Showing posts with label landscaping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label landscaping. Show all posts

Monday, October 20, 2008

Creating the Perfect Garden Oasis Patio

After a hard day at work there is nothing more relaxing than sitting outside on a patio swing in a beautifully designed garden oasis patio. Surrounded by ferns and other tropical plants would complete the scene. Natural looking flagstone landscaping underfoot creates the effect of walking down a tropical path.

Gazebo Landscape


If staying out of the sun is a concern a gazebo landscape structure is a great place to serve a meal or just relax. The gazebo could be near the house or set out in the garden as a destination spot in a beautifully designed yard.

Then if the structure has lattice work or pillars, then the gazebo landscape could include some type of climbing vine that might include honeysuckle, clematis, ivy, etc. To create the perfect place for entertainment or even a romantic escape, you would also hand miniature lights around the perimeter at roof level, giving the area a soft glow. The possibilities are incredible, waiting for your own creativity to be added to the mix.

Long Lasting Flagstone Landscaping

Adding a flagstone landscape allows your guests to meander around your garden oasis patio and out to the gazebo landscape. This invites all who enter your tropical paradise to enjoy every corner. Having different destination areas for entertaining such as the gazebo or patio allows the guests to spread out and not be cramped into one small area.

An outdoor fireplace or kitchen are also great additions to any outdoor area. This keeps the traffic out of the house and in the garden oasis patio. People tend to feel more relaxed and comfortable outdoors rather than in the more formal areas inside the home. Patio furniture is sturdier and easier to clean. As the host you will also be more relaxed.

You do not want to ruin the relaxing atmosphere of your garden oasis patio with the clutter of garden equipment or children's toys. It would be a good idea to add some attractive storage that blends with the landscape design. There are many ready made products or easy to assemble kits on the market for storage.

Whether you are looking to add flagstone landscaping, do some type of gazebo landscape, or something else altogether to create the perfect garden oasis patio, you will find that you have some incredible options. Using the amount and configuration of the space coupled with your own personal likes and dislikes, you can finally have a wonderful place to call your own.

More ideas on patios can be found here Concrete Patio Designs

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Useful Tips For Backyard Landscaping Ideas

do it yourself landscaping

There are various backyard steep hill landscaping that you can use to transform an ordinary tract of real estate into something worth marveling at. With the right amount of effort and ideas, any backyard can be transformed much nicer. Just try to keep your imagination and creativity working. In no time at all, you will be able to make something beautiful out of your ordinary backyard.

Using nursery plants for landscaping is the most effective method of transforming a backyard. Creating a garden full of plants can help make any backyard spring to life. There are various ways to which making different plants take advantage of the backyard space. Choosing the plants that you wish to have on your backyard would give a different feel to your entire home later on.

You may choose to make your home look more upscale by planting some stud looking trees in your backyard. Having evergreens for example as part of your organic landscaping plans can give your home that noble look that you mostly see in elegant mansions and homes. You can simply create that same elegance with the addition of evergreen on your backyard.

To compliment your surroundings, you may wish to add a few flowering plants for a little color to your backyard. You may want to have beautiful red roses lining up a path way or bunched up together in a garden to create that bouquet of color on a chosen spot. You may even choose to make use of several flowering plants of various colors to keep your backyard even more colorful.

If you wish to add some color but may not have the time to care for the plants regularly, you may choose to make use of wildflowers that usually require little maintenance in order to thrive. Adding this may give you that look of elegance to your landscape.

Using plants can even help in making your own backyard easier to maintain. If it is your usual problem trying to mow an extensive area of your backyard, putting up a garden can easily reduce the lawn area that may need mowing. You can choose between putting up a vegetable or flower garden for this one. But bear in mind that putting up a vegetable garden may take a lot of patience since it may take usually a couple of months before you may be able to see their growth.

And way before that, vegetable plants may require the right amount of water, nutrients, sunlight and care to thrive and hence, may require some bit of your time.

