How to build a fence for your backyard

 backyard projects  No Responses »
Jun 292010
 

There are many concerns to take into consideration when building a fence.

1. What is its purpose? Is it for privacy, to control pets or children or for landscape design?
2. What styles will suit your home? Remember, building a fence takes time and cost money. Although there are fences that are more cost effective there is always cost involved so make sure you have placed the fence in the right area.
3. Check for any local fence restriction in your area and always contact your local utility companies before digging.

The following you tubes on how to build a fence will help you with any decisions and show different fencing styles. These you tubes are produced by home depot and are a bit commercial but they have great information that will help you.

I plan to add a small fence to the front yard that will be mainly decorative. This fence is more of a cottage style design with its main purpose being décor and to help block some of the noise from the highway.

And in the backyard I should add a fence for my dog Taz (the spaz) but so far I have not decided on what style would look good and also contain the Australian Shepherd Cattle dog with attitude. I don’t like the metal look but don’t want a high wood fence either. My selection for this fence design may take some time.

Posted by Denise at 10:07 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

Tips for Garden planning for small spaces

 Small Space Garden  No Responses »
Jun 272010
 

These tips are used in all my gardens but for small space gardening they seem to work very well. When making a small space garden you need to make sure each plant compliments the others and really does the work of two plants.

mailbox planting 2
Creative Commons License photo credit: normanack

I am redoing my entire front yard due to severe flood damage and many of the garden area will be small. Although the hillside terrace garden will be about 35 foot long by 5 to 15 foot wide I will be creating small space garden areas, many with different uses.

So here are a few tips or garden practices I will be using in all my garden areas, especially my new small gardens.

Edging.

Any garden bed or border will be easier to maintain if they are edged. This will help keep the surround grass and weeds from invading your garden beds. You can select brick, metal plastic or stone and an edging. Your chose will be influenced by cost, materials on hand or prior landscaping.

I usually go for what I have on hand or what I can use at the best price. For me that is free. Recently I used old round metal hoops I found. And in my current project most of my edgings will be rock.

And if you have lawn around your bed you may want to add a 6 to 12 inch edging of stone or masonry, which you will set even with the surrounding soil. This will give you a wide mowing strip around your garden making lawn care easier. And this also looks nice.

Mulch

Using a mulch in your gardens will help control weeds, cut down on watering, help prevent erosion and water runoff (a problem in my yard) and will give you garden areas a common look and flow if they are scattered on your property. Once I mulched a garden I was hooked. It just simplifies lawn work.

I use mainly organic mulches as I find them for free in my area. Organic mulches include leaves, leaf mold, shredded bark and aged sawdust. You could also use compost. These materials have to be topped with a fresh layer every couple of years as they tend to decay and settle.

Mulches that are more permanent are crushed stone, masonry or brick. These hold up well over time but do not improve the soil like organic mulch will. To find free rock or brick you may want to contact a local construction company.

Garden plan

A garden plan is beneficial to any garden but in a small space garden is almost a necessity. With a plan you can make the best use out of you space. It’s also a great way to make plans for any seasonal changes what you may have in your growing climate.

With a little planning you can tuck a small space garden into any corner or unused space in your yard or patio areas. Even urban dwellers will be able to have fresh flowers and vegetables in their home.

My first new small space gardens will be a mailbox garden and a barrier end garden.

Posted by Denise at 2:04 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

Tips for creating a new flower garden area

 landscaping  No Responses »
Jun 252010
 

These are a few tips that will help you create a new flower garden area. Using a few tips to get the flowerbed started properly will help create a successful and easy to care for garden.

Botanic Garden Cluj-Napoca
Creative Commons License photo credit: bortescristian

Direct sun flower gardens

For example, if your flowerbed is in direct sunlight for the majority of the day, you will want to choose hardy, heat-resistant plants. Some of the better choices for full sun are marigolds, zinnias and petunias.

Choose a variety of heat-resistant plants, as some of these full-sun varieties are prone to diseases, especially marigolds. Your garden center will be able to help you choose the proper plants. You will want several types of flowers in your flowerbed not only for contrast and interest, but in the event that one variety does poorly or becomes diseased, you can simply pull the plants (roots and all) and cultivate your remaining varieties.

Keep in mind that if any of your plants are diseased, you should pull them immediately. This prevents the sick plant spreading the disease to your other plants or the soil. A new plant can always be added to fill in an empty space in a garden. I keep a few extra plants on hand in a hold garden or container garden for just such an emergency.

Also consider using what many refer to as “naturalizing flowers”. These are wild flowers that are natural to your area. In my zone daisies and black-eyed Susan’s are two plants that hold up well to heat and almost any weather condition.

One other consideration for a garden located in direct sun. Locate the garden  near a source of water. Gardens in full sun will require more water. The use of a mulch in a direct sunlight garden will also help with moisture retention.

Partial to full shade gardens

For areas that are in partial to full shade, consider impatiens, begonias, and vinca. These flowers come in a variety of colors and grow quite well in shady areas. In choosing the colors for your flowering plants, remember that red colors make the plant seem closer and larger, while blue will give the illusion of smallness and distance. And pastel colors seem to blend a garden area together.

