Use These Landscaping Ideas To Add Value To Your Home

When purchasing a new house, many people pay a lot of attention to the front yard and back yard. These are important elements that can determine if a house is bought or not. Once you get that dream house, you will have to come up with home landscaping ideas to add value to your home. The house must always carry an imprint of the family living in it, and if the architectural aspect of the house can't be changed, the landscape can defiantly be improved. In the lack of home landscaping ideas, one can always call for a landscaping company to help. This will be the thing that will add value to your home, and add your own style to the house.

You can choose your landscape style very easy. A young family will always go for a modern look and be very creative. Most of the time, in such yards you will get to see big differences, as every house tries to separate itself from the rest. A young rich family will defiantly choose extravagance. Why? Simply because they can afford it thus, showing that this is a rich family.

An older family can choose a more classical look, and they can be a bit more careful with their money, by getting quality products, but at prices that they can afford.

You can tell a lot about a family by looking at their front yard. This is practically a mirror that reflects all that the family is. Because of this, many people invest great amounts of money in their yards, and a lot of time to take care of them.

In hot areas, where people mostly live outside, the furniture or inside decorations, are not as important as the terrace or the outside pool.

Where the weather is a bid colder, people also invest in their yards, only because neighbors have to see their beautiful gardens and designs. However, such yards have a minimum utility and a maximum aesthetic look. These are the people that can try all the crazy lights for decorating their yard on Christmas, or the people that spend a fortune on special water installations.

But since the yard is what can sell the house, people that invest in homes for sale pay a great attention to the landscape. Once the yard is beautiful, any buyer will be half convinced to purchase the house.

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

If you are lucky enough to have a backyard, you need to find a few backyard landscaping ideas to do justice to the space you have, that others will envy. There are plenty of things you can do, no matter what your budget is. There are a few things you have to do before you zero in on the backyard landscaping ideas you want.

First, you have to see what the space is like, and what you can do with it. If it is a long and narrow space, you will have to play with lines and make it seem more spacious than it is. If it has even proportions, you might want to play with backyard landscaping ideas that have curves in them.

Another thing you have to ask yourself is, what kind of a backyard do you want? Do you want something green, or do you want a burst of colors? What about seating arrangements? You might want a patio, if you have the space for it.

Depending on what kind of backyard landscaping ideas you are looking at, you can either do it yourself or hire a professional. It is important to be careful and not to take on more than you can handle, but you also have to be realistic. Getting professional help can be quite expensive - the results might be lovely, but you have to ask yourself just how much you are willing to spend on it.

If you want it to look really lovely, you could consider a water feature of some sort. This need not be too expensive, if you can get the family to chip in and help out, but only if you have some sort of experience, or are willing to spend quite some time learning how to do it. If you would rather not go through that trouble, you might want to turn to a professional.

However, there are plenty of backyard landscaping ideas that are simple enough for you to be able to handle on your own without much hassle. Tastefully planted flowers and shaped shrubs, a simple water feature and a bench or two that you can paint yourself can look absolutely lovely, and can also be practical - it would be perfect for a barbecue, among other things!

There are plenty of backyard landscaping ideas to choose from, if you would like to turn to professionals - oriental styles, modern styles, the ever popular English garden - but there are also options open if you want to do it yourself.

Manuel Wiggins is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

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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.

Garden Landscaping Ideas - Tips to Beautify Your Home

Landscaping is the manner that people use in order to perk up the condition of their properties. Be it a pond, rocks designed gracefully, waterfalls, or other design options you can think of, the need to seek for garden landscaping ideas is imperative so you don't end up with something which you cannot personally call your own.

Landscaping must be great. This is a factor that will magnetize the eyes of spectators so they can look at your place with awe. Because of this, expect that you will have to spare some cash in this process; therefore it is vital that you research about every detail first as to discover some way by which you can save. In fact, if you just exert some effort, it is possible for you to carry out the task of landscaping on your own.

Be reminded that you cannot just pick any idea you will meet because it is important that you take some time to consider some factors. These factors are normally ignored by many but if you are wise enough to wish that you can foolproof the processes then these factors are really worth your time and effort. Read along:

1. Money can't Be Many- For most homeowners; they would wish not to splurge their finances on landscaping alone. They know that spending a lot will never really please them because in the end of the day, they will have that annoying feeling of regrets because they just spend their finances for just some decors. In this regard, never ever try to go for extremely expensive option. Research around the materials needed first before you dare to spend for such landscaping idea.

2. Personality Rules- In picking garden landscaping ideas, the primary thing to consider is that it will match your requirement as a person. In this regard, pick the design that will go with your personality. If you are a jolly fellow, consider going for happy colors of orange, red, etc. On the other hand, if you are serious about your life then pick the decent tones of brown, white, beige, blue, etc.

