Landscaping Ideas - A Beautiful Care Free Garden

We are very fortunate in that we inherited a beautiful Garden when we moved to our current home. Sometimes however the amount of time we have to spend maintaining it seems to outweigh the amount of time we can spend enjoying it!

There are times when we would just like to be able to sit and enjoy it perhaps reading a book or sitting chatting with friends. So I set off to try and find some advice which would help us to reduce the amount of time we spend looking after the Garden and increase the amount of time we can spend enjoying it!

Sounds like an almost impossible task but I managed to succeed and I have found that Ed Rykeil’s The Comfortable Lazy Garden fits the bill exactly. It is packed with helpful tips and advice on maintaining your Garden and finding more time to actually enjoy it! It’s well worth a read and you can see what I mean by clicking on this link: The Comfortable Lazy Garden.

Landscaping Ideas - Finding Cheap Plants For Your Landscape

Landscaping Ideas

Finding Cheap Plants for Your Landscape

One of the main elements of the landscape is the use of plants. Plants provide interesting places for the eye to dwell, as well as providing soothing scenery and even contributing to the energy efficiency of a home. Unfortunately, the costs associated with purchasing plants for use in your landscape can be rather steep. In order to save money and use you landscape budget wisely, it is important to buy cheap plants.

Just because a plant is cheap, however, does not mean that it is quality. Be sure that the plant you are buying is free of disease, and that it is in generally good health. Purchasing a plant for a rock bottom price may only result in you having to go out and buy another plant if your wilted or diseased “find” dies shortly after planting. Planting can be a traumatic thing, so you want a plant that will survive and then flourish. Another thing to keep in mind when purchasing inexpensive plants is to think about the maintenance costs on down the road. A cheap plant may in actuality end up having a great many care needs. You may spend more taking care of the plant than is worth the savings of an initial bargain.

Inexpensive plants can be found in a variety of places. Most people buy them at big box home improvement stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot. There are even plants available at some WalMart and Kmart stores. These plants are often very cheap, but many of them have not received proper care, and may not be healthy enough to survive planting. One sliver of peace of mind that stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s offer is that these places offer guarantees of up to one year, so if your plant dies, you can be compensated.

Nurseries are great places to find healthy, professionally cared for plants. These are a little more expensive, but they are often of a higher quality. If you are looking for a bargain at a nursery, they can still be found, however. Many nurseries have a clearance table full of unpopular plants or plants that they plan to discontinue carrying. These are often discounted dramatically. Additionally, going to end of season sales can help you find good prices on the plants that nurseries have to offer. Most nurseries also provide plant guarantees, and you can receive expert help and advice if you are a novice.

The Internet also offers cheap plant deals. It is possible to order online and have your plants shipped. Online providers often provide a variety of seeds and starts that can be shipped without incurring too much damage, and that are very inexpensive. Check to see if your online plant provider has a guarantee, however, and make sure that the costs of shipping do not make the plants more expensive.

Other ways that you can reduce your plant buying costs is to choose plants that are seeds or starts. These are available online or in stores and nurseries. A packet of seeds costs less than a start, and starts cost significantly less than plants that are already growing. Choosing smaller plants not only reduces the amount of money that you pay up front, but it also reduces the amount of money you pay later in maintenance. Mature plants require more care when they are first planted, and they also require more water and maintenance. So, while you do not have to purchase tiny plants, you can purchase plants that are off to a good start but that have not reached maturity.

Related to the idea of choosing plants that are smaller, is selecting slower growing plants. While these may take longer to fill in your landscape, if you plan accordingly you can save a great deal of money and still have an attractive yard. Rapidly growing plants require more care and the maintenance costs are often much more than the costs associated with their slower growing counterparts. Choosing slow growing plants is a great way to save money in the long run.
Looking for cheap plants for landscape can be a fun adventure as you search for the best deal. Just remember that the best deal is not always the cheapest plant. The best deal is a plant that is reasonably priced, healthy, and has low cost maintenance requirements.

