Friday, July 5, 2013

Why you need Garden Edging

Reading through garden and landscaping magazine, you might come across some magnificent garden edging ideas, but you might wonder what is the purpose of having one. Apart just from their beautiful look.

There are several reasons why garden edging is important yang why you need to have them in your garden.

Separating your Lawn and Garden.

Your garden design might consist of combination of lawn, flower bed and other beautiful garden plant. Each of them will occupy some area of your garden. Throughout time these plants will grow and their own pace, some plant will grow much faster than the other, un-organized plant will become such an eyesore.

By having an edging install and act as a border you could easily differentiate the area and have a very distinctive look between them. Plus, your garden will look much tidier when surrounded by beautiful garden edging.
Garden Edging Ideas

Protect your garden

From the example earlier, when your garden is adjacent to your lawn, there is possibility of damaging your beautiful flower bed while mowing your lawn. Thus edging will act as border between two areas (your garden and the lawn) that will not only make your mowing activity easier, but also protecting your other garden plant (flower for example) from being mowed together with the grass.

Another point note, the edging can prevent stoloniferous grass to grow into your flower bed soil. This could create area competition between your flowers and the intruding grass that might ruin the health and subsequently the beautiful look of the flowers.

Theme for your Garden

There are so many design and vast selection of ideas for garden edging, and there is more than handful design for you to select for your garden. By selecting the right design you could give some sort of theme for your garden. Pay a visit to your local gardening store or search some photos from the internet for some inspiration. Garden edging will give some sense of completeness for your garden

I’m sure there are more reasons for you to have edging in your garden, and maybe you have your own reason to have them installed, or maybe you have your own super brilliant Garden Edging Ideas.

Feel free to share them in the comment area below. I would love to know them as well.



Wednesday, May 22, 2013

What kind of landscaping equipment do you need to have around the house?

Landscaping equipment

When start doing some landscaping for better look of your house, you can’t avoid using some proper tools or landscaping equipment for your new found hobby. They are a few tools that are so-called must have tool for even basic landscaping activity, on the other hand there’s also some type of equipment that are nice to have but not really necessary. It is best for you to know what type of landscaping activity you really want to do for your yard before purchase any type of landscaping equipment or tools, because some of this equipment can be very expensive. It is advisable for you to note that if the landscaping task that you are going to do is not a routine activity, you might want to consider renting the related equipment, rather than spending too much money to buy it.

Most of the time, there are certain type of tools for landscaping that so many people have it without even realizing it. Tools such as fertilizer spreaders and certain type of applicators are very popular among normal houses. Some people did not consider these tools as landscaping equipment because they are so common even for very basic gardening activity. However these tools are still very essential even for heavy landscaping project, so I would say it is best them when you are planning to do some heave landscaping project for your yard.

An irrigation tool is required when you plan to do a lot of work that will involve in planting new plants or trees. This is important especially when you are planting living shrubbery and flowers, watering them with the right amount of water are also crucial. Your job will be a lot easier if you invest with equipment like sprinkler that is equipment with timer. This will ensure your yard will always get the right amount of water at the right time even when you are not home. This is especially great for when you leave town and in the simmer when you are under strict orders about how much water can be used each week.

The right Landscaping equipment is important to any landscaping activity, if you want to make your yard looks super great, then you need to get the best equipment. You can find everything that you need for any job online. The internet is hands down the best place to shop for any of your landscaping needs nowadays.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Choosing the right Landscaping Contractor for your

Sometimes, there are certain designs that you wish to put in your landscape will involve much of complicated work, and it’s best for the task to be outsource to professional landscaping contractor.

However it is vitally important that you carefully do your best in choosing the perfect contractor to work on your yard or project. Choosing randomly from Yellow Pages when looking for a good landscaping contractor will often lead to disaster. This ‘random pick’ method has no way of actually knowing if they are actually really good in landscaping work and suitable to work on the landscape of your dream.
Landscaping Contractor

It is advisable for you to call-up the contractor that you see from Yellow pages and interview them about their past jobs. Ask them about how many landscaping job have they done before? have they did the design similar like your garden? etc. and if you have time, ask them to take you to see some of their previous project. This is the best way to see their actual skill. Some contractor will provide you photos of their previous project, but you need to be extra careful and verify with their previous client to make sure the photo is really from the contractors work, and not just random photo pick from some magazine. Do this survey with three or more contractors before you make your final decision in choosing the right landscaping contractor for your project.

The contractor of your choice should be the one to come up with the design of your entire yard, depending on the scope of job you want them to work on, maybe both front and backyards. So you will want a contractor that is full of creative and fantastic ideas. When having a meeting with them about your project, have them come over to your yard for clearer picture. They might need to do some measurement at your yard, and can recommend your better ideas for more wonderful look of your yard. 

