A patio herb garden makes a great small space garden and serves a double purpose of producing herbs for cooking or for crafting purposes.

photo credit: jemasmith

Planting an herb garden on your patio isn’t only a practical use of space, but it also adds atmosphere and greenery to your patio.

These simple steps will help to make planting your patio herb garden a breeze.

First choose herbs to plant in your patio herb garden. What herbs do you sue the most? Take a look at your kitchen shelves for help with your selection. Basil, chives, dill, oregano, parsley rosemary, sage and thyme are the most popular herbs and are easy for even a first time gardener to grow. Once you have determined the herbs you would like to grow its time to select pots and containers.

Study your patio, them choose different sizes and shapes of containers to give your patio herb garden a unique and fun look. You may want to go with a rustic look, match containers to go with your landscape or make a garden that would appeal to children. With containers the atmosphere you can create is unlimited.

Make sure that your containers have holes in the bottom for good drainage, and then fill the bottoms with small rocks or gravel.

Next fill your containers with composted soil mixed in a 2 to 1 ratio with sand. Leave a 1-inch space at the top of the container. This gives you room to water without running the pot over and creating a mess.

Water the container and allow it to drain before planting your herbs. This step also settles the soil mix. I usually let the containers set overnight.

Next plant your herbs. It’s best to keep oregano, rosemary, mint and thyme in separate containers. They tend to grow large or spread and take over the container. You can grow the other herbs together in large shallow pots or a window box in your herb garden.

Last of all, it’s time to place containers on your patio in a location where they get at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. Herbs have a variety of different colors and textures and add depth to a small space garden area, like a patio. Add a few edible flowers in your herb garden for more color. Nasturtiums are an edible flower.

Lavender and rosemary are more difficult herbs to grow but you may want to consider growing them. In many areas they are perennial if brought indoors during the winter months.

One other idea you may want to consider when planning your herb garden is making part of the garden into a vertical garden. This would be perfect for a small patio with a corner that gets direct lighting.

This patio garden could be a compact as 3 foot in length if you use vertical growing methods or a few hanging baskets.  It could also be a growing wall or barrier to create more privacy on the patio.

Herbs are easy to grow and have so many uses. You will be surprised how much this small garden will add to your home and patio space.

Technorati Tags: backyard patio, gardening, herb gardening, herbs, small space herb garden

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.

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.

Technorati Tags: add a gazebo to your backyard, backyard design ideas, decks, Gazebos, landscaping

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.

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.

Technorati Tags: backyard design, garden shed, garden tools, landscaping

Viewing other gardens or backyards will give you ideas for new design for your home and landscape.

This you tube has ideas that are good for the smaller yard or small space design ideas. Oftentimes even in a larger yard there are small spaces that need plants and personality. The ideas here may give you a new backyard or patio look.

Many of the plants that are unique small plants would work in the yard or on balconies and many plants could be brought in for the winter if grown in containers and you live in a cooler climate. I enjoy bringing plants in during the winter months. It doesn’t seem as cold!

Technorati Tags: backyard design, landscaping, small plants, small space design, unique plants

I prefer my gardens to be more artistic but a rectangular raised bed garden will add color and use to you backyard.

This you tube show how to make a very easy raised bed garden.

The most important decision when making a raised bed garden is placement (6 to 8 hours of sun) and drainage and water. I like my watering source to be as close to the garden area as possible.

If you make the raised bed in the fall you can create most of your own soil by making compost and filling the raised bed area. If you are starting in the spring you will probably have to fill the new garden bed with soil you buy.

And with all gardens I recommend mulching the top of the soil with compost or chips to help hold in the moisture and cut down on weeding. Which mulch you select will depend on the plants you plan to grow. For perennials I usually use a chip or leaf mold. For annual plants and vegetable I use compost that I make.

Technorati Tags: backyard oasis garden, create a raised bed garden, gardening, make a raised bed garden, raised bed garden