Woody For Down to Earth Landscaping

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

Down to Earth Landscaping

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

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

Woody Perennials For down to earth landscaping

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

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

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

Evergreen Landscaping Ideal

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

Evergreen Landscaping Ideas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evergreen Landscaping

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

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

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

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

Tropical Backyard Landscaping Ideas

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

How to Have a Relaxing Backyard Landscaping

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

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

Plants Play

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

Fixtures Pathways

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

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

Water Features

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

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

Ideal Small Backyard Landscape Ideas

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

Small Backyard Landscape Ideas

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

Sunflower Fort

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

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

Reader’s Corner

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

Hammock “Tent”

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

Tree House

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

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

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

There are so many ways to spruce up your home nowadays. If you haven’t already noticed, countless residential homeowners are always searching high and low for interior decorating tips, as well as backyard landscaping ideas. Anything that will make their humble abode look more appealing and desirable is sought after. Furthermore, you want to be able to make your house your home. It needs all of those quirky little details and customizations that reflect your personality and preferences. Fortunately you don’t have to look far to get a few backyard landscaping ideas these days. There are countless ideas provided n television shows, as well as online.

Top Backyard Landscaping Ideas

A few websites that are sure to assist you with backyard landscaping ideas are , , and . It is a good idea to check all of these out and start brainstorming a bit. Consider your piece of property. How large is your yard and what all do you have to work with? Maybe you have toyed with the idea of putting a fountain or gazebo out back. You can acquire all sorts of equipment and supplies at local home improvement stores. After all, you may need a variety of materials like bricks, stones, pebbles, sod, mulch, plants, and even trees to get started. Once you have an idea in your head, you can run with it.

Backyard Space

There truly is no limit to what you can do with your backyard space. If you can dream it up, you can likely make it happen. However, you need to keep in mind your budget. How much are you actually willing to spend? You may have to consider both the cost of materials, as well as the cost of labor. If you plan on having someone else, such as a professional landscaper, come in and do all of the work, this can really add up to a lot of money fast landscaping ideas

herefore you should get quotes from a few different landscaping professionals before you actually go ahead with any backyard landscaping ideas. This will help you save money. Consider tackling the Top backyard landscaping ideas plans on your own. This way you only have to worry about the cost of supplies.

Although mulch, rock pebbles, and gazebo materials can cost some money, it is a lot cheaper to only buy them, and not have to deal with the cost of labor. There is nothing better than making your home the home you want to live in. Therefore you should really explore any backyard landscaping ideas you have in mind. Once you create your own little private oasis, you will be much more satisfied with the abode overall. You should also keep in mind resale value, which will go up if you landscape the yard nicely.…

Hillside Landscaping Ideas

Do you have sloped land in your yard? Does it make an eyesore to you and to the neighborhood? Well, you can create a beautiful and outstanding scene out of it by the art of landscaping. Hillside landscaping is such a creative but challenging work to be accomplished. And it will be more challenging if the landscape is to be done in sloping land. It needs some extra effort and devoted time because the problem regarding soil erosion is needed to be solved and the inability for the water to be held.

Hillside Landscaping

Using your creative and imaginative minds can transform the bare hillside into an eye catching and attractive hillside landscape. Just do not be afraid to try out new ideas to make your hillside landscaping ideas a great work of art! And of course, just have fun! This is important so that you will not get bored as you create your personal design.
But how to transform the bare hillside into a haven getaway?
Here are some hillside landscaping tips.

First is to clean and manage your area. Unnecessary things such as garbage and weeds must be taken away before you start landscaping your sloping land. This is important to make sure that redundant works are eliminated.

Great Backyard Landscape Ideas

Second is to solve the soil erosion problems. Since you are about to landscape an area which is very susceptible to soil erosion, you need to deal with it first to avoid the damage once you get your hillside landscaping started. You can do this by planting shrubs and covering the land with mulches. Mulches are not only functioning to reduce soil erosion but to protect the plants as well when cold weather approaches. It also helps in maintaining good level of moisture in your land.

Third would be to bring features that would interest you and the passersby. Bringing in interesting elements in your hillside landscape will give a different impact in your hillside landscape. In addition, this will be used as your personality reflection.

Fourth is to set up retaining wall. This is done to put extra security to the sloping land. However, the wall that will serve as a security wall must not ruin the entire looks of the hillside landscape but rather add first-class looks and styles to it. On the other hand, additional resources and help should be applied when needed.

Fifth is to have a list of all things that you will need in starting your project. This will eliminate the chance of having difficulty of getting this and that once the actual landscaping has begun.
And finally, when designing your hillside make it an attention grabber. Make sure that the features and designs are visible even at some distance. In this way, member of the public who happens to passed by would think greatly of the scene that they have viewed form garden even from afar.

