panels may seem like a difficult thing to do by yourself, especially if you’re not a professional, but actually it is a very simple and quick task to do if you have the right tools and knowledge such as fence maintenance and safety.

The first major step to take when building fencing panels is to decide the number of pickets your fence will need. To estimate this, you will need to measure the distance across and split the total number of inches by six. The number six is used because it contains the picket width and the space between pickets.

The second step that you will need to take after you have all your measurements down is to brand two marks three inches down from the top of all your pickets. Placing the marks on the outside edges is more convenient, as they are easier to erase this way. After that you will need to make a second mark on the top midpoint of each picket. To create a point the technique that you should use is to mark each wedge in the shape of a point on all the tops of the pickets.

To start to cut the marked areas you will need a circular saw because it leaves sharp pointed tips on the tops of each picket. To shape out the bottom of the picket you need to start by marking the tops of each of the pickets eight inches south of the initial point you have just created. Mark the bottoms eight inches down towards the lower edge, again to ensure an easy removal of the mark. Continue to make the same mark on all the outside edges of your pickets. Creating these lines will give you the ability to line up all your pickets evenly on the rail.

After you have done this you can go ahead and place two on your fence rails on a flat surface and space them about twelve inches away from each other. Make sure that the outside edges are approximately seven inches away from the end of the rail. Use your nails to attach each picket to the railing and use the frame square to assure that each picket is at a 90 degree. Make sure to check that all your measurements are correct. After you have ensured that all your measurements are correct you can mount your fence.

Next, once your picket fence panel is finally mounted, you will need one extra picket on all joints at the end of your panel to hide the joints on your pickets in the rails. Make sure to not complete this step until after the panel has been mounted. Once you have completed this last final step you should be left with a beautiful fence panel that involves easy fence maintenance and upkeep.…

Your Back Yard Influences the Sale of Your House

Your Back Yard Influences the Sale of Your House

If you want to have the best chance of selling your house in this economy, you need to do as much as you can to spruce it up and make it appealing to a buyer. It is a buyer’s market right now and probably will be for some time that means buyers are going to be picky and demanding.

One of the things you should not overlook is your backyard. Many homes have very plain yards and that is OK as long as you make sure it is well groomed. Your backyard is part of the house and how it is taken care of reflects on you and how you view your house. It is best to have a complete product (house and yard) that look equally nice and well kept.

Some people go overboard in their yards and make them very personal. For instance, having a nice Japanese garden in your back yard is great, but it might in fact hurt your ability to sell the house. This is because you would have to find someone who also loves Japanese gardens and is willing to take one on. If you have a nice house and a yard that is elaborate to your exact personal tastes, it will mean the new homeowners much share your passion for that type of yard.

Upgrading your yard to make it presentable for selling your house does not mean you have to spend thousands of dollars. It just means you should have a nice layout that complements the house and also looks comparable to what the other houses have in your area. If all the other houses have nice yards, so should your house.

At the least, you should have a yard that looks like it is taken care of and cared for. Many homeowners get lazy and don’t water their grass and mow the lawn like they should. If you want to have the best chance of selling the house, green grass looks so much better than brown grass that shows you don’t care. The bottom line is that no one wants to buy a house that looks like the previous owners haven’t cared for it and the yard is an extension of the house that helps form an opinion.…

Lawn Sod and Grass Sod

Lawn Sod and Grass Sod

Are you tired of looking at your yard with disgust? Lawn sod and grass sod may be just what you need to give it an overall appearance that is very different from what you see right now. There are many different reasons why your grass may not be growing properly on its own. It can be the environment, the soil, or a combination of factors. It can be expensive and time consuming to make various changes along the way to see if that helps.

You can avoid such costly hassles though with law sod and grass sod. This is a viable solution for any environment. There are several types of sod offered so you can even pick what you would like for it to look like when it is all finished. A professional can install it so that it looks very nice. This is the route to take because installing it on your own can be a headache. It can also be disappointing when you see the way it looks compared to when a professional does the job.

