DIY Aluminum Fence is Fine, But What About the Landscaping?
DIY Aluminum Fence is Fine, But What About the Landscaping?
Home owners everywhere are trying to figure out the best ways to bring up their property values without spending too much money doing it. These are uncertain times and they are going to remain uncertain (particularly in the housing market) for quite some time; smart choices are necessary and a DIY aluminum fence is a very smart choice. For those of you who are not too familiar with Aluminum fence, I’ll explain below.
DIY aluminum fence is inexpensive to ship, easy to install, and incredibly durable. Because of aluminums light weight it is easy to shape and manipulate during the manufacturing process and even easier to load, ship, and deliver. Being a sturdy metal, despite its light weight, aluminum is a naturally long term investment that will not warp, crack, chip, or rust over time. It is an investment for home owners who wish to add security and elegance to their home while adding something valuable to the property as well.
Once you’ve decided on your fence you’re going to want to modify the existing landscaping to suit. This doesn’t really require much, depending on your fence and property type. If you have a lot of cement/gravel around the perimeter, consider terra cotta pots, decorative urns, or pot hangers. These can often be used effectively to add some green to otherwise desolate looking areas. Grassless lawns are also becoming quite the fad and compliment an aluminum fence of almost any color or style very well. Darker fence colors can be taken advantage of by planting particularly bright coloured plants and flowers; this will draw the garden out and the fence will work as a background enhancement to its beauty. Plants with white flowers, bright foliage, and night bloomers are all ideal; and when you go into your lawn in the moonlight, you’ll get a great glowing surprise!…
Landscaping Bark
Landscaping Bark
Fall is the time when it is the most important to prepare your garden and yard for the upcoming spring. The work you do now will have a huge impact on the overall look and function of your garden when the weather finally turns back around. There are many different things that you can do to help give yourself a head start. One of the things that may be a good idea is to lay bark mulch so the soil will be in good condition when you are ready to plant.
There are many different types of bark that should be used for different applications. The first step in determining which type of bark will be best for you is to determine what the space will be used for. Will you be planting flowers or vegetables in the space? Are you just putting down the bark mulch to give a nice finished appearance to an empty planting box? These are a few of the questions that you will have to answer so you don’t find yourself waiting in the nursery waiting for a customer service person to help you with your bark questions.
If you are applying mulch to an area without plants you may want to go with some cheap shredded hardwood mulch. This type of bark is typically used on street plantings and is very cost effective. If you want to go with something that looks a little bit better you can spend a little more money and go with pine mini nuggets or colored bark mulch.
You can also use shredded hardwood bark mulch in an area where you are going to plant vegetation. This type of bark mulch is used widely by landscapers because it is one of the cheapest options and gives very good coverage. It provides a variety of benefits including minimizing weeds, preventing soil erosion and even provides nutrients to the soil.…
What to Expect When Hiring a Landscaper
What to Expect When Hiring a Landscaper
Your landscape is an important part of your home. It is the first thing people see, and it greatly affects the overall value of your property. Therefore, it is important to hire a reliable garden landscaper to ensure effective results and quality service.
When choosing a garden landscaper you should be clear about whether you are looking for an update to your existing landscape or you want to remove everything and start from scratch. Like any typical designer, the contractor must be artistic and original with a good eye for design. If you already have a specific design in mind, a good designer will be able to follow your instructions but at the same time suggest other possible alterations that will make your lawn look better. A garden designer is trained for the job and can prevent stressful experiences while using their extensive knowledge about the plants, including what will fit the climate and soil, what will be low maintenance and what will have a long lasting positive effect on your garden, ultimately saving you the costs of having to plant and re-plant every year. A designer can look at your garden and immediately determine how to use the type of soil, light and other integrated elements to create a meaningful design.
It is very important to be comfortable with the contractor you hire. Most should be able to produce references from previous customers, or show you portfolios of previous work.
Be sure to ask questions. Do they have insurance and are they bonded? If something goes wrong, it will be very important that your landscaper is adequately covered to take on the liability of any loss. Is this landscaping contractor a member of any trade associations? This will ensure that they keep to a high level of quality and professionalism. Will the same people be doing the work each time? How much experience do they have? Can you change the type of service at any time without a penalty? Can you cancel the service without penalty if you are not satisfied? Are materials like fertilizer and sod included or do they charge extra?