3. Consider your Needs- It is ironic why some people would never consider their need when picking a design that they would like to inject into their house. Be reminded that not because they are "designs" then they are merely intended to beautify your place. The important thing to remember is that the landscaping idea you opt for should be something that you can use. Take for example the case of those busy fellows, they would be more than happy to incorporate some aqua-related features in their place to perk up the look and to give them that relaxing feeling after. So what is your need?

4. Be Updated- One way to beautify your place is to pick designs that the modern times will fancy. In this regard, try to be updated with the trend because you might find amazing option for a cheap cost. Thus, this is where the importance of researching enters the scene.

Do you need landscaping ideas for your yard?

Why Are Landscape Ideas Important?

Landscaping has come to be the choice today for beautifying one's home. A few years back landscaping was thought of as one that only the rich and famous indulged in for it meant spending loads of money. However, today with awareness, availability of a variety of material, growing consciousness and also it being affordable; landscaping has come to be a popular choice for anyone who wishes to own a beautiful home. Landscape gardening is being used extensively today to add to the beauty of the home and also the surroundings. Today the interiors of the home alone are not what is important. With landscape gardening gaining importance we are moving on from the conventional ideas to the more modern outlook.

If you thought that landscaping could not be done without the help from experts, then you can be assured that it is now possible to do it all on your own. With the help of magazines, journals and of course the most important being the internet you can actually complete an entire landscaping project all by yourself. The internet would be able to provide innumerable ideas that could be personalized to suit your garden. Planning every stage of the landscaping project is important. Every detail needs to be taken care of. Hiring the services of a qualified landscape architect would help ensure that you have a successful landscape design to suit your tastes and preferences.

Maximum utilization of the resources is what a good landscape design plan must have clearly in picture. It must take into account the home, all the fixtures and also the different elements of nature to bring out the beauty completely. Practicality or functionality is another element that must be part of every landscape design. You would be able to get a number of designing ideas online, however, be sure to change it to your specific needs. You will not be able to implement the ideas used elsewhere as it is and thus, it is important to bring about the necessary changes.

Plants and greenery of all kinds has been a favorite with design plans and continues to remain so. Plants, trees, flower beds, a beautiful and healthy looking lawn are all ideas that can make any place look fabulous. You could make additions with landscape architecture. A beautiful walkway, a fence, water fountain, a nice and cozy sitting area are all beautiful ideas that can enhance the beauty of any home. You need to however, choose a design and style that matches your home and budget.

Landscaping ideas that are properly executed that do wonders to any home and its surroundings. Once you try it you would surely know the difference. Your home would soon be transformed into one that is an owner's pride.

Modern Landscape Design

Modern landscape design is the usage of many materials that are available locally or abroad. As for most contractors, the fusion between East and West have been a more popular choice for new homeowners when it comes to creating a garden or patio. Sometimes, the more surreal the design tends to be better, which would not sacrifice the idea of asymmetry that wouldn't be too difficult for the homeowner to walk around the garden.

Some of the designs that have been displayed utilizes the full effect of a small waterfall using piles of rock, along with a foliage of exotic plants that surrounds the front. Stacked stones are another great way when it comes to landscapes, especially when it comes to certain areas where trees are located. Flagstone steps are also a novelty when it comes to creating a patio with an available table and chairs for the purpose of relaxation. For most designs, they even find a way to make swimming pools even more attractive using flagstones and a small waterfall to complete the effect.

The initial design for modern landscapes would require a large enough investment; most preferably those who wish to start building a house with a good size of land. Not so much of a requirement, most contractors would recommend starting off with what they have in terms of property size before choosing a theme and calculating the costs for labor and materials. References can be found just about anywhere these days, ranging from a few films, television and even the internet, where most of them do offer their services. Construction may take several days depending on the size, of course, while the more simpler ones, like flagstone steps that follows to a brick patio with a nearby pergola are considered as a bit cheaper.

The steps needed are often to most obvious when it comes to modern landscapes, as it requires a building permit, considering the alterations needed that doesn't affect the plot of land. Materials like rocks, wood and even metal cannot be replaced with cheaper alternatives, as it only undermines the original purpose. As such, some of the landscapes seen have been from those who can really afford it and others from public parks like the ones in Boston and New York.

