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Landscaping

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

Backyard Landscaping IdeasBackyard Landscaping Ideas  . 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.

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 entire backyard during the course of one growing season can be backbreaking, expensive and requires major planning.

Here’s a simple solution: Break up your backyard into “rooms” and remodel one room each year. This is especially helpful if you’re on a budget. You’re results will be much better if you spend as much time and money as you can on one project, rather than trying to revamp the entire backyard all at once for the same amount of money.

Although you’re landscaping only one section of the yard at a time, you still need an overall plan. Using graph paper, sketch out the permanent structures on your property including the house, out buildings, deck and trees.

This is also a good time to consider which existing plants and shrubs won’t be a part of the new landscape.

Make copies of your sketch and experiment with different designs. Incorporate ideas you like from magazines or gardens you’ve visited.

If you host frequent cookouts you’ll probably want to keep the yard open and plant along the borders. If you don’t need the space, you could create real drama with an island bed, walkways, solar lighting and cutouts for comfortable furniture to relax on.

Here are some ideas you’ll dig:

Screening with Plants

If your yard doesn’t have a fence, you might want to consider planting a row of hawthorn, juniper, arborvitae, or a combination of these bushes to create privacy and provide a backdrop for future flower beds. A strategically place evergreen screen will also provide a windbreak from winter winds and drifting snow.

Planning a Border Flower Bed

The hardest part of designing a border is choosing flowers that complement each other both in color and height. The list of perennials I suggest here is for a six-foot-wide bed in a mainly 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 each kind of flower and allow 16”–18” between each plant. Allow 20”–22” between the different plant groups. Planting an odd number of plants is more visually appealing than an even number.

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

These are my suggestions for a perennial border. They were chosen to give a long display, with the first flowers appearing in April and the last in October.

Tall plants for the back row: SEDUM ‘Autumn Joy’; RUDBECKIA Goldsturm; PHLOX White; FAUGERES vin ; IRIS light blue or yellow; VERONICA Blue; SOLIDAGO ‘Golden Shower’; and HOSTA fortunei ‘Picta’, explains Albuquerque Landscaper .

Shorter plants for the front row: GERANIUM grandiflorum; POTENTILLA ‘Firedance’; HUECHERA Pink; ASTER Dwarf Blue; SEDUM Dragons Blood; ACHILLEA ‘Moonshine’; and ERIGERON ‘Prosperity’.

Obviously, these plants won’t be the best choice for every climate. A worthwhile book to help you choose plants native to your climate zone is The Comfortable Lazy Garden. It’s also an excellent reference for beginning gardeners.

Island Bed

An island bed, as the name implies, is planted in the middle of the yard surrounded by a sea of grass. It can vary in shape and size according 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 daunting for first-time gardeners, it was for me. If you would like a ready-made solution, Direct Gardening offers a wide selection of preplanned gardens designed to take all the guesswork out of plant selection and placement.

Water Feature

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

Do Your Yard 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.

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Landscaping

Robotic Lawn Mowers Keep Burglars Away

Robotic Lawn Mowers Keep Burglars Away chicago-landscaper.com

Robotic Lawn Mowers Keep Burglars Away . Minimizing strangers around your house is just as important as locking your doors. Burglars look for clues to empty houses, an unkempt yard is one of them. Lawn care services often don’t know their hired help as well as they should. Ideally you need to make strangers think you are home when you aren’t, but how?

Most motor home owners are concerned about what they are coming home to, or rather what they might not be coming home to, after a long trip. We notify the neighbors, plug-in the timers on the lights and set the alarm system as we walk out the door. Our biggest concern was not our landscaper, but the people he hired to help.

Let’s face it, most landscapers are not going to do a thorough criminal background check on their help. It was probably the weakest link in our home protection scheme, after all it is obvious when nobody’s home. A few times seeing the RV and occupants missing is an invitation to the less scrupulous.

We saw an advertisement for a robotic lawn mower on the internet and figured we’d give it a try. It worked out better than we expected. In fact, it worked out so well I decided to start selling them. Like 80% of robotic lawn mower owners, we gave it a name, Moe.

We have the best neighbors anyone can ask for, okay the nosiest neighbors any can stand to live near. Now not only do they watch the house while we are gone, they watch Moe while we are home.

It has been more than six months since we set Moe loose in the yard and I still get almost daily reports of where it went and what it bumped into and the, “I thought for sure it was going to..” If Nielsen started rating Moe it’d probably rank above the Braves games in our neighborhood. Woe be the neighbor who missed a Moe outing!