You can check out The Comfortable Lazy Garden - Gardening and landscaping with native plants

Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Ideas - Planting Trees

Landscaping Ideas

Do-it-Yourself: Planting Trees

Trees are a beautiful and desirable part of almost any landscape. They provide comfortable shade, protect against soil erosion, and can even contribute to the energy efficiency of a home. Additionally, trees are beautiful and can make any landscape attractive. Any home with a nice, attractive, well-maintained tree on its property enjoys increased property value. But in order to enjoy a tree, it must first be properly planted. There are three main ways that plantings can be bought; subsequently, there are different ways to plant them. You may plant a bare root tree, a container tree, or a ball and burlap tree. Each of these types of seedling set-ups requires a different technique in planting. However, it is very possible to do this planting yourself, saving money and keeping within a reasonable budget.

Planting a bare root tree. This is a tree moved from one location to another (dug up and transplanted).

The first thing you should do is make sure you have the proper tools: a garden fork, a shovel, two wooden stakes, tree ties, and mulch. Use a shovel to mark out the area of the planned hole. This hole should be at least twice the diameter of the tree’s root system. Once you have the area marked out, with a shallow hole already dug within the markings, use the garden fork to scarify the edges of the hole. This action loosens the soil and will make it easier for the roots to properly expand.

In the center of your hole, build a small mound. Then place the two stakes into the ground on opposite sides of the mound. The stakes act as stabilizers and supports to the tree as it works to establish itself. You should try to make sure that you plant the tree at the same depth at which it was planted before. Spread the roots over the mound. Next, add enough soil to support the tree (but not fill up the hole) and then spray the area with water. Backfill the hole with a little more soil, add water again. Then repeat two or three more times, completely filling in the hole.

Tamp the soil down to get rid of air pockets surrounding the tree’s roots. If your climate is dry, or if water drains away quickly, a moat should be dug around the tree to retain water. Fasten the tree ties to the stakes and the tree, not too tightly, to ensure that the tree receives adequate support for its first year in the new area. Two to four inches of mulch should be applied around the planting area, but be sure that the mulch does not touch the tree trunk. The tree should be watered well and the soil kept moist for the next year.

Planting a container tree. This type of tree is often found at nurseries, coming in a pot or other plastic container.

Like with a bare root tree, it is necessary to have a shovel, garden fork, stakes, tree ties, and mulch. Then, using the container as a guide, mark out the planting using the shovel. The hole will need to be right around three times the width of the container. The hole should be about one and a half times as deep as the height of the pot. After the hole has been properly dug, use the garden fork to scarify the hole’s sides.

Pound the two stakes (preferably cedar) into the ground angled outward. There should be enough room between the stakes for the root ball to fit. Water the tree in its container, and then gently lay it on its side. Remove the pot and gently tease the roots out with your hands. A small cultivator would also work. Backfill some of the soil into the hole. Place the tree in the center of the hole. Make sure that the edge of the hole is level with the height of the container. It may be necessary to add soil until this level is achieved. After the tree is at the correct height, fill in the hole with soil, tamping it down as you go. Dig a moat if needed. Use your tree ties and apply mulch in much the same manner as the bare root tree. The tree will need to be kept moist for a year while it establishes itself.

Planting a ball and burlap tree (root ball surrounded by burlap sack).

This planting technique requires only a shovel, garden fork, mulch and scissors (or a knife). Dig a hole, much like with the container tree, of three times the root ball’s width. The hole should only be as deep as ball, however. Scarify the hole’s sides. Place the tree in the hole and use the scissors to remove twine or wire from the ball. Remove the burlap altogether if it is synthetic. If it is natural, loosen the top layer and roll it down to the base of the ball. Fill in the hole and mulch, caring for it as other newly planted trees.

Have you thought of Making Money from Home with Plants?


Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Ideas - Caring for your Plants

Landscaping Ideas

Caring for Your Plants

One of the best things you can do to save money on your landscape is to properly care for your plants. This is very important to keeping a healthy yard and an attractive landscape. If you properly care for your plants, you will save money in maintenance costs, and you will save money in having to replace plants that succumb to disease or other problems associated with poor care. Caring for your plants is not only good for the plants, but it is also good for you. You can get good exercise, escape from the stale air of your home, and get a little bit closer to nature. Not only do these things have positive physical benefits, but they have mental and emotional benefits as well. When you care for your plants you are saving money, helping your over all well being, and preserving a beautiful landscape.

Keeping your soil in good condition is essential for the care of your plants, whether the plants are part of the lawn, or whether they are trees or flowers. Having good soil is essential, as good soil provides nutrients to the plants and also offers moisture, as good soil preserves water and can act as a reservoir of moisture. Keeping your soil healthy is the beginning of caring for your plants. You can keep the soil healthy in a number of ways. Check the acid and alkali contents and make sure that they remain at levels that are good for your plants.

Also, it is a good idea to add organic material to your soil at least once a year. Using organic mulch is a good way to keep your soil in good shape. In shrub and flowerbeds, and around trees, wood chips can help the soil retain moisture and they will break own and provide nutrients as well. Reducing compaction is also important, as it allows air down into the soil and frees up room for beneficial organisms like earthworms. There is also more room for the roots to grow (any kind of roots — grass, tree, flower, etc.), giving them a firmer foundation and better health. Annual aeration will help your grass and the trees and shrubs that you have planted on your lawn. Turning the soil each year and adding special potting soil to the garden and flowerbeds at fall planting can also help.

Efficient watering techniques are also very helpful with plant care. These techniques include things like watering deeply and not terribly often. For the most part, people water their lawns too frequently. This keeps the roots shallow (shallow roots mean less healthy grass) and much of the water either runs off or evaporates. Watering in the early morning (before 10) and in the evening (after 6) can reduce losses to evaporation and increase the amount of water that is actually absorbed into the soil. When watering flowerbeds and trees and shrubs, make sure that rather than simply letting a sprinkler run, you take care to use the hose to water deeply. For established plants, there is no need to water more than once a week. Even the lawn does not need to be watered more than once or twice a week. This type of watering schedule forces the roots to go deeper into the soil, looking for moisture and creating healthier plants that are more tolerant of drought conditions.

Other good care practices include pruning woody plants and inspecting for pests and diseases. Not only does this help with the health of the plants, but it also contributes to their attractiveness. You can help your plants look fuller (especially evergreen shrubs) by pruning yearly. Blossoming plants also benefit from such care, as they will have more blooms when properly pruned. Additionally, when you inspect regularly for pests and diseases, you can catch problems before they get out of hand. You can properly treat the issue as needed, and save time and money in replacing the plants later.

While many people make use of fertilizers, pesticides, and weed killers, these are not necessarily essential for good plant care. It is true that these chemicals can contribute to the health and the look of your landscape, but if they are used improperly they can also cause damage. Make sure that you carefully read the instructions in full before applying any such product. Then, make sure you fallow the directions exactly. Too much of these chemicals can actually harm your plants.

For more information on Plant Care you will want to check out: Answers to Almost AnyHouse Plant Question - Who Else Wants The Happiest and Healthiest House Plants In The Entire Neighborhood?

Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Advice - Looking after your Garden

Landscaping Ideas

We have put together a site which you may find of interest at http://gardening.thebestonlineproducts.com do check it out and see if there is anything that will help you.

You may alswo want to check out www.thebestonlineproducts.com

Take care

Paul

Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Ideas - Building a Raised Garden Bed

Landscaping Ideas

You can save money by building your own raised garden bed. These can be used for flowers and even for vegetables. They are gaining in popularity because they are easy and inexpensive to build, making them practical parts of the landscape. Additionally, they are fairy easy to plant and maintain. They are even relatively easy to weed. In addition to being convenient and practical in maintenance, they also drain sooner as well as warm up faster. This means that you can plant earlier in the season, resulting in the possibility of multiple harvests if you use your raised gardens for vegetables. You can make your garden a temporary bed or a permanent bed, and reap the benefits of a simple way to enjoy your landscape more and even dress it up a little bit.