It is really a good thing that you are able to transform any rough and bare land into a beautiful and most rewarding surrounding for you, your family and your neighborhood by just making use of your imagination, originality and innovation. In addition, commitment and time will make the best out of your landscaped garden.…

Designing a Above Ground Pool Landscaping

Above Ground Pool Landscaping

An above ground pool landscaping is quite different from an ordinary landscape. Unlike an ordinary landscape, a swimming pool landscape has some limitations in the planting area. Aside from the fact that you cannot plant directly on the ground when you’re planting in and around your pool, you also need to put up with some width and height limitations that wouldn’t otherwise have existed. Here are some tips that you can follow if you are planning to design your swimming pool landscaping ideas

Do your Research

Your end result will work out better if you do some research before you proceed with landscaping. Aside from looking for above ground pool landscaping ideas online and in magazines, you should also look into which kinds of plants you want to include and what kind of soil you’ll need as a result. If you know someone who has a swimming pool landscape then make sure to chat with them as they can probably give you some more great tips.

Know your Flower Beds

You should also have a clear picture of how you ant your flower beds to look before you begin. First, you should know the measurements you want for them – their exact length, width and depth. If they have some curved areas, you should also take note of that and make an estimate measurement. Additionally, measure your desired distance between the fence or screen and the flower bed. Do this for all the flower beds in the swimming pool area.

Plan the Landscape

Now that you know the exact measurements of your flower beds, it is time to plan your landscape. By now, you should have some ideas on which plants can grow near your pool. You should now plan which plant species will go in your flower beds and how you’ll arrange them. If you can, make a rough drawing of how the plants will look.

Know your Plants

It may help to research the background of each plant that will go into your landscape before you begin. Aside from knowing how to maintain them, you should also know how big they can grow. Many do-it-yourself landscapers are surprised to learn that plants which look good in pictures grow too big or don’t work with the shape of the pool when they’re full sized. Don’t let this happen to you.

In the same way, you should also take note of other things that may harm you or your above ground pool landscaping. Does it constantly shed leaves? This can clutter your pool. Does it have thorns or spikes? This is not good if you are going to have children around the pool. Does it multiply on its own? This can be a problem if you have limited planting space. Always research your plants before you use them in your landscape.

Decide on a Landscape Dressing

Once you have decided on your plants and have planted them based on their size and growth habits, it is time to finish the landscape with some dressing. Decide if you will use lava rocks, plain dirt or lava rocks to cover the soil. Some creative landscapers may even want to use shells.

If you’ve done all this then congratulations, you’re done! You have just successfully designed your own swimming pool landscape.…

Ideas for Green Thumb Landscaping

Green thumb landscaping is landscaping without the use of dangerous chemicals or harmful methods that will destroy the environment. Green landscaping helps to restore all the natural resources back to the earth that has been taken away by misuse.

Green Thumb Landscaping

Most of us have become aware of the damage that chemical products have done and are now trying to do our best to use only natural products. We have also started using less water on our gardens for conservation. We also realize that many of the chemicals we use are probably a big cause of the climate changes around the world. Now is a good time to research ways to help and creating a green landscape would be a great start.

There are a few things to consider before thinking about any green landscaping ideas. The first to consider is the climate in your part of the country. Temperate climate zones will tolerate a wide variety of plants but an arid climate zone will only support a smaller variety. In either climate zone you want to conserve water and it is better to select plants that drought tolerant and still be able to handle their own climate environment. The second consideration is the elevation such as high mountain areas, rocky areas or marshy areas with heavy water content in the soil. Whichever area you reside, it is best to purchase drought tolerant native plants.

In most cases it is how you water the landscape not how often to water. The majority of sprinkler systems spray water way too high and the water ends up on the sidewalk or driveway and not on the landscape. This water gets wasted and finds its way to the sewer. The best way to water your landscaping is by using a drip irrigation system where the water spray is low to the ground and goes right to the plants’ roots. Another good way to water is by using soaker hoses, these hoses sit on the ground and seep water directly the plants’ roots. Both these irrigation systems work very well on individual plants, trees, shrubs, and lawns in your green thumb landscaping.

If your family uses environmentally friendly shampoos, soaps, and detergents you can hook that gray water to your drip irrigation system; this will save you money on your fresh water usage. Another green thumb landscaping tip is to use collected rain water to water your green landscape and to conserve water usage for your home. Many people collect rain water from their roofs each time it rains by directing their gutters directly to one or two rain barrels. You would be surprised how much water comes off a roof and how much money you can save.

There are a number of components that will help with green landscaping namely compost or natural fertilizers, mulch, native plants and ornamental grasses. Your grassy landscape can become very dependent on water unless you water less often; keep the grass at an optimal length and mulch. During hot weather the length of the grass should be a little longer in order to keep the soil cool and to retain moisture. Even better start mowing with a push reel mower, this way you will keep harmful pollutants out of the atmosphere; you not only will be cutting down on noise but will maintain your muscles.