Moe doesn’t trim hedges and doesn’t weed eat or edge, but it does a very good job keeping the yard cut. When we are going to be gone for any length of time we have a neighbor kid come over and weed eat. The hedges only need to be taken care of twice a year, so we do that ourselves.

We hadn’t missed the money we were paying the lawn service, but we noticed it when we stopped. It was like a nice little tax-free pay raise. It was so pleasurable that next year we are going to stop paying the fonction Matlab mortgage.

We also hadn’t noticed until recently, it is kind of nice when some one else is taking care of the yard, but there is a bit of stress as well. When strangers are in and around the house- whether we are home or not- just makes both of us a little bit nervous.

This way we have the best of both worlds, the yard is professionally being taking care of and you can hardly call Moe a stranger.

Now if we can only get our neighbors to get one!

This post Robotic Lawn Mowers Keep Burglars Away kindly has been provided by Landscaping company Chicago

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Growing Hibiscus

Growing HibiscusGrowing Hibiscus. Before growing Hibiscus, a fair amount of planning is required. Do you want to grow them in your garden, use them for landscaping or hedging or keep them pots that can be kept indoors or out? What size and type of plant do you want?

Potted culturing has to be confined to the smaller varieties. For outdoors, the size is dependent on the use. Large types are ideal for landscaping. Those used as hedges can be medium in size. If you want the Hibiscus to blend with other plants in the garden, smaller ones are ideal. For bonsai, use old, compact plants with small leaves.

Check with nurseries or other growers in your area to ascertain which species is best suited for you. You cannot be sure of the color of the flowers unless a plant you purchase is in bloom, says Landscaping Lexington KY . There are plants that give common but romantic five petal singles or ones with double layers.

First time gardeners should purchase the right gardening tools, accessories, and perhaps a book on the subject of “growing Hibiscus”.

When growing Hibiscus, choose a sunny spot. The plant is tolerant to many conditions, but thrives in sandy soil with some organic content and slight acidity. Planting materials can be obtained from a nursery.

The propagation is through cuttings, hybrid-grafting and, in the case of certain species, through germinated seeds ( Code postal Toulouse ) . Germinated seeds might not have all the characteristics of the mother plant.

The plant has to be watered until it establishes. Moisture retention is important, and mulching helps this. Water the potted plants from the top and not at the base. Proper fertilizing is important, but remember that excessive nitrogen will promote vegetative growth and may not help the flowering. Pesticides, insecticides and fungicides may have to be used depending on the need. It is best to opt for organic products including fertilizers. Make sure that you follow the label instructions.

Hibiscus growing is highly relaxing and satisfying.

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Landscaping

Improvements in Robotic Lawn Mowers

Improvements in Robotic Lawn Mowers

Improvements in Robotic Lawn Mowers. Now that they they are fully autonomous, robotic lawn mowers are beginning to creep in to every day life.

Robotic lawn mowers are creeping their way in to everyday American life. Like the dishwasher, they were really more trouble than they were worth in the beginning. But technological advances have made the robotic lawn mower practical.

Robotic lawn mowers can now mow on a time schedule and return to the charging base all season long without human intervention, this is the breakthrough that makes them truly useful.

An advanced feature on at least one model is the self-programmable mode. As these robotic lawnmowers work they determine the size of the yard and how fast the grass is growing, when they go back to their charging base they calculate the next time they need to come out to keep the grass at the optimal height.

Rain sensors are becoming standard equipment. When it starts to rain or the sprinkler system activates, they return to their charging base. Mowing in the rain was a major complaint for early adopters.

Some robotic lawn mowers even have a wet grass detection system. Rain sensors are a step in the right direction, but it is the wet grass detection system that cures the problem. Heavy or long periods of rain can leave the grass wet and the ground soft for days. Heavier robotic lawnmowers could get stuck and dig trenches losing traction and spinning tires. Keeping bags of sand handy was just considered part of robotic lawn mower ownership.

Lightweight lithium-ion batteries allow mowers to cut longer and recharge much faster. In fact some can recharge in as little as 4 hours allowing the mower to go out twice a day if needed.

In addition to faster recharge times, lithium ion batteries do not have the ‘memory’ problems associated with lead acid batteries. Basically the memory effect is caused when a battery is not fully discharged on a consistent basis, they remember the shortened life cycle, reducing the useful length of time until the need to recharge.