Successful Backyard Landscape Ideas

Coming up with backyard landscape ideas is not always easy. Did you spend weeks picking out the current color for your house and landscaping your front yard, only to neglect the backyard and hide it with a big fence? A good backyard landscape plan is a key element to having a beautiful home that will feel finished and net you higher dollars when you sell. Curb appeal is a marketing term for how your house looks from the outside, does your house have backyard appeal? If not than you will want to continue reading this article and learn more about backyard landscape ideas.

We spend a lot of time and energy in decorating our houses and making them a home. Do the same for your backyard with landscaping and you will add another room to your house. A well-designed backyard-landscaping project will cause you to want to spend time outside enjoying the landscaping and nature. To start designing your new backyard landscape spend some time thinking about what you want to see in your yard and do with your yard, bushes, and trees during each season of the year. Do you want green trees all year, a lot of flowers and color in the spring, and lush grass in the summer? Or maybe you like more low maintenance plants and shrubs.

Backyard landscapes have evolved from lawn and a sprinkler to new modern designs involving pools, spas, barbeque pits, tables, couches, and dishwashers. The modern idea for a back yard has become an outside room that you can use many months out of the year. Backyards are the screened porches of the twenty-first century but before you start digging the hole for the pool do some research online to view pictures of what other people have done with their backyards. Spend some time thinking about what aspects of their designs you like and what you dislike. Research the appliances you want to use and see if others have recommended the appliance for use in your area. After all what works in a backyard in California probably won't work out as well in Maine.

Once you have your backyard landscape ideas you can start making a plan on how to achieve your backyard goal. If you are a do-it-yourself kind of person you can find plans and instructions online to complete your backyard-landscaping plan. If you do not have the time or the desire to complete your backyard-landscaping plan yourself, search online for a backyard-landscaping contractor. You will find many people who are ready and willing to take on your project and give your backyard the appeal you never imagined possible.

Top Modern Landscaping Ideas You Need To Know

Getting a neat and well-kept garden is something that a lot of homeowners want. But this is not an easy work to do if you are going to do all these improvements and renovations by yourself. If you want your garden to have a newer look and feel soon, here are some modern landscaping ideas that you should remember:

Know How Much Are You Willing To Spend

The issue of cost is something that you need to consider when you are planning to come up with ways on how to update the look of your garden. It can go as minimal or expensive as you want, it depends on how much are you willing to assign as a budget to give this particular space a modern look. So as you plan this needed renovation, set a budget to work on. This will also help you adjust your preferences. Another advantage is that you can easily provide this information to the company who will implement the landscape design plans based on the budget you set at the onset of the project.

Go Online To Find Landscape Inspirations

If your garden only consist of potted plants and Bermuda grass all over, then it is time to make a change. Go online today and search for some home improvement blogs with some posts about landscape management and how they go about changing the look of their garden. Most of the time you will find out the story behind those improvements, including a summary of costs and a list of people who helped them in that project.

Finding these inspirations is a very accessible way of knowing the types of modern landscaping ideas that worked for them. This can inspire you further to come up with an original concept on how to do this for your own garden.

Decide On What You Want To Achieve After The Renovation

Do the same thing just like what you have done before when you improved the overall look of your home interiors. What is the purpose of this project? Is it to provide a greener look on your garden? Do you want to have more space in this area without sacrificing the number of plants that you already have? Or do you want to minimize the volume of plants so you can place a sofa set for your outdoor reading pleasure? These are just examples of questions that you might want to ask yourself before you finally call your garden landscaper today.

Place Elements That Will Add Character To Your Garden

Most homeowners realize that this is just what they need to add character to the old, plain look of their garden. If you want to add water element in this area, you can add a fountain at the center or just in one corner of the garden. You can also add a pond below it if you wish.

How about a bigger space for your next garden barbeque party? If this is what you want, then you can assign a safe area there to place a fire pit. Your family will surely be excited about the idea. You do not need to look for a bigger space to hold your next barbeque party if you already have a space in your garden to do this with your family.

These are just some of the modern landscaping ideas that you can use to improve the overall look of your garden. Give some time to think about these and see the difference it brings in the way you manage this part of your property today.

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

Backyard landscaping ideas are legion, and can be used to transform a common old block of land into something quite marvelous. Just about any backyard can be transformed to a higher level with the right ideas and the right amount of effort, let us not forget: attitude, imagination, and creativity, will go a long way in assisting, too. Given a short amount of time, you will be able to make something beautiful out of your ordinary backyard block of land.

One of the most effective methods of achieving this, is with the use of plants for landscaping. Filling a garden with plants can help transform any backyard into lively place of beauty. Over time, the plants that you have chosen for your backyard landscape, will give the place its own personality, as they grow and spread their branches.

If you wish to give your home that stately old English look, some largish evergreen trees will give that noble look that you mostly see in elegant mansions and homes. The same elegance can be implied with the addition of large evergreens in your backyard.

