I used to think that a family with a backyard pond is a very lucky family or a rich one – or maybe both. Now it is clear to all of us that we can have a backyard pond, we only need to have some room for it. It’s just a matter of learning what steps are involved, working out a small design and doing the work of putting it in. You should know that this is no longer such a daunting mission as it used to be.

If you like to relax and enjoy in the nature, the backyard ponds are perfect for that. They used to be a bigger headache than they are today, because the new technology associated with backyard ponds offer an environment that is more ecologically balanced, look completely natural, are very low maintenance, and make for an excellent habitat for fish, turtles and other wildlife. The algae growth is controlled with ease and most of them are crystal clean and clear.

It is easy to find a proffesional contractor that is willing to construct a water garden for you, or to design a cute little fish pond. Or you could go with the do it yourself route and buy each piece individually. A big plus is a pond kit that will have anything you could need, except for the place where you are going to put it all!) All the hassles aside, backyard ponds are a source of great tranquility in the garden and place to just sit and think.

Big number of backyard ponds is smaller in width and they are mostly placed in such a place that they can be seen from the deck or windows. Owning one is a chance to relax and enjoy in the view by yourself or with your family. I bet your children would love the wildlife a new backyard pond will attract, and it surely will.

My favorite ponds use a flexible liner for unique designs and have a small beach built into the edge. You will get two things with this shallow graduation – birds will be able to dip in the water while the critters will freely get inside and outside. That is just one out of many ways to make something special at your backyard and create a wonderful atmosphere.

When I was just barely in my twenties, I rented a small house in San Francisco, just two blocks from the beach. The house was modest and plain, but had a small front yard with little else growing besides an abundance of cineraria, a lovely perennial with purple-magenta daisy like flowers. My house had a porch and two windows facing the street, under which were a couple of dilapidated windowbox planters, with nothing inside of them, not even dirt. I found my new house to be charming. Not having enjoyed the luxury of a garden in previous third-story Victorian apartments, I was delighted at this diamond in the rough. It just needed a little TLC to make it come alive.

My first improvement was filling those window box planters. However, my budget was as modest as the house and I wanted maximum results for my money. A natural beginning were those window boxes. Some soil and a few flowers and I would be happy.

Since it was winter when I relocated, I immediately thought of tulips and daffodils. These are easily planted and offer a generous color of spring within a few short months. Easily, I visualized this magnificent burst of color surrounding my front door. After setting my bulbs, I set my mind to planning out the summer flowers for my window box planters. Keep in mind that the San Francisco beach area has a microclimate and is somewhat restrictive. There is fog and then there is fog and then there is even more fog. This foggy climate was made even more dense by the gray of the wooden walls, the roof and even the dull gray of the window box planters. Can we say, no imagination at all?

Magenta paint was my choice, and I painted the front door and trim and your guessed it, even the window boxes. It did look much better, even if I say so myself. The cineraria stood out very stunningly, as the exterior of the house livened up drastically.

I was thrilled beyond measure as the daffodils and tulips began surfacing and coming into bloom, yes, I even talked to them. I had already been planning for the summer and fall, the flowers I would plant in my amazing colored windowbox planter. When the time came, I delicately began to interplant begonias, magenta and purple fuchsias in between each of the bulbs and then chose some dark turquoise trailing lobelias for good measure. These new flowers were well underway, by the time summer took the bulbs. All these flowers thrived in such a moist and darkened environment. For even more color I chose a variegated coleus. My visitors found this as charming as I did, while they complimented its beautiful display of colors.

Red, pink and white cyclamens replaced the summer residents as fall turned into winter. Eventually, the begonias came in to wait out the winter in pots. In the meantime, ferns and spider plants began growing along the underside of the porch’s roof, hanging about like ballroom belles. You would be surprised what a couple of four foot window box planters can do for your home.

Desert Landscaping Plants

Some believe that you can only have types of desert landscaping plants if you live in the warm and dry southwestern part of the U.S.  But they can also thrive in the high deserts of the Pacific Northwest and in most humid tropical areas.

The various varieties of the cacti, with their sharp thorns, have been used as a fence to ward off predatory animals and other uninvited guests.  They can also be used to protect a vegetable from animals that enjoy stealing your prized tomatoes.  The short and stout “Barrel Cactus” would be very uninviting.