There are some many ways for a capable and skillful contractor can do to transform your yard for example they could add some slope and hills or they can play around with color and texture. Every contractor will have their own unique ways of doing things and making an impression within their project. You’ll want to make sure the impression they are making is the impression you really want for your yard. I’m sure you don’t want to live with a yard that practically eyesores especially after you spend your money to the so-called ‘professional’ landscaping contractor. Early survey is important to avoid this scenario, so you can spend your money for garden that is making you proud and happy.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Give your Garden landscaping another touch of beauty with Layering

Could your home do with a little more garden landscaping? Probably so, and that is a good thing. In fact you should be very excited about it because gardening and landscaping is fun way to improve the look of your home, it will get your imagination working overtime and you will have a ball planting and rearranging your plants and flowers.


Adding some layering to your garden, you’ll be able to add a whole other level of beauty to your landscaping design. Your yard is the first thing that people will see when they visit your house and giving a grand tour that includes a fabulous garden is always fun and exciting. You will be the talk of the neighborhood and for all the right reasons this time, when you have a nice garden landscape as your front yard.

Layering your garden design is not that difficult to do. You need to know the flowers that you are going to plant first, however the choices that you make as far as the flowers and other plants will affect just how your garden landscaping is laid out. For example you do not want to have the taller plants in front of the shorter ones, for the obvious reason that the smaller plant will block from view. You need to make a rough sketch of where you want things laid out for in your layered garden before you begin. This will help you to keep things as simple as possible. You can complete your layered garden much faster this way, and fewer problems will show up when you have the overall picture in mind.

The right number of layer for your garden should be around three layers. The back row should face north if possible, and the tallest plant of your selection should occupy this layer. As the rows descend so should the heights of the plants and flowers.


Simple mistake that first timer normally do with layering garden is buying baby plants that later will outgrow the tallest plant in your design. It is best for you to ask re seller at your local gardening store about how large the plants will grow. This is important to get the right final view of your layered garden landscape. If the front or middle row of your garden landscaping design is going to grow much higher than the last row, then you will have to do some rearranging and this might be a little messy and your garden will be different from you early sketch.

The layering effect of your garden landscaping design will add some depth of beauty and make your garden much more interesting to nearby viewer. You can consider this as work of art and will make you proud of your own work.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

An Essential note for a wonderful backyard landscaping idea


A great idea for backyard landscaping is the idea that can be easily applied by anybody.. There are so many great ideas for your backyard landscape, which you can tell by only a glance at the landscape. However to find the right landscape that is suitable for your own backyard might require some reading and research. This article is written with the intention to assist you in finding the right landscape for the backyard of your home

It is good to use evergreens as a main component of your backyard. The use of these fabulous trees will do so much for practically any yard. While preserving the welcoming and warm feeling of your home, this plant will add some stately nature towards it. Most people intend to use deciduous trees in the yard and it really is a brilliant idea although it's the evergreens which will give the yard the structure and to discover the stability that it also needs and get a good backyard landscaping idea and design.

You need to look for a backyard landscaping idea like the one above that will benefit you all year round. Deciduous trees are not going to be gorgeous in all of the seasons, most perhaps, although not all. Evergreens on the other hand will always be fantastic and that they look as beautiful among the winter as they simply do in the summer and this is now why they make for such a great backyard landscaping idea. The vital key to any great landscaping design would be to look for a backyard landscaping idea like this that will keep this yard interesting it doesn't matter what time of the year our view.

Check-out over 7250++ Landscape design shared by Helen Whitfield Here

Another great backyard landscaping idea is to utilize hardscape. Right here is the use of things like rocks, fences and walls. These can make your yard look very interesting during each and every part of the seasons. You can get climbing plants listed in the summertime and spring and pretty trees around it that will look great among the winter. When trying to get a very good backyard landscaping idea you need to look into other options besides just plants. There's so much more to landscaping than just plants and trees.

Walls and fences can frame your premises beautifully and using them is such an excellent backyard landscaping idea as they will just accent your entire other wonderful backyard landscaping ideas. They will frame your yard being a picture frame frames a stunning painting. Check out this kind of backyard landscaping idea likewise within your search for the main one.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Crucial Tips Regarding Deck Ideas

When it comes to decking ideas, there are some vital aspects that need to be considered. There are only a few things more pleasurable than spending a summer evening outside enfolded by a tree-lined backyard, quite garden, or manicured lawn. Majority of homeowners love spending these evenings with a deck, a simple and common home improvement fixture, as it makes spending time at home a worthwhile experience. Garden decks give the homeowners and guests an opportunity to get access to the private spaces of the backyard anytime, and provide perfect setting for an evening drink, informal dinner, or afternoon tea. All of this makes both the time and money spent into constructing a deck a valuable investment for any homeowner.



