Landscaping projects and designs depend on the proper location as well as available resources that surround it.

Landscaping is now very popular worldwide because it makes a certain house more enjoyable and comfortable to live in. It adds elegance and ambiance to the yard. Through landscaping designs and services, all the unwanted things and elements outdoors and vegetation will definitely be removed.

Moreover, it will pave the way for the sidewalks in the yard in order for guests and visitors to enjoy staying outdoors in spite of the heat of sun. Aside from the fact that it increases value to the yard, it also makes it advantageous place to some outdoor activities.

Importance of Landscape Designs and Ideas

• Landscaping became popular among people because it makes an aesthetic appeal to a yard. There are so many landscaping designs that you can probably choose for your preference. Usually, there are books available on the market today that has the variety of landscape designs that will suit your taste.
• Landscape maintenance must contain variety of services like harvesting, plant installation, bed edging, lawn care, topdressing, leaf removals, wedding, aeration, irrigation, fencing, irrigation repairs and many more which should be undertaken in regular basis by those landscape maintenance professionals. Landscape designs are indeed a must to have to make your yard more spacious and beautiful.
• A beautiful and properly designed landscape will definitely catch an attention among others. Usually, outdoor lighting is integrated with the landscape design in order to facilitate implementation in the future.

• Outdoor lighting is now very popular because it makes a certain landscape stands out among others and it is very helpful in improving the beauty as well as the look outdoors wherein you can also have parties.
• There are so many landscaping companies and website that you can find out there. You just need to pick the best landscaping company that you think will work for you. By reading some reviews and testimonials, you will certainly know about the services that they are offering.

Moreover, having landscaping ideas will help you in properly choosing the right landscape you are looking for.

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When you are creating your outdoor space, you have to consider quite a few things. One of the most important things that you need to think about when you are decorating is just how you are going to decorate.

For most people, the outdoor space is going to have some type of theme, at least in style, and it can be important for you to consider the theme when you are choosing all of your different decorative elements that you are going to be using. You have plenty of choices when it comes to the type of décor that you might want to have for your outdoor space.

Here are some of the most popular types of decorations that many people have in their backyards. These might be a great addition to your own space. Read on and see what might work for you!

Balancing Sun and Shade

While you might want to get out and get some sun in the warm months of the year, that doesn’t mean that everyone that you have come to the house wants to do the same. You need to make sure that your outdoor space has a place where people can enjoy the sun, as well as a place where you can keep in the shade.

Large awnings are an option, but you have plenty of choices, including a professionally build roof for the deck or the patio.

Plants, Ponds, and Landscaping

Flowers are a great way to add a bit of personality to your outdoor space without spending a fortune, but they are not the only option that you have. You might also want to consider some other types of plants. Cacti, for example, can look great in many different outdoor spaces.

You will also find that there are some great ways to add some water features to your garden area. Manmade ponds are always a popular feature, and they can add a lot of personality to your backyard.

In addition, you really have to make sure that you keep up with your landscaping. Even though many would not consider landscaping part of the décor, it really is.

Décor for the Patio or Deck

You also want to make sure that you have the right décor for your patio or your deck area. Just as when you decorated the inside of the home, you want to make sure that the furniture and the accent pieces that you buy for the patio and deck are going to match and go well together.

You will want to choose great furniture, but the accents are where you can add personality. A fountain, a statue, hand painted tiles, and sculptures are just a couple of options that you might want to consider.

Lovely Lighting

Of course, one of the most important features of your outdoor space is going to be the outdoor lighting. Lighting fixtures and elements come in a host of different styles and shapes, and you should easily be able to find the ones that are going to work well for your outdoor space.

They can provide practical lighting, in some cases, but the elements that offer ambient lighting are the ones that are going to help you set the tone for your outside space once the sun goes down.

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Unfortunately, the conventional methods of maintaining an attractive landscape are not very eco-friendly—inefficient use of water and harmful chemicals that pollute the air and the ground are just a couple of the issues.

If you are among the many people with a growing interest in green living, here are some tips that will help you be a better friend to the environment while still maintaining a beautiful landscape.

Go Native

When you have plants that are not native to your local area, they often require greater care to keep them healthy and thriving. ‘’Exotic’’ plants usually need more water; they are more vulnerable to local insects and pests so may turn to harmful chemicals like pesticides and insecticides to protect them. If you want to create a ‘’greener’’ landscape, one good strategy is to focus on plants that are native to your area.

They are adapted to the rainfall patterns and other elements of the local clime and are naturally better equipped to fight off damage from the pests and insects in your area. They also serve as a natural source of food and shelter for local wildlife. Another bonus is that since they require less maintenance, you will not need to spend as much time tending to them.

