FUN LANDSCAPING IDEAS

When it comes to ideas for landscaping a hill, it can be a tough decision what to go for. Do you want something simple and easy to care for? Or something rather stylish and interesting? There are many things you can do, as living by a hill can be stunning. But there are several things you must consider before you try, as landscaping a hill can be a challenge.

One of the things you should take into consideration is just how steep your hill is. You must also keep in mind the type of soil you have to work with, erosion, and landslides towards the neighbors below you.

On steep hills your options might be limited, though, not at all entirely gone. For a more gentle slope, your options open up quite a bit more.

As for erosion and landslides, a good idea might be to plant trees, as the root system may aid in stopping these two events. Building a retaining wall a few feet up the hill will also help to manage erosion and landslides.

Now for the creative part! For a gentle slope, planting a garden with the colorful local flora, or creating terrace gardens. You can also build a rock path, for both beauty and functionality. Rock gardens, water features and even boulder structures are other great ideas. Amazingly enough, boulders come in various colors–reds, yellows, whites and grays, amongst others–and various sizes and shapes, so you can make some really beautiful pieces of natural artwork.

Some other ideas for landscaping a hill, especially a steep one, starts with the retaining wall. It sounds a bit daunting, but actually, it is relatively simple and can make for a stunning scene. For a steep hill, segment your hill into two halves with a retaining wall divider and place your wall on the least steep area. Also, by adding splashes of color with flowers, you will create a beautiful and functional backdrop.

You can also add a paved pathway for easy access up your steep hill. This will help in preventing erosion and give a simple way up and down your hill. You might, however, prefer a curved pathway, both for a more natural look and for easier transport of items.

If you are less concerned about the aesthetic appeal, and more about the ease of maintenance, some ideas for landscaping a hill would be to use mulch or bark. It is very simple to do and will cut out the mowing and upkeep. However, you should keep erosion in mind with this choice. One way of preventing it is to add some shrubs. There will be a bit of gardening involved, but very mild work in comparison to a hill covered in grass and flowers. Adding shrubs will also add a bit to the visual appeal of your hill.

So whether your hill is mild or steep, there are many options available. Think of your hill as a blank slate, and be creative with it.

The most attractive portion of a house is its front yard. The architectural beauty of a house depends on many factors, but one factor which surely aiding to the majestic beauty of a house is the front yard landscaping. What are the effective and applicable front yard landscaping ideas? From where one can get these ideas?

Let us see some important front yard landscaping ideas.

•    Keep in mind the location in which you construct your dream house. Look around the nature and environment. Your front yard needs to be in tandem with the natural landscape. Front yard landscaping should merge fully with the lawn and grounds characteristics.

•    Keep a watch on the architecture of your house. The front yard should depend on the architectural style of the home. Many people make oval shaped or diagonal shaped front yard in accordance with the architectural style of the building.

•    The location of the house will play a major role in landscaping of the front yard. If it is close to a busy street, the landscaping need to be different from a one in a place interior to the city. As the people just passes by with only a single glance, the landscaping in the first case need to be very imposing and attractive. In the second case of an interior house, you can make it little more artistically so that anybody
can enjoy the beauty by spending some time. It is like fast paced life in city and the calm secluded life in interiors.

•    While designing the front yard, make sure that green plain lawns are a part of it. Neatly designed pathways will improve the view of the landscape. There can be two three small areas where flowered plants grow. Soft sands can be used to bring good look for the pathways in the front yard.

•    You can put water fountains to improve the impressive look of the front yard.  Colored illumination will be an added attraction for the front yard.

•    Antique materials and statues can be used to make the front yard to give a natural look.

All these front yard design ideas can make your design far better. You can get free ideas of front yard landscaping from internet. There are many sites offering good consultation and ideas to make your front yard beautiful. Also you can go for many paintings, still photos and video clippings to get good ideas about front yard landscaping. Do a thorough online search; Internet is so vast you can get your favorite idea for a beautiful landscape design. Landscaping is really an art. If you have talent and patience to see every minute details of the design, you are assured of making an imposing front yard landscape.

Nothing says summer quite like walking barefoot through the cool, fresh grass. But many products that promise a greener lawn often recruit the use of thick, heavy pesticides that can be harmful to your skin and health. To help keep your grass thriving all summer long, follow these easy tips!