Another way to reduce some mowing area in your backyard is to make use of "hardscapes". This is another landscaping idea that you can use aside from considering the use of plants or trees on your backyard. You may want to make use of rocks, fences or walls to create alternative elements of beauty on your backyard.

Hardscapes may be good to use since they do not require as much maintaining as plants. That would be one of the good backyard landscaping ideas that you may want to use someday.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Low Maintenance Japanese Landscape Design


Beautiful Japanese Landscape Design

For a Japanese landscape design, you will find a list of specific items to consider. Now, some Japanese gardens are simplistic while others include everything that would be found in a traditional Japanese landscape design. Therefore, the first thing you would need to do before shopping for the various types of Japanese garden supplies and materials is to determine the completed look you want.

Plan a strolling garden with beautiful paths taking you past tiny waterfalls and small ponds filled with koi fish. There are so many stonework Japanese art pieces to arrange along the paths to complete the look and feel of an authentic Japanese garden.

A Wooden or Stonework Japanese Garden Bridge


Plantings in the Tea Garden are not showy, for nothing should detract from the calming aspect of the garden. Add a small Japanese garden bridge to create a transition from one part of the garden to another. Each plant, water feature, and stepping stone should be chosen to make the area harmonious and serene.

The Japanese garden bridge is typically constructed from wood or stone with a design that fits with the Japanese style. In Japan, these bridges are used to connect a shore with an island or in some cases, even to connect one island with another island. Of course, in a smaller residential Japanese landscape design, the Japanese garden bridge goes along with a strolling garden, again to go over a pond or stream.

In a traditional dry Japanese garden everything has a meaning and has been specifically placed. There will commonly be a bed of carefully raked sand with several stones strategically arranged.

Locating Japanese Garden Supplies


After you have thoughtfully considered your Japanese garden design and how you would like it to reflect you, make a list of the items necessary to bring it to reality. Many items can be found online with free delivery.

You can be as creative as you like with your design. True to Japanese tradition, it must be simple but at the same time include many features such as the dry garden with the sand base and stones, a pond or other water feature with a waterfall and a Japanese bridge. Japanese Lanterns lining the paths would also be a nice addition.

Find additional information on Japanese landscaping visit Making A Japanese Garden

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Redesigning your outdoor living spaces.

With a pressure to provide excellence, and the requirement of maintaining a high level of quality you can be sure that the aim of landscapers Sydney company, Envision Landscapes, will satisfy your desire for a high quality finish

Envision Landscapes will be on the job from start to finish for all clients.

With such a large number of landscapers, Sydney landscaping company Envision, is This is certainly the case, however when it comes to making the decision on which company to employ, usually the choice is made when the client feels comfortable and positive about the people that will be completing the project.

Some of things people think about when dicding which company to use is dependant on several factors. Beginning with how close the landscape designer is to the client’s project and the scope of work offered.

With a enthusiasm to extend the company name all through Sydney, to the proprietor of Envision landscapers, Sydney, landscape design is viewed as a vocation to be pursued to its greatest

Back and front garden projects are the main type of project that Envision works with, transformtions are the main specialty of their landscape design team. Sydney residents that have used the service that Envision offers, are delighted with the resulting makeovers.

For yards that lack any design, designs can start from a simple low maintenance mixture of paths, garden beds and lawn, to leisure areas, water features, illumination, the choices are endless.

The contemporary fashions are being insisted upon by an increasing number of home owners. As this becomes more and more popular, the landscapers Sydney industry is putting out supplies like treated pine timber walls, diminutive clay size paving and an assortment of other materials. Supplies such as natural stone, large format concrete pavers, block retaining walls and wall cladding are becoming increasingly popular. When you look at paving suppliers you will notice this too. Understanding this fashion is what allows Envision Landscapers, Sydney to be at the vanguard of contemporary design trends.

Get more on landscaping go to Backyard Landscape Design

Friday, July 18, 2008

Long Lasting Types of Desert Landscaping Plants

Desert Landscaping Plants


Some believe that you can only have types of desert landscaping plants if you live in the warm and dry southwestern part of the U.S. But they can also thrive in the high deserts of the Pacific Northwest and in most humid tropical areas.