Color is important in any backyard, and the addition of flowering plants here and there will add contrast . Roses lined along a path-way always makes for a pleasant if not grand stroll. A garden bed, specifically for roses, gives a magnificent confetti effect, full of life - with the added bonus of cut-flowers for the house, and gloriously heady perfume all around.

If you are wanting color in your garden, but don't have the spare time required to care for garden beds regularly, you could always create a wildflower garden. Wildflower gardens require little maintenance in order to succeed, and give your backyard a bit of a rustic look, that you may prefer over mown lawns, wickedly sharpe edges, and seemingly sterile backyard landscapes.

Filling your backyard with plants certainly solves the problem of spending part of your precious weekend trying to mow large expanses of lawn, by reducing the lawn area that you need to mow. A vegetable garden achieves much the same result.

Another way to reduce some mowing area in your backyard is the application of "hardscapes". Hardscape, refers to all those additions to your landscape, that are not actually growing - like decks, paths, patios, etc. This is another landscaping idea that you can incorporate, with the use of plants or trees, to make your backyard even more interesting - if not practical. You could have a rock-garden, fences or walls, possibly a fish-pond or fountain, a pergola or deck perhaps, to create alternative elements of beauty in your backyard.

The use of hardscapes, to the exclusion of everything else, is not only unattractive, it is also cheating.

Not only is it pretty lazy, but also, you are cheating your family, and indeed yourself, out of the beauty and serenity, that only a planted garden can afford. Try not to overdo the big bits.

How to Add Decorative Concrete to Your Landscape

There is nothing more relaxing than spending time outdoors in your beautifully landscaped yard. Flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees help to create a pleasing environment. The use of stone in your yard, sometimes referred to as hardscaping, can greatly enhance the other aspects of your landscape. In fact, the aesthetic and functional benefits from stone may even increase your property value.

We spend a lot of time tending to the living plants and flowers on our property. However, it is often the inanimate objects that influence the appearance of our yard the most. The particular placement of decorative stones around your natural areas and throughout the property can transform the entire look of your yard. From a stone pathway to a patio, hardscapes are a vital component to your landscape.

Landscape stones come in a large variety of sizes, textures, and colors. This array of choices can be a bit overwhelming at times, but it allows landscapers to find the ideal stone for the job. From large boulders to small pebbles, stone is available for any project that you can design. Here are some common ways that homeowners incorporate stone into their landscape:

Patios: Large pavers can be used to create a gathering space on your lawn. Add a few chairs and a table and you have a relaxing spot to eat and entertain outdoors.

Pathways and Stepping Stones: You want to enjoy your outside space but you would like to keep people off of your grass and out of your flowerbeds. A beautiful walkway can be easily created using gravel or decorative pavers.

Stone Walls: These visually appealing fixtures can be used for a variety a purposes. Walls may separate areas in your lawn for safety or appeal. A wall along the driveway keeps cars from damaging grass as drivers pull in or out of your property. A wall may enclose a patio or simply be installed to enhance the appearance of the area.

Retaining Walls: These structures are functional as well as attractive. Retaining walls are ideal for curtailing erosion on your property.

Fire Pit or Outdoor Fireplace: Create an entertainment-friendly gathering space in your yard with a fire pit or outdoor fireplace. Roast marshmallows or spend the evening with friends gathered around the fire.

Rock Gardens and Accents: Look carefully at a stone and you will notice the swirling patterns and specks of color that make it such a beautiful and unique material. These characteristics make it an ideal accent or decorative piece for yards. Before placing stones, study the natural layout of your yard and find areas where the stone will look natural and aesthetically pleasing.

These are just a few ways that stones can be incorporated into your landscape. A professional landscaper will not only offer you ideas for ways to use stone and hardscapes, he will take care of transporting and placing the stone as well. This is especially helpful when you are working with big, heavy boulders or a large quantity of stones. Your landscaper will place the stones firmly and properly so that they stay put for many years to come.

Creating a beautiful and pleasing outdoor environment can be a lot of work. Find a landscaper in your area who has the design and installation expertise necessary to transform your yard into a pleasing outdoor living space to be enjoyed by family and friends.

How to Add Decorative Concrete to Your Landscape

If you want to make the landscaping of your property stand out, one sure way to do so is to add some color or design pattern to the concrete. Whether it's the walkway or driveway or both, adding some texture and color to these areas of concrete can really enhance the look and feel of your property. A lot of people don't realize it, but decorative concrete can be done by anyone willing to put in the work.

