Landscaping

Whatever the project may be, if it is a big time one or a simple residential landscaping, design is the most important factor that one must consider to be able to lay out a plan and eventually act upon.

Residential Landscaping
In whatever we decide to do in life, there are things to ponder about before coming up with a plan. The same thing is true if you’d like a lawn makeover, there are factors to go through and ideas to think about before actually starting the process.

Why Do You Want to Do It?
If the idea is to give your yard some kind of a renovation through landscaping, then the possibilities as to what you’d like the outcome to be are endless. You call the shots according to what you like at the moment that you want it to be done.

But on the other hand, you have to give the landscaping design a more posh look if you decide to sell the property. This is also a way to be safe, not every potential buyer would want an unfamiliar style, but with being simple and classy, one could never go wrong. It would also be to your advantage because it will add more value to what you’re selling and more people will be enticed to look at it and consider a deal.

What Do You Want to Be Done?
For people who’d like to do their own landscaping, the American Nursery and Landscape Association or ANLA says that it is important for the property’s salability if you choose to maintain large, old trees in it. Those mature trees are said to be of great impact to those who are looking into the land.

In designing for your own landscape, remember the basic elements which are color, form, line, scale and texture.

Look at the project through an artist’s eye. Choose plants that look good when placed together or side by side in terms of their colors. Imagine what other people, especially the would-be buyer of the property would feel upon seeing the colors that you chose for the project.

Form is looking at the plants to be placed in the project in terms of the shape and branching patterns. Such factors should blend in with what one has planned for the whole landscape.

Line is the according to the arrangement of the materials to be used in the design, how you plot them accordingly as well as looking into their borders.

Scale or the size of the plants that you want to use in the landscape design also determines the texture. The placing of each plant depending on its sizes would give one an idea about the texture because this factor is a visual matter.

Who Do You Like to Do It?
You could seek out professional help if you think that you cannot do it yourself. But with vast resources on landscape design, you might want to try browsing through first and challenge yourself if you can do it before shelling out your penny for someone else’s services.

First, you need to observe other people’s backyards. You might also want to ask how they have done it. Or if you see someone else doing such, all you have to do is watch the process and get inspiration from it.

You can also find a wealth of information from landscaping books and magazines, television and, of course, the Web.

Are You Up with the Plan?
Upon having the plan ready for your residential landscaping, you just have to ask yourself if you’re up for it. Consider everything, the budget, the materials, your purpose on doing such and the property itself, before plunging in and starting out the process.

Having a low maintenance front yard is the goal of many people. You can get easy to manage front yard landscaping done by any of the professional landscapers in your area or you can do it yourself. Either way you can have front yard landscaping done that will take minimal work to keep looking fantastic all year round. If you are going to get a professional in to do your front yard landscaping though, be sure to tell him that this is your over all goal, that you want to have a yard that will not take a lot of work to keep up.

If you have less grass in your front yard landscaping then you will cut out a lot of maintenance time right there. Mowing the lawn can take up a lot of time and energy so keeping the grass to a minimum is a great way to save on work. Talk to the front yard landscaping expert about alternative that you can use to keep your yard look good with little lawn area.

Some people choose to use clover instead of grass. Using a clover lawn in your front yard landscaping is a good idea because it will save you money and time. You will not have to mow it very often at all and a clover lawn is even good for front yard landscaping in area that is prone to droughts. They do well virtually everywhere. And best of all for those who want to get out there and enjoy their front yard landscaping, bugs hate clover.

Watering the yard can be a big hassle as well. That is why many people incorporate automatic irrigation systems into their front yard landscaping designs these days. This can save you tons of time and money. This is one of the easiest ways for you to keep your yard looking healthy and well watered during the hotter months of the year. No more hooking up the sprinkler or having to drag out the hose. You can get a professional to install one of these systems for your front yard landscaping design quickly and easily or you can get a kit and do it yourself. I would recommend getting in a professional however, unless you have experience with this kind of thing. If you were to cause a leak then you could face some flooding and rotting and neither of these is going to do anything for your front yard landscaping, do you know what I mean?