Robotic lawnmowers have become more reliable too, explains Landscaper Rochester MN . The addition of thermistors that detect when motors are overheating and less heat-sensitive circuit boards and higher quality components extend the life expectancy past 10 years, about the same as a new quality riding lawnmower.

Robotic lawnmowers are now pretty much maintenance-free. Changing the blade once a year and winter storage is about all the attention needed on a routine basis.

Robotic lawnmowers are now able to handle yards as small as 1/8 acre up to 5 acres. Depending on the model, they can handle slopes of up to 30 degrees. All major brands of robotic lawn mowers are waterproof and can remain outdoors all mowing season long.

Residential robotic lawnmowers require a perimeter wire similar to an electric dog fence to be laid prior to operating. Laying the wire is a one-time event that will last the life of the mower.

Setting the perimeter wire is probably the scariest part of purchasing a robotic lawn mower. It is not difficult to stake the wire in place. It usually takes about 3 hours for 1,000 ft. of wire. The wire need not be buried as the grass and roots will grow over it in about 2-3 weeks.

If the mower should cross the wire boundary it will immediately stop. So there is no need to worry about it running away or mowing the neighbor’s yard.

Operating the robotic lawn mower is simple, actually easier than programming a VCR. In theory, programming the mowing schedule need only be done at the beginning of the season. The LCD screens have full instructions and are easy to read (Code Postal Grenoble).

There are quite a number of internet sites that have detailed information about specific features of the different models of robotic lawn mowers. Hopefully, this general description will give readers the interest to look into these new appliances.

Improvements in Robotic Lawn Mowers

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Landscaping

Landscaping On A Budget

Landscaping On A Budget

Landscaping On A Budget . It is possible to have an appealing, unique look to your yard without investing thousands of dollars every year in order to do so. Practicing some basic conservation rules can help you to save money and still make your yard look great.

One great new innovation that is all the rage is the art of xeriscaping. As water becomes ever more valuable a commodity, many homeowners are seeking to conserve their water costs by choosing plants that do not need very much water in order …

It is possible to have an appealing, unique look to your yard without investing thousands of dollars every year in order to do so. Practicing some basic conservation rules can help you to save money and still make your yard look great.

One great new innovation that is all the rage is the art of xeriscaping, tells Landscaper Philadelphia . As water becomes ever more valuable a commodity, many homeowners are seeking to conserve their water costs by choosing plants that do not need very much water in order to survive. These plants are available in many different varieties, and they will add a splash of color to your yard while still saving you money. Know which plants tend to use a lot of water- cedar hedges, for example, are the landscaping equivalent of the sports utility vehicle. Don’t plant any if you are concerned about your water costs!

Another way to save money on water is to include a material in your planting that has good water retention qualities. Peat moss, for example, is very cheap. When you mix it in with the dirt and bone meal while planting your new flowers or hedges, any water that goes near the area will be soaked up and retained for later use as the plant’s needs dictate.

As with many other areas of budget concern, the best way to stay within your means when it comes to landscaping is to do the job yourself. This means everything, from picking your plants to weeding and pruning. With the information age in full swing, though, it is not hard to educate yourself well on all the different tasks specific to your yard.

When it comes to weeds, you are probably going to have to expect a few. If you wage a campaign against your weeds, and this is especially true of your lawn, you are going to end up spending a lot of money and time on various chemicals and treatments, processes which, in the end, may end up doing more harm than good. Be content with some weeds on your lawn, particularly if they have some aesthetic appeal, such as clover.

Don’t be afraid to skip the nursery and buy your plants at a box store. A lot of the time, the plants you buy at a big store that carries many varieties of items will cost much less than those at the local nursery. These plants will not have been tended as carefully as the nursery plants, but with some care taken in the planting and tending, they will probably grow to the same levels in terms of appeal as will the plants which cost more but took less time initially in tending. Most do-it-yourself gardeners like to maximize their time outside anyway, so the extra attention these plants may need will help to increase the time spent on your modifier stl freecad hobby.

One of the best ways to keep a low budget in your landscaping is to limit your green space. Smaller lawns, and less flowers mean less materials needed for the upkeep. Watch what you use as your replacement, though- some types of landscaping rocks (such as lava rock) can be incredibly overpriced. Bark mulch is a fairly inexpensive option, but again, you have to be willing to invest a little extra time into its containment and maintenance.