Before taking on a project such as adding decorative concrete to your landscaping, make sure you have the proper tools and have picked out the appropriate colors and designs for the project. In general, the project would begin with the pouring of newly mixed concrete into the project area. Make sure to have enough helpers on hand if the project is of any significant size, as it is hard to correct mistakes when you're dealing with concrete. In addition to help from people, make sure you get cooperation from the weather.

After the concrete is poured, you or your helpers will need to get the surface leveled with a bull float and a Fresno. There are also additional floats that can be used to smooth out the surfaces of corners. Once you get the surface level, you will want to apply the stamps to add texture. Before doing so, however, you will need to make sure that the surface has hardened adequately. At this time you can also apply color to the concrete by evenly spreading color pigments throughout the project area.

Although it can be tricky to judge whether or not the concrete has dried enough for you to stamp, a good rule of thumb is to simple look at the surface. If you notice that it still has a wet and shiny look on the surface, then that indicates that it's too early to stamp. To make sure you get an even and symmetric stamp throughout your project, you will need to use two or more stamp mats. Starting at one end of the project, place the mats next to each other with their edges flush together. As you work your way towards the other side of your project area, make sure to check and see if you are using adequate force on the stamps so that the textures show up properly.

Decorative concrete projects are among some of the most involved projects in landscaping. If done right, however, having color and textured concrete will undoubtedly add beauty to your property. Just remember to have all the necessary tools at hand in addition to the appropriate number of helpers who are ready to give you a hand.

How to Landscape Around My Gazebo?

How to landscape around my gazebo? This is a question that gets asked a lot by homeowners who has or are planning to have a gazebo in their yard. This is a question that takes some consideration to answer. If you stick around, we'll be discussing the things to keep in mind to create a beautiful surroundings for your gazebo.

Gazebos can really be a lovely addition to a yard. Aside from the almost magical look it offers, it is also a great place to relax, hang out with friends or family and just take in the beauty of the outdoors. Thus, it is even more imperative that you have an awesome landscape surrounding the gazebo.

In order for you to create a beautiful surrounding for your gazebo, here are some things you need to consider:

Space and Budget

First off, you need to consider how much space you have available for your landscape. This matters a lot in drawing up a design for your gazebo's surrounding landscape. In fact, I would even suggest that you use a parcel map of your property as a basis for designing the landscape. This way, it'll be easier to mark the elements that would go into the design.

Another thing to consider is the budget you have for this project. If you are going to do this yourself instead of a professional landscaper, you can save a lot. And this savings can go into additional features of the landscape. You may want to create a walkway perhaps from the main house leading to the gazebo.

Plants

Plants are naturally part of any landscape. Plants are what adds life to any landscape. In the case of your gazebo, you have to consider the main purpose of the plants aside from its aesthetic value. For example, if you want to have some shade, you might consider planting a mid-size decorative tree like crepe myrtle or dogwood. These kind of trees will provide shade without disturbing the very foundation of the gazebo unlike oak trees and other heavily rooted trees.

Plants like shrubs can also provide a bit of privacy for the gazebo. Just make sure that the shrub are not very tall that can take away from the beauty of the gazebo itself. Flowering plants, on the other hand, would be a good addition as long as the gazebo are not used for dining. Otherwise, flowers may attract insects which can be very pesky when you're trying to eat in the gazebo.

Embellishments

Aside from plants, you can place embellishments that would enhance the good ambiance and lovely surrounding of the gazebo. You may have a water feature like fountain nearby for a more relaxing effect. Or you can have a birdbath or a bird feeder near the gazebo. It'll be a joy to watch those birds while hanging out in the gazebo.

There are several embellishments and accents you can add to achieve a certain mood. The only thing to remember is that it has to be well suited to the overall design of your yard and particularly your gazebo.

If you want more detailed information and samples of landscaping ideas around a gazebo, you can find a very good resource here with many landscaping blueprints in its collection:

www.LandscapeIdeasandDesigns.info [http://www.landscapeideasanddesigns.info/]

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.ning 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.

Plan

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.

Landscape Decorating - Landscape Lighting and How to Avoid Overdoing It

It never fails. You take a weekend stroll through your neighborhood, gazing right, and gazing left, and then you come across something that almost makes you stop in your tracks. It is the over illuminated front yard that qualifies to light the way for an airplane in its landing pattern. Here is how homeowners can limit their landscape lighting, yet still give it a dazzling nighttime impact.

When a homeowner decides to replace or add landscape lighting, they first have to make a choice of going with either the tried and true electrical low wattage varieties, or the more
environmentally friendly solar powered selections.