Always get quotes from several landscaping companies so you can compare services and costs. A quote should include all fees as well as a description of exactly what work will be performed and at what times or intervals. This will give you the best impression of what you can expect to pay, and value for your money.
Make sure to get a written contract. Without a contract you are not protected. Do not have any work done until you are happy with what you can expect and both parties have signed their agreement to the expectations.…
The Christmas Tree Tradition
The Christmas Tree Tradition
When setting up your tree this holiday season give thought to how we ever started the tradition. By understanding the history of the Christmas tree, we may then fully appreciate why this staple of Christmas decorum has become so universal.
Egyptian cultures may have been the first to worship evergreens, bringing palm leaves into their homes during the winter solstice as a symbol of life. The Romans, the Druids and the Germans through the Middle Ages celebrated the winter solstice in much the same manner. In fact, German settles are responsible for the introduction of the tradition in the United States in the early 1800s. The traditional size was tabletop and decorated with apples, but those trees were quickly replaced with floor-to-ceiling trees.
The Christmas tradition in the United States experienced steady growth at first. Many Puritans banned Christmas, as it was a pagan holiday. Over time, Christmas became more widely celebrated and tree decorating rose in popularity. In 1851, a farmer named Mark Carr hauled a shipment of evergreens to New York City and sold all of them. Two years later Franklin Pierce brought the Christmas tree to the White House. By the new century the tradition had spread to one in five American homes. Two decades later the tradition was nearly universal and continued to thrive.
The Great Depression of the 1930s launched the Christmas tree market to new heights. Nurserymen who were struggling to sell their harvested trees for landscaping decided to sell their evergreens at Christmas time. Franklin D. Roosevelt was skeptical of the Christmas tree tradition for fear of deforestation, but agreed to develop the evergreen harvest into Christmas tree farms. These cultivated trees were desired over wild ones because of their symmetrical shape.
By the 21st century approximately 25-30 million Christmas Trees are sold each year in the United States alone. The majority of these trees come from tree farms across the country. Scotch pines take the crown for most popular tree with about 40 percent of the tree trade; Douglas Firs are close behind with 35 percent of the market. Other common trees are the noble fir, white pine, balsam fir and white spruce.…
The Benefits of a Home Sprinkler System
The Benefits of a Home Sprinkler System
Beautifying and protecting your home is a worthwhile endeavor that involves careful planning and a lot of hard work. It is highly recommended that one personally supervise and direct the home sprinkler installations being done by skilled workers or repairmen. This will ensure that proper installations are being performed in your home garden keeping and it is well protected from sun and water damage. In order to have an idea on how these home sprinkler systems really work, one should consult the services of a professional landscaper. Knowing how sprinklers work is helpful in deciding what type of system you need for your home. The benefits derived from a proper home sprinkler system outweighs the costs of its installation.
Having a home sprinkler system will save you time from everyday garden maintenance. You will not be bothered with watering all those plants and flowers decorating the landscape of your garden. You can do a lot more household chores by choosing a reliable system. You will also have more time to relax and do some leisurely things. It will also ensure that everything in your garden will be watered equally and sufficiently.
With a home sprinkler system, a well-manicured green healthy lawn is possible. The grass, plants, and trees will receive sufficient and complete irrigation allowing them to grow healthier and more beautiful. The look of your garden will be more lush and verdant. You will be able to save on the services of professional gardeners if you can manage the operation of a home sprinkler system.
Most systems installed by a professional landscaper come fully-equipped with controlled timers. These controlled timers are very convenient to use. They make sure that your garden is watered at exact and regular times of the day. You can regulate the amount of water and time spent with this controlled timer feature. This will save you time and money too since you can control the frequency and intervals depending on the current weather and the gardening needs of your home.
The installation of a sprinkler system not only adds to the beauty, upkeep, and maintenance of the garden but it also greatly increases the value of your home. In case you decide to sell or lease your house, you can command a better price for it since most people who are looking for houses prefer to have gardens with existing reliable systems. Therefore, the benefits derived from a proper home sprinkler system outweighs the costs of its installation.…
Hiring a Good Roofing Company
Hiring a Good Roofing Company
The roof is an integral part of any home and should be taken care of whether in terms of repair for an existing roof or when building a new house. This is the one area that defines a house as it not only completes the appearance of the house but also serves as protection for other parts of the house and household items as well.