While creating a look using desert landscaping plants, you might find that you have some areas of the property or perhaps a side of the home with lots of shade.  Obviously, this would require you to use landscape shade plants, those that will handle the hot and dry climate but also do well growing in shade.  Again, the possibilities are tremendous, giving you great coverage and beautiful blooms during the year.

There are numerous desert landscaping plants to pick from.  We have provided names and descriptions of just a few of the many desert landscaping and landscape shade plants.  You can ask your local nursery for advice of what does exceptionally well in your area.

Opuntia Varieties, or better known as the prickly pear due to its colorful fruit-shaped flower bud.  The bud blooms into the most beautiful, almost rose like flower.

Opuntia phaecantha variety discata, this plant is very hardy, it is able to withstand a bit of cold weather. It is very heavily covered with some with vicious long spines and would not be a good plant to have around children. It will also produce beautiful, deep yellow flowers.

The Agave or “century plant,” so named due to the flower stalk that is said to only bloom every one hundred years. In reality, the flower stalk appears at the end of its life, which can be as long as twenty to thirty five years. It has been used for ropes with the fiber, some for tequila, and baked and eaten.

Desert Landscape Shade Plants

Another great shade plant is the astilbes, also known as the feather flower, due to the shape of its blooms which are puffy, feather like spires that come in white, ivory, pink, red and purple. For an easy care plant with lots of color, great texture and toughness astilbes would be a great addition to your garden.

Hosta: This is a perfect choice for landscape shade plants, growing about 12 to 18 inches high with a nice spread.  The leaves are dense and if grown close together, they create a wonderful border.

Liriope Spicata: Another excellent shade plant, this one appears like grass, which is why it is more often referred to as border grass.  The flowers are spiked in shape and while in bloom the color changes from white to purple then in the fall, a dark berry grows.

Foxglove:  Known more commonly as day lilies, these plants grow extremely well in shade and sun, producing long stems that grow exotic looking flowers of varying colors depending on the species but keep in mind, Foxglove is poisonous so you want to keep it out of reach of pets and smaller children.

Get more information of landscape plants visit Desert Landscape Gardens

            Lawns often vary in size, shape, and form for most homes. Some lawns are beautifully ornate with lush gardens, and pruned to look like art. Other lawns are thick with weeds, grass, and often give off a sense of an old style farm to passers by. There of course are thousands of other types of lawns that typically fall in between the categories of impeccably groomed, and garden of weeds. For all lawn owners, no matter what type, there are several helpful tips to maintain your lawn, because no matter the look of the lawn, it will hopefully be one that’s healthy.

            The first thing lawn owners should do is create an ideal lawn type they are striving to achieve. It’s often said that we can’t know where we are going unless we have a destination to begin with. Many lawn owners make the mistake of winging it, or going with whatever inspires them that day. This can lead to unforeseen obstacles, as well as changes of heart in the overall design or landscape of the lawn. To create a visualization of the ideal lawn should take time, and sincere thought. Once you have a vision for your lawn, write it down, review it for plausibility, and start to plan for what you will need. By visualizing your idea lawn a clear set of steps to achieve such a lawn will start to arise.

            No matter what type of lawn you are interested in having, be sure to invest in water for your lawn. This could mean investing in sprinkler systems, or hoses, or even just a hand held water pourer. The idea with investing in water for the lawn is that your lawn will only be as healthy as the amount of water you put into it. Lawns need water to grow, and maintain color. Without water your lawn will face struggles in staying vibrant.

            As with any enduring task we humans put ourselves up to, we must make it fun. Create incentive for you to get in the lawn and work on it. Make lawn care fun, by getting a workout from it, or getting a suntan, or just spending time with family while tending to the lawn. The more fun the lawn care is, the more likely you will be to continue it over the years.

            Get help when your lawn is growing to proportions you can’t attend to. Most lawns, when put on the right track will be able to grow consistently, and thus have greater needs for ones time. This is when help can take your average lawn and make it exceptional. Lawn care doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. For a more reasonable rate negotiate a long term contract with your gardener, for bi weekly visits. The longer commitment should lower the rate you have to pay per visit.