Planting a single color of flowers will draw more attention to your flowerbed. Moonlight theme gardens are often flower gardens that are all in white or silver colors. Moonlight gardens are stunning at night and really make a statement if night lighting is used to accent the garden, garden art and walkways.

If you want several colors in your garden design make sure the flowers compliment one another. Purple goes well with pink and white will blend in nicely with any other color. Also, red goes very well with violet as odd as this may seem. Silver plants and foliage accent other plants and bring out color.

Flowerbeds need not be large to create a wonderful focal point in your backyard or patio area. They just need a little planning and hopefully easy to maintain plants. After all you want to be able to enjoy your gardens.

Posted by Denise at 11:34 pm  Tagged with: , , , , ,

Gazebos A focal point To Any Landscape

 backyard design  No Responses »
Jun 232010
 

A gazebo is a wonderful addition to a backyard landscape. It adds a comfortable spot to relax. It also will give you the opportunity to create different landscape designs and atmosphere to  home and garden areas.

Chatham, New Jersey
Creative Commons License photo credit: dougtone

If you are thinking about adding a gazebo to your backyard decor, you will want to carefully plan the location where you intend to place your new structure.

The gazebo location will be influenced by what you are planning to use your gazebo for. Will it be a gathering place for friends and family?  A garden gazebo that emphasizes plants shrubs and trees? Perhaps you’ll be enclosing your gazebo for cooler climates or plan to install a hot tub or spa inside of it.

How you use your gazebo will determine where you should build it. Garden gazebos are often located toward the back of your yard, in order to have friends walk through the landscape and enjoy atmosphere and privacy. A hot tub shelter should probably be located closer to the door, to minimize the walk in a bathing suit. And for gazebos built for entertaining a location near the kitchen or outdoor party area is an ideal area.

Aesthetics are also important. You may choose to highlight your structure by making it the center of attention. You may blend it in to your landscape to make it a secret hideaway. You also need to consider the building’s relation to other structures that you may have on your property. The gazebo should fit into your landscape and not fight or overpower other buildings.

Think about the pros and cons of your selected site in all four seasons. Will the location be affected by hot or cold weather? Is it a building you would use all seasons if properly located. In my zone 5 climate, it’s better to have the gazebo closer to the house.

Choosing the proper size for your gazebo is the next important step. Make sure that your space is large enough for its intended purposes, while remaining proportional to the surrounding buildings and landscaping. A general rule of thumb is that an 8′ gazebo fits 2 people (2 chairs) and a small table. With every two-foot addition, two more people can be seated comfortably in the gazebo (for example, a 10′ gazebo holds 4 people comfortably, a 12′ gazebo holds 6 people comfortably, etc.).

Once you have decided on a size, it’s a good idea to stake it out the dimensions in your yard to ensure that the fit is comfortable for your needs and that the location is harmonious with your landscape.

And the final step is to create a flow between your new gazebo and the backyard. This may be accomplished by related colors in the landscape, flowers and other plants, or a wandering path.

Ideas for Gazebos can be found in books, online or by visiting a local landscaping business in your town.

Posted by Denise at 8:34 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

Why Every Gardener Needs A Garden Shed

 backyard design  No Responses »
Jun 192010
 

Why Every Gardener Needs A Garden Shed

A garden shed provides the perfect place to store garden tools and any necessary supplies. Your backyard tools are all in one place and easy to locate when needed. By having a garden shed you will make backyard-landscaping tasks easy.

Garden shed
Creative Commons License photo credit: Heather Clemons

I never thought that much about a garden shed until I went to my friend’s home. Her shed was tucked away behind a few shrubs and a perennial garden. Inside all explaining all the different tools, seeds and fertilizers were somewhat organized. I was quite amazed at everything my friend had in her garden shed. There seemed to be a great reason for each thing she had in there. She said that all gardeners will take more pride in their gardens if they have a garden shed filled with everything they need to garden. And I believe this to be true.

To make a long story short, I have since become very convinced that my friend’s words are true about a garden shed. My tools were just in the lower part of the barn, organized but rather lost in all the other garage and barn supplies.

The more I have gotten into gardening the more I have seen the truth that it requires a lot of tools and things to make a garden grow with success, and my new garden shed is the perfect place to store everything for my garden. Each year it seems like I grow my gardens a bit bigger and so each year my garden shed gets a little more filled with all of the right products and tools for each of my new attempts.

One other advantage on my garden shed is that I took one side with the best sun exposure and used glass in the roof. It’s like a mini greenhouse, which is perfect for starting a few plants or nursing a sick plant. And with a mini greenhouse are I have a potting bench, a must for any avid gardener!

And outside the shed is a mini herb and perennial garden. I use this garden area to divide plants and get them ready to plant or sell.

So if you are a gardener of if you are thinking about starting a garden for the first time, then I suggest you invest into a garden shed. It will hold everything you need for your garden, make yard work easier and allow you to take pride in your garden areas.

Posted by Denise at 9:01 am  Tagged with: , , ,
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