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.

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A garden landscape is a wonderful and relaxing place to be in away from the hassle and bustle of the noisy downtown. Garden landscaping is usually laid out in a large area but still some gardens are also made in limited space.

photo credit: gabrielsaldana

During the Renaissance and the 1880s in United States formal garden landscaping was popular. The basis of the formal garden landscape is on geometric shapes that has boundaries defined by stone walkways, walls, hedges, fences, fountains, and statuary. Today formal garden landscape still exist in Botanical gardens and large estate.

For limited space usually in urban areas the modern/domestic garden landscape are used.

The types of garden landscapes are Organic, Herb, Roof, Vegetable, Rock, Water, Flower, and Public gardens.

• The Organic garden landscape is highly emphasize nowadays because it will not use artificial pesticides and fertilizers that harms living things. This garden landscape they use only biological fertilizers and pesticides to keep the plants healthy.
• Herb gardens are found in botanical gardens and medieval garden. In this garden landscapes the plants have medicinal properties like parsley, fennel, thyme, marjoram, dill, and rosemary that is used in flavoring foods.
• Roof garden landscape are found in urban areas which have limited space. The plants are usually in small pots and containers.
• The Vegetable garden landscape is the healthiest garden landscape. This garden landscape needs open and sunny location. It is important that there is rotation of crops to prevent disease transmission between the plants. Being knowledgeable on the season to which to plant a vegetable is vital.
• In rock garden landscape, it mimics the rocky hillside or a slope. It is vital that in this garden landscape the look should look like a part of a hillside. A bit of large boulders looks better. The rocks must be arranged that it should provide exposures to sun-tolerant plants like rock roses and shade-tolerant plant like primulas.
• The next one is the Water Garden Landscape. In this Garden landscape it’s important to consider your location, culture, and climate. The shape of water garden landscape in Europe and North America are rectangular or circular pools that contain one or two water lilies and a fountain, or sometimes there are no flowers. Also in United States and Europe informal water garden landscape are irregularly shaped with profusion of water lilies and other plants that suit a watery habitat.
• Water Garden Landscape in Japan has a particular and beautiful patterns in them that they preserved for centuries. While in temperate countries, the water garden landscape is grown under the glass in which the pools are heated.
• Water Garden Landscaping represent some of oldest forms of gardening landscape. While based on Egyptian about 2000 BC the records and pictures showed the cultivation of water lilies.
• Flower Garden Landscaping is perhaps what really caught our attention due to its colorful blooms. The vital components of this garden landscape is the blending and contrast of colors as well as the forms that are stressed in the design. It’s important to know which flowers can be planted in the garden.
• The public garden landscape is the last garden landscape. The Japanese Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is an example of a world-famous garden landscape.

Now, there are many varieties of plants available. So choose whichever garden landscape you desire.

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Most planting is done in the spring, between the time the frost leaves the ground and the time the leaf buds break on deciduous trees and shrubs. You may plant evergreens a week later as they do not usually start new growth as early as deciduous plants.
photo credit: cliff1066™

In the fall, plant evergreens, herbaceous perennials and bulbs before the middle of September. Plant deciduous trees and shrubs a little later, when their leaves are ready to fall.

Care on Arrival

When the shrubs arrive from the nursery, unpack them and report immediately any discrepancy in the order or condition of the stock.

If the material cannot be planted immediately, dig a trench and pack the roots close together in it, covering them with earth packed down firmly to exclude air. Evergreens that have the roots tightly balled and burlapped may be stood in the shade and sprinkled with water but not soaked.

Digging and Filling the Holes

Dig the holes before you prepare the plants to go in them. It is very important to keep the roots moist at all times, and they will dry out if you have them lying in the sun or wind while you dig the hole.

Dig the holes wide enough that the roots can be spread out naturally, and deep enough that 3 to 4 inches of good topsoil can be placed in the bottom and still allow the plant to be set about 1 inch lower than it grew before.

Hold the plant in place while you fill in good topsoil over the roots. Gently shake the plant up and down two or three times to help settle the earth around the roots. Then tamp the soil down firmly.

Soak it with water and as soon as it has settled fill the hole with soil; leave a saucerlike depression around the plant to hold future water, which it should receive at least once a week until it is established.

When planting evergreens do not remove the burlap from the roots. Place topsoil in the bottom of the hole to hold the ball at the right height. Remove the cord or nails that hold the ball together and roll the burlap back gently into the bottom of the hole, where it will rot in time. Then add soil and water as above.

Bracing

Small trees should be staked and large trees guyed with wires at the time they are planted to avoid being swayed by the wind. Make sure that the stake does not rub the tree and that wires and ties do not chafe it.

For small trees from 8 to 10 feet tall, drive a 2 x 2 inch hardwood stake (about as long as the tree) firmly into the bottom of the hole before planting the tree. Place the tree 2 to 3 inches from the stake so that the roots are not scraped. After the tree has been planted, tie the trunk to the stake about a foot from the ground and again every 3 feet, using a piece of rubber hose between them in a figure 8 and then making a loop around the two.