Always take your time to find the right person to do the work for you. That can make a huge impact when it comes to the finished look with lawn sod and grass sod. Compare prices but also compare value. When you get estimates from businesses, ask for a break down of the cost. Then you can see how much they are charging you for supplies and how much of it is for the labor of installing it.

What you will often find is that the cost is quite comparable with lawn sod and grass sod for the materials. Those that are bigger companies may be able to offer a bit less of a price because they can buy it in bulk. The major difference in pricing will be in terms of the cost for the labor.

With lawn sod and grass sod as an option, your lawn problems are a thing of the past. It won’t take long at all to transform your lawn from what it is right now to something you are very happy with. The fact that it is also an affordable option makes it one that many people are highly interested in pursuing. You may have seen lots of different lawns out there you are envious of. However, changes are the majority of them look great due to the application of lawn sod and grass sod.…

Show Off Your Home – Top 3 Landscaping Tips

Show Off Your Home – Top 3 Landscaping Tips

We all know that the value of a home increases when you enhance it both inside and out. One way that you can enhance your home outside is to make it a point to keep your landscaping looking nice. You can do this by maintaining your yard and adding in new elements such as furniture, water elements, lighting and other d?�cor. If you are not skilled, you might call on the help of a landscaper, but that can become quite expensive. If you are willing to do a bit of labor yourself, here are five landscaping tips that will have you on your way to a beautiful yard in no time at all!

Get a Beautiful Yard

Before you can jump right in and start buying items for your yard or garden, you have to understand that planning is essential. It is not as simple as buying and planting, there is much more involved, especially if you do not want to run the risk of wasting money.

Inspect your land- get to know every nook and cranny. This is important because it is known as space planning. You need to know where the sun shines, how long it shines and be familiar with the patterns. This is especially true if you plan to plant flowers. Flowers can be tricky because some varieties require more care and specific locations than others.

Research the Trends – learn what will work with your particular home style and available land. You want your property to look nice – not too sparse and not too crowded. Learn the modern trends in outdoor d?�cor to avoid an outdated look. Color trends tend to change with the seasons, but you can find the newest information in publications at the local gardening store.

Equip Yourself with the Proper Tools – if you have a lot of property you will need to invest in a good lawn mower. If you have one with mulching capabilities, you can create your own mulch for composting purposes which will help fertilize your grass and make it rich. Other such tools you will need include garden rakes, hoes, digging tools as well as sculpting tools if you plan to sculpt your hedges and bushes.

Once you have everything planned out, you are ready to start gardening and landscaping your own yard. Remind yourself to take it slow and do it right – the rewards will be endless!…

DIY Meets Professional: Some Landscaping Design Companies Offer the Best of Both Worlds

DIY Meets Professional: Some Landscaping Design Companies Offer the Best of Both Worlds

You might think hiring a landscape designer is an all-or-nothing proposition. You tell them what you want and watch as your yard becomes the garden, lawn, or oasis of your dreams. But what if you enjoy gardening, and want to get your hands dirty? What if you’ve sketched out plans or purchased the materials, and just need help getting started?

DIY lawn care and landscaping is popular for a reason. For gardening aficionados, it’s soothing to water, trim, and weed, and fulfilling to see something you planted grow. But for amateur gardeners, certain tasks are simply too complicated or time-intensive to take on by yourself. Maybe you need professional help to ensure that stepping stones and retaining walls are installed properly to handle erosion. Maybe you’ve never worked with a certain plant before. Whatever the case, you can find a landscaping design company to help you out without sacrificing the do-it-yourself element.

The staff at a landscape design company bring a variety of skills to the table. They’re trained in architectural design to come up with harmonious, attractive, and functional plant arrangements and hardscape structures for a given property. They may have expert experience and knowledge related to trees and plants that are native to your area, or may specialize in keeping non-native plants alive in your location. Maybe they also provide lawn and tree services to keep your property looking neat and orderly. In many cases, you can hire a landscape designer to function in anywhere from one to all of these capacities.

Scenarios in which you might want to maintain a DIY element in a landscaping design and installation project include:

You’re an avid gardener, but need a professional to design an aesthetically pleasing arrangement of plants, trees, and shrubs for you to plant and maintain.

