Articles about landscaping and landscape design ideas, of interest to homeowners. Get ideas to add personal and practical touches to your yard and garden landscape.
Here are some of the services offered by chemical landscape services.
The frames, decks and floats of docks have come a long way from the old wooden affair that creaked as you cast off or clambered on.
A patio at its most basic is an outdoor courtyard or paved open area such as a porch that's attached to the home, which can be made with concrete, brick or many other materials. If you patio is showing signs of wear and tear -- crumbling cement or masonry work, water damage or separation from the home, a service professional can best repair the damage.
This information can clarify and help answer questions about common patio problems.
In densely populated areas where town ordinances often forbid draining rain water into the street or sewer, another method for dispersing runoff is to build a dry well. A dry well is a pit that collects water and lets it slowly percolate into the soil.
Q: We recently bought a home and need some work done to the driveway. The drive leads to a basement garage. There are retaining walls that run along the entire drive to the garage.
Our problem is that the driveway is too narrow for us to park our cars or safely navigate to and from the garage. We want to widen the drive in order to use the garage. I'm confused on what type of contractor to call.
With fall fast approaching and winter rains not far behind, it is not too soon to start planning your landscape improvements to solve drainage problems that might have surfaced last winter, clean up any mess left by last year's water and create an attractive new yard that will help prevent property damage in the future.
Waterfalls and fountains add a rich dimension to a landscape, whether as the focal point the rest of the yard is designed around or a beautiful way to circulate water in pools, spas or ponds.
Longer days, more sunshine, singing birds and warm breezes all welcome and beckon us to go outside and enjoy the beauty of spring. Your yard and garden should be a retreat, a place to sit, talk, read or simply watch the clouds. Some of the following suggestions can improve your landscape and create a more desirable escape.
Q: Could you please advise me where I can find a good 1/2-inch garden hose that doesn't kink every time you try to unroll it? I am willing to pay to get a good HD 1/2-inch hose.
Few things are more peaceful than the sights and sounds of a garden pond full of colorful fish. Whether you decide you want a pond primarily as a water garden or to enjoy koi or goldfish, both life forms complement each other to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Fish are attractive to look at and bring movement into your pond; they eat and thus help control other organisms such as mosquito larvae and plant pests. The also help fertilize the aquatic plants with their excreta and provide carbon dioxide through their respiration to aid photosysnthesis.
Whether you enjoy cooking with fresh herbs or prefer to use them for their medicinal qualities, an herb garden can be a fun, satisfying hobby. Some people also grow herb gardens for the aromatic pleasure they derive from the plants. These herbs can be used in dried floral arrangements or to make perfumes, candles, etc.
During booming markets and busy seasons, it can be hard to get landscape contractors to return your calls. Owning a professionally designed landscape plan can move you to the top of their lists.
In these economically uncertain times, everyone is always looking for that really great deal. The ongoing hunt for the ideal gardener for landscape maintenance is no exception. The services offered by different gardeners vary greatly and the lowest price doesn't always mean the best deal. Value and peace of mind, as well as price, are important factors to consider when selecting a gardener.
Landscaping is a valuable extension of your home and should be planned as carefully as any other major investment. Research shows that the return on your landscape dollars can range between 70 and 200 percent when you sell your home.
During booming markets and busy seasons, it can be hard to get landscape contractors to return your calls. Being prepared with a professionally designed landscape plan can move you to the top of their lists.
Here are some tips for identifying sick trees.
If you are retired, travel frequently, or simply don't enjoy doing yard work, a small, low maintenance patio is a good solution for you. Small doesn't have to mean dull and uninteresting. A well-designed patio, no matter how small, can be a fun escape from indoors.
Improper drainage is a major destroyer of homes and the reason for many landscape problems. It can lead to weakened foundations, loose facing materials, rotted supporting wall studs and base plates, structural damage from insects, and poor growing conditions for landscape plantings. Final landscape grade should always be away from the house. Drainage into the home's foundation or into a low area near the home is potentially disastrous and could end up costing you thousands to correct. Be aware of surrounding terrain, which may cause rainwater to run off into your landscape.
Before You Hire A Landscape Designer...
Q: We have standing water on about two acres of land. How do I drain the water without high cost?
The essence of unique landscape architecture is in its ability to create balance between a home's architecture and its surroundings. When creatively designed and properly executed, your landscape can enhance and accentuate your property. A landscape architect will help you create an environmentally appropriate outdoor setting based on your needs and lifestyles.
In recent years, landscaping has taken on a whole new meaning. People have learned that landscaping can add to the value of a home, dramatically increase living space, and contribute greatly to an improved home lifestyle.
Part of the joy of landscaping is the care and maintenance you give to your yard. Depending on the type of plantings and the size, some gardens can require constant full-time care. If you not a big fan of yard maintenance, it might be wise to design a yard that's easy to care for. The first thing to remember with any "yardscape" is that it's a living, breathing entity. Even the simplest, easy-to-care yard will need watering, feeding, cleaning, and disease prevention.
Q. I recently purchased a new house with an unfinished back yard and don't know who to call to put in the patio, deck, spa and lawn. Where do I start?
Q: Why do I need a landscape plan if I am going to do my own landscaping?
Landscaping is one of the most cost-effective ways to customize a home to meet your needs and tastes. Good landscaping will add value to your home, enhance your lifestyle, and bring long-lasting satisfaction to the entire family.
The first thing to remember with any "yardscape" is that it's a living, breathing entity. Even the simplest, easy-to-care for yard will need watering, feeding, cleaning, and disease prevention. If you aren't a big fan of yard care, it might be wise to design a yard that's easy to maintain. Here are some of the basics to give you an idea of what is required to keep your landscape looking neat.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about landscape sprinkler systems.
