January 2nd, 2010 -- Posted in backyard landscape, pondless waterfall |
One of life’s simple pleasures is to come home from a long day at work to your quiet backyard to relax your body and renew your spirit. It is very satisfying to look at the work you did to create a retreat from all of life’s stresses. It did not just happen, the result took planning and a lot of work to get to where it is now.
In planning stage, you look at the size of your yard, the shape of your yard and what you plan on doing with your backyard landscape. How many of the existing plants are you going to keep and are you going to be adding plants. Make decisions about any demolition in your backyard and decide if you are going to be constructing an addition to your backyard. With all of the possibilities at hand, the result has to come in on budget.
With your planning complete, getting all of the required elements together to start the actual backyard landscaping would be the next action to do. Having a ‘to do’ list would be a good organizational tool. You could even have a time line projection, but keep a large eraser handy because that time line needs to be flexible. If you’re backyard landscaping project needs large power tools such as backhoes and the like it would be best to hire outside contractors who specialize in this type of work. They can also be a source of useful information and someone to bounce ideas off of. Having a water feature in your backyard will add to the tranquility that you are trying to create, it can be a pondless waterfall or a pond for fish and aquatic plants. Remember this backyard is your get away from everything.
Landscaping your backyard One of life’s simple pleasures is to come home from a long day at work to …
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Technorati Tags: backyard landscape, Landscape, pondless waterfall
November 26th, 2009 -- Posted in backyard landscape, front yard landscaping ideas |
by Thomas Fryd
Dutch Iris are one of the most colorful of all fall-planted bulbs. They have been propagated heavily in Oregon and Washington for the Pacific Coast market. The flower is excellent for cutting and a generous crop may be expected. The colors include white, yellow, lavender, blue and purple. The plants are fairly hardy although they require some protection if planted in a windy spot. Plant in the open sun or semi-shade with the bulbs 3 inches deep and 3 inches apart. Average garden soil will suffice and the bulbs should not be disturbed until the plants become so thick that the clumps need dividing.
Aftercare of Bulbs – Many – including gladiolus, tigridias and tuberous begonias – should be taken up now and stored for a good rest. Remember, the foliage should be thoroughly ripened before cutting off. Dust the bulbs with an insecticide to take care of any insect eggs present. Also, all bulbs and tubers should be dried off thoroughly before storing in peat. Guard against mice eating tigridias especially.
For quick color – In the mild sections of the West, snapdragons, stocks, annual chrysanthemums, larkspur, Iceland poppies, violas and pansies may still be set out, although the blooms will be later than on those set out last month. For shady spots, try cinerarias and primroses.
Wildflowers – Sow seeds after the first heavy rains. For dependable ground covers on bulb beds, sow linaria, brachycome, Gilia lutea (G. micrantha), nemophila, Virginia stock, Johnny-jump-up and other shallow-rooted annuals. These make colorful beds by themselves and are a boon both to the busy gardener pressed for time and the “lazy” gardener.
Winter pot plants – For the shaded patio use primrows, cinerarias, pansies, daffodils, browallias, reinwardtias, alocasia amazonica, beloperones, ericas, eranthemums, azaleas and camellias.
Pyracanthus and cotoneasters are the answer for time-pressed gardening enthusiasts who require colorful berries with a minimum of time spent on upkeep. Berried shrubs thrive here in the West. Although they can be planted at any season, this is a good time to select choice kinds at local nurseries, for now you can not only choose the ones with the best forms but also the proper colored berries.
About the Author:
Thomas Fryd shares his knowledge at http://www.plant-care.com. Knowledge is power – get more power and find out more about
alocasia amazonica. Get a totally unique version of this article from our
article submission service
Technorati Tags: backyard landscape, backyard landscape ideas, front yard landscape, front yard landscaping ideas, gardening, landscaping designs, landscaping tips
October 5th, 2009 -- Posted in backyard landscape, front yard landscaping ideas |
By: Pamela Kazmierczak
What is butterfly gardening? Simply put butterfly gardening is the art of growing flowers and plants that will attract these colorful and dainty creatures to your garden. Delight your family and visitors with beautiful butterflies, but be sure to create a safe habitat for them. If you own cats rethink your plans, because it would be a shame to attract these lovely insects to their death.
The design your butterfly garden is a matter of personal preference. Typical points to consider are the size of your garden and the types of flowers and plants you want to grow. Pick a style of garden that appeals to you, but ensure it also contains the plants and flowers that appeal to the butterflies you wish to attract.
It is important to find out which plants and flowers will attract the species of butterflies. That live in your area. This information can be found at the local library.
To create the kind of environment that they find attractive, you will also need water of some kind. A birdbath will look attractive and keep the butterflies up off the ground, away from stray cats or mischievous puppies. A shallow dish on a post or hung in a tree will do just as well.
When planting your butterfly garden be careful how you coordinate the colors you choose for your flowerbeds. Although butterflies do not care about your choice of color, you don’t want your garden to be a hodgepodge of unrelated colors and textures.