You’ve personally designed your desired landscape layout in rough or complete form, down to what plants you want and where each footpath will go. However, you don’t have any gardening experience and want to ensure your plants are going to survive long-term.

You want to add a patio, outdoor kitchen, or landscape lighting to the garden or yard you have already begun working on.

You truly want to construct and plant everything yourself, but need advice and guidance on what to purchase and how to complete the job for best results.

If you choose to go the partial or total DIY route to complete your landscaping, it’s still a good idea to solicit and listen to advice from the pros. After all, landscape architects, garden designers, and lawn care professionals plant trees and flowers and install patios for a living. Their experience can be extremely valuable to you as you create a plan of action for your own project. While working on a garden or backyard landscape can be fun and satisfying initially, it can become frustrating quickly if you have to redo work that was done incorrectly or watch your new plants die because you missed some crucial element in their care. Unless you yourself are a trained botanist, arborist, landscape architect, or other expert in the field, you can always benefit from asking for help.…

Best Landscaping Ideas For Your Home

Best Landscaping Ideas For Your Home

Landscaping is one of the most exciting things to do in your home. You can easily turn your empty backyard or front yard into a lovelier and more attractive view. Landscaping varies according to the availability of your vacant space at home. You can actually start landscaping your yard without hiring a contractor. However, if you really wish to have the most outstanding landscape done by a professional then it is best to seek for assistance to facilitate your plan and the construction. To know more about landscaping, here are some useful ideas that will surely help you in developing a beautiful landscape for your home.

Simple landscaping idea is the best since you will not be involving yourself to a very complicated plan including the technicalities, contractors, style, latest trends, etc. Always stick to your budget that is not beyond your capacity. You can still create an attractive landscape even if you will use the simple and affordable style. Flowers with different colors will surely bring a glowing appearance to your yard. You can add some shrubs to enhance the charming look of your yard. Trim them regularly because uniformity in shape will make it more fun and interesting. Front yard landscaping is very popular to homeowners nowadays. It brings tremendous beauty and charm to ones house. The house will be more appealing and lively if it obtains colorful and organized landscaping that can surely be pleasing to visitors and guests.

Make your landscaping more creative by choosing the appropriate lighting system. There are so many light bulbs available in the market that is suitable for landscaping. Different colors of light bulbs can bring dramatic effect. Try focusing the lights to the areas that you want to give emphasis. You will surely see the difference of illuminating some special landscape area. Using your own creativity can already bring big changes to your landscaping as long as every object found in the area complements with each other so that good harmony will be created which is pleasing to the sight of everyone.

Customize your design. If you are having difficulty in deciding and conceptualizing your landscaping ideas, do not hesitate to opt for online research. Internet offers a lot of specific ideas about landscaping that fit to your taste. Personalizing your designs can reflect to your personality. We all know that every person has distinct characteristic. Other people like your visitor who will come to visit your home will surely be able to identify easily the unique look of your landscaping design. To have an attractive yard does not entirely depend on a contractor. Sometimes, you just have to believe in yourself that you can make a difference on your own.

Include some fence, rocks and stones. These materials are commonly used to enhance the beauty of your landscaping project. They are also cost-effective. You can save more if you will use stones then paint them so that they will have brighter color. Landscaping has a great contribution to your outdoor decoration. Therefore, do your best.…

Ingredients For Landscaping the Gold Coast

Ingredients For Landscaping the Gold Coast

Gold Coast, a city in the south-east corner of Queensland in Australia, generally known for its sunny subtropical climate and a rainforest hinterland in the west of the city, envelopes a wide variety of landscaping. Landscaping the Gold Coast brings to light the science, design skills and the art of blending nature with construction required by a landscaper.

Landscaping includes modifying living elements, such as flora and fauna along with the art of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape; man-made elements such as buildings, fences etc; natural elements such as terrain shape, elevation and water bodies, and abstract elements such as weather and lightning conditions.