A suitable lawn grass favored for its texture and color is the Bermuda grass. This is also known as Dog’s Tooth Grass. The genus Cynodon (Greek word for dog-tooth) contains the nine species of grasses native to the warm temperate to tropical regions that constitute the Bermuda grasses. This only requires moderate lawn grass care, maintenance and mowing. This is a sun loving grass of the warm seasons and is usually planted from grass seed though propagation can be made possible by rhizomes, offsets and seeds.

Bermuda grass is a perennial grass. Though native to Europe this grass has now become cosmopolitan in warm regions. This grows in the tropical, sub tropical and transition zones. In southern United States and India this grass is largely being grown now. This grass is found on golf courses, sports arenas, sports fields, reclamation areas, parks, coastal areas and pastures apart from lawns.

There are now being introduced special Bermuda varieties that are tolerant to colder climes to a greater extent and species of the grass that are more drought resistant. Thus the grass planting area is moving further northwards and the grass is becoming more prevalent in the transition zone also.

An advantageous aspect of using the Bermuda grass is that once planted the grass can provide complete lawn coverage in a year’s time. This is a most persistent and aggressive grass species. Even its germination from seed is very quick. It can grow in a variety of soils too. It has also got a fair salt spray tolerance level thus making it suitable for coastal regions also.

An excellent way to transform your lawn is to use Princess 77 Bermuda grass that is among the latest seeded Bermuda grasses available. This produces a dense, green turf while costing far less than using the sodded varieties. For establishing a Bermuda grass lawn it is important to first eliminate all existing grass and weeds by the application of a nonselective herbicide. The Bermuda turf can be mowed low for a green type look. It can also be maintained at greater heights for a denser fairway look.

Two cold tolerant varieties of the Bermuda grass are the Yukon and Rivera. While Yukon has a darker green color the Rivera has a fast growing and damage repair ability, Bermuda grass is fairly resistant to diseases and insects. Some varieties of the grass are, however, more resistant than others. Personal preferences play an important role in the selection of the Bermuda grass type that is to be used for covering the lawn. The cost factor is important too.

Maybe you live in a apartment, or even better a big city, whatever your excuse may be it’s about time you start to think about lawn mowers. Keeping a lawn in shape can not only benefit the look of your yard, it can also keep you healthy, and save you money. Lawn mowers are becoming more popular every day as record rates of home ownership occur. Lawn mowers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and prices. To know what type of lawn mower to get now, will benefit you in the future because it can be a daunting task to pick one from the many styles available.

The push mower will run you about $100 at your local hardware store. Push mowers are the most simple, cost effective way to cut your grass. Push mowers typically won’t provide enough power to cut a large yard in a few hours, but for those with modest needs they can be the perfect start. Also push mowers don’t require gas, motors, or bags. Further push mowers won’t leave you with noise, smoke, and sometimes rocky rides. Push mowers are anything but obsolete, and will work well for those with a small yard.

The electric mower with a bag or without a bag usually costs around $300 depending on size and style. Electric mowers are the most popular lawn mower available. These mowers will cut a lot of grass in just a few minutes. They typically run for several years without problems, and usually hold up their value. Push mowers do require some gasoline, and may have problems with their engines. Further push mowers can be loud, and without a bag can spew grass all over the place.

Lawn tractors run about $700 to $2000 dollars. Lawn mowers don’t have seats, lawn tractors have seats. This shouldn’t be confused with an ATV, and is not meant for the road. But lawn tractors offer big time landscapers a chance to mow as much grass as they need without doing much more then swapping gears, and steering. Lawn tractors come in various sizes and styles, most of them come with four tires, a driver’s seat, and a bag to keep clippings in. Some perform alternative duties such as tilling, weeding, and sowing.

Automatic lawn mowers will cost you between $1700 and $3000 dollars. That’s right, we said automatic. Now for the ultra lazy that want to swap in your lawn tractors for an automatic mower you can. There is nothing to do but switch on, and tell the kids to watch out. These automatic mowers are just becoming popular, and will inevitably lower in price as technology advances.

Learn more about lawn mowers and lawn care at Savvy Lawn Care.

Making A Japanese Garden

The Beauty of Bamboo Landscaping

Bamboo landscaping is really quite appealing.  Moreover, bamboo has long been an accepted product used in gardening and landscaping but currently with so many folks concentrating on ecology, bamboo landscaping has blossomed.The reason is that bamboo is more like a grass than a tree. Consequently, when bamboo is trimmed, it grows back quickly opposed to forests being cut down and destroyed.

