Susan's Lawn Gardens

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Susan’s Lawn Gardens is pleased to feature this article from today’s guest author from  All States Landscaping. They are landscaping experts, so we feel very comfortable recommending their work to our visitors.

Ideas for a Low-Maintenance Landscape

by Raily Arena

Landscaping.  The very word conjures images of sophisticated machinery and esoteric knowledge.  To some degree, this may have a semblance of the truth, especially since landscaping is generally associated with professionals and experienced gardeners.  However, the activity itself is not really limited to the chosen few.  Whether you are too busy, too lazy or have very little gardening skills, as long as you have the willingness and the basic knowledge in gardening, you can actually perform decent yard work.  Learn how with these easy, low-maintenance landscaping tips:

Have a good plan
Whether it’s your frontyard or backyard, it’s always a good idea to have a plan in place.  This will help minimize costly and annoying errors and ensure that you can carefully design a garden that has all the elements you like and still be easy to maintain. 

Browse through magazines and photos of gardens you like and decide on the kind of look you want.  Then begin planning by making measurements on your garden.  Make a rough sketch of the kind of landscaping you want so you know exactly which plants to use, where and how many.

Use only plants that will thrive in your area
Other than climate, you also need to consider the zone you’re living in.  Some plants will thrive in places where others won’t even survive in.  Factors that affect this include soil type, weather, amount of rainfall and sunshine.  Find out which plants will grow best in your locality. 

If the plant and trees you choose aren’t capable of surviving in your area, you will be forced to uproot them and replant now and again.  If the plants stay alive, you’ll have better chances at low maintenance landscaping.

Consider trees that don’t shed as much
Raking dry leaves can be an unpleasant gardening chore.  If you want low-maintenance landscaping, choose to plant trees that don’t shed too much.  Ask your local gardener for varieties of this type, such as crabapple trees and spruce.  These provide shade and coverage but won’t require you to perform backbreaking work everyday.

Go for sturdy plants and flowers
If you want a low-maintenance garden, stay away from varieties that require focused care such as orchids and some roses.  Go for plants such as pansies, juniper, tulips and rhododendrons.  Choose perennials over annuals so you do not have to replant.

Consider building a rock garden
Rocks never need to be watered, trimmed, protected from the sun, rain or snow.  If you find it hard to grow plants or flowers, consider putting up a rock garden.  Used carefully in groups, rocks can have a very beautiful, serene, uncluttered effect on your landscaping.  Plus, they can work very well just on their own, with only grass surrounding them. 

Rocks are also a good option if you’re planning to build a Japanese-style zen garden, complete with sand and a few well-placed concrete pagodas.  The advantage here is that this style of landscaping is extremely low-maintenance – water only the plants that need watering and leave the rest as is.

Work at the landscaping – a least, initially
Any type of landscaping will require some work at first.  The goal is to ensure that your plants are able to develop a good root system.  This should take from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the plant and the environment.  Once that’s done, though, you can simply sit back and enjoy the fruits of your low-maintenance landscaping efforts.

There are so many tips on how to do low-maintenance landscaping. A little creativity and the right tools can go a long way.

Article Source: Ideas for a Low-Maintenance Landscape

Susan’s Lawn Gardens is pleased to feature this article from today’s guest author, STEFAN HYROSS. He is an expert on real estate landscaping, so we feel very comfortable recommending his work to our visitors.

Suggestions For Great Backyard Landscaping

by Stefan Hyross

Everyone enjoys relaxing outdoors on a nice summer day. However, if your backyard needs some work, you may not be enjoying it to the fullest. You may be overwhelmed by the size of the landscaping project, especially is you try to do it all in one growing season. The solution? Sectional landscaping.

If you determine sections for your backyard and remodel only one section each year, you will be able to revamp your whole yard in a few years without breaking your back or spending a fortune. Sectional landscaping is particularly useful if you care on a budget. It will be easier to absorb $1,000 every year for 3 or 4 years than trying to spend $4,000-5,000 in one season.

The most important element of landscaping in section is the overall plan. Without one, you backyard will look like a patchwork of landscaping styles. Begin by sketching the existing permanent structures such as house, shed, deck, pool and trees. Now is a good time to take inventory of the existing plants and shrubs and decide which ones will not be part of the new landscape plan.

Play around with ideas. Make copies of your sketch and experiment with various options. Look for ideas in magazine or visit neighboring gardens. At this stage, the only limit is your imagination. If you have frequent backyard parties or family barbecues, keeping the layout of the yard open will work best. However, if you have a lot of space or don’t use the backyard much, incorporating an island bed, pond or walkways will create nice drama. Consider your lifestyle and the way you normally use your backyard and plan accordingly.