In addition to using plants for landscaping, which might include yucca, various types of cacti, and so on, you will also find that desert gardens can be used in vegetable garden plans. For instance, fruits and vegetables usually grow exceptionally well in dry climates although you would need to make sure they get adequate watering.


A desert landscape can be very striking but there may be areas of the yard that are in the shade all day and will require the use of landscape shade plants. By visiting your local garden shop you will find the many varieties that do will in your particular climate.


Regarding some of the desert landscaping plants and landscape shade plants, we wanted to provide you with some excellent options that you might consider. Those listed below are just a few samples of the hundreds of possibilities.


Agave Americana: The interesting form and the plant's high tolerance to heat, drought, cold, sun, and even poor soils makes this an ideal all-around plant. The Agave Americana will grow anywhere from one to six feet tall, developing into unique styles of leafs and beautiful colors.


Opuntia phaecantha variety discata, this plant is very hardy, it is able to withstand a bit of cold weather. It is very heavily covered with some with vicious long spines and would not be a good plant to have around children. It will also produce beautiful, deep yellow flowers.


Golden Barrel: This desert plant has beautiful gold flowers with gold colored foliage. At maturity, the plant will reach about four feet high and three feet in diameter.


Desert Landscape Shade Plants


Another great shade plant is the astilbes, also known as the feather flower, due to the shape of its blooms which are puffy, feather like spires that come in white, ivory, pink, red and purple. For an easy care plant with lots of color, great texture and toughness astilbes would be a great addition to your garden.


Hostas are another shade variety that blends in well with desert landscaping plants. They are perennials that come in several types, some with solid green or variegated leaves. They produce flowers white, pink or purple flowers and can grow in full or partial shade.


Liriope Spicata: Another excellent shade plant, this one appears like grass, which is why it is more often referred to as border grass. The flowers are spiked in shape and while in bloom the color changes from white to purple then in the fall, a dark berry grows.


Foxglove: Known more commonly as day lilies, these plants grow extremely well in shade and sun, producing long stems that grow exotic looking flowers of varying colors depending on the species but keep in mind, Foxglove is poisonous so you want to keep it out of reach of pets and smaller children.


Find the current ideas on landscaping go to Outdoor Landscaping Ideas as well as Desert Landscaping Plants.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Outdoor Landscaping Ideas For The Novice

Landscaping the surrounding area of your home is not a lot different than other types of landscaping. People like their home to look as good as possible so the entire neighborhood will be envious. The great thing about home landscaping is it is not hard, and almost anyone can do it without out professional help. It will take some energy and spare time but doing it yourself can be enjoyable and rewarding.

There is a variety of landscape design software available to allow you experiment with different ideas. It is far better to plan ahead with sizes, shapes and styles of plants and patio materials.

The internet can also be utilized to find unusual or new outdoor landscaping ideas. There are tons of photos of completed projects, plans, plants and materials.

There are likely thousands of different landscaping ideas that you will find to be useful for your yard and well within your budget and there are a lot of sites that focus specifically on home landscaping. These sites will also give you some great ideas as well as practical information. It is important to do extensive research before you begin your project to minimize the mistakes so that the job will not have to be done over again.

For Any Budget

Even with a small budget you should still be able to find landscaping ideas to fit your yard and make it more beautiful. If you have a large budget you can do more, but even a limited budget will go a long way towards improving your yard. Projects like flower beds, paths and accent lighting will most likely be cheaper while projects like land contouring can get much more expensive.

Always have the utility company survey the area to be renovated. Relocating or repairing utility lines can be expensive and dangerous.

You should also check with the city regarding zoning and setback restrictions. Most cities will give you a set of guidelines to follow. Some cities also have restrictions on tree elevations and fencing so be careful and comply with all the requirements. Do you homework and find out all you can before you start your project and avoid any wasted time and unnecessary costs

Interviewing landscape architects and contractors and searching online can uncover never before thought of outdoor landscape ideas. They can be expensive, but planned and executed properly, they will yield long lasting and valuable results.