While bamboo can be used in any garden, it is most often times incorporated in the creating a Japanese garden.  For this type of garden, there are very particular elements and materials used.  In addition, there are a variety of styles that can be built.  With the dry garden, sand is used, raked carefully into patterns that reflect the rippling of waves.  In the center of the “pond”, a rock is placed, which represents an island.

However, the most incredible styles for building making a Japanese garden are plant life and water.  This type of garden would commonly have a small water fountain, which would include a waterfall, pond, or stream.  As a part of the body of water you could consider adding a small bridge, a deer chaser, post light, and different types of plants such as water lilies.

Then, Japanese garden fences are also a eye pleaser, which are created from bamboo.  These fences are used to establish a feeling of privacy.  The whole concept of the Japanese garden is balance of peace and tranquility.  This is the one place where after a stressful work day, you should be able to sit and relax, finding rest for the body, mind and soul.

In Japan and even some of the larger Japanese gardens in this country, a teahouse will be erected.  Now, in creating Japanese landscaping, the teahouse does not need to be big and elaborate, merely a small area where you can relax and enjoy the beautiful nature of the garden.  In fact, many home improvement companies and gardening centers actually have kits if you want to do it yourself.

Consequently while there are many styles of gardens, it is difficult to surpass the charm found with a well thought out Japanese garden.  Incorporating bamboo landscaping, Japanese garden fences, lots of trees, shrubs, and flowers, as well as the other elements cited, the look would be complete.  With the garden being finished, you are sure to be the envy of every other person in your neighborhood and for good reason.

Again, to gain a more complete understanding as to the creation of a Japanese garden, you will find hundreds of fine resources that can be used for reference.

Then, the internet is a wealth of information.  While scanning, you can look at the many different, taking the different elements you like the most and planning a garden based on personal preference, yard size, yard configuration, and budget.

by Sarah Duke

No matter the size, if your home has a yard you are certain to get a lot more enjoyment from it if you undertake some interesting landscaping ideas. You can add a water feature or a rock garden, or create a secluded nook shaded by trees and shrubs. You can probably come up with even more own ideas of your to make your yard more pleasant and attractive.

One of the more popular landscaping ideas today is to create a walkthrough garden. Carefully select the perfect flowers to lend color and charm to your outdoor space. A mix of annuals and perennials is ideal because it reduces your labor and cost while still allowing for the more colorful show that annuals provide. Investigate various kinds of shrubs and trees to provide contrast and balance. And place some stepping stones throughout the garden to encourage easy enjoyment of the surroundings.

Another great landscaping idea is to create different sections in your yard, each with a distinct feature, then unify the entire space by repeating certain aspects of each section in other parts of the yard. You don’t have to have a large yard to pull this off, either.

If children will be making use of your yard, designate a section of it as a play area for them to enjoy. A wooden play set will look more natural and blend in with the surrounding landscaping features. Adding a tree house lends even more interest to your outdoor space.

A lawn is frequently a big part of any landscaping effort. Choose a variety of grass that’s appropriate for your soil conditions and climate so you’ll have a luxurious expanse of green to set off your other natural features. Surrounded by trees, shrubs and flowers, a lawn can be an attractive showpiece.

Many people like to include a water feature in their yard. Ponds and waterfalls add a dramatic touch to your outdoor decor, and the sound of water is considered very soothing by many people. There’s a huge variety of designs and products from which you can choose. Your only limits are your budget and available space.

A rock garden is a perfect solution for problem areas of your yard where it’s difficult for many plants to thrive. Maybe it’s a spot that’s too dry or the soil conditions won’t support plant growth. Or perhaps it’s an area that doesn’t drain well and is always wet and soggy. Putting in a rock garden that includes a few exceptionally hardy plants can be ideal for these problem areas. But it’s also an attractive and low maintenance feature for any area of your yard.

There’s no doubt that landscaping can provide you with great enjoyment, both in the process and the final result. Do your research, get some professional advice if necessary, make a plan, and get going! That’s all it takes to turn your landscaping ideas into reality.

by Sarah Duke

More and more people are moving away from the idea of simple lawns and looking for innovative landscaping ideas. They want to make their outdoor space into a more natural setting, and this can include useful, even edible plants! A lot of edible plants happen to be quite aesthetically pleasing; some vegetables and herbs also have ornamental varieties. It’s great to have your own vegetables – fuel costs are driving up the price of all food products, and produce is no exception.