Butterflies are attracted to those flowers that have nectar rather than pollen, like honeysuckle, milkweed, summer lilac, Valerian, daisies, Purple Coneflower, Yellow Sage, day lilies and lavender.
Some people find it helpful to draw and color a layout of their butterfly gardening plan to see what the finished product would look like. Keep in mind that warm colors like red and orange are flashy and showy.
These colors have a greater impact against a strong green background. Cool colors such as blue and purple are soothing and toned down and would work better with a white contrast to create the look of freshness and brightness.
Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles
Pamela Kazmierczak is an expert in the wedding field. She reports on all wedding subjects including Wedding Flowers. Looking for something seasonal, check out June Wedding Flowers Now.
Technorati Tags: backyard landscape, butterfly garden, front yard landscape, front yard landscaping ideas
October 2nd, 2009 -- Posted in backyard landscape, front yard landscaping ideas |
by Marshall Clewis
October is your last chance to get your lawn in good condition for the rigors of next summer. If you haven’t already fertilized your lawn this fall, do it now, using any complete commercial fertilizer. This may be 4-12-8, 6-10-4, 4-12-4, 5-10-5, 5-10-10, or something similar. Although it can be put on without a spreader, you get a much more uniform job using one. Never forget that fertilizer does not go sideways, but straight down, so that the pinch you put on here will do that spot an inch away no good.In case you are worrying about commercial fertilizers being dangerous, forget it. If you follow the instructions on the package, using no more than three or four pounds to 100 square feet, you need not worry about any burning.
Unless there are bare spots the size of your head don’t bother to reseed. With the cool weather and, we hope, fall rains the desirable grasses will grow out and fill in the bare spots.
Fall is the ideal time for the good grasses to fill in the gaps so that there is that much less chance for crabgrass to get started next spring. Any of the many brands of weed killers will get rid of broadleaf lawn weeds such as plantain, buckhorn, dandelion, ground ivy and other kinds of ivy, and many others. If you are spraying it is necessary to do a thorough job of wetting the foliage to get adequate control. Whether spraying or putting it on dry, be sure there is no wind or the plants in the neighboring beds will get the typical weed killing heebygeebys. The leaves will be twisted and twirled so that they worry you even if the plants are not killed.
Check your flower beds and shrub plantings for all the volunteer tree and shrub seedlings, and tag them for digging later on this fall when you have more time.
Technorati Tags: backyard landscape, backyard landscape planning, front yard landscape, front yard landscaping, front yard lanscaping ideas
September 30th, 2009 -- Posted in backyard landscape, front yard landscaping ideas, swimming pool landscaping |
by Marshall Clewis
The smallest garden, no less than the elaborate estate, represents the results of the combination of four basic factors. They are: (1) the materials of gardening; (2) the means; (3) the methods; and (4) the background. These four factors, as well as the all-important human element.
Materials – These are, first of all, the plants that make gardens; and, second, the soil in which they grow. In the plant articles, the objective has been to describe each subject, then to give simple cultural directions, and finally to list and describe briefly the more important and promising kinds available and especially suitable in gardens.
When looking for any plant (or a genus) always look for the correct botanical name. Sometimes botanical and common names are the same, as Chrysanthemum or Zinnia. Sometimes a plant has a botanical name and also two or more common names.
Means to Gardening are the implements, accessories and aids with which plants are grown and gardens are made and cared for: tools, fertilizers, spray materials, hotbeds in fact, all objects that are neither plants nor parts of the soil. All these subjects should be studied in connection with the cultural notes on the various plants, and other articles covering the plant care factors.
Methods, which include all details of design and planning; construction and planting; and maintenance, or culture and protection. To get the most out of this information, you may have to consult several items in order to gain complete understanding of a certain subject just like caring african violet. For information on pruning a rosebush of about african violet, for example, consult not only the directions under rose, but also separate articles on pruning, shrubs, shears, etc., as well as the Garden Know-How articles. This is especially true in the case of plant enemies and their control.
Background is, of course, what all gardens furnish for the lives of those who live in them or view them. But we mean the relation of individual plants and gardens to one another, and to things outside them. It includes elementary facts about the natural sciences which underlie plant growth; it touches theories and principles, and the agencies and institutions from or through which gardeners can obtain information and help. It is that which gives to garden work a larger outlook, a broader horizon, more vision than are associated with mere manual labor.
About the Author:
More knowledge, more power, more success when you better understand the techniques on
african violet care. Drop by today at http://www.zone10.com/african-violet-care.html. Get a totally unique version of this article from our
article submission service
Technorati Tags: backyard landscape, garden materials, garden plants, gardening, gardening methods, vegetable garden layout
September 23rd, 2009 -- Posted in backyard landscape |
The ground is almost solid rock, so I need to put some type of sandy loam or top soil on it. I want to order this but I do not know how to figure how much I would need to buy.
I would also suggest going to a local garden center and looking at the different ammendments and soil mixes they sell there. I agree with the tape measurement of the yard. The bags tell you how much to buy and what they cover. I would also get the soil wet to see how dense it really is. You might even take a sample with you to the store.