1. Remember, you want to help your lawn fend off pests and weeds naturally, so your first step is determining the pH level of your soil. Soil testing kits are relatively inexpensive and will give you a good idea of the acidity or alkalinity of the earth in your area. You may need to add lime or sulphur depending on the results, and these can be purchased at garden and home improvement stores for very little money.

2. Once you’ve got your soil test results, add organic fertilizer (the amount will be determined by the soil test) and cover with about an inch of organic compost. This supplies the necessary nutrients your lawn needs to thrive – and the more you can boost its natural immunity to invaders, the healthier and greener it will get. Once you’ve added the organic compost, rake the area over to allow the new soil to settle and the water to drain easily.

3. When choosing a lawn grass, get the most resilient kind you can for your particular area. Check with lawn and garden stores and nurseries about what grows well where you live. For best results, grow native grasses or choose natural groundcovers that tend to grow quickly and spread easily.

4. Be mindful of weeds and pests that try to invade your lawn. Ask a local landscape or garden center about insects or birds that eat these types of pests, and what you can do to encourage them to stay. Even so-called “organic” pesticides can contain harmful chemicals – so the more naturally resistant you can make your lawn – the greater it will look.

5. Water your new lawn every day when you first sow the seeds or plugs. Make sure that the ground is saturated, but not to the point that you get runoff or puddles. Watering in the early evening, especially in the summer, will help prevent your lawn from getting scorched by the sun and still allows the grass to dry by nightfall.

6. You can start mowing your fresh new lawn when the grass reaches about three inches tall. Adjust your lawnmower so that you cut off no more than the top third of the blades each time you mow. How often you’ll need to mow depends on the type of grass you choose. Consult a landscaper or garden specialty store for more information.

7. Finally, be sure to add a new layer of organic compost to your lawn every spring. This will help replenish the natural nutrients it needs to ward off pests and look its best!

Having a raised planting bed that rests above the grade of your main lawn for flower or other planting is an appealing landscape feature. Raised plant beds offer a three dimensional appeal to your landscape because of the noticeable transition point from yard to plant bed. Raised planting beds are often sought after in high profile landscapes and yard designs.

A raised planting bed has to be contained so that it will not erode into the yard or into the rest of your landscape. So, how is this best accomplished? A retaining wall built around the plant bed will retain the soil and plantings from being washed away by the weather. The retaining wall is successive rows of wall block laid on top of each other to form a wall. The blocks themselves are made from concrete. If you are ambitious, you can build a retaining wall for a raised plant bed yourself. It is not hard, but it involves a lot of physical labor.

The first thing that must be done when considering your plant bed and retaining wall is your plan design. Plan out where the bed will be in your yard and then get a piece of long rope and layout the shape of your plant bed on your lawn by laying the rope on the lawn where you want the plant bed to be.

The best looking raised plant bed and retaining wall systems are designed such that the retaining wall top blocks are level from the high point to the low point. Since the ground where you will lay your retaining wall blocks is not level and may even slope, you have to plan your wall design so the top blocks will be level with each other.

To do this, drive wood stakes in the ground at the highest and lowest elevation points of the plant bed dimension. Also drive a stake in the middle between the high point and low point if you need to so that your level line will not sag.

Using non-stretch string and a line level and starting at the high point of your plant bed, tie the string off to rest where you want the top block surface height to be. This will be the starting point of your retaining wall, with the end being the lowest elevation point. The level line will serve as your height guide for where the tops of all the wall blocks will eventually be. Tie the string off at the midpoint and then the low point, making sure the line is kept level with your line level.

Following the rope you placed on the ground for the shape of your plant bed, dig out the yard grass and sod so that the basic shape of the bed is formed. Now, using your flat spade or other shovel, flatten the ground surface nearest the edge of the sod that remains for the entire length of your plant bed. This will serve as the foundation for placing your wall blocks, which have to be level side to side and fore-aft.

Once the ground is relatively flat, spread 1-2 inches of paver base on the ground surface starting at the highest elevated point to place your first wall block. Using a tamper, tamp the paver base level. Place your first block on top of the paver base and, using a small level, determine if the block is level side to side and fore-aft. Adjust the level of the block with a rubber mallet. The top surface of your first block should eventually just be touching the string you tied off to form the level height of your wall.

