Getting Started With My First Landscape

I see beautiful landscape designs all around me. And the grass is truly greener on the other side! My neighbor has a pool with a beautiful patio surround completely landscaped with shrubs, bushes, and trees. My other neighbor has an outside patio surrounded by shrubs with beautiful trees towering overhead and a nice, canvas awning-covered patio for eating and entertaining. My house has a couple of trees in a flat, grassy yard. My problem is that I can see a good landscape design, I just don't know how to create a nice-looking landscape design for myself.

So, I have begun looking through landscape books, taking notes about what I like about other people's yards, and have started sketching some ideas. I know one thing I would like to have in my landscape design is a water feature and some rocks and river stones. I saw some pictures where someone created a "stream" of rocks and built a beautiful wooden bridge over this stream. Even though no water was flowing, the rocks created the look of a dry streambed and the bridge added to the realism of this dry water feature.

Another thing I like is flowering trees. So I am planning on adding some decorative flowering cherry trees like a couple of dogwoods, and perhaps a flowering crab apple or two. These trees come in different colors including white, pinks, and reds which will add a lot of visual interest to my new landscape. I know it will take a few years for all these trees to reach maturity but I have to start sometime. The sooner the better so they have a chance to grow!

Once I have my plan finished, I will be heading off to my local nursery to buy my plants. I like my local nursery because they have a one-year warranty on all of their plants. If the plant doesn't survive the first year, they will replace the plant free of charge. This is added security when designing and building your own landscape. The other reason I am using my local nursery is that they offer free delivery. With the amount of stone and rock that I need, free delivery is an added bonus.

So I am well on my way to achieving the landscape of my dreams! It will take several years for things to mature, but with some good sketches I know what it will look like eventually. Right now I need to get to work planting, weeding, and mulching to help my new year turn into my very own, personal Garden of Eden.

Dean Novosat writes about landscaping http://www.landscaperexpert.com Landscaping Experts. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dean_Novosat

Be A Great Gardener - Keep Your Lawn Looking Fresh

If you read my last article, you'll be clued-up on mowing your lawn to keep it looking pristine. But what about watering? After all, plants need water and your lawn is no exception. In summer you can see for yourself that your grass becomes scorched in the strong sunlight, but what exactly are the rules for watering? Knowing the right thing to do can be tricky, but I hope to offer some pointers.

As already mentioned, turf usually needs watering in the summer months. In winter however it never needs watering (unless you have very hot winters!) so be sure not to water it by mistake. Grass grows in the summer, so it makes sense that it uses a lot more water during this time.

Grass gets all its water through the roots, so there really is no point in watering just the tips. You should aim to get the water into the soil, so that it reaches a depth where there are roots. As a general rule, the roots are as long as the grass is high. However, as the turf becomes more established, the roots get longer, so the water needs to reach a little deeper.

It's very hard to see immediately if you're watering correctly, but there is an easy way to find out. Dig a small hole in the soil. It shouldn't be soaking, as this can waterlog the grass plant, but it should be cool and damp.

If you have brand new turf, the biggest danger is to underwater it. The first few weeks are very important, as this is when the plant becomes established in your soil, and it needs more water to help it along. If you've just laid the turf, water it twice a day for the first week, then a few times a week, and just once a week after about 6 weeks have passed. As it managed to draw nutrients from the soil, you can gradually stop watering it so much.

The main danger of overwatering your lawn is that the turf can become saturated, suffocating the grass. Roots need to be able to absorb oxygen and they can't do this in soaking ground. In hot weather, grass is likely to suffocate more quickly, so this is when you need to be extra careful. Because the only part of the grass that needs to be wet is the roots, if you see water above the soil you know you've overdone it.

You may be tempted to use a sprinkler - after all, it saves time! If you do however, make sure that you turn it off when it rains; after a rainfall there's no need to water your lawn.