Composting

Compost has been called ‘’gardener’s gold’’ for many good reasons. Organic materials break down to form a substance that is rich in beneficial bacteria and other substances that nourish the plants and soil. Its eco-friendliness stems from many fronts.

It helps soil retain moisture which translates to reduced water use. Its rich store of plant-supporting substances eliminates the need for chemical-laden fertilizers. Even organic materials can take a long time to break down in the landfill, and certain ones, such as leaves and yard trimmings, can emit harmful gases as they degrade.

I cannot cover the whole of composting here, but here are some basics to get you started. Acceptable items for compost include yard trimmings, leaves, fruits, vegetables, wool rags, newspaper, uncolored paper, dryer lint, hair, manure, egg shells and coffee grounds. Items to leave out of the pile include meat, fish, dairy products, fatty foods, oily foods, greasy foods, diseased plants and yard trimmings or plants that have been chemically treated.

You ideally want to create a mix that is 3 parts carbon (or browns) and 1 part nitrogen (or greens) Examples of ‘’browns’’ include leaves dead plants and twigs. Examples of ‘’greens’’ include grass, weeds and food scraps. The pile should always be moist but not wet; regularly turn the pile to make sure you get air to the center and avoid foul odors.

Closing

We can no longer ignore the damage we have been doing to our planet and true change will come when everyone begins doing their part. You may not feel like you alone can make a difference by using less water or composting for your landscape, but when lots of people make these small changes, the results can be huge. How we tend to our landscaping is a huge factor in water waste and other environmental problems and it presents us with a good opportunity to be more eco-friendly.

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Knowing how to find a good lawn service will help you maintain your lawn and keep your garden green. But since there are so many lawn services in the market today, you will surely find it hard to know the right service that you need.

Of course, you need to find the perfect lawn service if you want your lawn to be well taken care of.

Here are some of the ways on how you can find a good lawn service:

1. Ask for referrals

If you know a friend or someone in the neighborhood who has an amazing lawn, you can ask them for their referral. For sure, this is not a big deal so you will surely get the answer that you need. Asking for referrals will guarantee you that this company is really offering a good service because you have already seen the result of their work.

Plus, the person who referred the lawn service company can guarantee that they are really giving the best service when it comes to maintaining your lawn. You can be sure that it is a reliable source and that you are in the right direction.

2. Search the internet

You can also check the internet for possible lawn service companies that can give you the best service. When you search the internet, there are so many things that you need to consider. The very first thing to consider is the experience of the company in the field. If they have a longer year of experience, then you can be sure that they are already a master of lawn service.

Next is the services offered. You also need to make sure that the lawn service you will hire can give you all your needs when it comes to your lawn. After you have checked all available resources, you now need to make a comparison of all the things you need. This is the time where you can decide on the right service that you will hire for your lawn.

3. Look for ads

Sometimes, you can also find good companies when you look for them on advertisements. There are new companies that are giving a good service, but they are not yet known to the public. In order to be sure, you can research about their company to see examples of their work and see if there are any comments or reviews on their page.

The ads can be found all over the internet, newspapers and television, so you will not find it hard to find the perfect lawn service that you need.

Why You Need Lawn Service

Knowing how to find the best lawn care service provider will help you maintain your lawn. You can now have a healthy and green lawn every day because there is someone who will take care of your lawn for you. Your lawn is also important that is why you should give your time to maintain it in order for it to stay attractive at all times.

If you can keep your lawn healthy and green, then it will surely reflect on your personality and the kind of people that are living in that home. With all the lawn services that you will find in the market, for sure, there is one there that will get your attention and can give you the type of lawn service that you need.

After you have already chosen the right lawn care service that you need, you can now do your own homework. Before you hire a lawn service company, you need to make sure that you already know the type of lawn service that you need so that when the company comes, they already know what to do in your lawn.

Make sure that you also know the charge of the company that you are hiring so that you can already prepare the money that you need. Here are some of the questions that you need to answer first before you let the company start their lawn service.

• What is the total size of your garden that needs lawn service?
• Do you want to have a seasonal maintenance only?
• Do you need irrigation system or programming?
• Do you want to have a landscape service or you just need to cut your lawn?
• Does your lawn need a pesticide or fertilizer?

With all the lists given above, you need to make sure that you have already determined your needs so that you can always have the best lawn service that you need.

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This is one of the best tips one can give when it comes to caring for your lawn: It is better to cut the grass not too short but therefore more often as regular trimming thickens the lawn. If you want a lush green lawn then this will take time and effort.