When building a backyard deck, homeowners usually have plenty of different options available in terms of deck ideas. Major consideration among these choices is whether they are looking to install a deck which is directly linked with the house, or a freestanding deck stationed elsewhere on the property. The major advantage of attaching a deck directly to the home is the fact that the deck will be able to drive a lot of its structural support from the house itself.

Installing an attached deck needs a lot less planning and brainstorming than a freestanding deck, but when a homeowner plans to affix a deck to their house, they surely have limited room about the placement of deck on their property, as it should be directly linked to the house itself. Affixing a deck to a home would usually need the removal of siding of the house to join the deck to the wall studs or floor joists, which will be the determining factor for the height of the deck as well.

If you are a homeowner who wants to install a backyard deck not attached to your house, a freestanding deck would be the most obvious choice among various deck ideas. Freestanding garden decks are bit trickier to construct mainly because of the fact that these decks are required to support themselves, however this usually means some extra work and little more than just digging. But, for homeowners looking for a freestanding type, there are two extra options to look at. The first option is a ground deck. This type of deck rests only slightly above ground, acting like a raised plank floor. Ground decks are perfect choices for areas over current concrete patios, and generally quite straightforward to construct.

Another great choice for a freestanding deck is a raised deck, also referred to as a high deck. These types of decks normally range from straightforward to very complex to construct, but can be installed anywhere on the property. These options are mostly popular among people who live on buildings that contain slopping ground situations, and can be built as bridges, balconies, or may even act like multi-level stairs.

Once a homeowner has decided which type of deck he wants to install, they will have to focus on the design procedure, tailoring the structure of their new deck to their specific requirements and to the characteristics of their property. Different deck ideas and options would be suitable for different purposes.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Tips for Setting up a Cottage Garden Design

Cottage gardens are superb for the gardening lovers who only have smaller spaces. A cottage garden design is full of color and the flowering plants grow in various levels and heights. Normally in such gardens there would be snapdragons, sweet peas, roses, lavenders together with flowers that are old fashioned. As you design your ideal cottage garden, it is essential to initially make a plan regarding what you will require as well as the structures that will be used for the growing plants and a good example is pergola. When climbing roses are allowed to grow up the sides of verandas, the looks of a garden are significantly improved. Below are a few tips that guide you on how to set up a superb cottage garden.

1. Make a plan

The first step involves drawing a plan for the available space in your garden. Add structures and pathways that you want then you can build your cottage garden around them. Get to know exactly where the fences will be including the established trees. One thing you must also remember to do is identify the exact regions which provide shade during sunny days and this you can do by looking at the regions at different times throughout the day. This is a crucial step as it determines the choice of plants that are to be grown in the different areas considering some do well in sunny areas while others grow better in shade areas. With this information, you can also make out which ones can be grown.

2. Selection of Plants

If you have a large cottage garden design, you can opt for old fashioned flowers and include different varieties too. It may be a brilliant idea to have a theme based on colors throughout your garden even though real cottage gardens are generally colorful. You will undoubtedly find different varieties of old fashioned roses and climbing roses which grow perfectly over pergolas and verandas. Settle on plants that are bright and are simple to grow. In addition, add varieties that will provide color to the garden all through the year.

3. Herbs are a good addition

If you lack sufficient room for a vegetable garden, it is still possible to grow herbs. Some have good foliage that can be an excellent addition to the garden. In spite of this, care must be taken so that they are in the right areas because some of them spread quickly. Consequently such plants that spread fast are likely to take over the garden. A separate herb garden can be set up in a corner that borders a small pathway or box hedge.

4. Document the Procedures

After you have bought and grown your plants in the garden, ensure the tags they are sold with are safely kept since they carry details of the plant. The tags guide you on how much sunlight or shade a plant requires, amount of water it requires and distance they should be grown from other plants. The tags also specify when they will bloom. Maintain a gardening book or folder which indicates all the plants you have grown in the garden. The book should also provide information regarding when tasks like trimming roses or digging up bulbs should be done.

5. Add Fertilizer

Plants will often crowd together in a cottage garden design. Therefore, applying fertilizer on a regular basis is advised. The dates when this is done can be marked on a calendar.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Front garden design ideas and tips

Front garden design
Having a beautiful and inviting front garden is a true statement of ownership. The time and effort spent in designing a front garden does not only improve the outlook of your home, but also increases the value of ownership. However, making small touches of brilliance can make a whole difference, especially if space is not asset in your home. The following are creative small front garden design ideas that can help you make a strong first impression.

