Author: blogger

Have You Started Your Winter Landscaping Yet

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Even
though it’s almost winter, your landscaping work isn’t over yet. Your
plants, patios and ponds still need care, and it’s best to get to them
before the cold sets in. Hiring a licensed NJ landscape architect
service takes away all of the pressure of winterizing your yard, and may
even save you a few bucks when spring comes back around next year.

When
it comes to winter landscaping protection, you’re looking at a two-fold
process. You’ll need to take care of the plants, flowers and trees in
the back yard, and you’ll have to protect your outdoor patios and decks
from the weather. Proper and thorough landscaping preparation is key to
keeping your yard safe and beautiful all year long.

Hiring a NJ Landscape Architect Can Help

It
doesn’t matter whether you created your own designs or hired a
professional contractor: a NJ landscape architect is still a smart
choice for protecting your outdoor space. Some of the services they
provide may include

Lawn care. Resist the urge
to simply let your lawn “die off” during the colder months. Ask a
professional to take soil samples to ensure that the PH is balanced.
Your winter landscaping service should also include thatching, removing
dead leaves and killing off whatever weeds are making their way up from
the ground.

Plants. If you keep plants on your
outdoor patios and decks, you can take them inside to protect them from
cold snaps at night. If you have flower beds planted in your back or
front yard, speak to your NJ landscape architect about using mulch. Too
much can hurt the plants, and too little is useless, so it’s best to
have your service apply it for you.

Trees.
It might seem silly to water your trees, but in the later fall months
it’s a smart decision. Trees can become easily damaged in the winter
because they’re unable to draw water from the snow or ice. A good drink
of water will help them stay healthy during the winter. You may also
want to ask your NJ landscape architect to remove any low hanging or
dying branches and limbs.

Natural materials.
Most people have outdoor patios and decks made of natural materials like
stone or wood. Both can become damaged by harsh weather conditions,
like snow or excessive winds. It’s best to have a professional service
seal your outdoor patios and decks to help them avoid cracking,
splintering and discoloration.

Furniture. This
one you may be able to do on your own, depending on how heavy your
outdoor furniture is. Make sure to take in as much of your furniture as
you can – especially your cushions.

When it comes to landscaping
preparation for winter, it’s really about starting in the fall. You
could potentially damage your yard and its accoutrements if you wait
until the actual winter for landscaping issues. By obtaining the
services of a licensed NJ landscape architect you’re better preparing
your outdoor living spaces to make it through the winter. That means
less money and time spent in the spring fixing anything that may have
broken, discolored or died. So when it comes to winter landscaping
preparation, there’s not time like the present to get things going.

Garden Privacy Screens – Backyard Landscaping Ideas

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No matter where you live, there’s nothing better than relaxing outdoors on a warm summer night watching your backyard landscaping ideas come to life.

Unfortunately, re-landscaping your whole backyard throughout the course of one growing season could be back breaking, costly and requires major planning.

Even though you are landscaping simply one section of the lawn at a time, you still need an overall plan. Utilizing graph paper, sketch out the permanent structures on your property such as the house, out buildings, deck and trees.

Here are some suggestions you’ll dig:

Screening with Plants

If your lawn does not have a fence, you might want to think about planting a row of hawthorn, juniper, arborvitae, or a combination of these bushes to create privacy and offer a backdrop for future flower beds. A smartly placed evergreen screen will also give a windbreak from winter winds and drifting snow.

Planning a Border Flower Bed

The most difficult part of designing a border is choosing flowers that complement one another, both in color and height. The list of perennials I advise here is for a six foot wide bed in a primarily sunny situation. Wide, in this case, means outward from the plant screen or fence, not the length of the bed.

Use 3 or 5 plants for every kind of flower and allow 16″-18″ in between every plant. Allow 20″-22″ between the different plant groups. Planting an odd number of plants is much more visually appealing than an even number.

Permit sufficient space at the rear of the bed for access. This will also prevent choking off essential air and light from the plants in back.

Island Bed

An island bed, as the name suggests, is planted in the middle of the lawn surrounded by a sea of grass. It can differ in shape and size in accordance to your imagination and available space. Scale the plants from tallest in the center to shortest at the edges.

Preplanned Gardens

I understand all of this Latin mumbo jumbo can be challenging for first time gardeners, it was for me. If you want a ready made solution, Direct Gardening provides a wide assortment of preplanned gardens designed to take all the guess work out of plant selection and placement.

Water Feature

Imagine the reflective beauty of a pond or the soft splashing of a man made waterfall. How about a 100 foot high waterslide? Maybe next year.

Do Your Lawn a Favor

Before you buy any vegetation, visit a real garden center for advice on drainage and soil preparation. Also, bring a copy of your plan; a soil sample and an extra credit card just in case you can’t wait years to make your backyard landscaping ideas come true.

Is Your Landscaping Child-friendly

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Your home’s outdoor area should not only be a safe haven for your children – it should be a fun place, too. On top of all that, you want your landscaping to be attractive and high quality. Can you have it both ways? Absolutely. Learn a bit about achieving child-friendly landscaping by reading more below.