If you’re interested in creating edible landscapes yourself, you’ll likely want to opt for perennials, since they will return year after year, saving you a lot of work each spring. After planting them once, these plants will give you food and something pleasing to look at for years to come.

These plants require little in the way of care; just watering, feeding, a bit of weeding, pruning and keeping any insect pests under control will be sufficient. There are plenty of perennial vegetable plants which are great choices. Remember, perennials do die back in the winter, so don’t be alarmed when your plants appear to go away in the fall – they’ll come back in the spring!

Perhaps you are a little leery of this idea – after all, doesn’t a vegetable garden require a lot of care? This is certainly the case for traditional vegetable gardens; however, edible landscapes require only a little bit more work than other landscape plants!

This is all easier than you may think. You can simply replace some elements used in traditional landscaping with edible plants. For example, plant fruit trees rather than non-fruit bearing varieties. Wouldn’t you rather have say, plums than acorns?  Many vegetables work well as ornamentals and can be planted in place of flowers and other landscape accents.

Edible plants can also be mixed in with others to create your own outdoor look. Herbs in particular look wonderful planted among other, non-edible flowering plants. You can create any look for your garden or yard that you like this way.

Sage and oregano work very well as small shrubs, especially as edging for larger shrubs. Try planting curly parsley among flowers such as lobelia, dianthus and pansies. Strawberries also work well in flower gardens.

Why not plant some leaf lettuce in beds as accents? Leaf lettuce comes in different colors and shapes – combine them for a stunning look, edged with a border of grass.

Edible flowers are also a wonderful idea. There are plants which give in more ways than one. Snap peas, for instance. Besides producing peas, they also give you the gift of beautiful pink, white and purple flowers on attractive vines.

Chives are a joy to behold with their purple flowers (edible and great in salads as well). The red and white flowers of fava beans add interest to any garden. Dill’s yellow, pleasant smelling blossoms are an attractive and fragrant addition. Salvia and sage boast blue and purple flowers which are a welcome sight and nasturtium (did you know the flowers are edible?) flowers are colorful.

Requiring little maintenance (and delicious), perennial herbs and vegetables are a fantastic idea in any landscaping. Dandelions, chives, rhubarb, sweet potatoes, ginger, asparagus, sorrel and more are all wonderful to look at and to eat as well.

Everyone likes to make their property and their home look better and one of the ways to do that is to improve your landscaping. For more great landscaping tips, check out the Landscaping Ideas site.

Since you are a smart shopper, you just don’t buy the first home landscape software you come across.  You want to do a little research first.  Perhaps part of that research is taking a look at people who review software and computer stuff.  However, going to get home landscape design software reviews from geeks is not going to tell you how practical or helpful the software is for your property. They will only tell you how easy or hard it is to tinker with.

Geeks Verses Gardeners

Geeks or “tech-heads” have far different requirements from home landscape design software than a gardener would.  A geek would want to know how exciting the program is – does it offer anything new, and how fast?  How are the graphics, how fast is it to download and does my computer act peculiar after downloading it?  Those are the sort of questions a geek would be worried about and would base a review on.

A gardener or landscaper, on the other hand, has a much different set of expectations from their home landscape design software.  They want to see how easy it is to use, how practical it is for their work and if it helps them get a great garden or outdoor space planned out.  For that reason, you need to get reviews of home landscape design software from gardening magazines, gardening clubs and gardening web sites.

Top Ten Reviews

If you don’t already know of a good gardening magazine that you can trust or a gardening web site, then there is a short cut you can use.  You can go to a web site called Top Ten Reviews, which is like an online version of “consumer Reports” magazine.  Every year, Top Ten Reviews puts out a list of the landscape software they think is the best.

You could get the names of these home landscape design software programs and put them through your favorite search engine to see what others in the gardening web world have to say about it.  This can help whittle down the list very fast.  You can even place the name of the software with the word “sucks” next to it to see if someone hated the program so much, they devoted a whole chunk of bandwidth to cutting it into little sarcastic pieces.

That being said, before you buy your home landscape design software, be sure you know the return policy of the store and if there is a free trial period you can take advantage of.