Desert Landscaping: The Hot And Cold

Because the desert can experience such a range of temperature changes, desert landscaping needs to be hardy enough to tolerate heat as well as cold. Evergreen shrubs and trees survive well in high terrain deserts, because they withstand the heat and tolerate cold. Many cactus plants are also cold hardy. This surprises many people, because they think of cactus as hot area plants.

If you have a home in the desert and want to do some desert landscaping around your house the best place to buy your plants is from a local nursery. Often big box garden retailers have their plants ordered by someone in their regional office. This person often doesn’t understand the complexities of desert weather and orders plants that might not do well in your yard. Ordering plants from a local nursery or choosing landscaping that is locally grown ensures that you will get plants that will thrive and grow in your desert landscaping.

Desert Landscaping: Water With Care

If you stick to plants that are native to the area in which you live, watering your yard shouldn’t be an issue. However, if you want to grow flowers, vegetables, or other plants that don’t normally grow in the desert, you need to make sure that you provide a source of water to your desert landscaping. Before you design your desert yard, check with your local authorities to make sure that there are no watering restrictions in your city or county. Once you have established how much water you want to spare on your yard each month, come up with a watering plan.

Do you want to water by hand? The easiest way to water your lawn and garden is with a timed sprinkler system. If you plant grass set your timer to go off in the early morning hours, so that the water can seep into your ground before the sun rises and causes it to evaporate. Choose a drip irrigation system to water your shrubs and ground covers and you will see minimal waste.

If you want to cut back on the amount of watering your desert landscaping requires, fill your yard with gravel or rocks instead of grass. This low maintenance alternative to grass looks attractive in a desert setting. One caveat to rocks is that light colored gravel will reflect the sun’s heat, causing your yard to seem even hotter each afternoon.

Front Yard Landscaping Idea Number One: Create Outdoor Rooms

Many landscapers sell the idea of creating outdoor rooms in your backyard, but it is very popular to apply this landscaping idea to the front yard. Simply assess the size of your yard and look for areas that can be landscaped as a separate little sitting space. Place a bench under a tree. Fill in the surrounding area with different types of flowers and shrubs, and add a few potted plants next to your bench. Having a sitting area in your front yard creates a wonderful place to visit with neighbors, observe the daily happenings on your street or even watch your kids while they play.

Front Yard Landscaping Idea Number Two: Create Visually Pleasing Displays

Make your front yard a fun place to be by adding lots of visual stimulating objects. Adding a bird house or birdbath will attract lots of interesting wildlife to your yard. Planting shrubs and flowers that attract butterflies is a great way to bring these gorgeous insects to the area around your house. Try to partner your non plant items with compatible foliage and fauna. For example, if you place a birdbath in your yard, plant a colorful array of flowers around the base.

Containers are a fantastic way to add variety to your yard. You can place big tubs or planters of flowers on your front porch, along your driveway, or even on your lawn. The beauty of containers is that when you get tired of them in one place, they are easy to move or replant.

Front Yard Landscaping Idea Number Three: Mix Perennials And Annuals

Perennials are one of the easiest ways to landscape your yard. The bloom year after year can be propagated by division, making them an inexpensive way to add to your landscape, and they are relatively maintenance free. Perennials tend to bloom in succession, so you always have something blooming in your yard. Annuals give a continuous burst of color in your front yard, but they only last one season. They aren’t that expensive, so it isn’t hard to plant them each spring. Because they only last one season, they are wonderful for people who like to try new things each year. By having a mix of perennials and annuals in your front yard, you get the best of both worlds.

Where To Find Landscaping Designs

The first thing that you should do is look at the landscaping designs of the other houses in the neighborhood. This is not to say that you should emulate the landscaping designs of your neighbors, but at the same time you can get ideas from them that you might not have considered otherwise.

A popular landscaping design that many people like to incorporate in their yard is flowers under trees in a circular border manner. However, something that you need to think about if you like this idea is the issue of how much shade various kinds of flowers need. For example, if you want flowers that require a significant amount of sunlight, you should not plant them under a tree that is thick with leaves.