Enhance The Fun –

Before investing in expensive play equipment, try to work with what you have. You can incorporate many aspects of your landscaping design into entertaining options for children. A strong, sturdy tree is a great place to hang a tyre swing. A large, handsome log can be a wonderful thing for children to scramble over or to practice their balancing acts. You can add depth to your landscaping through effective and strategic use of sand and water whilst at the same time create a fun play area for children. The trick to landscaping for children is to be imaginative and creative.

Emphasise Safety –

Keeping your landscape in tiptop shape may mean using things that can be hazardous. Chemicals used form your lawn maintenance must be safely stored away. Similarly, pruning shears and other gardening tools must be kept somewhere that children won’t inadvertently stumble upon them and wind up in trouble. As elegant as you want to keep your landscaping, the safety of your kids is critical. Keeping that in mind as you create a garden or an overall landscaping theme will help everyone stay safe and sound.

Combine Education With Fun –

Planting and growing flowers in a garden at home is a great way to mix education with entertainment for children. Allow your child to help you sow the seeds and encourage him or her to help you water and maintain the garden. Children are always thrilled to watch as tiny little green sprouts emerge from the soil; every day, they will rush out to see the progress that has been made. Later on, when gorgeous flowers are blooming, your child will take pride in his or her contribution. In this way, you produce lovely plants and flowers that accentuate your home’s landscaping while helping your child learn something new. This highly recommended winning solution is ideal for all parents wanting to create child friendly landscaping.

Ideas For Landscaping Around Hot Tubs – Design And Planning

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What exactly is it that makes landscaping around a hot tub so different from normal landscaping? The hot tub may be elevated. Of course you can just add a bed of mulch, but your hot tub area will look as cheap as the landscaping cost.
Landscaping designs around your hot tub area don’t have to be elaborate. They can be quite simple and still look very nice. Planters and pots filled with flowers and greenery create a nice look. Add a few shrubs and flowers that you like to add color to the surrounding. A large pot on each side of the hot tub steps with a small tree in each one will give your hot tub a welcoming and lovely look.
When it comes to the area around your hot tub, it’s important to have landscaping ideas for privacy. One way to landscape around your hot tub, with privacy in mind, is a screened in gazebo. A gazebo will help to make the hot tub the focal point of your backyard, while allowing you to comfortably use your hot tub in rainy weather. To make it look nice, you can add a couple of simple planter boxes around the outside of the gazebo. If you’re not a gardener, you could choose to plant some low maintenance silk flowers instead.
It would be virtually impossible to enumerate all the possible ideas for landscaping around hot tubs. Let us concentrate here on an Asian themed hot tub that would be a wonderful addition to a yard. A walkway with plants lightly draped over it offers a combination of shade and sunshine and provides an Asian atmosphere as well. You can also rim the tub with cedar planters filled with trees and other plantings appropriate for the weather in your area. That will give your hot tub the sense of permanence one gets with in-ground tubs.
The ultimate landscaped hot tub would be an in ground hot tub next to an in ground swimming pool. A nice compliment to the beauty of the hot tub and pool would be with a little tropical jungle. Again just take some attractive flowerpots and place them in two clusters of 3 because odd numbers always look better. If you use three different sizes for each cluster this will create a terraced look. Using hibiscus flowers, a small palm bush that won’t grow too large and some ivy that will naturally flow down the pots creating a tropical area.
With all of the ideas for landscaping around hot tubs that are out there, I can only touch upon some of the many possibilities. However, while you landscape, remember that you must allow the hot tub a path to drain when emptied. Otherwise all of your beautiful landscaping efforts could get flooded while the hot tub refills. Get creative and express yourself as you design your very own backyard oasis.

Landscaping a small garden space

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Landscaping a small backyard can actually be a great thing to do. Most homeowners want large grassy yards and lots of landscaping. They see pictures open yards with few trees and plants. Now that sure does look great but it requires lots of maintenance . Imagine mowing, mulching, weeding and pruning. Still want to have that yard? No I don’t think so.

If you have little space you can still make a great yard. In addition, it’s low maintenance . Read on to learn how to landscape your small backyard.

Landscaping A Small Backyard

Landscaping a small backyard can actually be a great thing to do. Most homeowners want large grassy gardens and lots of landscaping. They see pictures open yards with few trees and plants. Now that sure does look great but it requires lots of maintenance . Imagine mowing, mulching, weeding and pruning. Still want to have that yard? No I don’t think so.

If you have little space you can still make a great yard. In addition, it’s low maintenance . Read on to learn how to landscape your garden.

Flowers In A Small Backyard

If you are going to be planting flowers in your backyard you are best off with using containers. They are small, inexpensive and look great.

You can also grow plants and vegetables in planters.

Curves Not Lines

Most backyards are square but you can add depth and style by using curved flowerbeds and walkways.

Curved walkways and paths that lead along rounded planter beds create the illusion of more space. They flow from one area to the next and have a way of making you feel that you are walking in a much larger space then you really are.

Water

In small yards fountains and mini ponds look absolutely great. Ponds and containers full of water aren’t huge. Do what fits your area.

Water features can be store bought or made from materials you buy. All that is needed is a small pump, a few containers and, of course, water! A birdbath can also double as a water feature. Some come with fountains that please both you and the birds and are great features to add when landscaping a small backyard.