Spread some more paver base and keep going with the first row of your retaining wall blocks, making sure to keep them level individually and from one adjacent block to the next. Take note that you may have to do some extra digging to make sure adjacent blocks are level with one another. Positioning the first row of blocks to be level is the most difficult part of this project, but the appearance of the wall will benefit greatly because of your efforts.

Once the first row of blocks are laid and are level, you can start on the second row. You may notice that it will take more blocks on one end of your wall to be at level height with your guide string that on the other side of the wall. This is due to the grade of your lawn. Keep adding additional blocks onto the first row, until the second row is completed. Since your first row of blocks is level, so should your second and third rows be.

Lay the rows of blocks until your final wall height is reached determined either by the relative distance from the guide string or just by your visual judgement. It is fine to add partial rows to be on the top of the wall instead of ending the wall with one contiguous row. It just depends on your personal preference.

When your wall is completed, the top of the wall will be higher than the ground where you first started. Now take some pea gravel and pour it around the base of the wall on the inside of the plant bed to promote proper drainage. Start to backfill the plant bed with the soil of your choice, possibly adding more layers of pea gravel against the wall or other edges of the bed for proper drainage.

Once you have completely filled the plant bed with the soil, you are done, and are now ready to add plants and flowers of your liking.

Adding wildflowers to your backyard landscape can dramatically change the look. It’s easy, doesn’t cost much, and once you get them started, Mother Nature will lend a hand.

You can pick up packets of wildflower seeds at numerous stores; from Kmart to Home Depot. Most wildflowers like plenty of sun, but check the packet. There are a few varieties that like shade.

To get started, choose an area of your yard where the sunshine is prevalent. The more grass and weed you remove from the area, the more dominant the wildflowers will be.

Don’t worry, though. There will be some grass eventually growing there and it just adds to the look.

Wildflowers grow in almost any soil. Basically, if grass and/or weeds grow there, wildflowers will most likely grow there as well. One exception is areas that do not drain well.

If you have access to a tiller, till the area lightly. Do not go too deep. Two or three inches deep is best. You just want to loosen the dirt.

If you don’t have a tiller, you’ll have to do it the old fashion way with a shovel and a rake.

Once you have loosened the dirt, rake it so it looks fairly level. Then spread the seeds according to the directions on the packet. You will then rake the area so the seeds are covered by an inch or two of dirt.

Don’t worry too much about birds eating your seed. You can chase them away when you are in the yard, but they are not going to consume that much of your seed.

Water thoroughly. It’s recommended you water daily until the plants begin to sprout. You will usually see some sprouting within a week or two, but some do take much longer. About two weeks of daily water should be sufficient.

You can also take seed and spread it throughout your yard, much like Mother Nature does. The seed will work its way into the ground from the rainfall. Using this method, it’s not uncommon for the wildflowers to begin sprouting the next year.

Spreading seeds throughout your flower gardens adds some very nice color and, since this ground has been worked, they grow rather quickly. An added bonus is they help cut down on weeds in your garden.

Once your wildflowers come up, they will reward you with exciting colors. The flowers grow at different times, so you may find some nice blue ones early in the summer and others springing up throughout the rest of the summer, replacing the ones that die out.

As the wildflowers die out, their seeds fall to the ground and are spread by the wind, as well as birds. The next year you will have wildflowers in areas you weren’t expecting.

Each year more and more wildflowers appear in your landscape. The colors they add will leave your backyard breathtaking.

One of the things that many times stops home owners from attempting to take on their own landscaping project is fear. Look through the books on landscaping and read some of the suggestions and it can scare a person to death.

Fear not! You definitely need to read up and look at pictures before you begin a project, but remember; this is your backyard and you are free to do with it what you want.

The main thing to be concerned with when planting different plants is to make certain of their growing requirements. Do they require a lot of sunlight, a mix of sun and shade, or mostly shade? Other than that, let’s get started.

The biggest and most dramatic feature you can add to your backyard is a pond. Put in a waterfall and enjoy the relaxing sounds of water while you sip lemonade and read a good book.

If a pond is in your plans, do this first. It will be the focal point and you can begin your plantings later.