Something else that you need to think about when it comes to landscaping design is whether or not you want to use mulch. Cedar mulch is a popular kind of mulch that people like to use, but unfortunately, the nice redness of the mulch gets lightened over time with sun and rain. However, if you want a kind of mulch that keeps its color longer, there is a new kind of rubber mulch available.

Many people like to incorporate bushes into their landscaping design. This is usually for privacy reasons. If you think that you want to have bushes as well, be aware that they need to be pruned at certain times during the year. If you do not have this done, the bushes can get too large and cumbersome.

The main thing that you need to think about when it comes to planning prior to figuring out definitive landscaping designs is the climate that you have. If you live in a climate that is temperate throughout the year, you have more of an advantage in terms of planting flowers that will last more than one season.

For more information on landscaping designs, go to your local garden center and ask customer service representatives. You can also ask various landscaping companies to come visit your yard and give estimates/ideas. You are sure to find the right landscaping design ideas for your yard with the proper research.

About Landscaping Plants

The first thing you need to think about is the effect that you want the landscaping plants to have. Do you want landscaping plants just for aesthetic purposes, or would you prefer to have landscaping plants that are more for privacy?

If you want landscaping plants that provide privacy, you need look no further than the ivy vine. If you are unfamiliar with the ivy vine, you have probably seen it in movies or in quaint cottage depictions. This vine is quite hardy and requires only a fence or the side of a house to climb up of.

The thing that you might have to consider is the rate at which the ivy plant grows. You see, when you first purchase the ivy plant at your local garden store, you will notice that it is relatively small.

However, you might find that over the course of a night the vine will have grown by several inches! Thus, keep this in mind, because otherwise the ivy will eventually completely cover over the area that it is placed upon.

If you would rather use flowers as landscaping plants, you have to consider the overall climate in which you live. Tropical flowers that you see in your garden store can only be placed outside if the climate is temperate throughout the year. Otherwise, they are meant as indoor plants.

Thus, if you live in a climate that had four definitive seasons, you should consider a flowering plant that is known to be quite hardy, and those generally are Impatiens or Chrysanthemums. Both flowers do require watering, but only every other day. They require a mix of sun and shade as well.

If you are hesitant about buying either of those kids of flowers, be aware of the fact that these flowers are available in a variety of different colors. If you would like more information about landscaping plants, be sure to ask for advice at your local garden center. You can also search the internet on reputable gardening websites. You are sure to find the right information about landscaping plants with the proper research.

Swimming Pool Landscaping Begins With The Right Fence And Decking

Fencing a swimming pool is a major safety precaution that every pool owner needs to follow. In fact, many cities require fences as a part of getting a swimming pool permit. Since your fence will be a major focal point around your pool take the time to choose one that will look attractive next to your house and provide a great backdrop for swimming pool landscaping. Don’t make the mistake of placing your fence too close to your pool, or you won’t have room to place plants around your pool.

Depending on the type of pool you have, the way that you surround your pool will vary. Above ground pools often have wrap around wooden decks and in ground pools are often wrapped in cement sidewalks or flagstones. Choose decking that compliments the shape of the pool, type of fence surrounding it, and the type of swimming pool landscaping you want to pursue.

Swimming Pool Landscaping And Plant Choice

When you are landscaping your swimming pool area, sometimes the plants you don’t choose are as important as the plants you do choose. Many people like the idea of shade around the pool, but planting trees around the pool means you will be cleaning leaves out of the pool on a regular basis. If you want shade choose evergreen shrubs, such as junipers and you will have a cleaner pool.

It is very tempting to plant highly fragrant or flowering shrubs next to your pool. As beautiful as a flowering bush can be, it can also be a haven for bees. If you don’t want to deal with bee stings at pool parties, skip the types of shrubs that attract these insects.

A great way to bring foliage near your pool, with the ability to keep things portable, is to plant shrubs and annuals in containers and spread them out around your swimming pool.

Exploring nature is a rejuvenating experience. However, exploring the forest may not fit into the daily schedule. Why not bring nature right into your courtyard?

Landscaping Options

Landscaping brings nature closer to home. It includes many elements: the area, design, weather and others. The over all look depends on the owner’s taste. Some want the effect of water (pools, waterfalls, etc.) and some like rocks, stones, etc.