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Mulch is Mother Natures Blanket

Mulch is Mother Natures Blanket

Mulch is Mother Natures Blanket . Know the reason for mulch, what kinds there are, how much and where to put it. One of the most important part of gardening is mulching. It keeps down weeds by blocking the light that allows weeds to germinate. Mulch will slow down the evaporation of moisture from the soil, which also will keep the soil from drying out and creating a crusty soil.

Earthworms love organic mulch, they eat the organic matter and produce castings. When they move around in the soil the tunnels they make aerates the soil and improves the texture. Other organisms do the same. All the work they do makes a nutrient-rich substance that our plants need.

This process is actually decomposition, which adds valuable organic humus to the soil.

Simple steps to mulching:

1. Distribute the mulch material to a depth of at least 3 to 5 inches. The more coarse the material, the more you add.

2. Place the mulch between and around the plants, but allow the immediate area around the base of the stems of annuals and perennials to be free of it.

3. Moisten the mulch.

When mulching trees and shrubs, keep the mulch approximately 5 – 10 inches from the base of the tree. Over time mulch on trunks, even with organic matter too close to the trunk of the plant, will cause many problems down the road.

The wood mulch keeps the soil cool and maintains an even soil temperature. If bark chips and sawdust are used they may delete nitrogen from the soil when they decompose, so add some nitrogen to the soil first before and then after laying down such mulches.

Look at organic wastes like shredded tree barks or light pruning, seasoned sawdust, wood shavings, peanut shells, cocoa bean hulls, rice husks, ground corn cobs, grass clippings, unused vegetable waste and seaweed.

Black Plastic Sheets
If organic methods are not your style then take a look at black plastic sheets that are used for mulching the soil. It affords excellent weed control and moisture conservation if done properly.

Lay the plastic mulch on top of the soil or beds beforehand, then cut x-shaped slits in the plastic and then just fold back underneath the flaps to plant. When performing this method make sure not to completely fill the hole in the plastic with the plant even when mature.

Place holes or slits on the sides around the plastic to allow the passage of water and air for the benefit of the roots, tell San Antonio Landscaping . The extra slits are crucial when using plastic to allow excess moisture to drain and prevent water-logging, which can happen on wet days.

Compost
When we speak of mulching we often mean using a layer of organic material on the surface of the soil, from dried lawn clippings to strips of newspapers. As time goes by this organic material decomposes because of the various agents present in the soil and will yield the all-important humus matter.

If you plan on using animal manure, which is a nutrient-rich mulch, it should be combined with other material like lawn clippings or straw. Make sure this mixture is well rotted and then it will provide much needed nitrogen to the soil.

Compost mixed with a rough mulch (called living mulch) is an excellent pick for mulching your soil or beds. Compost is the best form of mulch.

Mulch-mowing Method
Mulch-mowing is a simple method of using fallen leaves. A good sharp mulch blade on a lawnmower will be the best mulcher you can find. It will cut the grass tutoriel freecad blades and leaves into tiny pieces and at the same time, using the shredded leaves, produce a rougher textured mulch to cover the soil.

Use this method every week to get the maximum benefit of the mulch on the ground. This will keep the chore easier to handle every week and provide a fresh supply of mulch to start decomposing and forming new organic matter to feed the soil and keep moisture.

With mulch-mowing it keeps fewer leaves on the street that clog the drain system and from causing other hazards for the community.

Whatever you do, mulch is a critical part of gardening and lawn maintenance. You never know when there will be a lack of rain or too much of it, a freeze comes along, lack of nutrients needed for the plant. If you mulch properly then you are prepared for the unexpected. Back to the basics.

Mulch is Mother Natures Blanket

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Landscaping

Outdoor landscape lighting

Outdoor landscape lightingOutdoor landscape lighting . Landscape lighting is an action that brilliantly amends the tangible and noticeable features of various landscapes and architectures. Landscape outdoor lighting is in fact a beautification process that smartens up sidewalks, stairways, structures, buildings, fences, flora and fauna, lighting and weather conditions. Outdoor landscape lighting instills ambiance and value. Outdoor landscape lighting increases charm, security, usability, worth, magnificence and a protected passage for commuters. This job requires a creative mind with good observational skills. Our team has an outstanding experience and we offer the best services to our valued patrons. We cater to the whole of America and enjoy a large base. We can mark our presence in your area as well. If you ever need us, we are a call away.