Natural Materials

Another way of using natural materials on your lawn is to use a mulching lawn mower that will chop up grass clippings; by leaving the chopped up grass clippings on your lawn it will begin to decompose and fertilize your grass. If your grass is long just bag the clippings and add to the compost pile. Another way to conserve water, prevent weeds and cool roots is to use organic mulch around the plants. These are just a few things you can do when creating a green landscaping.…

The Best Options For Desert Landscaping

You can not just pick any plants because died plants cannot do much for your property. Spend a while to think carefully about your desert landscaping plan and confirm that everything is suitable for the climate of your area.

Desert Landscaping

Using a better irrigation might keep your plants alive but its time consuming and also cost you a lot. It will be much better if you just stick to an easier plan which includes only plants with high survivability under the hot climate.

The best thing about desert landscaping friendly plants is that the plants will survive under the hot tempered sun and adapt to the bad characteristic soils. Do not look down to those abilities because the areas under the hot sun usually have bad soil too. You do one thing, but you get two results. Here are the list of beautiful plants that you can employ in your desert landscaping ideas

Longwood Blue bluebeard

This is a shrub, it is deciduous and it will grow back each and every spring. Its capability to restore health and happiness makes it very great for desert landscaping. It is a big shrub; it can grow up to three and four feet high and two feet wide. You will love this shrub in your desert landscaping because it has beautiful blue flower clusters and silver foliage. Furthermore, it also spread a very nice fragrance.

Autumn Joy

Autumn Joy is a lovely evergreen that perfect your desert landscaping with its great amount of leaves which twist beautifully. It has many leaves colors which can fit with any plant in your garden. It is also suitable for any desert landscaping plan. If there is a plant that should always be used in any desert garden, this is that plant. It grows easily anywhere, even on the rocky gardens. It also has beautiful flowers that you have never seen anywhere before.

The flowers have different colors and shades, mostly are red, pink, yellow, and orange. One thing for sure; this plant attract butterflies which give even more peaceful nuance to your garden.…

A Sense of Welcome – Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

One of the key decisions when drawing up a garden design is how to approach the front yard landscaping ideas. Behind the house, in the backyard, you can hide a million things that nobody sees, but the front yard is your home’s ‘public’ face as it were. So this begs the question – how do you want others to see it – and therefore you? Another consideration is value adding. Quality landscaping can 5% – 10% value to your property – and this can benefit you if want to borrow against accumulated equity or, more importantly, if you are putting the house or property up for sale. Good landscaping doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – even if the front yard is quite large. Trees can fill up large spaces when combined with lawns. They also can add a touch of serenity or elegance landscaping

Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

By their shape and foliage trees can also add be an extra architectural feature in their own right. This can also be true in small front gardens if you use trees like silver birches or Japanese maples or flowering cherries or almonds. Some simple beds of cottage flowers are easy to construct and inexpensive – and with all the color you can obtain from annuals like marigolds, foxgloves or petunias and the like – you add both a sense of welcome and enhance the front yard with beauty. The main aim is to create a sense of invitation and accessibility. As we don’t use the front for much else, it doesn’t have to cost a lot. A simple design front yard landscaping ideas usually works best.

DIY Front Yard Landscaping

Anyone can do their own front yard landscaping ideas if they need to save the expense of professional landscape architects. If you do not know what to choose, simply look around at the better gardens in the street and neighborhood – to see what you like – and if they look healthy, then you know they will also work in your garden. Good gardeners love to talk about plants and garden owners will identify the names of the plants if you don’t know them. They will also pass on tips if you need them. You also can take a leaf from a plant or a digital picture, and your local nursery should be able to identify the plant from that.

Care And Maintenance

All plants prefer good well drained soil, mulching and occasional feeding with manure and other targeted feed from time to time. In the heat of summer keeping up the mulch will conserve water and keep your plants happy. Having said that, many plants will grow in soils and conditions that are not optimal. I have grown roses will in the tropics – with a constant fight against fungal diseases! But I deemed it worth it as I can’t live without roses! The better the growing conditions the better the plant will be of course.

Soils can always be improved and mulching helps be more water wise in dry regions. Clays can be broken down with gypsum and sandy soils can be built up with regular mulch and manure. If you need information on how to plant (soil, mulch etc), the local nursery will always provide free advice. They will also tell you what plants are drought resistant, tough, not delicate and how fast they grow and what maintenance they need.

Quality comes from balance and careful placement of what plants you choose for your front area. Simplicity works well, as do more complex designs that incorporate a wide range of plantings and features like cottage garden beds, hedges, trees, bushes, arches, fountains and so on. Add to that a perception of order (in the sense of tidy, not necessarily formality). Finally, adding subtle landscape lighting can heighten the beauty of your garden and make your front yard landscaping an asset at night as well as in daylight.

Keep an eye open for “The Backyard: Trash-heap or Treasure?” (Landscaping For Beauty And The Environment – Part 4)… and later a dirty story (Soils ain’t dirt!)…