A landscaped backyard could be all that your luxurious house needs. Instead of spending time and loads of bills on a vacation close to nature, spend a little time along with a few of those loads of bills on landscaping your backyard and what you get in return is a beautiful vacation close to nature yet within the premises of your house. Swimming pools and hot-tubs are the most widely accepted additions to landscaping. Installing swimming pools or hot-tubs in your backyard could bestow on you the facility to loiter under the hot summer sun.

In case, you feel you cannot give in the required amount of time and money your landscape needs, you could go in for patios which need low maintenance. You could also try using brick patios or flagstones that are available in a range of colours, sizes and shapes. A small patch of grass on it would further beautify your patio.

You could also take into account the advise of an expert to landscape your backyard.…

Gardening by the Ocean

Gardening by the Ocean

Maintaining a garden in an ocean front location is not all blooming hibiscus and scented plumeria. Extreme conditions such as high winds and drought can play havoc on the sturdiest landscape. When planning your ocean front garden, you need to do you homework. Here are some flowers that love to bloom in the toughest of environments.

Rugosa Rose: This Siberian native knows all about tough climates. the Rosa rugosa endures extreme temperature shifts, drought, wind and salt spray. Expect scented blooms from string to fall accompanied by colorful rose hips that will attract the birds.

Lavender: A hearty plant in most climates, and tolerates sandy soil well. Position the plant in front of your roses for a fragrant walkway. The bushy shrub also hides the bare rose stems.

South American Verbena: This is a nice complement to your lavender with its showy lavender/purple blooms on stems that can extend up to 6 feet tall. Butterflies love this plant.

Daylily: These do well in most climates and have a variety of colors and patterns to choose from. When not in bloom, their grassy foliage makes a nice border.

Hydrangeas: This delicate looking plant is actually a pretty tough cookie and doesn’t mind wind and salt. It’s wise to plant it in a partially shaded area where it will get the morning sun and afternoon shade. Set up an irrigation drip for this one, hydrangeas don’t tolerate drought very well. To keep it blooming, trim off the old flowers as soon as they start to fade.

Ever wonder why some hydrangeas have bright blue blooms and others are pink? It all has to do with the amount of acidity in the soil – the more acid, the bluer the flower, the less acid, or more alkaline, and the pinker the bloom. Use aluminum sulfate to increase acidity and dolomitic lime to decrease it.

Juniper: This is a hearty evergreen that adds color and texture to your garden year round. Choose from blue, green or gold foliage, and tall or creeping styles of plant. The low growing selections work well in sandy rock gardens or for erosion control on hilly areas.

Wintercreeper: This is a hearty groundcover that still looks great in the winter with its variegated leaf.

Portulaca: This is a popular plant commonly found along walkways at the beach. You can forget to water it, expose it to wind and sea spray and it will respond with colorful blooms. Its trailing flowers make a nice accent in an ocean facing window box. Although it is an annual, it will generally self seed.

Yarrow: Also considered a herb for its medicinal qualities, yarrow will endure, sun, rain, cold, drought and wind. It comes in a variety of colors such as yellow, orange, pink and white. Plant it in a spot where you can keep an eye on it, yarrow loves to spread its roots and wander.

Gaillardia: This colorful flower blooms from summer to early winter, resists drought and doesn’t balk at sandy soil. It’s brightly colored blooms attract butterflies and make perfect cut flowers.

Cuphea: This is the new kid on the block and what an interesting plant it is. It has bright red crinkly petals with purple middles that bloom non-stop in the hottest, dryest, salt and wind blown conditions. Keep it moist and fertilized, and you will be assured of constant color all season.…

Landscape Fountain – Choosing the Best One

Landscape Fountain – Choosing the Best One

The size and design of your fountain will be determined by several things including how big your yard actually is, the style of the yard and how big the pump you are prepared to install.

Landscape fountain styles

It is very important to remember, that since the fountain is the central point of your yard, it should be in the same style as everything else. It often happens that homeowners chose their fountains for their beauty, not thinking about how the fountain will integrate with the trees, plants and the garden theme in general. Even the prettiest fountain if it doesn’t create harmony with the surroundings will not benefit your space, but will make it look unplanned.