Whatever the choice, before a homeowner even leaves the driveway to go shopping for lighting, they need to take a critical look at the yard they plan on lighting both during the day and at night. We will cover the reason why a little later. For now, let us first consider what our homeowner needs to account for prior to making the lighting purchase.

It is always a good idea to walk around your home, looking at any pathways, focal points, and entry ways you might want to illuminate. This is looking at your lighting needs from a macro point of view, or basically, an overview of what you want to light. Always avoid at this point trying to take a count of how many actual lights you will need. Your goal here is to mainly assess your overall lighting needs and desires. I say needs first, because you may have entry ways that for safety reasons need to be lighted, or pathways that also require a certain nighttime brightness to keep you and the family from falling in to the planter bed. Ouch! Any landscape lighting after that simply adds focal interest to the appearance of the home at night.

Once you have decided on your macro lighting needs, it is time to look at it from a micro point of view, or basically, take a finger count of how many lights you may need, and whether they will broadcast a downward spray of light, an upward light stream, or a combination of both. Note: You do not have to actually use your fingers to count, unless you use your toes as well. Try a pad of paper and pen. I guarantee it will be easier. Here is the key: Be cautious not to over illuminate your yard, for the benefit of your electricity bill if you go with electric lights, and because you do not want to go over the top with your lighting. For that matter, there is no need to. Your lighting should be subtle, yet add enough of an impact for safety reasons and to supply a nice glow to your property overall at night. You will appreciate the results, and so will your neighbors.

We finally come to the reason for assessing your needs both at night and during the day. You need to remember that not only does your lighting serve a purpose, but it also becomes an intricate part of your landscaping decor. That is unless you have an incredible knack for camouflaging it from view. Be sure to take that in to account and remember that most of it will be in view. Follow this pre-lighting assessment and you are sure to make the right landscape lighting choices. Happy lighting!

Great Beauty With Patio Designs And Deck Designs

Owning a house is a vital step in life thus many people struggles to ensure that this dream come into reality. There are many processes that are involved in the construction of a house up

to the last bit.

After you done with the construction, it is relevant that you ensure your house is beautiful and comfortable. There are many ways to ensure this such as unique furniture, air

conditioning and so on. In order to make you house look like a home, you need to embrace the ideas of patio designs. This is because patios are one area that determines the beauty of

your home.

Patio designs are meant to offer you a chance to select on the design that will be used on the patios. There are many designs in the market thus you have the opportunity to select on the

best design that will suit your needs. This is important in that with these pavers, you will be able to walk comfortably even if you are bare footed.

On the other hand, decks are also relevant in a home, this is due to the support they offer when climbing or walking down the stairs, or protecting you from toppling on the balcony.

There are many deck designs that you can also choose from, thus all you need is to visit deck stores so as to select on the one that will cater for your needs. Most deck designs are based

on real life situations and are achievable, you can also ask to have the designs shown to you while at these shops, and this will make you view how best they will look in your home.

In case you want to make your house look like a home, then you need patio designs. Deck designs will also be of great help in enhancing the beauty.

Outdoor Deck Decor For Summer

Many of us find our outdoor deck becoming a grey area behind our house, which has many uses (such as storage and a place to hang washing) but has no real purpose. If this is the case, or you simply feel that you are not making the best of your deck, it’s time for a summer overhaul. Instead of starting with home and garden type magazines to get ideas, which are usually far too ambitious for the average home owner, rather look to friends and even neighbors for inspiration. If you’ve admired other people’s outdoor decks for their functionality and elegant designs, it’s time to get your deck looking just as great.

Practical deck decor suggestions:

1. Spring clean your deck

Before you start with the enjoyable side of decorating, you need to get back to basics. Wait for a sunny weekend and then remove all outdoor deck furniture, sweep the deck’s surface and spray an oxalic acid solution on the deck which will kill microorganisms and restore its pH balance. Remove the acid with a power-sprayer and then start looking for rotten wood or damaged planks. Once you’ve replaced the damaged planks you should give your entire deck a light sanding and use an appropriate sealant or semi-transparent stain to protect your wood until next summer.

2. Add a handrail

Adding a handrail will cordon off your deck so you can use it much like a room or extension of your house. You can also paint the handrail to match your painted garden furniture. For example, if you have white-washed garden furniture and dark blue umbrellas on your outdoor decking, you can paint the top of the rail blue, and the bars, white.

3. Consider the functionality of your outdoor deck and design accordingly

Before you start rearranging your garden furniture, you need to ask yourself what you want your deck for. If you like to hold family barbecues on the outdoor deck, ensure that you have enough garden furniture. When considering the placement of the furniture, light a fire in your grill and see where the smoke travels on an average summer’s day, then place your furniture on the other side of the deck from the smoke. Keep the more comfortable furniture, such as rocking chairs closest to your back door.

