A Spanish metal pergola is probably your most traditional option when it comes to pergolas. You need to make sure that it does work with the actual structure of your house. You also want to ensure that it blends in beautifully with your garden. This can be done by using natural pattern on any curtains or with natural tones of paint. Pergola construction and design such as this is probably the most opulent look that you can get outdoors without looking completely unnatural at the same time. I love the idea of pergolas because then your yard stays looking great all year round instead of just in the spring. Your backyard doesn’t only have to be beautiful in the summer when the flowers are in bloom. This works best if you have a stucco style house or a red tile roof. Otherwise this is not going to give you a [...] Read more »
Wise Gardening Means Choosing the Right Grass
The grass you choose for your lawn will largely depend upon your climate. The amount of traffic your lawn is exposed to, as well as how much shade, are other factors. Grasses fall into two basic categories: cool-season grasses or warm-season grasses. Cool-season grasses are adapted to cold winter weather, but they will need lots of watering in the summer to stay green. Warm-season grasses grow best in areas with hot summers and mild winters. Lawn seed can be purchased as individual varieties or as blends of several different grasses. Blends give lawns a safer start. As the lawn matures, the variety that flourishes will be the one best suited for the lawn’s specific location and environment. Here are some tried-and-true grasses that are sure to make you lawn-proud. Cool-Season Grasses Fescue. Fescues have narrow blades, a fine texture and a dark green color. They grow well in most soils, [...] Read more »
Exterior Living Spaces: Tap Your Homes Value and Charm
Exterior living spaces are an often times under developed and untapped source of your homes beauty and charm. The shear variety and personalization of exterior livings spaces is reason enough to invest, but since quality and well thought out exterior living spaces add tremendous value to your home, there is no reason not to invest in them. The follow are some things to consider when you are planning your exterior living space. Interior Living The key to having a well thought out and functional exterior living space lies deep in the design of your interior living area. It is a good idea to be generally consistent with your choice of colors, styles, and themes. For example, if you had a country style living room, you would not want your exterior living room to be themed southwestern. Keeping the constancy between your interior and exterior living spaces is key to a [...] Read more »
Summer Improvements to Your Home and Yard
There are numerous home improvements that can be made that will upgrade the value of your home. Many people think that adding a swimming pool or a garden fountain to their backyard is a great way to substantially increase the value of their home; however, many people also forget the drawbacks of such large investments. The general consensus of home remodeling and additions is that they are all great for adding value to your home. For example, adding a granite countertop does improve the overall value of a home’s kitchen; however, can be a considerably expensive option. Also, purchasing new home appliances can increase a home’s value and is a great selling point to advertise when in the process of marketing your home to new couples. The idea of not having to buy new large appliances is extremely enticing to individuals looking for a home because they will not have [...] Read more »
Stone Water Features For The Garden
The inside of your home is a source of pride, and surely you want your outdoor area to be as well. There are several stone water features for the garden that can help your outdoor area be a beautiful and peaceful place. Finding the items you want for your garden area can be a fun and rewarding experience. Bond 39-Inch Fountain Lion Head Wall Mount Fountain 48-Inch Fountain, LED Lights Wall fountains can be installed easily, and will often be a focal point for your guests. There are many styles available, including lighted versions for night time viewing. Wall fountains come in a variety of finishes, making it easy to find on that will match your home. They also come with decorative embellishments if you wish. Your wall fountain can be as modern or ornate as you wish. They style of a wall fountain is timeless, and these fountains will [...] Read more »
Eight Reasons to Aerate My Yard
Using a lawn aerator is an Eco-friendly and economically smart way to improve the health and beauty of any lawn. In my career as a lawn-scaper, I have aerated over 6,000 lawns. I have seen it have astonishing effects on peoples lawn. My top ten reasons for aerating are as follows: Reduced the cost of watering. In a liberal states where utilities are managed by the government and where water is sold for 2-3 times more then it should cost produce, this can be a huge money saver. In Oregon and Portland, I saved people $100,000s of dollars by aerating their lawns. This means that in the summer they need to water less often and that every time they watered there lawn , the water went deeper and had a greater greening effect. Aerating reduces soil compaction, which also reduces run off and thereby also save you money. Aerating on [...] Read more »
Concrete Landscaping Cаn Add Sо Much Tо Yоur Yard
Tо heаr the wоrd cоncrete yоu mаy nоt think thаt it wоuld be sоmething tо wаnt in yоur yаrd but in fаct, cоncrete landscaping hаs cоme аlоng wаy in the lаst 10 yeаrs оr sо. Nоw it is аll the rаge аnd it is very pretty tоо. Yоu cаn use cоncrete fоr mаny different pаrts оf yоur yаrd. Mоst peоple use cement ideаs аnd designs fоr the wаlkwаys аnd pаths thаt wind thrоugh their gаrdens. This is mоre fоr thоse with lаrger yаrds but even if yоur yаrd is smаll it cоuld dо with sоme cоncrete landscaping. Yоu cоuld put dоwn а lively pаtiо thаt yоu аnd yоur friends cоuld it аt tо hаve drinks оr teа. There is nоthing mоre fun thаn а little pаrty оut оn the pаtiо оn а nice dаy. Stоne wаlls аre аnоther fоrm оf hard landscaping thаt hаs reаlly cаught оn like wildfire. Wаlls [...] Read more »
Determining If A Tree Is Dead
Removing trees is a double-edged sword. On the one side, this can be very disconcerting because of the already diminishing natural greenery in the world, and on the other, it can be very useful to make room for growth and development. But sometimes, a tree just has to be removed, and one good reason is if the tree is already dead. But checking if a tree is actually dead can be a very tricky thing. There have been tragic times when a gardener or a homeowner, after mistakenly judging that a tree is dead, have chopped the tree down, only to realize too late in the procedure that the tree was actually still alive. To avoid that happening to you, here are a few guide questions to help you get the correct answer. The best initial indicator if a tree is alive or dead is the season. Different seasons can [...] Read more »
Accenting the Garden with Light and Shade
The beauty of front yards in every household is often defined by the plants and flowers that are present in the garden. There are probably no yards or patios in the world that do not have gardens and if ever there are any yards without them, they should definitely have one. Sometimes, the front yards are not all about the gardens. Other things can be present in the yards like an umbrella for example. Using umbrellas for yards may be great but the problem is, these things do not stand on their own which is why every umbrella should have a garden parasol base. The use of parasol bases is very important when it comes to umbrellas. These things hold the umbrellas and they make sure that they do not fall down easily. These things are made out of some metal material with a hole to accommodate the umbrella tubing. [...] Read more »
Helpful Garden Fencing Ideas
Garden fences are great addition to any garden or yard. They are the ultimate yard accessory and at the same, they define space and keep people out. This article will provide you some helpful garden fencing ideas that you can follow so you can achieve the look and function that you want in a fence. Carefully plan things out. Factors like yard or garden area, security and privacy need to be considered. These elements will be the basis of where to place the garden fence panels and how much fences you require. Garden fences need not to be permanent. They can also be moved to obtain the certain design and style that you want. However, installing and reinstalling them can be tiresome. Function should equal design. photo credit: Mason Masteka If your main reason for setting up garden fencing is for security, then sturdy and tall fencing should be used. [...] Read more »