To create a very natural feel, you must use plants. They are most helpful in creating the total effect of the landscape. It should not be just any plant; it should be the most appropriate plant for the area and climate.

Best Choice of Plants for the Landscape

1. Groundcovers
These plants are indispensable to a landscape as they can serve as backdrops for trees, shrubs, etc. There are many types of groundcovers to choose from.

Sun-Loving
Sunny areas are considered problematic. Many plants do not like direct sunlight. Juniper groundcovers and hardy perennials are very helpful in resolving this problem.

Shade
These plants cannot stand the heat of direct sunlight. They should be used in areas that are not exposed to the sun except for short periods of time. Most of the shade-loving plants are low-growing or mid-sized.

“Attractive”
Many flowering plants attract birds, butterflies, bees, etc. It is important to choose plants that grow pollens. Plants like bee balm, holly hock and red columbine attract hummingbirds.

Aroma
The garden can be made aromatic by using foliage plants. The lavender perennial plant’s flowers provide therapeutic scent. At the same time, it serves as a beautiful border.

2. Wet Plants
Some landscapes come with wet areas like artificial ponds or waterfalls. To avoid leaving it bare, plants that thrive in wet soils are used to give beauty and natural effect.

3. Repellent Plants
More than coming up with a good landscape, it is also necessary to maintain it and keep it free from intruders. Some plants are able to repel pests like the deer. Some ornamental grasses and flowers are used for deer control.

4. Grasses
These are also helpful in the garden. There are varying kinds of grasses, the ornamental type and the functional ones.

Functional grasses are those that are used in the background. Lawn grass is an example. It serves as an outdoor carpet.

Ornamental grasses appeal more to aesthetics. They are used for decoration and for landscaping just like flowers. These can be mixed with trees and shrubs or can stand alone.

Plants are beautiful, but the appropriate ones in a certain design must be selected and properly situated. They must thrive and be able to serve their purpose. This is the only key to bringing nature closer to the home.

Source: Landscaping

Landscaping stones are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors enabling the homeowner to use them in many different ways, Some larger stones can be as dig as a small car and can be useful in preventing unauthorized access to your yard by motor vehicles. However, before placing any of these larger landscaping stones along the yard make sure they are not encroaching on any rights-of-way that may have been granted for underground utilities.

Many choose to use landscaping stones, such as marble chips, in lieu of mulch in flower beds. The opportunity with this decision is that any replanting may involve the need to remove all the stones before working on the flowerbeds later. White marble chips can lighten an otherwise dark area of the home’s landscaping, but before putting them in place, make sure all the flowers are in their final resting place and the appropriate steps have been taken to stop any weed growth.

Using Stones To Outline Planting Areas

One of the more popular uses for landscaping stones is for outlining flower beds either next to the house or in isolated parts of the yard. Some stones, originally meant to used as retaining wall, used in one or two layers can set off an area of the yard, isolating it from grass or a driveway. By using appropriately size stones, the bed can appear as totally separate from the remainder of the landscaping.

Depending on the color scheme of your outdoor living space, different colors are available that can either compliment or contrast with the color of the home. While some prefer the landscaping stones seem to disappear when put into place, others appreciate the contrasting colors. Using brick-colored stones adjacent to a brick house can separate the bed while still blending in with the home’s exterior.

Other designs of landscaping stones can be made to fit together like a puzzle to create a walkway around or through planted areas. Surfaces can be either smooth or rough depending on your intention of the path’s purpose. For walking on, rough surface stones can help prevent slipping in wet weather.

The USDA plant hardiness zone map is a fantastic tool that every gardener and landscaper should use when planning what plants to place in their yard. The map breaks down the country into zones based on climate. If you are careful to choose plants that have been labeled for your zone, they should not only survive, but also thrive, under the right soil conditions in your yard. When landscaping in Arizona, it is especially important to know exactly which zone you live in. The state contains so many zones that if you don’t pay close attention, it can be easy to purchase plants that won’t do well in your city.

Once you find out exactly what zone your Arizona landscaping project will be in, choose plants that will thrive not only in your town’s climate, but also in your yard’s soil. If your soil isn’t ideal for a particular plant, you can take steps to amend your soil. Do careful research on your plant’s needs and amend your soil accordingly.