The first trim of the year should occur as soon as the temperatures get warmer and start encouraging growth, which can even be as early as March.

A few rules to keep in mind:

• Try and mow your grass once every 6 days. During intense growth periods you should even consider mowing it once every 4 days.
• Don’t cut off more than the top third of the blades. The ideal cutting length for ornamental lawn is 3cm, for play lawn it is approximately 6cm. The cut can be shorter if the soil quality, and nutrient and water supply are good.
• Don’t mow the lawn when it is wet. This would needlessly hurt the grass blades further and the chance of mycosis increases. On top of that, wet grass blades stick together and could clog up the lawn mower.
• No mowing when it is too hot either. Temperatures above 30C in the scorching sun let the soil dry out too quickly.
• If you haven’t cut your grass in a while then you should cut it back in stages and never cut off more than half of the blade.

2. Aerating your lawn correctly

Moss, weed and the building of grass thatch can be fought by aerating your grass area properly. The first step is to scarify the top layer of the soil to allow rain water to sink to deeper ground levels. Dammed-up water can flow off and thus the growth of moss and algae can be prevented. A lawn should be aerated in the spring and/or the autumn. It is important to not cut into the grass too deeply as this would harm the lawn more than necessary. If you choose to aerate your lawn in the springtime then wait for warmer temperatures (towards the end of March) or pick one of the last warm days in the autumn. Should you decide to aerate your lawn twice a year then the optimal way is to go from left to right in spring and then go up and down in the autumn to create a chess board pattern.

After having been aerated, a lawn tends to look quite pitiful. But when watered enough it quickly recovers and looks healthy again. Barren patches should quickly be filled up with new grass seeds. Just roll the grass seeds into the ground so that they don’t blow away immediately to ensure a quick regrowth. You can find a selection of different grass seeds on Greenland Seeds.

3. The Right Lawn Mower

What is the right lawn mower depends on the location and size of your lawn area. But also your physical condition plays a role because mowing the lawn can be hard labour.

• The scytheIt is the cheapest grass cutting gardening tool. To be able to use it properly though you will need a lot of experience and skill. It is the ideal tool for cutting hayfields or flower meadows, though.
• The cylinder mowerIt is enough for small grass areas and is powered by muscle strength. The blades in there have to be sharpened regularly.
• The rotary mowerThis is a very popular lawn mower in the private household. It is ideal for cutting grass no higher than 15cm. The blades in the mower also have to be regularly sharpened otherwise the cut grass ends up looking shaggy.
• The electric mowerThis is a highly advisable mower when your lawn area is up to 500qm large as long as you have enough electric hook-ups outside.
• Electric mower with batteryIt only has a limited battery life and is thus only suitable for small lawns. They are very quiet, though but require quite a bit of upkeep.
• Petrol lawn mowerThis lawn mower is perfect for larger and winding lawns. It manages grass of up to 10cm and with regular cleaning, oil change and servicing it has a long life span.
• Mulching MowerThe great advantage a mulch mower has over other types of lawn mowers is the fact that it immediately cuts up the grass so small that it can just remain on the lawn as fertiliser.
• The ride-on mowerGreat for large gardens but not ideal for small lawns because it just isn’t manoeuvrable enough.

One rule to be kept in mind for all lawn mowers: Clean them before you put them away for the winter. All the metal components should be oiled before going into winter storage.

4. The Right Fertilisation

Mowing the lawn takes away nutrients from the plant. To help it cope with the sudden loss of nutrients it is a good idea to add them artificially in the form of fertiliser. Otherwise the grass can be susceptible to various illnesses, drastically decrease its growth and clear the way for weeds.

However, sometimes less is more. You don’t want to overfertilise your grass either as that can leave nasty marks in it. Adjust the amount of fertiliser according to how the lawn is used.

• If many people walk over it then you can increase the amount of fertiliser being used.
• Ask yourself how many nutrients the soil can save.
• Use more fertiliser when it isn’t raining much.
• For good growth your grass will need nitrogen, phosphor and potassium. Other nutrients that are important in lesser quantities are magnesium, calcium, sulphur and the trace elements copper, iron, manganese and zinc.
• If you have just freshly sown your grass seeds then they will require more nitrogen and potassium.

It is best to fertilise the grass when it is cloudy and likely to rain. The rain water dissolves the nutrients and brings them to the roots. Don’t fertilise while the sun is out as this can burn the grass and kill off huge chunks of the lawn. Distribute the fertiliser evenly and the best idea is to take half of the recommended quantity and go over the area twice. That way you can cover areas you might have missed the first time around.