The first thing you need to do is make sure that you have all of the necessary tools and materials. You can make your beds out of rocks, concrete blocks, bricks, naturally rot-resistant wood (cypress is very slow to decompose), or wood treated with a safe preservative. It is important to make sure that treated wood does not have anything harmful in it that could leach into the soil and thus be absorbed by the plants. This is especially important if you plan to eat whatever you are growing in your raised bed. Other things that you will need include optional wood preservative (like sealant) or sheet plastic, spading fork, shovel, iron rake, hammer and nails, measuring tape, compost, and topsoil. All of things are necessary for creating a successful raised garden bed.

When making a permanent garden bed, you should make sure to use more permanent materials. If you plan to use your bed for flowers as a prominent part of your landscape, bricks make very nice beds, as they are attractive and often complement most traditional landscape designs and plants. The bed can be as long as you would like it to be, but it should be at least one foot deep and no more than four feet wide. Wider beds can make it difficult to reach the middle of the bed to take care of things like weeding and fertilizing. If you have the bed against a house or fence, wide beds make it difficult to reach the backside of the bed as well.

Temporary beds, unlike permanent beds, allow you to change the design every year. If you like the idea of being able to make small changes to your landscape each growing season, then temporary beds can help you achieve this. Additionally, they are easier and less expensive to remove if you decide that you would like to take them out. Wood is best for these types of beds, as the wood can easily be taken apart. Choosing attractive woods can add to the look of your landscape design. You can also decorate the wood with non-toxic paint if you would like to have a little different look. As with permanent beds, make sure that you build them at least with a foot of depth and not very wide.

When planting your beds, whether permanent or temporary, you should begin by preparing the bed. Remove rocks, sticks, and debris from the beds and make sure that they are prepared for plantings. Be sure to allow for drainage. You can build your bed on a patio or on soil, but either way you should ensure that there are adequate pathways for excess moisture to escape. When using brick or concrete blocks, they can be stacked in a staggered fashion to allow water out of the bed. When building on top of soil, loosen the bottom soil with a shovel or spading fork. The bed should be filled from bottom to top with a compost and topsoil mixture. After this is done, rake the top of the bed so that it is smooth.

Once the bed is prepared, you can plant flowers, herbs, or vegetables inside the bed. Tall plants should be put in against a fence or wall, or on the bed’s northern side. Make sure that you take proper care of your plants in your bed, and remember that raised beds can dry out faster. They may need a little more water. Avoid stepping on the bed as much as possible to prevent soil compaction, and follow up your planting with a proper application of mulch.

Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Ideas - Bonsai Garden Secrets

Landscaping Ideas

I don't know about you but I think there is something quite magical about Bonsai Trees as an addition to the Home Landscape. So if you are thinking of incorporating Bonsai Trees into your Landscaping Ideas for your Home then you will want to check out this fabulous resource I have come across

Bonsai Garden Secrets

Hope it helps!

Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Ideas - Common Landscape Design Features

Landscaping Ideas

Common Landscape Design Features

If you want to build an attractive landscape, but do not where to begin, there are plenty of common landscape design ideas and features available for you to gain inspiration. You can use the ideas yourself or add a little twist to make the landscape design all your own. There are any number of conventional landscape ideas that can help you get started on your own projects and provide inspiration for future projects.

Some of the most common landscape design features are decks and patios. These can either be professionally installed or you can build one yourself. Patios and decks provide a great deal of enjoyment on many levels as part of the use of space in the landscape design. You can use decks and patios for family gatherings or for entertaining. They can also be used to great effect as places to just sit and relax and enjoy. While a basic square shape is the most common of these landscape features, it is also possible to get them in different shapes, depending on your preferences and your needs. However, if you care for your landscape yourself, the square is very convenient for other activities, such as mowing and trimming the lawn.

