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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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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.…