5. A Few General Tips

• Don’t walk on the grass in frosty conditions because this can break it as the blades aren’t as elastic anymore.
• Don’t have a football match right after the rain! Grass needs to recover from the downpour otherwise it can be severely damaged.
• Remove fallen leaves from the ground because the lack of light can leave barren patches.
• Remove the earth of mole hills as the grass underneath will die off.
• Water the lawn when it hasn’t been raining for over two days. Water it early in the mornings or in the evenings. Watering should be avoided while the sun is out as the burning glass effect can destroy chunks of the lawn.

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With spring just a few months away, now is the perfect time to begin planning how you want to update your landscape design when the weather warms up. With thorough planning and organization, you’ll be able to complete outdoor projects in less time.

Here are five planning tips to transform your landscape this spring:

1. List Needs & Wants

Establish a few clear reasons why you’re redesigning the landscaping. Do you want to grow your own vegetables? Do your kids need more room to play? Do you want an area to entertain guests outdoors? List out all of your wants and needs and prioritize them to create a manageable plan with clear goals.

According to garden design experts at Better Homes & Gardens, it’s helpful to “do some very rough sketches of the yard with thoughts of where you want to place things; it’s a great organizing principle for landscape design.”

2. Research Plant Varieties & Planting Dates

Avoid impulse buying when purchasing plants and, instead, research what plants grow well in your area. Stop by a local garden center to get advice from the professionals if you’re unsure of what kind of plants you want.

Once you’ve determined the varieties you want, find out the ideal planting dates in your area and create a calendar of when you need to plant which ones.

3. Choose Focal Points | Accent Landscape Lighting

Establish a few focal points to work around. According to Better Homes & Gardens, garden design expert Marianne Lipanovich advises to create focal points when landscaping because “the point is to draw your eye and move it through the landscape.”

Add landscape lighting from Kichler Superstore around the focal point to add visual interest at night.

4. Evaluate Sun Patterns

Consider what times of day various areas of your yard gets the most sun and how that changes throughout the year. “Site selection with plenty of sun and a water source is crucial,” Karol Kelly at Macon.com cited. If your new landscaping plan involves a patio or a fire pit, consider the wind patterns in addition to the sun patterns.

This will prevent the fire from being constantly blown out by strong gusts, or your patio from having too much direct sunlight during summer barbecues.

5. Create a Plan & Stick to It

Once you’ve chosen the plants, focal points, landscape lighting and the location of a patio or any pathways, draw out a rough site plan. According to landscaping writer Tammy Lee Morris at Yahoo! Voices, “A drawing can help you better visualize what you wish to do and will keep you focused.” Next, make a to-do list, breaking down the tasks for each area of your yard and setting a timeline for the project.

If you plan to do all of the work yourself, allow a few weeks to get everything done to save yourself stress. If you’re going to hire landscapers, nows a great time to find a reputable company to take on the job. Ask your friends and neighbors for any recommendations to help narrow down the options.

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Here are a few steps to help you create your own wood fence:

1. First, settle on the area you want the fence to cover. Do you want it to go around the entire home or are you adding it to a garden area only?
2. Take measurements to enable you to produce an organized structure. The measurements you take should include that of your posts, as well as the spacing between the holes you are meant to dig.
3. Head to a home improvement store to pick up all of the supplies you need to build a fence. If you do not like the idea of building the posts, many stores will build it for you and all you need to do is then follow the directions to install it. Look at the costs and type of work that you need to do in order to justify if this is worth it for your situation.
4. Place markers to indicate the exact spots for the holes. To do this, you can drive sticks into the ground, at each spot. It is important that you get the right measurements for each section of the fence or else you will end up re-doing the entire fence!
5. Dig the holes, and then gather your posts. Place each post into the hole and then secure the section of fencing to the posts. Secure your posts firmly on the ground by ensuring that at least a third of their length goes beneath the ground.
6. Make certain that the planks are aligned to allow for a neat finish.
7. Upon the post and plank installation you can add the railings to the fence.
8. Treat the wood with a termite sealtant and water sealant to prevent the wood from rotting and aging rapidly.
9. Paint the wood fence to the desired color. A simple stain may look great for your home. Look at the various types of stain and paint that will match your home and will help to improve your curb appeal.
10. After the paint and sealant has dried, add a second coating to make the fence really stand out. A fence will require yearly upkeep with a sealant to prevent the fence from aging rapidly.

Putting up a fence is definitely not a complex project but it may require multiple people in order to secure the fence in the right manner. Brands such as Delta will provide you with what you require for a fencing project.

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