Being the gateway to your home, there is no way you can hide a front garden. In this respect, it is imperative to keep it in check by adding some elegant, yet simple flourishes to make it appealing. One of the greatest ways of ensuring this is to add a selection of well arranged planters around the front door to ensure maximum impact that comes with minimum upkeep and maintenance. However, if you are keen on impressing your guests and visitors at your front door, adding a simple trellis will just keep your fears to rest.

Even if yours is the smallest of gardens, a clever use of planters and troughs can significantly improve the look of your front garden. It not only use the minimal of spaces, but creates an eye-catching effect as well.

A small garden with a feature bench is another outstanding front garden design idea worth trying. If you do not mind relinquishing some precious floor space, then a garden bench is a practical and stylish way of making an unrivaled impression. It also provides a perfect place for basking, particularly in summer.

Using pot plant trellis is another exciting way of creating an unparalleled focal point in your garden, however small it could be. Hanging pot plants from your wall frees up valuable space in your garden while also getting your neighbors envying your genius idea.

If time is not a luxury on your part, colored gravel could be the garden design idea you need. This gardening idea not only brightens your outdoor space, but also gives your small garden a contemporary look, besides being easy to maintain. Teamed up with lots of daffodils, greenery and stone pathways, you can create a small, yet outstanding space that is perfectly formed with an air of grandeur.

A modern decked path is an exciting way of giving a sleek finish to your small front garden. Besides being a great way of breaking up a relatively small garden to give an illusion of space, it also adds an elegant entrance, particularly to the seating area at the backyard.


In addition to that, if you have a decked patio outdoor area, for example, then you can spruce it up by using some well-chosen potted plants and colorful blossoms. On the same breath, adding some simple furniture will definitely create a rustic effect without distracting from your greenery efforts. To create a seamless flow between the inside and outside, you can complete the look by adding some well designed french doors that lead to the garden area.

The front garden is arguably the most important area of your home. In this respect, front garden design should be given a lot of emphasis to create a balance between creating a space that invites and welcomes people into your home, and meeting your tastes and preferences.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Stuff you need to know about Backyard Landscaping


Your backyard landscaping will really require being about many things but the most important one of these when your well being  The majority of folks get into designing great backyard because they want to change the look and feel of their total home, they want to make it an amazing place where their family can be safe and comfortable continuously. Owning a backyard landscape is a very good way to add more money peace for your life even if alone you even have a very large family and tons of kids. It is possible for you to generate a sanctuary with the backyard that you've never had before in your world.

Backyard landscaping

Backyard landscaping does not need to be drastic or hard. That you can do your personal design or you can hire a contractor to do the whole thing to you. The ultimate decision is yours but functioning yourself is most certainly number of work, especially when you do not have any experience with one of these thing. There are all kinds of things which you might want to study prior to doing the own backyard landscape. You will need to have a crash course in landscaping and such course will probably be packed full of in all various kinds of info which you never even knew was accessible. You most likely are willing to save some cash according to the work if you do your own landscaping, however if you screw the relationship too badly one might result to paying even more to have everything fixed.

If you would like to acquire backyard landscaping done you need to only do it yourself when it is likely to be a basic and simple job. If you would like irrigation things treated and planes and elevations allow it to into the professionals that do it for a living. Things like this may be over your head entirely. You have to pay attention how you deal with your backyard landscaping or you could end up with quite a mess sitting on your hands.

There are a couple of valuable places so that you can learn more money about backyard landscaping such as the local public library add the internet. You can find many backyard landscaping books out of the library that will assist you to to create the best decisions as to your landscaping needs. You may also get many do-it-yourself tips online.

Check-out over 7250++ Landscape design shared by Helen Whitfield Here

Monday, April 15, 2013

Remolding a Small Garden with Flower Bed Ideas

Landscaping ideas play a significant role for remodeling a small garden. This will make it more appealing and looks serene. These flower bed ideas will help everyone to fulfill their wishes for their garden beautifications.

Steps for Planning of Flower Beds

First, start with assessing the entire garden. Afterwards, take a piece of paper and scribble down the perceived design. Through this, everyone can make a rough draft for his or her garden. Estimating the size of the garden can help them to arrive with the right plan.

Second, think of a common theme. Is it contemporary? Would it be an oriental-inspired garden? How about western styles? After deciding of a particular theme, proceed to the next step, which is planning of materials.