4. Revamp second hand furniture for outdoor use on your deck

If you find you need to invest in more furniture, rather than spending a fortune, see if you can get a few secondhand wood pieces and overhaul them. You can either sand off the paint and varnish them up nicely, or give them a fresh layer of waterproof paint. White is usually the best color to use as other colors may look tacky. If you need to add some color, get a few pot plants, a bright outdoor umbrella or some matching cushions for your chairs which you can take outside on special occasions.

5. Talk to your local nursery about pot plants

Clay plant pots are also easy to recycle by painting with terracotta paint. See if you can get hold of a few second hand pots and paint them. Then decide on one or two colors for the flora on your outdoor deck; a bright red and green is usually a good combination. Go to your local nursery and get plants that do well in pots, such as geraniums, and place them in the corners of your deck for that last touch of class. You can also work your outdoor lighting, so that you can see your decor at night and watch the stars on your deck in the warm evenings.

Deck Decorating Ideas

All your hard work will not go unnoticed. Before you realize if, your outdoor deck will become a source of envy among your friends. All that’s left to do is to invite some good company, take a bottle of wine outdoors and enjoy your elegant deck.

Frances wrote this article for Deckpro’s Deck building services. If you wish professionals to build your deck as beautifully and comfortably as you envisioned, Deckpro brings experience to their decking service.

Hardwood Decking and Contemporary Garden Design

The use of hardwood in garden decking in the UK has increased many fold in the last ten years. This has been undoubtedly due to its increased availability. For example: woods like Ipe, Yellow Ballau, Garappa etc…Although these woods are more difficult to work (mainly due to their density), they have found their way onto the market because they offer the client a sleeker, more refined look than the usual treated soft wood alternatives.

These hardwoods offer greater durability than even the best treated softwoods due to the oils and resins, which disallow the formation of bacteria. Most hardwoods offered for sale in Europe come with a FSC approved certification. The Forest Stewardship Council was set up as an international network to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. It helps to guide consumers towards sustainable wood sources.

Most hardwoods have a superior look, mainly due to the smoothness and sheen of the wood. Also there is invariably a slight variation in tone and colour, between one deck board and its neighbour and so gives a natural look to the deck.

HARDWOOD DECKING IN GARDEN DESIGN

Many garden designers use hardwood decking to complement a contemporary garden look, often highlighting the edge of a deck, or deck steps, with LED lighting. We often use decking as part of a larger garden design scheme, but always try to contrast it with some other hard material. Too much use of the same material can appear monotonous to the eye.

It is true to say that decking used just as a row of planks in a garden can appear as a an overused cliche. As garden designers, we try and vary the use of hardwood decking: sometimes using a circular motif with tapered and machined deckboards (see picture), otherwise it can be used with tiles or small stone slabs as edging.

David Andersen is a award winning uk based garden and landscape designer. He specialises in creating contemporary outdoor spaces for relaxation and entertaining. He uses dramatic plant material, often in combination with striking lighting schemes.

For inspiring garden ideas, please visit us at:

http://www.davidandersen.co.uk/

or take a look at our blog at:

http://davidandersengardendesign.blogspot.com/

Backyard Pool Landscape Ideas Enjoy the Beauty of Nature

If you love spending time outdoors in your backyard pool, then landscaping is surely a good idea that you must consider. Not many have the luxury of having their own private pool in the backyard, if you do then you must make the most of it. Spending time in your pool can be really relaxing and a great way to unwind. The pool is a wonderful place for entertaining and having friends and relatives over for a great day outdoors. There are many backyard pool landscape ideas that you could try to add to the beauty of your pool.

It is best to stick to simple and elegant backyard pool landscape ideas so that the pool looks beautiful and also that you do not clutter the place. You must incorporate ideas that are subtle and stylish. It is important to keep the pool as the focus whatever be the ideas that you decide to execute.

Privacy is an important concern that the backyard pool landscape ideas must take care of. You could take of this important aspect by planting big trees and shrubs along the wall and at other strategic locations in your backyard. This would ensure that you can enjoy your pool without having to worry about the intruding eyes.

Plants around the pool would add to its beautiful looks. Sculptures, natural rock creations done beautifully would all be good backyard pool landscape ideas. Simple shapes and designs with colorful rocks put together or a small fountain would make it all so close to nature. Keep it simple and without cluttered, only then would you be able to enjoy the real beauty of nature. Having a small deck with a cover is a good idea to relax when you are out of the pool. Have good and practical furniture around the pool for you and friend to just chill. A canopy would provide you a space that keeps the sun out and so you can enjoy the outdoors fully without the sun or rain playing spoilsport.