Technorati Tags: backyard landscape
September 23rd, 2009 -- Posted in backyard landscape |
Iwould also like some plant and flower ideas; I live in the north
Check the yellow pages under “Landscape Architect.” They are experts in design, and know which plants will be suitable for your particular area. A Concept Plan isn’t too expensive, and should include a general design layout and a list of plants to use for different situations. Unfortunately I’m probably not licensed in your State. I have done a lot of work in the Las Vegas area woking with someone who was licensed in Nevada, so am quite experienced in that style of design and won a couple of awards on projects I’ve worked on down there. I use a similar design here, which is probably a similar climate to where you are. Click on my profile and e-mail me and give me the specifics on where you are, I may be able to recommend someone in your area.
Technorati Tags: backyard landscape
September 15th, 2009 -- Posted in backyard landscape |
What is best way to landscape a backyard bank @ a 60 degree angle?
I already have ivy jacobs ladder ferns campenella(sp) dwarf grass day lilly i need help with organizing it.
I always tell people to use their imaginations and to do things the way they like them. However, you will probably want to place shorter plants at the bottom of the bank and progress up the bank with taller plants. Taller plants at the bottom of bank would probably hide smaller plants unless they are spaced far enough apart so that they are not hidden. It has been my personal experience, though, that if you have ivy planted anywhere, it will eventually take over and cover and crowd out everything else unless you keep it pulled out and contained in one area. Ivy can become very invasive and sometimes be considered a weed when it begins to take over and damage anything else you plant and like. Good luck and enjoy.
Technorati Tags: backyard landscape
September 10th, 2009 -- Posted in backyard landscape |
When we started thinking about our backyard landscape and how we wanted it to look, we had a few things in mind. We wanted it to be pretty, functional, and kid friendly. We had and existing cement patio but wanted a bigger space to entertain so we framed around it, built the area up with dirt and gravel and then put paving stones on top. It is a functional and inexpensive way to get more space.
The kids…we bought a huge play structure for our kids and we wanted a place for that to stand that would be out of the way but safe. We put the structure together, put down weed block and playground bark so it would be soft on their feet and have no maintenance. As our children grow they come up with their own games and things to do that involve the structure in different ways.
We have always wanted a garden where we could grow fresh fruit and vegetables so we built a raised bed and surrounded it with railroad ties for a clean garden area. We ran a drip line through it so it gets watered when the grass gets watered. We have grown pumpkins, strawberries, squash, tomatoes and peppers for the past few years. Our kids love to help and watch everything grow. They have been very involved with planting, harvesting and of course eating what has grown. It has also been very educational for them to learn how to plant and take care of the garden.
The rest of the backyard landscape is grass with a border of rock and plants around most of the fence area. We have planted a variety of different types of plants and bushes along with flowers. We stick to mostly perennials so we don’t have to replant every year. We like our backyard and it’s a nice place to spend time with the family.
Other Recommended Reading
-
Add an Outdoor Shower to Your Backyard Landscape | Dream Retreats … – Series Part 5: Outdoor Shower You’d expect to find an outdoor shower at a suite at a lush Caribbean resort, but in your own home? Why not? That’s what more and.
-
Backyard Landscape Designs – Don’t simply formulate your plan in your mind however, draw a sketch of your backyard landscape, or invest in a computer program that will allow you to create a backyard landscape designs similar to what professional landscape …
-
Backyard Landscape With Roman Pavers – Pt 1 – So it is time to spend are hard earned money friends. We are landscaping the backyard with Roman Pavers with the help our friend and expert John Smitherman from JWS Construction in Calgary, Alberta. …
-
Backyard Landscape With Roman Pavers – Pt 2 – So this is the second day of the project. Yesterday John designed the plan for landscaping our backyard with Roman Pavers. He outlined the path, the patio, and the fire pit with blue spray paint. Asked John if he would mind doing the …
-
Backyard Landscape with Roman Pavers Pt 3 – Onward and upward with more video and more pictures on the Roman Paving job we’re getting done by John Smitherman at JWS Construction in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. See previous series… As I’ve mentioned in the other posts on this Roman …
Technorati Tags: backyard design, backyard landscape, front yard landscape, front yard landscaping, landscape designing, landscaping plans, swimming pool landscaping
September 10th, 2009 -- Posted in backyard landscape |
There are so many choices for backyard landscape. You’ll want to have an idea or plan before you visit the nursery. Your backyard is your private relaxing getaway, your entertaining area and where you enjoy family time.
What type of design fits your life style? Do you want flowers, vegetables or maybe just green plants and trees? How about lighting and decorative pathways? Building a deck or patio might be on your agenda. Maybe you have a pool and would like to do some swimming pool landscaping.
The possibilities are endless with backyard landscape. Backyard Landscape Pro will provide you with great tips, designs and do it yourself projects.
Here is an article you may find interesting.
Technorati Tags: backyard landscape, backyard landscape designs, backyard landscape ideas, backyard landscape planning, backyard landscaping ideas
Next »