As the summer progresses we want a quick change in our backyard. If a few quick changes you can add color and privacy to your home, often at a low price.

photo credit: hello-julie

Hang planters and hooks on the side of your home and place hardy plants in baskets. You will want hardy low maintenance plants that require less water than most plants. You don’t want to be running out watering these planters all the time. I often select geranium, ivy, marigolds, zinnias or a mix of herb plants. Garden art figurines will also look nice tucked in the planters for more color and interest.

Consider adding a collection of different size pots and containers and arrange them in a corner of a porch, patio, fence area or yard. This will give a feeling of height to the area and create a lush garden feeling.

Purchase a freestanding wrought iron plant hook for your garden and hang a basket filled with annuals. A planter placed high in a garden creates a focal point.

Consider planting climbing roses or clematis to wrap around deck posts. This will soften the sharp lines of your home and create a more private feel to the backyard.

Many for these tips can be done in a few hours at a reasonable cost. They will give your home and garden area a fresh look.

Technorati Tags: backyard design, backyard ideas, hanging baskets, patio ideas, planters

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.

photo credit: GardenFocus

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.

Technorati Tags: backyard design, hardscape, hardscaping tips, home and garden, landscape

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.

Technorati Tags: backyard design, backyard fences, fences, fencing, how to make a fence

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.

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.

Technorati Tags: backyard design, hardy flowers, Small Space Garden, small space garden flowers, small space garden plan

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