Backyard pool landscape ideas must take care of the functionality aspect. It must be such that allows for ease of maintenance and also make it fun being outdoors. If you have small children than having a fence around the pool is advisable considering the safety aspect. Cleanliness and hygiene are of utmost importance and thus, it is essential to ensure that the pool is kept clean all the time.

Having a water body like a pool in your backyard has a very relaxing, rejuvenating and calming effect. With beautiful backyard pool landscape ideas you can add to the beauty and make every moment outdoors truly memorable.

With beautiful backyard pool landscape ideas you can add to the beauty of Landscape Ideas.

How to Build a Simple Wooden Deck Rail

Decks over 30″ above the ground usually require railing as a safety measure. There are many different ways to build a rail but this article will discuss the easiest, fastest, and cheapest method. This rail system uses 2″x 2″ wooden balusters and a 2″x 6″ top railing.

Use either an outdoor wood made for exposure to weather, redwood, or cedar, which is my personal favorite. I prefer cedar because it’s easy to work with, has a long life expectancy, and is almost impervious to weather.

Most building codes require a maximum of 4″ between the balusters. If your balusters are 1 ½” wide, they will need to be 5 ½” on center to maintain the 4″ minimum spacing.

To get an idea how many balusters you need, measure the perimeter of your deck where railing will be installed. Multiply that number by 2.5 and that will tell you approximately how many 2″x 2″ wooden balusters you need.

The next step is to cut the balusters to the proper length. The minimum height of the top of the rail is 36″ in most locales. The top of the baluster should be 34″ above the deck floor and extend a minimum of 7″ onto the side board of the deck. If your deck joists are larger, you could extend the baluster even further for more stiffness.

Layout the baluster positions by making pencil marks every 5″ to 5-1/2″ apart around the deck perimeter. Draw a vertical line on the deck joists using a speed square.

Once the layout marks are drawn on the deck, cut 2″x 6″ top rails to the correct lengths. Stand the top rails vertically around the exterior edge of the deck and transfer the layout marks from the deck rim joists onto the top rail. Use a speed square to draw light pencil lines.

Pre-drill two holes with an 1/8″ drill bit about 1″ and 6″ from the end on each baluster. With the top end of a baluster 34″ above the deck floor, insert two 3″ screws through the baluster into the deck side board. Make sure each baluster is plumb using a short level. Repeat this for every baluster.

Now, holding the 2″x 6″ rail vertically against the balusters and 36″ above the deck floor, fasten the balusters to the top rail with 2-1/2″ deck screws.

Repeat the same procedure above for all the top rails, screwing each baluster to the top rail. Also fasten the ends of the horizontal rails together with 3″ deck screws.

Gazebos – Perfect Additions to Compliment Decks and the Architectural Style of the Home

The holidays are always fast approaching and this year is no different. While the northern climates of the U.S. prevent all but the heartiest of adventurers from enjoying the outdoors in fall and winter time, the southern states enjoy much less extreme temperatures. This fact allows many families to continue to enjoy outdoor life on the patio or deck all year round.

For most families the aging deck or none at all is not a big draw for entertaining outside during the holidays and yet many of these families go through the trouble of decorating the home, lawn, and landscape without being able to appreciate it themselves. This is a pointless task; without rewards, unless time is taken to spend with friends and family.

A new deck installation or rebuilding the deck is always a good option, however, perhaps a deck is not a feasible home improvement undertaking due to the layout of the home. A gazebo is a good stand alone alternative to a deck that will also provide cover for family gatherings. The advantage of a gazebo is that by definition it is a covered unit. Gazebos can serve in almost any capacity that a family may desire.

Many popular uses for a gazebo, other than the all too infrequent family gatherings, are those special occasions. Special occasion, such as weddings, birthday parties, receptions, or even the NFL Superbowl party, are easily centered around the average gazebo. The biggest advantage of building a gazebo is that it is much more versatile than almost any patio that a builder included with the home.

Gazebos, much like decks, can easily be up-sized or downsized to fit within any property. Some gazebo designs incorporate a deck surrounding the gazebo in order to provide the best of both worlds to the home owner. Depending upon the architectural style of the home or neighborhood, every gazebo design can be customized to reflect the home style, from a Victorian or Colonial to a basic ranch style home.

Regardless of the size or style, the fact remains that a gazebo installation does require some planning and time to build in order to ensure safety. Make sure to allow the builder time to construct the fixture in time for the holidays or special event. It can be very frustrating to plan to use the gazebo for the first time on the family holidays; only to discover that it won’t be completed in time.