Power supply for a fountain pump

Another thing to consider is what source of power your fountain will have. Here you have two options – you can install solar panels to provide your fountain with power, or simply use electricity. If you intend to run electricity from the house, the pump should be connected to the power by a professional electrician.

What is the best place for landscape fountains

The placement of your fountain is just as important as its style. Obviously, if you want it to be the focal point, you should install it somewhere very visible. In formal landscapes the fountain is usually installed in the middle, but if you have a less formal landscape style, the middle is not necessary. One thing to consider, however, is to keep your fountain away from trees, since you don’t want to fish the leaves out of your water all the time.

If your fountain runs from the electricity it makes sense to install it closer to the house. Also keeping the fountain close will give you the opportunity to enjoy it while seating on your patio. On the other hand, you can place the fountain in the opposite side of the yard, if you have a little retreat aria there. Possibly also install a bench there and some cover.

As for the size and shape of your fountain, there are so many available, that it should be really easy to find the one that suits your general landscaping theme. Also, you should not buy the fire first fountain you like, look around. It would be a shame to get a water feature and later discover that the next garden center has a much better deal.…

Using the Right Tools for Your Landscape Work Can Make All the Difference, What Tools Will You Need?

Using the Right Tools for Your Landscape Work Can Make All the Difference, What Tools Will You Need?

There is no doubt that for the do-it-yourself landscaper as well as those in the trade, that good tools are essential, attempting any kind of work in any trade, requires tools, but the importance of knowing what tools you need is also a must, and landscaping is no different.

By you understanding some of the most essential tools used for even your basic landscape needs then you are one step ahead of keeping your landscape garden in the best possible shape, doesn’t matter how big or small your garden may be.

Your tool collection can be split into two categories, general and specialist, your general tools are tools like wheel barrows, shovels, forks, rakes, crow bars, picks and mattocks, hoses etc. These tools are used for a large variety of tasks, and attempting to landscape without owning these would be futile.

However the specialist tools are job specific, and depending on the size of the job and the regularity of that work you might want to consider hiring the equipment necessary rather than buying. But, if it’s a large job like paving a drive and patio for example, then consider buying a brick saw and selling it after the jobs complete, this can still be more economical than hiring one for all the cutting, just way it all up and decide, you may have friends who are attempting the same task you could hire it out to them etc.

Let’s go through the tools you need for your lawn care, apart from the obvious of a decent lawn mower, you might want to think about wiper snippers, or brush cutters and edger’s, these are available both in motor powered and electric, but also for those times once or twice a year hiring an aerator and a fertilizer, although a hand fertilizer is good to have in your collection of tools anyway, but a wheeled one for those larger lawn areas you could hire.

Then there is the garden, now apart from the general tools listed above there are some hand tools you will need as well. Hand trowels, hand forks, watering can, secateurs, hand sheers and pruners etc. There are some more specialist tools like the pole extension pruners/sheers and chainsaws, hedge trimmers and cultivators, these can all be hired when needed.

Building projects is another side to landscaping and will require a whole range of tools, more specialist but necessary if you are going to attempt the structural side of landscaping. There are the carpentry tools needed for the timber projects like decks, pergolas, timber walls and platforms, bridges, Gazebos etc. the minimum tools you will need will be the likes of power or hand saws, screw drivers, hammers, spirit levels, set squares, string line, markers etc.

The paving jobs will require the likes of vibrating plate for the compaction, brick saw, screeding tools, trowels, rubber mallet, marking pens, as well as a variety of the general tools listed above. It’s the same with the concreting, you will need a variety of concrete trowels and floats, screeds, edging trowels, form wood and pegs, most jobs can be done with these but there are some larger ones that may need the pole floats and trowels enabling you to reach into the slab without going in on boards.

So in closing I’d just like to mention here that when you are considering purchasing any tool, the amount you spend and the quality of that tool must be relative to the amount you need to use it, if it’s a tool you need to use very regularly, then you will want to buy a good one, one that is easy to use and is built well, if it’s a tool that is used once or twice a season then the quality is not so important.…