Some people have fallen victim to “roofing experts” who are not experienced roofers and wound up with shoddy roof work. Some of the roofers will even leave the roofs looking worse than they did before the work began, which is why it is so important to take your time in choosing the right roofing company to work on your home.
The search: When looking for a good roofing company, it is always advisable to conduct research to find the best contractors in the area. It is better to choose a local company that has experience and a good reputation within your area to be sure that you will get what you are looking for in terms of your roofing needs.
References and referrals: The company you choose should be in a position to give you references, which is a list of past customers for whom they have worked. Referrals also means that you need to ask family and friends who have had their roofs worked on recently who did the work or simply ask neighbors whose roofs look stunningly well done which company did the work. You will be headed in the right direction in your endeavor to get a good company to do your work if you follow through with the referrals.
Licensing: It is very important to check to see that the roofing company you hire has its papers in order. It should be licensed and registered to offer the kind of services you require. It is reassuring to know that the people handling your property are well trained and knowledgeable. You can even take the time to research the background of the company to ensure that you have all the information you need.
Communication: Getting the job done does not mean only having your roof fixed. You also need to establish a working relationship with your roofing contractor. You should be able to get along with the professionals handling the work. For instance, they should listen to your needs and have the right answers for your questions and concerns.…
Best Products For Bark Blowing
Best Products For Bark Blowing
The most effective way to draw the looks of admiration from visitors is having a beautiful garden. However, decorating the garden and keeping it free from overgrown grass and weeds is a hectic job. One of the best ways to keep the garden tidy, neat and appealing, without spending much on maintenance is bark blowing.
Bark blowing Portland, Oregon is the best way to get high quality results in landscaping. A blower is used to apply the bark mulch uniformly all over the garden. Depending on size of the blower and the bark type, the process can be finished within minutes. Generally bark mulch is used in the playgrounds for kids. Small chips of bark create a unique and stylish surface. Bark can also be used for driveways. These are used in gardens for having a durable surface.
Another important aspect of using this is- growth of weeds is prevented, thereby reducing the cost of maintenance. Bark blowing is very popular in Portland as it gives a uniform application, along with enhancing the aesthetics. It also helps in eliminating unsightly piles of bark. Also it eliminates damage to plants, unlike other methods. Bark mulch applied by blowing method gives a special finished look which cannot be achieved by any other method. Bark mulch applied by blowing method gives a special finished look which no other method can provide. With a stream of high-velocity air, a bark blower applies correct quantity of bark mulch exactly where it is needed.
Best Buy In Town Landscape Supply service comes at incredible competitive prices. By having them blow in your bark, mulch, compost or topsoil blends, you will save money, time, and hard work. Along with the high quality products, they offer you other services that include- compost blowing, bark blowing, mulch blowing, supplying organic material, reducing weed growth, controlling erosion, helping control sediment from runoff, improving soil tilthe, and many more. You can also feel free to call them and get answers to questions about- blower application of bulk materials, power mulch, mushroom compost, pumice, landscape mulching, mud control topdressing, lawn renovation, over seeding, and erosion control mixes and systems. They are committed to serve you with the best. Once you avail their service, you will remain a satisfied and loyal customer for the rest of your life!…
How to Maintain a Beautiful Garden and Landscape
How to Maintain a Beautiful Garden and Landscape
Whenever a person needs to improve the look of their house, it is always advised to have a proper garden design. The landscaping garden ideas may include any form of flowers and plants that can be grown in a systematic and maintained order. This is because, if a garden is left unattended, weeds may grow and it will ruin the garden’s look. Hence garden design is very useful to control how the plants will grow in our backyards. The design is also the easiest way for a gardener or a landowner to help the plants grow the way he wants.
