New hardscaping has that bright look that can be rather stark when the sun shines down on it. Stone can be dazzling in the light and wood may appear too new for the softscaping or the house. Even garden ornaments like birdbaths, statues, and outbuildings may look too clean to fit into the surroundings. But with a little planning there are ways to make your landscaping blend in more naturally. It will look like its been part of the landscape for years.
One way to create an older look is when creating the hardscape. Select old but quality materials. You can scour salvage companies for stones, bricks, fountains, benches, gazebos, and other materials and structures that have been removed from antique and vintage homes. Besides selecting materials that are aged you may save money and you will definitely have stories to tell about the scavenging adventures. Weathered materials will help make your hardscaping look like it’s been there for years.
Choose natural materials that are found in the area. For example, I live in an area rich on slab rock and polished river rock. By adding these rocks into my hardscape design they look like they have been in place for years. I also used recycled posts from a 13-foot wood fence that was torn down. The posts are weathered and fit in well with my raised beam flowerbed and the rock walls that were recently added. I will add a little natural moss in the rock walls for more of an aged look. All areas have some sort of natural materials. Just study your landscape to see what’s available.
You can paint concrete or new stone with equal parts buttermilk and plain yogurt. While this mixture is still wet, rub moss over it. This will encourage an aged, mossy surface. This takes about two weeks to start to grow. During this time keep the area moist by covering it with heavy clear plastic until the moss is established.
My neighbor drizzled latex paint over new areas of their concrete. They used a grayish-green color of paint. Dilute the paint with equal parts water and mix well. Use a large paintbrush and use a sloppy style to apply the paint. You try to create a natural look. While the paint is still wet, wipe off areas with a clean rag. Next rub down the surface with green grass or weeds for an old mossy look.
Plant mosses, lichen, rock cress and creeping plants between rocks, on walls or among stones on pathways. They will grow quickly and give your hardscaping a softer, older feel.
Partially bury the larger rocks that you place in the yard. Setting large rocks on top of the soil gives them an unnatural look and they could even move under the right circumstance. But if you dig a hole and bury the rocks a quarter of the way into the soil, they’ll look like they’ve been there many years
You can age wood by hammering it, painting it a grayish-tan color or grayish green, and then adding another layer of darker gray paint. After you apply the darker paint, wipe away areas with a clean rag. Make sure to leave the dented and grooved areas in the wood with plenty of dark paint. This will give an antique look to the wood.
And if you live in an area with old barns you may be able to harvest unwanted wood for you hardscape projects. Just make sure its weather proofed so that it will hold up the climate.
One way to make your hardscape fit right into your landscape is to surround it with larger plants. Use mature or nearly mature plants around your hardscaping to create an aged look. If you can’t afford to buy or don’t already have such plants, try planting younger, cheaper plants, but plant them closer together than you normally would. (You’ll have to thin out the plants in a year or two, but in the meantime, your hardscaping will have that “grown in” look.) You can also add perennials and annual flowers to soften a new landscape look. Blend the same flowers and plants around the yard to create a flow in pattern and design.
Hardscaping, the use of landscaping that is more permanent, is a project that needs to be thought out and planned well for success in your landscape
Here are 3 tips to help you get started with any hardscaping plan.
1. Draw out all hardscape construction plans
If you are planning to include permanent features in your landscape it is imperative to think things through thoroughly. The only way to make any piece of hardscape successful in the landscape is to plan it out carefully. Sketch ideas out on paper or on computer software where you can change your mind and move things around cheaply. Study your property and think on any possible problem or additional work the hardscape could add to your yard. I walk the property and ask family and friends if they see any possible problems with the new hardscape plans. Remember, anything that will be permanent will be very costly to change later. So take you time with your plans.
2. Check into local laws, regulations and codes.
Most cities require specific codes and inspections for most permanent structures, so check with your township or city before you start a hardscape design. Many cities have a wall height or you may have to abide by a road right or way. You also need to check with a landlord if you rent.