Tips for Keeping Costs Down When Landscaping
Landscaping can be an expensive proposition. However, it is possible to keep the costs to yourself relatively low by paying attention to a few practices that can save you money. After all, the most beautiful landscape in the world can be a source of vexation if it costs you more than you can afford to put in and upkeep. By remembering a few helpful tips, you can save money on your landscaping needs, and enjoy it all the more.
Plan before you make your purchases. Having a plan for your landscape will allow you to practice common sense and economy when making purchases. If you do not plan, you may buy something you do not need, and that can be a waste of money. Complete a rough sketch of what you would like to accomplish with your landscape design. Also find out exactly what you need to make it possible. There is a wealth of Web site that can help you get an idea of what you need to complete a project, and specialty stores and even some home improvement warehouses have experts on hand who can give you advice. Once you know exactly what you need, you can make your purchases without buying excess materials that result in money wasted.
Make your purchases in phases. If you make out a plan, you should also include when you will perform certain portions. Most people cannot afford to make all the changes that they would like to make at once. If you plan out phases of your landscape project, then you can buy what you need as you go along, and as you have the money. This can help you save on the interest and loan fees associated with home improvement loans or using credit cards to make purchases.
Cheaper is not always better. If there is little difference in quality, then buying the cheaper item is the best course. However, local shops often have true experts who will impart of the wisdom for free if you ask questions while making a purchase. Specialty shops can give you correct information on installing a water feature. If you are new to landscaping, it can save money in the long run to spend a little extra to get better service, help and advice. If you do buy at a “big box” store, be sure to carefully inspect plants for diseases and insect problems. These stores may not care if they take as good of care of the plants as a nursery would. Buying a diseased plant only means buying it over again when it dies, and this means that you are out some amount of money. Many nurseries offer warranties and guarantees free of charge on their plants.
Use common sense timing on your landscape purchases. If you plan to do some landscaping, think about when you would like to accomplish it. Buy lumber during the winter, when it is cheaper, and then store it until you are ready to use it. Buy things like trees, perennials, mulch, and soil late in the season. In most places, you still have time to winterize your landscape if you wait until October to make your maintenance purchases. Also, watch for plant sales at local nurseries. This is often a great way to get quality plants at low prices.
Use alternative resources. It is not always necessary to buy something at a store. You can order through catalogs or online. An inexpensive membership to a garden and seed club can yield very good prices on many items, as well as helpful advice. Also, you may be able to arrange a plant exchange in your neighborhood. Many cities offer low price or free mulch and compost, and you can get stones and bricks at many construction or demolition sites.
Share costs with neighbors. If your neighbors and you pool resources, you can often get a good deal on items bought in bulk. Likewise, share the rental fees for machinery such as chippers, tillers, and aerators. If everyone chips in a few dollars, you can work out a schedule where each neighbor gets to use the equipment before it is taken back. This is a great way to reduce the costs associated with landscaping.

In order to make a great landscape, there are certain
tried-and-tested practices that you can follow. Not only do
these practices help you create a beautiful landscape, they
also ensure that you do not waste any money and that you
are not harming the environment in any way.

Here are some of the best landscaping practices that you
can do in your own home garden.

1. Design your landscape in a way where water is retained
well. This doesn’t only go for water that comes from your
sprinklers but also storm runoffs.

By having this kind of set-up, you do not spend a lot on
watering your plants and you also help keep your
community’s water supply at bay.

2. Use fertilizers responsibly. Some people become
trigger-happy when it comes to using fertilizers on their
landscapes.

While putting in too much fertilizer can be detrimental to
the environment, using organic fertilizers or choosing
plants that are well-accustomed to the local environment
will help in curbing the problem.

3. Take it easy on pesticides and weed killers – just like
fertilizers, pesticides and weed killers can do more harm
than good if used irresponsibly.

4. Schedule watering of the plants. Watering the plants
early in the morning help in retaining the water much
longer than doing it at noon for example.

While considering the time for watering the plants may seem
like a small thing, it translates to something big when the
water supply is put into the equation.

This blog is on cheap landscaping ideas. One of the main hassles of a garden is not planting, but weeding. Weeds grow with remarkable speed and can quickly overtake a garden. Using a poison or herbicide like roundup is not recommended as you might kill your plants. I know that the manufactors claim the product breaks down in the soil very quickly but I find with my lawn edges after a second dose of roundup no grass is growing there six months later.
In moving into a new rental property I had a large front garden with a nice quickkerb concrete border to highlight the beautiful weeds. So I began to weed, got sick of it and left it for a month. Big mistake, there were now more weeds than ever. I was going to have to have mulch it or spend everyday in the garden. With the landlord not interested in paying for it it was going to have to come out of my own pocket. Now I don’t mine paying for gardening supplies, plants, etc when its my own place, but I’m certainly not keen on giving my landlord a free ride.
So I needed a cheap mulching option, that would look good, work, but not cost too much.
I chose three basic supplies, newspaper -the local rags free and it doesn’t take long to build up a stock pile of papers, sugar cane mulch – its comes in a big bags and is cheap, and finally a few bags of bark – not so cheap, but as you will see its used to give colour not as a mulch so only a little bit is required.
Step One:-
Prepare the garden, yes this means a huge effort and weed the whole garden by hand. Rake over the soil so its nice and smooth and then apply the newspaper. The thicker the better.
Min. six sheets thick. Spread it out and then with a hose wet it all down so it soaked. The now heavy paper won’t blow around in the wind and will mold better to the grounds surface.

Step Two:-
Next spread out the sugar cane mulch. If you cant access cheap sugar cane mulch, try straw, but ensure it has no seeds in it. Make sure all the paper is covered. It doesn’t have to be deep, just enough to cover all the paper. Once again apply water to damp down the mulch. Once watered it takes on a lovely golden colour.

Step Three:-
Now apply the bark. Just grab handfulls and throw it around. You don’t want to totally cover the yellow mulch, the barks mainly to give colour and to contrase with the mulch.

I have found this to be a very effective mulch. A year later and few weeds can get through. Nutgrass was the only successful one and I pulled those out by hand and even the nutgrass gave up the fight. The beautiful browns and golden colour unfortunately fade under the harsh sun, but by that time you should have plenty of flower to make up for it. Best of all – NO WEEDING, yes.