But the processes of garden design and landscaping are not as easy as they sound. It’s not a plant it and forget it type of deal. It involves a lot of hard work and dedication to maintain it. So the main things for both proper garden design and landscaping are planning. The proper space for the garden has to be decided beforehand, and sorted accordingly so there won’t be a huge mess while you’re trying to plant. The shape and size also matters in both the garden design and landscaping. If you have a lot of free open space, you can always plant some green grass to cover a major portion of the space with lawn. This can also be done by planting some small plants and trees and then spreading the lawn around them. This adds to the overall beauty of the garden.
Garden design and landscaping are nothing without proper maintenance. Weeds tend to grow every now and then. So most of the time you’re going to need to use a lawn mower. But keep in mind this needs to be planned also. This is because if proper space is not left between every plant and group of flowers, the lawn mower may not be able to reach those areas, thus getting in the way and causing you extra work. So it’s always a good idea to design the landscaping based on the instruments you use.
Planning softscape and hardscape is also an essential part of fulfilling all of your landscaping ideas for gardens. Hardscape usually means constructing solid bodies to facilitate the ease of growth and maintenance of the garden. This usually includes solid concrete paths for the flow of water, which is vital to the plants growth. Other structures such as stone walls and circular stones around the plants also fall under this category. Lighting for decorations and constructions of permanent solid structures are some of the most widely used hardscape methods. Softscape on the other hand involves the idea of planting lawn and green grass within a certain area.
Since a garden can add quite a bit to the scenic beauty of your house, it’s important that you pay attention to the type of plants you use – depending on the color of the house, the surrounding environment and much more. Careful precautions must also be taken on weed growth and maintaining the height of the plants. Don’t let your plants overgrow, and you should have beautiful, well-groomed garden.…
Know the Chainsaw, Then Put It to Work
Know the Chainsaw, Then Put It to Work
The new owner of a chainsaw should read the instruction manual that came with the product. The manual tells how to mix the fuel, how to mount the guide bar and chain and how to start it. Some models have a guard for hand holding the saw that also operates a chain brake. This is a safety feature that promptly stops the chain from running when that mechanism is tripped. The operator should be able to shut off the saw instinctively without looking or feeling for the switch. A good idea is to practice shutting it off without looking at the switch. Do this several times until it is a natural thing to do.
Electric-powered chainsaws are best used around a home where storms break off tree branches and often knock over trees, as they are much lighter to handle than a gas powered saw. Also, besides the weight, the pull start is quite difficult to manage for some people. In clearing away debris, it is best to use a folding hand saw for cutting off small branches and it clears the area for visibility when the saw is in use on the larger pieces.
Pruning limbs of standing trees with a chainsaw is best done if the pruner stands on the side of the trunk, away from the limb being pruned. The first cut should be made on the underside of the larger limbs, six inches away from the trunk. Complete the cut on the topside, a little way out on the limb. This will stop the stripping of bark from the tree, especially in the springtime, as that is when the bark begins to grow. Lastly, cut the short stub close to the trunk.
When the use of the chainsaw is mastered, put this machinery to work. It will help to clear lots, remove storm damage, create firewood and allow the building of structures for home, work and play.…
Garden Enhancing Techniques
Garden Enhancing Techniques
Use unique looking plants to enhance the look:
You have to fulfill your desire of growing plants in small spaces are huge acres of land are available to a very few only. Rugged mountain landscapes can help in recreating images in small garden spaces. With the availability of unique looking different types of plants you can enhance the look of the garden. An efficient looking rock garden will also allow you to grow the kinds of plants you desire.
Rock garden landscaping is one great idea as this has a kind of an informality best suited for the modern age. To have a rock water features you can add a waterfall, water pools, rock plants etc. which can be placed along with the other garden features.
You can do intensive gardening in small areas too:
As far as water pools are concerned you can make them of concrete. You can also get ready made water pools made of plastic and fiber glass which can be masked with stone and plants. It is an easy job looking after a rock garden. You can fulfill your desire of growing different type of plants in all the space you have in the garden. It is not necessary to have huge spaces to carry out intensive gardening.
You can make space for both tender plants like honeysuckles, and camellias and at the same time grow some decorative plants in the garden depending on your choice. If there is a manhole in the garden you can make use of plants to cover it.
Prostrate conifers help in blanketing the iron work in the garden. Covering up certain areas of the garden with shrubs etc. not only provide shade but also help in masking areas like drain pipes etc. which one does not like to see in a well groomed garden.…