There was a time when most people thought landscaping was little more than lawn mowing, weeding and planting a few flowers. In recent years, landscaping has taken on a whole new meaning. People have learned that landscaping can add to the value of a home, dramatically increase living space, and contribute greatly to an improved home lifestyle.
Although landscape design involves many practical facets, the artistic side of many professional designers can create an enriching environment that appeals to all the senses. The sight of changing colors, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, the scent of roses outside the window, the comfort of having a quiet place to relax with a friend or just sit and watch the kids play all help to make your place feel like home.
The three most important words in developing a good landscaping strategy are plan, plan, plan! A good design is based not only on your personal tastes but also on the existing layout of your property and the limitations that exist in your region's climate.
Hiring a lawn care service might cost less than you think, and the pleasure of coming home to a well-tended yard is priceless. Use the following list as a guide when planning with your lawn care professional:
Some people love yard work and others avoid it. No matter which category you are in, chances are your yard needs some regular maintenance. It's almost always easier to do small chores for ten minutes every other day, than to devote an entire weekend afternoon to yard work. Use the following list to help keep your yard looking fresh, trimmed and neat.
Here's a step-by-step checklist for do-it-yourself lawn renovation:
A lawn sprinkler system consists of four main components: piping, valves, sprinkler heads, and a timer.
Misting systems are the ultimate way to cool the outdoors. Misting is a form of evaporative cooling. A series of mist nozzles surround you creating a curtain of mist. When air flows through the mist it is cooled, creating a "cool zone."
The term mulch is used for a variety of organic products, which decompose and can serve as decorative ground cover or as soil improvement.
Raising kids is tough. In part, that's because preparing them for the same world that we're trying to protect them from is a difficult assignment. We attempt to meet the challenge by showering them with constructive toys and signing them up for activities like piano lessons, karate and after-school soccer.
But kids still need to engage in simple play - without structure, strict preset rules, and stifling boundaries. There is no better place for this than your own yard.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about planning for a landscape sprinkler system.
With the arrival of fall and cold weather, it is essential to complete a few projects to keep your yard and garden protected through the dormant months. Prepare shrubs, trees and grass now and they will return healthy in the spring and will also leave you with a neat, well tended yard through winter.
Q: I have a 30-foot-high, 30-year-old olive tree. How severely can it be pruned?
Retaining walls are used for a variety of reasons. They can serve practical purposes like marking a property line or creating privacy; or they can be used purely for aesthetics. Materials used for retaining walls include brick, stone, wood, concrete and adobe. Keep your wall consistent with the style of your house or garden, including complementing materials. The goal should be to integrate your wall into your landscape.
Retaining walls provide support for soil that is on a vertical slope. Some retaining walls keep your home and landscape from sliding down a hillside or into a stream. Others are necessary to prevent drainage or erosion problems. Some are also used as a sound barrier, like next to a highway.
Sand is used by professionals to make stucco and mortar, and it is frequently used in landscaping to set paving stones into patios and walkways without need of mortar or concrete.
Sowing seeds is less expensive than landscaping with transplants. However, native plants grow slowly from seed, often not blooming until the third year. The first few years are spent growing long, extensive root systems.
Amazingly, few people who buy property consider the long term effects of the soil on which their property sits. What can happen as a result of poor soil/site conditions can be devastating. Soil engineers are the ideal people to hire to prevent damage before it starts.
It's part of the human condition. One day it's bleak winter; the next we wake to a warm breeze and blue skies. We're sure that spring is upon us so we run eagerly into the yard with shovel, rake and seeds, intent upon transforming the landscape into a colorful paradise. But wait! The end product is only as good as the foundation it's built on. Do the basics now and be patient. In time, you'll see your desired results.
Q: We have a crawl space under our house with 100% coverage moisture barrier as recommended by an inspector. I recently had my annual termite inspection and was disappointed that there was no change in this condition. He said that the barrier was practically floating. With this problem, of course, there is fungus and mold not to mention the odor. I don't think it is plumbing related as I think my water bill would reflect this. They say there are many springs in this neighborhood. It is frustrating. We want to live here a long time. Who do I need to call to deal with this problem?
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about tennis courts.
There's a difference between top soil and planting mix.
When trees are cut down to ground level or above, they leave a stump where nothing can grow except mushrooms and shoots from the still-living root system.
Finding the cause of water seepage is essential to its cure. The hardest type of water problem to correct is one created by faulty construction practices at the time the house was built.
Q: I live in Boulder, CO. How can I tell if I am over or under watering Austrian Pines?
Yardwork is usually the last thing on the minds of most homeowners once winter sets in. But this can actually be a good time time to renovate the lawn and eliminate the brown spots and crab grass left over from last summer.
Xeriscaping is a term for low water gardening. Xeriscape gardening has typically been implemented in areas of the country where there are restrictions on water usage and where the hot dry climate can quickly kill fragile plants.
A yard offers enough room for kids to explore and grow without being too far from supervision. Here are some ideas to make your yard a fun place for children, while maintaining safety.
Whether you do your own yard maintenance, or hire a lawn care service, it is essential to have the proper tools on hand. Following is a list of yard care basics, and not so basics:
Here is an extensive list of tools and items that can be rented to assist with a variety of projects.
Gently worn tools are the hallmark of the true gardener. There's a patina on the garden tool handles laid in by firm hands over years of digging, turning, cultivating and filling in. Your investment now in good quality gardening tools can last for generations.
Fences, often taken for granted and unnoticed (until that gate won't close properly), perform many important functions on your property. Many factors must be taken into consideration when choosing to install a particular style of fence, including privacy, security and landscape enhancement. If you build it right and keep it simple, it will last for years.
The following information can help answer some questions about excavating and grading.