For guy-wiring larger trees, drive three or four short stakes into the ground about 5 feet from the tree on opposite sides. So that the tree will not be scraped, run the wires through a piece of hose placed around the tree 8 to 10 feet from the ground.
photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Pruning

Prune deciduous shrubs and trees at planting, to balance the roots they have lost and to train their shape. When pruning  trees remove some of the branches close to the trunk. Leave the main leader going straight up, with branches 6 to 12 inches apart ascending but alternating evenly around it. Remove broken branches and any that are crossed.

When pruning shrubs, remove weak, twisted or broken branches at the base. Also, cut back the strong canes to a point just above a leaf bud that points outward, so that the new branches will not cross.

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Like the living rooms of your house, the garden or recreation area is for the comfort and enjoyment of your family.
photo credit: Maven Dooshe

No stock set of plans answers the needs of all. You must first decide what your family needs are and then plan a garden to meet them,

Shall it be a rose garden, a rock garden, a wild garden or a play area? Do you want it formal, naturalistic, informal or conventional? And how about the style – English cottage garden, French parterre, Colonial or Japanese?

It is up to you. The garden is the outdoor area that is most valuable to the family as a whole and should be designed with that consideration uppermost.

Canadian Style

In Canada they have not yet developed their our own style. At present it follows the American trends very closely, but with less attention to garden ornaments and furnishings.

Because of longer winters, and most Canadians get to the country easily in the summer, they have not generally furnished their gardens for comfort in the past. Instead, they used them as a playground for the children and an exercise ground for horticultural hobbies.
photo credit: sarahgardenvisit

Lately, however, they have paid more attention to garden design and also to the arrangement of garden areas for comfortable living. By growing more flowers and taking advantage of a wealth of trees and shrubs. Canadians make liberal use of conifers to provide color and form during the long winters, and of bulbs for spring bloom.

Being accustomed to space in Canada, even in a formal garden they prefer a simple, open arrangement of parts to a crowded, European style with its fine detail. They like games so open lawns are needed by using lawn mower with lawn mower insurance.

Because of shoveling snow they leave planting well back from roads and paths. In Ontario and Quebec they have large supplies of good limestone, and prefer it for walks, steps and walls to the finer finish of brick or concrete.

A simple, open style suits the climate and their tastes, so it is generally the best one to use in gardens where they wish to relax. However, gardens intended as showplaces are often very effective when developed according to the styles of other countries and periods.

Kent Higgins frequently contributes to plant-care.com. The more you know the better decisions you can make, like the topic of lawn mower insurance.

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Patioscape design allows for a lot of creativity.

photo credit: Koonisutra

In fact, the possibilities for patios and pools are nearly limitless. Still, the best in the business recommend following basic design rules by answering these questions:

After a careful assessment, it’s time to select your plants.

Color, of course, is the element that usually catches the eye first. Though it can be tough, the designer in you needs to exercise restraint in this area.

Choose colors based on your individual situation. For example, blue tones are popular because they give a feeling of serenity. They look great near a pool. Warm, bold colors – reds, orange and yellows – are temperamental and have a high impact. Mono-aromatic designs are elegant and trendy.

No matter what the trends are, don’t just consider aesthetics. Make sure the plants you choose have similar requirements for light exposure and water. They should also have similar growth vigor, or more aggressive ones might outpace those that grow slowly.

For a well-balanced design use tall, upright plants, mounding or medium-height plants and trailing elements. Work your way from the center to the rim, placing uprights in the center, medium plants around them and trailing elements along the edges.

If the planter is against a wall or in a corner work your way from back to front, with tall plants in the back and trailing elements in front.

Other important considerations are proportion and texture. Aim for the plants to take up to 2/3 of the entire design, leaving 1/3 for the visible part of the planter.

Keep in mind that trailing plants will hide part of your container. Use simpler plants to accent a showpiece planter.

For a pool landscaping plan, one idea is to consider using texture to create a natural design.

Incorporate foliage plants for richness and work with different foliage and flower shapes and sizes. Design professionals favour such varieties as purple fountain grass (regular and dwarf forms), New Zealand flax, Mexican feather grass and sedges. You can also try perennials with intriguing foliage like Hosta, Heuchera, Ajugn, Euphorbia, Sedum or ornamental herbs.

Other excellent foliage plants are coleus, English Ivy, Ornamental Sweet Potato, and Strobilanthes.

For novel flowering plants try Ange Ionia, Nemesia, Bacopa, Calibrachoa or Cleome ‘Linde Armstrong’.

In most cases it’s best to make a design last the entire year, but some gardeners prefer spring and fall planting.

Sometimes plants become less attractive as summer wears on and fall planting becomes necessary. In this case consider including evergreens for winter interest. Try to limit complete change-outs to two to four times yearly, typically when the seasons change. Choose bromeliads over annuals for their longevity. Using mostly perennials will make fewer change-outs necessary.

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