So as long as you don't overwater your lawn, and you don't let it get parched in summer, it will remain healthy. If you look after your turf it'll look just as good as the day you bought it, and looking after it really isn't difficult. A little water at the right time is all your grass really needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Carpenter

The Benefits of Landscaping And Natural Landscaping

If you haven't heard about natural landscaping, then it is a relatively new term that is also called native gardening. Natural landscaping implies in itself the use of plants, including groundcover, grass, trees and shrubs which are endemic to the geographical area in which the garden is located. It is an opportunity to reestablish diverse native plants, thereby inviting the birds and butterflies back home. Natural landscaping is good for your health and it is an aesthetically exciting, ever-changing tapestry of hardy, primarily native plantings well adapted to the local climate and soil.

Landscaping is one of the most cost effective tools for improving and sustaining the quality of life, whether in the city, the suburbs, or the country, however it is usually a fairly big task, consuming much time and energy. By itself it implies the physical change of outdoors to serve the needs of people by planting, altering the contours of the ground, and building structures and amenities such as pedestrian ways, paths and picnic areas. This activity is one of the few improvements that adds more value to real estate than it costs to install. People often associate landscaping with garden apartments that boast acres of land and rolling hills decorated with towering trees, bountiful flower gardens and lush courtyards.

Philosophers in the 17th century debated whether visual beauty was a necessary goal of landscaping. A good landscaper understands the elements of nature and construction, and blends them accordingly. Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including but not limited to: living elements, such as flora or fauna or what is commonly referred to as gardening - the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.

Whatever you may call it: beneficial landscaping, environmentally friendly landscaping or sustainable landscaping, it's a way of designing and maintaining beautiful yards, gardens, and larger landscapes to:

- Reduce harm to the environment

- Save time and money with lower maintenance

- Have healthier places to work and play

Landscaping is both science and art, and requires good observation and design skills. In do-it-yourself landscaping are many variables such as the climate of your region, your personal design tastes, what you want to do with your yard, budget, skills. Do-it-yourself style can be done the right way the first time with proper guidance and prioritization.

Landscaping is one of the most cost-effective ways to customize a home to meet your needs and tastes. If done well, one receives the added benefits of beauty and increased real estate values. It's true that this activity can increase the value of your home while making your surroundings more attractive and enjoyable.

While landscaping can reduce direct sun from striking and heating up building surfaces it is a natural and beautiful way to keep your home cool in summer and reduce your energy bills. The hardest part about it is coming up with unique landscaping ideas and landscaping designs, but looking at the designs of the other houses in your neighborhood can make it easier for you.

Because landscaping ideas are so hard to come up with on your own, visit our house landscaping ideas blog for more information which is constantly growing. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Boris_Chistyakov

Landscaping Can be a Real Stress Reducer

You have a hectic schedule.

You have a family to take care of, a stressful job and a million other responsibilities. What you really need is something to take your mind off your worries and reduce all that stress. Wouldn't it be great if the activity was healthy and be productive at the same time? Well...the yard needs to be fixed up, so why don't you try landscaping?

Landscaping?

Yes, landscaping. Sure at first you might think of landscaping as even more stress in your life. But really, landscaping is only as much stress as you let it be. In fact, if you just take your time and find the fun in making your yard look beautiful, it can be a very relaxing hobby.

You probably already mow the lawn once a week or so. Get yourself an MP3 player, a good pair of noise-reducing headphones and start thinking of the task as relaxation instead of a chore. Find satisfaction in a job well done.

After all, if you have a smaller lawn, it should only take about a half hour to mow it. If you have a larger lawn, you have the option of getting a lawnmower that you can drive around.

Beyond Mowing

Once you start to enjoy being outside and working on the lawn you will want to start expanding into flower beds, lawn decorations and gardens.

Plants and flowers require a lot of work but pretty soon you will start to enjoy the pruning and making sure they get enough soil and water.

Stick with us as we explore the various aspects of landscaping and gardening.

"Red"

Join Herbert "Red" Roberts as he gives you the best ways to landscape at his site http://www.myeverydaylife.net/landscaping - You want landscaping and gardening to reduce stress, not create it. So make sure you read all the best techniques from Red. He will tell you all about how to have a fun, relaxing time landscaping, gardening and even tending indoor plants. Join Red at http://www.myeverydaylife.net/landscaping BEFORE you pull that first weed. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Herbert_Roberts