It is possible to place a plant in your yard that is meant for a slightly warmer climate. You can plant such a plant in a container or even plant it as an annual and plan to replant it each year. Some people have luck planting warmer condition plants in protected spaces against a house or structure. They take careful pains to protect the plant during the winter and often the plant will survive until the following spring.

One of the best ways to landscape in any climate is to make ample use of native plants. The deserts and highlands of Arizona have a wide array of native plants that are not only interesting specimens to look at, but often have a gorgeous life cycle that changes throughout the season. Native plants will adapt well to the soil in your yard and help to sync your property to the landscape outside your garden walls.

If you are interested in using native plants in your Arizona landscaping, make sure that you purchase your plants through a reputable local nursery. A local nursery will ensure that you have plants that are best adapted for your zone and soil.

Before you buy all kinds of expensive equipment to landscape your yard, it’s important to take a good long think and plan out some landscape designs. Sure, we all like toys, and we’d all like to run out to home depot and get a truckload of new shiny tools, but you might find that, once you get to actually implementing your landscape design, you have a bunch of tools you don’t need and are missing the ones that you do.

For a week before I do any yard work, I like to carry around a notebook with me where I can sketch my landscape designs. Sometimes it is nice to make a sheet with a rough layout of your yard, including house and other permanent structures, and trees you are planning on keeping, and then run off several copies of it for sketching landscape designs on. I have a friend who designs landscapes for a living, and he swears that it can’t be done unless you are willing to spend hours just sitting in the yard, seeing what the land tells you.

At some point, you will have to decide how ambitious you want your landscape designs to be. Are you just up for planting trees and flowers? How about a fountain, or a brick path? A stone patio? Landscape designs come in different degrees of complexity. Probably, for the first one, you should just find one area of your yard that needs work and concentrate on landscape designs for that part. Maybe redesign your garden, or plant some new hedges to block off your back yard. Bite off too much, and your landscape designs are bound to be a failure, but start slowly and you’ll be an old hand in no time. It won’t be long until you will have the most beautiful home on the block.

One of the drawbacks of using free landscaping software is it may not allow the user to change the style of the house or the layout of the flowerbeds. With many of programs, there is one main house design surrounded by beds. If the home design is not the same as your’s then the free landscaping software can be still be used for choosing the sizes and colors of flowers and how they will blend together.

Some of the free landscaping software available online is offered by companies selling flowers and flower seeds. Their suggestions usually center around the products they sell, however, with some basic landscaping software costing close to $100, this can be an inexpensive trade off to the benefits of the software. While the suggestions are made, there is no reason why you can’t purchase the plants at a local nursery.

The Limitations of Free Landscaping Software

Complete landscaping software will usually include options for adding landscaping stones or lumber while most free landscaping software lack this option. Depending on the company from which you receive your free software many options may be included or eliminated. Many times do-it-yourself landscape companies will offer free landscaping software for potential customers that contain more features than the software given away by garden companies.

One of the good things about many of the free landscaping software offers made on the Internet is that they do not require registration, are quick to download and, once you find out they really will not offer any help, can easily be deleted from your system. It may take a few minutes for the entire process, but you will not cost you any money.

In most cases, free landscaping software will be fairly easy to use as well as being self-explanatory. Seldom will there be any help available except what is included with the software. However, this software can provide some information about choosing plants for individual climates. As with just about anything given away for free, you can expect basic options to be included, but remember – you also get what you pay for.

Choosing Landscaping Plants

The first thing you need to think about is the effect that you want the landscaping plants to have. Do you want landscaping plants just for aesthetic purposes, or would you prefer to have landscaping plants that are more for privacy?

If you want landscaping plants that provide privacy, you need look no further than the ivy vine. If you are unfamiliar with the ivy vine, you have probably seen it in movies or in quaint cottage depictions. This vine is quite hardy and requires only a fence or the side of a house to climb up of.

The thing that you might have to consider is the rate at which the ivy plant grows. You see, when you first purchase the ivy plant at your local garden store, you will notice that it is relatively small.

However, you might find that over the course of a night the vine will have grown by several inches! Thus, keep this in mind, because otherwise the ivy will eventually completely cover over the area that it is placed upon.