Rock gardens are features that are rising in popularity as well. These landscape features can provide a great deal of attractiveness, but make use of fewer plants. Landscapes that include rock gardens need less water and less attention. Additionally, the plants that often go with rock gardens are usually hardier and need a little less care. These are easy to care for, and can save money. Additionally, it is possible to build your own rock garden in the landscape, saving you even more money.

English cottage gardens are known for their lack of formality. There is no rigidity in their designs, and because they are more or less allowed to “just grow” require less maintenance than some other types of gardens. These are common gardens because they evoke a sense of charm. They are most common in backyard landscaping, for those who want to enjoy the garden and show an informal sense of elegance while entertaining.

In the United States, of course, the lawn remains the most dominant landscape feature, especially in the front. But an English cottage garden can be very fine due its riot of flowering plants. Most landscape features of this sort include rose bushes, perennials and vines. Sometimes they are even allowed to go across pathways. Because perennials are so used, they grow back every year, without much effort.

An increasing trend in landscape design is incorporating elements of the Japanese garden. Of course, in Western circles, many of the times this is interpreted to mean showy flowers. These showy flowers grab attention, and many times landscapes will center around these plants. They can be difficult to take care of, as they are often non-native. They can also be expensive. However, some people are turning their backyard landscapes into gardens that are more in keeping with traditional Japanese garden principles of simplicity including more foliage and design structures. These types of gardens are less expensive and can be equally attractive.

And, of course, the most common landscape feature is the lawn. This is because the lawn allows a platform for family activities. Additionally, overall, it is also fairly easy to care for. It need only be mowed by machines that are relatively easy use, and it can be fertilized and watered fairly inexpensively, if one does so properly and with common sense. Different people do a variety of things with their lawns, and it has become increasing popular to add a small flowerbed in the middle of the lawn for decoration. Having trees on the lawn is also another popular way to adorn the lawn and make it more inviting and attractive.

Creating a beautiful landscape is a matter of enjoyment for many people. However, many of them find it difficult to know where to begin, and know what is possible. But it you are hesitant about where to begin or what to do, trying a tried and true landscape feature can help you succeed in your endeavors to beautify the home environment.

Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Ideas - Tools for the Landscaper

Landscaping Ideas

Common Landscaping Tools

For the avid do-it-yourself landscaper, the right tools are important. After all, if one wishes to save money on the expenses associated with having a well cared for yard, it is best to make sure that he or she has all of the tools necessary to create an attractive landscape. By understanding some of the most common tools used for basic landscaping needs, you can ensure that you have everything you need to keep your lawn in the best possible shape, bringing delight and distinction to your grounds, be they large or small.

Shovels, rakes, trowels, and hand cultivators. These are the most basic of tools when it comes to landscaping. Every home should be supplied with these basic implements. They make just about every landscaping endeavor possible. Shovels to remove sod and turn soil, as well as dig the holes necessary for fixtures like trees and hardscapes, Rakes are essential to smooth out planting beds and prepare ground for things like sod without packing the dirt. Trowels and hand cultivators allow you to perform minute work that requires more attention to detail. All of these tools are necessary to the proper functioning and care of a landscape.

Pruners and shears. These tools are used to improve the appearance of woody plants and trees. They keep plants from encroaching in other areas, and they also promote the overall health of the plants. They help maintain a neat appearance, and if you have topiary concerns, they are indispensable in maintaining a set shape. There are hand pruners, tools that help with the smaller branches and are easier to use, loppers for getting thicker branches that are to large for pruners, and even pruning saws that can help you with the toughest of branches. Hedge shears provide a way for hedges to be trimmed more conscientiously than with electric or gas-run trimmers (although these are widely available and can make maintaining hedges much easier).
Lawnmower. This is perhaps one of the most common and most obvious of landscaping tools. It is meant to keep the grass at a reasonable level, and to keep the lawn neat and healthy. Related to lawnmowers in the trimming department are things like weed wackers, which are very useful in keeping edges that can’t be cut by a mower nice and neat. Additionally, the use of some special machinery, designed to eliminate thick brush is useful to have on hand, even it is only in the form of a machine rented once a year.