With a team of experts we offer outstanding services for outdoor landscape lighting that life-up the landscapes . This system is a typical low-voltage one that works with three simple ingredients: fixtures, low voltage electrical cable and a transformer, says Iowa City Landscaper . The installation part is quiet undemanding for those who have a little experience in handling electric wirings. These are done in an architectural fashion with high quality and skill. Professional contractors do it with an impressive degree of expertise.

Area lights – These may be flood lamps and other lightings that are used to illuminate a large area. These can be used creatively to generate dramatic results. You can use them well for parks, play areas etc. We take it as a challenge and help you with the best of the best.

Pathway lights – These are specially designed to furnish visibility to commuters moving on the pathways. They are amongst the chief part of outdoor landscape lighting. Thus they need to be well done. For this purpose, our team has creative and specialized experience on this front.

House lighting – As a home lighting instrument, you can attract visitors with these fancy things. They can be put up on the gate, front lawn, building exterior and give an impression of an atrium. Landscape lighting leaves the visitors spellbound. This is one of the most sought-after landscape lighting offerings. Designs of trees, fountains, etc can be highlighted on your property and enhance its outlook.

Our low voltage technology exclusively designed to brighten your property comprises of an exceptional and secure outdoor lighting option. Thus, our outdoor landscape lighting furnishes a flattering appearance blended with a technological, creative, elegant and natural outlook. Limestone and granite are the most preferable ingredients that give the final glow there. Various other options we have especially for our valued customers come in various architectured forms.

Up-Lighting | Down Lighting | Back Lighting | Shadowing | Grazing | Highlight or Focal Point | Cross Lighting | Path Lighting |Silhouette Lighting | Wall Washing | Mirror Lighting | Safety Lighting | Underwater Lighting

We also offer superior grade all-inclusive services with a renewable service contract blended with every installation thus giving complete assurance. Our relationship with our trusted customers extends beyond a lifetime and we make no way for loopholes of any kind. We offer prompt backup services too. We offer a new lamp, totally free of cost if your lamp happens to burn out. Your system is also completely tested for voltage, fixture and system integrity, lens cleaning, etc for terrific efficiency and visual positioning.

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The Basic Principles Of Landscape Design

The Basic Principles Of Landscape Design

The Basic Principles Of Landscape Design . These are the same principles of landscape design that professionals use written so do-it-yourselfers can use and understand them.

Whether you plan on “borrowing ideas” or plan on creating your own landscaping design, you should have at the very least a basic understanding of the principles of landscape design.

This doesn’t mean that you have to apply every principle to every part of your plan. But just having an understanding of these principles will help you generate ideas and increase your creativity.

Great landscaping lies in the eyes of it’s creator, adds Atlanta Landscaping . So, while the principles of landscape design are great guidelines to follow, don’t feel like they’re the “have to rules” of landscaping. Abstract and creativity are allowed.

Unity should be one of your main goals in your design. It may be better understood and applied as consistency and repetition. Repetition creates unity by repeating alike elements like plants, plant groups, or decor throughout the landscape. Consistency creates unity in the sense that some or all of the different elements of the landscape fit together to create a whole.

Unity can be achieved by the consistency of the character of elements in the design. By character, I mean the height, size, texture, color schemes, etc. of different elements.

A good example would be in the use of accent boulders. If you’ve ever seen a landscape design that had one large white round boulder here and another large red square granite boulder there and so on, then you’ve seen that unity wasn’t created by this specific element.

This is just one example but the principle applies to all other elements such as groups of plants and materials.

A simple way to create unity in your landscape is by creating themes. And one of the simplest ways to create themes is by using a little garden decor or garden statues. Creating a theme garden is easier when it’s related to something you’re interested in or have a passion for.

If you’re into butterflies for instance, you could create a theme using plants that attract butterflies as well as using statues, ornaments, and other decor that are related to butterflies.

Unity should be expressed through at least one element in your landscape and preferably more. Using elements to express the main idea through consistent style and a specific theme is what creates harmony.

Simplicity is actually one of the principles in design and art. It’s one of the best guidelines you can follow as a beginner or do it yourself. Just keep things simple to begin with. You can do more later.

Simplicity in planting, for instance, would be to pick two or three colors and repeat them throughout the garden or landscape. Keeping decor to a minimum and within a specific theme as well as keeping hardscapes such as boulders consistent is also practicing simplicity.

Balance in design is just as the word implies. Equality. There are basically two types of balance in landscape design. Symmetrical and Asymmetrical.