A pond is not hard to build. Plan your layout and get some white spray paint or chalk and layout your design. You can use one of the plastic pre-shaped pond kits if you like, but you can never really get the natural look that you can with a liner.

The hardest part will be digging. The tedious part may be laying out the liner to try to remove most of the wrinkles. The fun part will be filling the pond with water and, later, stocking the pond with fish.

Put in some water lilies and, if that’s the only thing you get done the first year, who cares?! This will be dramatic and will definitely bring you lots of relaxation as well as pride. Plant it near where you spend most of your time. Don’t hide it away at the back of your yard.

When the pond is finished, pick areas around your yard and plan the location of your plants. Notice the sunshine at different times of the day. That’s what will determine the location of your plants in each area.

Unless you have a lot of time and money, you probably won’t be able to plant your entire backyard in one season. Start with one area and till it up. Plant a few plants and space them out somewhat. This will give you a chance to mix in some plants next year. You can see what the plants look like and decide if you need more color or some hostas or some more of the same plants. Next year, you can add or subtract plantings as needed.

One more important point. Plant short plants in front and taller plants in the back.

Start with a few sections now or one section and add more each year. You’ll be amazed what you can accomplish in four or five years without breaking the bank. You’ll create a backyard haven made especially for you.

If you’re serious about cutting your home energy costs, you might want to take a second look at your home landscaping. You may not be aware of it, but energy-efficient home landscaping can reduce your household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling by as much as 25 percent. Proper placement of trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and hedges lets you modify the microclimate around your home to maximize shade during the summer and reduce wind chill during the winter. Energy-efficient home landscaping is one of the best investments you can make, because aside from its potential to increase the resale value of your property, it can generate enough savings to return your initial investment in less than eight years. Therefore, it is not surprising that more homeowners than ever are implementing energy-conserving home landscaping ideas on their property.

Developing a Home Landscaping Plan for Energy Efficiency

There are countless home landscaping strategies for energy conservation, but not all of them may be appropriate for your property and climate zone. Before you plant those evergreens in your backyard, make an assessment of the comfort and energy shortcomings of your current home landscaping. Factors such as the property’s microclimate, house orientation, and the presence of surrounding structures will influence your energy-efficient home landscaping plan. Microclimate is the climate immediately surrounding your home, and along with the regional climate, it helps determine which plants and trees will thrive and provide the best energy-saving benefit to your home landscaping. Your home’s orientation affects your dwelling’s exposure to the sun, wind, and water, consequently shaping your home landscaping needs. Nearby buildings, walls, trees, and bodies of water can produce significant climatic effects that would impact your home landscaping strategies. A thorough analysis of your property’s features enables you to devise an energy-efficient home landscaping scheme that addresses your needs and goals.

Home Landscaping to Maximize Shade

Properly planned home landscaping can reduce your air-conditioning costs in the summer by providing shade from the hot morning and afternoon sun. Deciduous trees (trees that shed their leaves in winter) give adequate shade in the summer when its leaves are in full bloom and warm the home in winter by letting low-angle winter sun filter through its bare branches. Home landscaping that maximizes shade can reduce temperature inside the home by as much as 8 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Interestingly, shading your air-conditioner through home landscaping also increases the unit’s efficiency. In addition, shading the ground and pavement with trees, shrubs, and groundcover plants reduces surrounding air temperatures. Other heat-reducing home landscaping ideas include building a trellis for climbing vines to shade a patio and planting a row of shrubs to shade a driveway.

Home Landscaping for Wind Protection

Home landscaping to divert the flow of cold winds helps cut down your home heating costs in the winter. Trees, shrubs, bushes, walls, and fences make effective windbreaks for winter-protected home landscaping. You can achieve adequate wind protection through home landscaping by planting evergreen trees and shrubs along the north and northwest areas of your property. Windbreaks can decrease wind speed for a distance as much as 30 times its height, although maximum wind protection occurs at a distance of two to five times the mature height of windbreaks. For optimal wind protection, make sure that the foliage density on the windward side of your property is 60 percent. A well-designed home landscaping provides energy savings year-round. Enjoy the warmth of the winter sun by not planting evergreens too close to the south side of your home. Shrubs, bushes and vines planted close to your house create dead air spaces that insulate your home in both winter and summer.