What About Flowers?

If you would rather use flowers as landscaping plants, you have to consider the overall climate in which you live. Tropical flowers that you see in your garden store can only be placed outside if the climate is temperate throughout the year. Otherwise, they are meant as indoor plants.

If you live in a climate that had four definitive seasons, you should consider a hardy flowering plant such as Impatiens or Chrysanthemums. Both flowers do require watering, but only every other day. They also need a mix of sun and shade.

These flowers are available in a variety of different colors, so don’t be hesitant about using them in your landscaping. If you would like more information about landscaping plants, be sure to ask for advice at your local garden center. You can also search the Internet on reputable gardening websites.

You can find backyard landscape ideas by visiting other people’s homes. You don’t really want a carbon copy of someone else’s yard, but you can get inspiration by viewing what your friends, family, and neighbors have done with their yards. You might also find inspiration by visiting local parks or botanical gardens. A walk around your own neighborhood may be just the thing you need as well. Don’t forget about the businesses in your community. Many of them are landscaped by professionals, and you may find some great ideas there.

If this isn’t working for you, you can find backyard landscape ideas by watching HGTV. This station is devoted to home and garden improvements. You may find tricks and tips to help you along, as well as inspiration for your own yard. You can find ideas for small yards, gardens, and incorporating elements into your yard you may not have considered. You will also find shows to help with plant care, gardening tips, and advice for what plants work best in your climate.

Consider adding a new element to your yard to help you along. Having an outdoor fireplace, deck, or pool in your yard may help spark backyard landscape ideas. These items are not only useful; they can be the backdrops for your garden to be. You might consider a trellis around your pool for vine plants, or a unique sitting area around your outdoor fireplace.

As a last resort, look through magazines or ask for advice at your local home and garden store. You may find inspiration for backyard landscape ideas by just taking a stroll through the store. If that doesn’t help much, or you don’t know what to do with your ideas, ask a sales person for some advice. They may have ideas for you, or they may be able to tell you what has been popular with other customers.

If you’re anything like me, the last thing you want to do after a hard day of work is landscaping. You know – mowing the brown lawn because you forgot to water it, and planting flowers (and then digging them up because they’re dead). Admit it – you were not born with a green thumb.

If this describes you then maybe you should consider landscaping with rocks. Instead of planting trees and shrubss with names you can’t even say much less remember, giving your front or back yard a rough but refined look with rocks could be a great alternative.

Using rocks in a landscaping design is probably the one idea that’s overlooked more than any other yard decorating option. The idea sounds boring, but when you are landscaping with rocks your yard can look even better than a space filled with greenery. Landscaping with rocks gives a natural look to your yard and provides a sense of calmness and order.

Most landscaping themes and ideas are so complicated and difficult to take care of that most people would rather just have green grass for a yard. However, when landscaping with rocks you’re not forced to deal with that headache. Contrary to popular belief, maintaining a yard decorated primarily or spray for bugs. Landscaping with rocks really only requires that you occasionally wipe down the rock itself and pluck a few weeds. What could be simpler than that?

Rocks, Landscaping And Hot Climates

If you happen to live in a climate that is horrible for growing trees (like Arizona), and the most widely seen plant is the cactus, consider that landscaping with rocks was introduced just for you. Since you’re not forced to worry about the health of a rock, you’ll never again worry about the sun and heat’s toll on your plant’s life. Aside from people who hate growing anything, landscaping with rocks has a practical use as well.

It also eliminates the countless hours you would spend in watering the lawn. Think about all of that time (and money) saved and spent on other things that are more important. The rocks won’t die, and you’re able to enjoy some relaxation in a space that doesn’t take hardly any work to keep up. It’s a nice thought that you can have the benefits of a beautiful, natural, and stunning yard without the painful work generally required.

Landscaping with rocks has many benefits that most people don’t know about. Because there are so many different ways you can landscape with this material, the ability to be creative is endless. From rock gardens, to rock ponds, to multiple kinds of rocks you’re not stuck with just one idea (and one rock). No matter what the look, or how you want to do it, landscaping with rocks puts all of the choices right at your fingertips.