Symmetrical balance is where there are more or less equally spaced matching elements of the garden design. With a garden equally divided, both sides could share the same shape, form, plant height, plant groupings, colors, bed shapes, theme, etc.

You may remember creating something like this when you were a kid in art class at school. Where you take a piece of paper, splash paint on it, fold it in half, unfold it, and then it magically creates an interesting symmetrical design. So symmetrical balance or design is somewhat of a mirror image or reflection.

Asymmetrical balance on the other hand is one of the principles of landscape design that’s a little more complex. While textures, forms, colors, etc. may remain constant to create some unity, shapes and hardscapes may be more random. This form of balance often has separate or different themes with each having an equal but different type of attraction.

A good example of this would be where bed shapes or paths differ on both sides of the dividing line. One side could be curvy with a sense of flow while the other side is straight, direct, and hard.

This can also create a neat contrast. Flowing lines are pleasing to the eye but the bold contrast of a curve with a straight line can be very interesting.

Asymmetrical balance isn’t necessarily limited to just the shape of your garden.

An example might be where one side of the garden is mostly large shade trees while the other side is predominately a lower growing flower garden or even a mix of both examples. This is only limited to your imagination.

Contrast and harmony can also be achieved using plants. Fine foliage verses coarser foliage, round leaves versus spiked leaves as well as color compliments and contrasts.

Plant height, color, and texture may be varied from one area to the next but each area should stay consistent within its own theme.

You’ll hear me talk about “themes” a lot. Many successful do-it-yourself designs follow a basic theme to achieve most of the principles of landscape design described on this page. The proper use of plants and garden decor or a mix of both is a simple way to achieve themes.

Color adds the dimension of real-life and interest to the landscape. Bright colors like reds, yellows and oranges seem to advance toward you and can actually make an object seem closer to you. Cool colors like greens, blues, and pastels seem to move away from you and can make an object seem farther from you.

Grays, blacks, and whites are considered neutral colors and are best used in the background with bright colors in the foreground. However, to increase depth in a landscape, you can use dark and coarse textured plants in the foreground and use fine textured and light colored plants in the background.

Colors can also be used to direct your attention to a specific area of the garden. A bright display among cooler colors would naturally catch the eye.

Natural transition can be applied to avoid radical or abrupt changes in your landscape design. Transition is basically gradual change. It can best be illustrated in terms of plant height or color but can also be applied to all elements in the landscape including but not limited to textures, foliage shape or size, and the size and shape of different elements.

In other words, transition can be achieved by the gradual, ascending or descending, arrangement of different elements with varying textures, forms, colors, or sizes.

An example of a good transition would be a stair-step effect from large trees to medium trees to shrubs to bedding plants. This example is where a little knowledge of proper plant selection would come in handy.

Transition is one of the principles of landscape design that can be used to “create illusions” in the landscape. For example a transition from taller to shorter plants can give a sense of depth and distance (like in a painting), making the garden seem larger than it really is. A transition from shorter to taller plants could be used to frame a focal point to make it stand out and seem closer than it really is.

Line is of the more structural principles of landscape design. It can mostly be related to the way beds, walkways, and entryways move and flow.

Straight lines are forceful and direct while curvy lines have a more natural, gentle, flowing effect.

Proportion simply refers to the size of elements in relation to each other. Of all the principles of landscape design, this one is quite obvious but still requires a little thought and planning. Most of the elements in landscape design can be intentionally planned to meet the proper proportions.

For instance if you are creating a small courtyard garden ( Points forts cv ), an enormous seven foot garden statue placed in the center would be way out of proportion and a little tacky to say the least. Or a small four-foot waterfall and pond placed in the center of a large open yard would get lost in the expanse.

Don’t misunderstand this to mean that if you have a large yard you can’t have smaller features or garden decor. Proportion is relative and elements can be scaled to fit by creating different rooms in the garden. The goal is to create a pleasing relationship among the three dimensions of length, breadth, and depth or height.

A small water feature can be proportionate if placed in a corner or on the edge of a large area and becomes a focal point of the larger area while creating its own distinct atmosphere. An entire room, sitting area, or theme can be created around it. Other rooms and themes can be created as well. See small gardens for ideas on creating rooms and creating illusions.

Also, special consideration and study should be given to proper plant selection to avoid using plants that are out of proportion.

Repetition is directly related to unity. Its good to have a variety of elements and forms in the garden but repeating these elements gives a variety expressions.