Third, after everything is set, proceed to the selection of colors. To make it more fulfilling, look for colors that are pleasing and soothing to the eyes. Ideally, it is recommended to choose earth colors such as brown, beige, or green. These colors are used for painting the stones. Moreover, use non-toxic paints because this can prevent people from exposure to toxic substances.

Fourth is the selection of plants and types of flowers. As for the flower beds, it is best to arrive with colorful and scented flowers. Typically, it is best to use "roses" or "forget me not" flowers. For more therapeutic gardens, planting of eucalyptus tree can help rejuvenate the garden for its soothing effect. Placing bamboo shoots in the flower bed will add extra accessories in the garden.

Proceed to the shrubs and topiary. There are flower beds which can't accommodate huge topiaries. However, putting well-maintained shrubs and topiaries in the flower beds can make it more inspiring. There are pre-made topiaries available in the market. Otherwise, they can also make their own topiaries.

Accessories for Flower Beds

Using of ornamental items such as painted clay pots or bonsai (miniature plants) will create an oriental-inspired theme. Additionally, there are flower beds that have its mini pond. In Japan, most exterior designs are associating the "Zen Garden" for outdoor backyards. These include the use of sands and metals to make it more charismatic. The implication of Zen gardens for flower beds is to attract positive (good vibes) aura in the backyard.

To make more pleasing flower beds, everyone should think of materials that are considered earth-friendly. Avoid using non-biodegradable, toxic, and plastic materials because this will put everyone at health risks. Using of natural elements such as stones, bricks, wood, and other biodegradable items is recommended.

Other flower bed ideas are the garden pockets. The best way to create a garden pocket is to use stones and cement. The Do-It-Yourself procedure about garden pockets starts with the size. Settle with the right size that can suit to the overall area of the garden. People can come up with numerous mini pocket gardens or stick with one huge pocket garden.

Final Touches for Flower Beds

Lastly, fertilizers are used for inducing the growth (blooming time) of plants and flowers. It is highly recommended using natural fertilizers instead of industrialized fertilizers. It has no chemicals. By creating a compost pit, it will help everyone to make his or her own fertilizers. There are several flower bed ideas that everyone can use for their backyard. Additionally, these ideas may vary according to the types of elements used for designing. Most importantly, one should come up with ideas that are complex to nature. It must coincide with the total area of the garden as well.

Helen Whitfield had a very LARGE collection of photos and videos from the best landscape design. Click here to see my review about the collection

Friday, April 12, 2013

Best Landscaping Ideas for Small Garden

An undersized garden should not be downgraded to small dreams. Landscaping options can change your small garden to create similar showcase just as the one portrayed by larger ones. What you need to do is get a fantastic theme for your garden and utilize some brilliant small garden ideas. Decide on kind of plants that can thrive well and match with your theme. There is also another option that you can utilize to achieve similar effects which is decorating your garden using water elements or unique ornamentation.


If you want to go by the set theme, the size of your garden should not set a limit on the kind of plants you want. However, it makes it easier for you to make compatible choices. Suppose you have small tropical gardens, palm trees, bamboo and elephant ears are excellent choices for you. Asian gardens can be landscaped using bonsai and pagoda ornament trees which create an attractive diminutive effect.

Whimsy touch works wonders for you. It helps to form unique identity for your garden. You can use items like stone gargoyles, lawn gnomes and pink flamingos to decorate. Scarecrow adds some more flavors to your work too. You can slide bottles particularly glass ones on bare tree limbs to change to a beautiful bottle tree which captures the attention of many people.

Other outstanding small garden ideas that you can embrace is using garden containers. Be creative in making the containers so that they can look unique. You are not limited to specific type of container. Just ensure that what you use allows proper drainage. You can use some boots, or even some books stack together.

If you design your small garden cautiously pointing unto each detail, it can look much better than big ones. You can get some gravel and spread it around the area that you want to grow some plants. The plants that you choose should do well under those conditions. Alpines cover grasses and aromatic herbs are good choices. If you wish to create a more attractive effect, make your gravel garden near or around a tree trunk.

Trellis is used to extend some space for undersized gardens. Include a small grapevine to the trellis garden so that you get an al fresco snack which will later be some wine. Edging is also among brilliant small garden ideas you can implement in order to create a distinct look for your garden. Many people prefer brick edges since they portray a traditional style. You can also make a nice pavement for your garden to give it a magnificent look.

It is important to note that your garden can never retain its splendid appearance without maintaining it. Any form landscaping calls for maintenance in order to remain gorgeous. You may face some challenges with regard to time and money but take some time to develop a good plan. Identify the right place to plant what depending on the environmental conditions. Following this, you can introduce some lay-out concepts that fall within your ability.