Here are some landscaping ideas to get you started.

Use plants as screens

This is particularly useful if your backyard is not fenced in. You may want to consider lining the edge of the yard with hawthorn, juniper, cedar, etc to create privacy but also to provide a beautiful backdrop for your future flower beds. A screen of evergreen will also protect your yard from drifting snow and heavy winds.

Creating a border flower bed

The biggest challenge when creating a border flower bed is choosing perennials that will complement each other in both color and height. With so many plants to choose from, you can really let your imagination run wild. However, consider planting an uneven number of the same plant for more visual appeal. Leave some space between the various perennials you choose for more impact. Do not overcrowd the plants and they need air and light to grow. Now would be a good time to pick up a gardening book listings various perennials to help you make your selection. You can also visit your local nursery and speak to the staff. They will be happy to help you.

Island Bed

To create an instant focal point in any backyard, an island bed is a great idea. It can planted in the middle of the yard or off to one side and is surrounded by a sea of grass. An island bed has the most impact in a large yard. The bed itself can vary in shape and side.  Use your imagination! Just remember to scale the plants and place the tallest in the center and decrease the height as you make your way towards the edges.

Water Feature

What could be more relaxing than the still waters of a beautiful pond or the gentle splashing of a waterfall? Building a pond is easier than you may think. There are a number of preformed liners available on the market. Alternatively, if you want a pond with a specific shape, you can dig and build it yourself. Look online or at the bookstore for how to guides.

Before you go out and and buy hundreds of dollars worth of plants, you should visit a garden center for some advice on soil preparation and drainage. Bring a copy of your landscaping plan with you and maybe a sample of your soil. You may also wish to bring extra cash in case you get carried away!

Stefan Hyross writes on topics that include real estate Collingwood and surrounding areas. For more information about the Collingwood area, related real estate articles or to search for Collingwood cottages, please feel free to visit the website.

Article Source: Suggestions For Great Backyard Landscaping

Susan’s Lawn Gardens is pleased to feature this article from today’s guest author, KEITH KINGSTON. He is an expert on garden sheds, so we feel very comfortable recommending his work to our visitors.

How to Build a Shed
By Keith Kingston

The easiest way to build a shed in the backyard is to make a trip to the
local Lowe’s or other hardware shop to purchase a shed-building kit.

Never
choose one from a picture in a brochure or from the Internet. When viewing
in person, you can check for important quality control details such as
thickness of timber, overlap structure of panels, type of wood, whether it
is pre-treated with a preservative and the quality of flooring. Thick
timber is longer lasting. An overlap structure on wall panels is important
to prevent water leakage. It is beneficial for the shed to have been
pre-treated with preservative, but in your upkeep you will still want to
treat it once a year. Flooring should be thick so that it does not give
with the weight of tools and equipment you want to store.

Read the rest of How To Build A Shed…

Susan’s Lawn Gardens is pleased to feature this article from today’s guest author, CHRIS HOPKIN. He is an expert on garden sheds, so we feel very comfortable recommending his work to our visitors.

How To Build A Shed Base
By Chris Hopkin

As spring draws to an end and a promising English summer begins, the gardening retail market is at its peak. With the garden on everybody’s mind, the sale of garden buildings and sheds in particular start to soar. This article explains something that not everyone is aware about, but everyone needs to know before buying a shed. Building a garden shed base which is firm and level is vital. A base must be constructed for any garden shed, and why pay excessive amounts to dodgy local handyman when you can do it yourself. With the help of the following, you can create your own base, and then you’ll have the perfect foundations for your garden shed.

Firstly, to ensure both ease of assembly and the longevity of your garden shed, it is essential that it has a firm and level base constructed from a durable material. Construction without such a base may not only invalidate any product guarantee that comes with your garden shed but also lead to problems such as doors dropping out of square and water leakage.

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Susan’s Lawn Gardens is pleased to feature this article from today’s guest author, ANNE CLARKE. She is a gardening expert, so we feel very comfortable recommending her work to our visitors.

Wooden Garden Bridges – A Beautiful Touch For Your Garden
By Anne Clarke

My garden has a simple Koi fish pond, plenty of flowers, a porch swing and a beautiful pine wood bridge. I believe that wooden bridges are a beautiful touch for any garden pond, Japanese-style dry river bed, miniature garden, or even above your waterfall or reflecting pool. The garden bridges I have seen range in style and beauty, elegance and simplicity, length and width, made for all kinds of gardens.

A wooden bridge will be a perfect addition for your garden that will best suit your needs for virtually any outdoor décor, garden design, and can even be custom designed to fit perfectly among the specialized creations in your yard.

Read the rest of Wooden Garden Bridges – A Beautiful Touch For Your Garden…