3. Do any hardscape project the right way the first time.
That means make sure you think of any problems your new hardscape could create. Do proper preparation and select quality materials. Check referrals of any construction companies and make sure whoever does the work is experienced and knowledgeable.
If you are qualified to do the work yourself that’s great but if not, hire help. Keeping costs down is always a plus but make sure quality does not suffer. A poor job will only cost more for maintenance and repairs.
Any building project you want to endure should be done properly and within any town and county regulations. It may be tempting to take short cuts or price the job out to the lowest bidder. I myself prefer to hire local companies that need to do the best job they can for their reputation and future work. Just remember when hiring a company, you usually get what you pay for.
A well-done hardscape, whether it is in the form of a patio, terrace, built-in grill, walkway, wall, driveway or anything else, should increase the value of your property and require minimum maintenance. Make the effort to go slowly and carefully and whatever hardscape you build in your landscape can turn into an asset that you can enjoy for years to come. Hardscape can add value to your home if done professionally and built well.
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.
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.
But with the use of mulches, small plants or shrubs and garden art you can redo small sections of your backyard in a day.
If you divide areas of your yard into sections you can work on one section at a time to create mini gardens or garden rooms. Using this system the entire backyard will not be torn up and you can work with a small budget. You will also be able to enjoy the backyard while projects are underway
This you tube will show you five ideas for small backyard landscaping design ideas they used.
These ideas may give you a start for redoing you own backyard oasis or creating one.
I liked the use of mulch and stone in the video to create an easy to take care of patio area. I also like the use of small plants, mulch and less grass.
When planning your new small garden areas decide what is important to you and incorporate those ideas into your plans. This may be a mini patio, reading room; children’s play area or a work area.
There are two ideas to keep in mind when planning your backyard projects.
1. Design the areas with change in mind. Will your children be growing up or will you be starting a family? Should the recreational area be downsized? Will you be adding a pool or removing one in the future?
2. And the last idea to keep in mind – is to keep it simple. With proper planning you can have a beautiful lush backyard oasis without spending the entire weekend working in it.
For many people, it’s not officially spring until the azaleas bloom in April or May. The delicate flowers, in many colors, are one of the first shrubs to let you know, summer will soon arrive. In my area, Warren Pa, is the first area where the azaleas shrubs line Market Street with livid color. photo credit: Ryan Somma
Azaleas are a large, diverse group of flowering shrubs. They have single and double blooms in many shades of white, purple, red, pink or orange. I have tried to make my azalea collection have blooms from early to almost the beginning of summer. Azaleas also look nice mixed in with Rhododendron shrubs and spring and summer bulbs.
When selecting azaleas for your backyard, check variety to see if it will adapt and grow in your climate. Living in a zone 5 I need hardy azaleas that will take the cold winter nights. I also winterize the plants for added protection.
“Check with your local nursery or home center to see what they recommend for your region of the country.” Another overlooked area for plant, tree and shrub growing tips is your local Extension Office. photo credit: Ryan Somma
I am adding seven azaleas to my yard. Here are tips for planting this shrub that have worked for me in the past.
Choose a planting site with light shade (some varieties can take some sun) and well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter. This tip is the one I consider the most important. The right soil mix will help your azalea to grow, stay healthy and produce flowers in quantity.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball. The top of the root ball should be slightly above the top of the surrounding soil. If you have a clay soil make sure you break up the sides of the clay wall to help the roots extend into the more compact soil base.
Lift the container off the plant and cut or loosen any matted or damaged roots off the root ball.
After planting the shrub, water well, then apply a thick layer of organic mulch to help keep the soil moist. At this critical stage where new roots are forming make sure you never let the plant dry out completely.
Check your shrub each spring and fall for any insect or animal damage and remove any damaged branches. Make sure you add additives or fresh mulch to the plants base and prune at the proper time to keep the shrub full and producing flowers.
The new azalea shrubs will make a nice addition to the backyard and small rock garden I am adding to the landscaping this fall.
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