Unity is achieved by repeating objects or elements that are alike. Too many unrelated objects can make the garden look cluttered and unplanned.

There’s a fine line here. It’s possible that too much of one element can make a garden or landscape feel uninteresting, boring and monotonous.

However, unity can still be created by using several different elements repeatedly. This in turn keeps the garden interesting.

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The Endearing Language of Flowers

The Endearing Language of FlowersThe Endearing Language of Flowers . The language of flowers is a language of love, endearment, and respect. The true popularity of flowers lies in their ability to bring joy and good cheer.

The fascination with flowers has captivated, and charmed people worldwide. They represent a form of life that has endured evolution, and continues to flourish. With a diversity of colors, forms, scents, and uses, flowers have been revered by generations of admirers, and enthusiasts alike. Throughout history, flowers have been the perfect form of expression, when words were hard to find. The language of flowers is a language of love, endearment, and respect. The truly popularity of flowers lies in their ability to bring joy, and good cheer.

The first flowering plants found were tiny herb-like flower fossils dating back 120 million years. An innumerable number of images of preserved flowers and flower parts have been found in fossils located all over the world. According to scientists, there are over 270,000 species of flowers that have been documented and are living in the twenty-first century. Scientists continue to marvel over the amazing diversity of species and the species that have not changed much during evolution. Many flowers have coevolved with their pollination animals.

The flower is the reproductive organ of a plant. It is the job of the flower to produce seeds through fertilization, and pollination. Pollination requires animals (bees, hummingbirds, etc.), wind, or water to transfer male pollen to the female ovule. After a flower is fertilized, it develops into a fruit containing seeds. These seeds are the next generation and serve as the means by which species of plants are dispersed across a field, tells Landscaper Austin ( residential landscaping ). Crossbreeding can occur, and this leads to the enormous diversities seen.

The alluring nature of flowers has made them subjects of folklore, and poetry. Their medicinal use has been embraced by the east for centuries. A flower’s fragrance is its personality, a beautiful bouquet of scents that permeate even the worst form of pollution. Flowers have been associated with religious symbolism, the lily signifying purity for example. The diversity of shapes and colors makes them the perfect decoration, and the perfect gift. The likelihood of two people having the same color, shape arrangement is very remote. Edible flowers have been used in the culinary field for flavor and garnish for many years.

It is clear that flowers do have a very endearing language. A language that is universal, without borders. A language that contains no negativity, nor prejudice. An unconditional way of expressing a feeling so deeply, that words could never convey the true meaning. Regardless of the situation, the sight of a flower will always solicit a smile and a sense of warmth.

The Endearing Language of Flowers

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Landscaping

Tips for feeding your lawn nitrogen

Tips for feeding your lawn nitrogen

Tips for feeding your lawn nitrogen . Discover why nitrogen is vital for a healthy lawn as well as helpful tips for applying nitrogen fertilizers.

Nitrogen is vital to your lawn and is one of the most popular fertilizers. You need nitrogen because chlorophyll depends on it as do other proteins and amino acids. These in turn are what make your lawn green and causes it to grow well.

Some things to look for to see if your grass has a nitrogen deficiency are; if it turns yellow despite watering, the grass doesn’t grow quickly, diseases are present in your lawn, or if the grass turf starts getting thinner.

Depending on the time of year, your budget, and the climate there are three basic types of nitrogen used in fertilizers that are popular to apply.

1. You will find isobutylidenediurea (IBDU) which decomposes slowly and will feed your grass over a longer period of time. It will often take a couple of weeks to decompose enough for you to see it’s effects on your lawn.

This is the most expensive form of nitrogen fertilizer because of the way it is manufactured and its uniformity. Its uniformity also makes it very easy to apply.

2. There is also sulfur-coated urea. It depends on how thick the sulfur coating is to determine how quickly it will dissolve and feed your plants, explains Landscaping Dallas TX , a Dallas landscape design company.

S.C.U. will release quicker when the temperature is hotter, the lawn is wetter, or if the grass is healthier.

3. The last one I am going to mention is urea, fairly inexpensive nitrogen. It is the cheapest nitrogen to produce as well as the fastest acting.

You can often see results overnight, it is that fast. But it gets depleted quickly and if you over-apply it you can easily burn your yard up and kill your grass.

So the next time you go shopping for fertilizers with nitrogen check the labels and ask lots of questions.

Tips for feeding your lawn nitrogen