Other tools of interest. Of course, there are specialty tools that may be needed depending upon on the features of your landscape. If you have a water fixture, it is important to make sure that you have the proper pumps and filters, and that you have little skimmers that can allow you to remove larger pieces of debris from the water. Automatic sprinklers can make watering the lawn and your other plants much easier, and you should have a garden hose for special watering needs. Regular household tools such as hammer and nails, levels, and drills can be helpful if you have built landscape features like patios, decks, pergolas, and trellises. They can also be useful in building things like containers and creating raised beds.

Wheelbarrow. A wheelbarrow will always be of infinite use for the avid landscaper and improver. Wheelbarrows are very useful for moving debris as well as bringing needed implements to their proper places. They haul dirt and bring in plants. They make it possible to for one person to carry a load that otherwise she or he would not be able to handle. For the serious landscaper, a wheelbarrow is indeed necessary.

When you have all of the tools necessary to take care of your landscape, then you are well rewarded for your hard work. Acquiring the more common tools can also save you money in the long run, as they can be used over and over again. Additionally, many of the more common landscape tools are fairly small in size and easy to store in a garage or a shed. As long as they are kept neatly arranged in place, they are easy to get to when needed, and not hard to find. Proper maintenance of you tools is important: keep them from becoming rusty, and make sure your lawnmower and other gas or electric implements are well oiled and always have plenty of gas.

Proper care of your tools ensures that you will be able to properly care for your landscape.

Other Blogs that may be of interest:

Lawn Care

Home Improvement

Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Ideas - Trees in the Home Landscape

Landscaping Ideas

Trees in the Home Landscape

Trees add so much to the home landscape! They provide shade, clean air, habitat for wildlife, value to your property, and even memories.

If your yard does not have any trees at the moment, you may want to consider planting some. Studies have shown that trees and landscaping add value to your property. Even if you do not intend to sell your property, trees can provide years of enjoyment. If you have trees in your yard, check to see that they are healthy. If they are near the end of their life expectancy or show signs of decline, you may want to plant new trees that will become established before the old trees are removed.

If properly located and planted, trees can help control energy costs. A large shade tree planted on the southwest side of the house can provide cooling shade in the summer, helping reduce air conditioning costs. Once the leaves drop in the fall, the winter sun is free to warm your house on cold winter days. Evergreen trees, planted to block cold winter winds, can help reduce winter heating costs.

Have you wondered what you could do to reduce greenhouse gases and address global warming? Planting trees will help! One of the greenhouse gases causing the most concern is carbon dioxide. Plants take this gas out of the air and use it in photosynthesis. Carbon is stored in the wood and living tissues of trees. When leaves fall and are composted, carbon is added to the soil. This improves the soil for plant growth and stores more of the carbon in the form of soil organic matter. Carbon can be stored for hundreds of years in the trunks of trees or in the form of lumber, furniture, and other wood products. By planting trees in your yard, you can help reduce greenhouse gases.

Trees also provide shelter and food for a variety of wildlife. While installing bird feeders will help attract birds to your yard, providing them with nearby trees and shrubs to escape danger, build nests, and obtain food, will be even more effective. Squirrels and other small mammals use trees for nesting sites and food sources. When selecting trees, consider what food value they may offer to the wildlife in your community.

Trees can offer years of enjoyment. Planting trees and watching them grow can be part of your family's memories. Consider planting a tree to commemorate a milestone in your family's life. While raking leaves may seem like a chore as you get older, jumping in piles of leaves can be a treat for children. Hanging a swing, building a tree house, or simply relaxing under the shade of a tree on a hot summer day can be a memorable experience.

Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Ideas

Welcome to my Landscaping Ideas Blog! Here you will discover Landscaping Ideas to help you create the Landscape you want for your home. Landscaping Ideas that you will be able to carry out as DIY Projects.

Take care

Paul
http://landscaping-ideas.blogspot.com