Light Mulch
Mulch, pine straw, or decorative stones provide a finished look for your landscape project. Each of these materials result in a different look.
Maybe you have new trees, shrubs, flowers, or a hard-scape feature all installed. Now it is time for the final step in your landscape project. It is important to know the difference between the three different materials.
Dark Mulch
Mulch is a very popular product today. There are several different varieties out on the market. The organic type is good to use.
When meeting with my clients, we talk about the advantages and dis-advantages of this material. To me, mulch can either represent a formal or informal look.
One of the first steps for you to think about is what grade of ground mulch do you prefer. There are three different phases to grinding this material. Once, twice, or three times grinding through a machine.
The bark of the tree is the best part to use. The more times the batch of wood is grounded, the finer the mulch will become. I recommend the bark or wood be grounded at least twice. The cost for you may be a little bit more, but worth the few extra dollars.
Cedar Mulch
There have been concerns about termites in wood products. The product that has been through the grinding process is safe to use in and around your foundation. If the material hasn't been grounded, there will be larger pieces of wood and a change of infestation of termites, and other insects. Always check with your suppler on what specifications they do when grinding the bark.
Another item to consider is the color. The hard wood material comes in light and dark brown. Cedar has a orange - red tint to it. One word of caution if you are considering cedar mulch.
A dye is usually put into the cedar material and can stain your driveway or lawn. Look at the colors of your brick, siding or shutters. What color would match well with any of these features? This material is measured by cubic yard. Plant around a Tree explains the steps in buying mulch at a nursery. Playground mulch is the one of the best to use, but it is somewhat more expensive to purchase.
Burpee.com - Tomato HP Logo
The Burpee Company is known for its wonderful collection of seeds, plants, and gardening supplies. Now is a great time to purchase a "Burpee Gift Card" as a present or for your own gardens and landscape. Create a beautiful look for your outdoors, before finishing the project.
The playground material is finely shredded of good quality bark. Many child care centers and schools are using this particular type. Pine nuggets are popular and will last longer. Over time this material may loose its color. You will need to refresh the landscape area either every six months, or once a year.
Pine Straw
Pine Straw represents a natural feeling of being out in nature. The Pine straw comes in bales. Usually one bale will cover forty to sixty feet, one to two inches thick. Pine straw is easier to install then mulch. It will also tend to loose its color after a period of time.
The pine will turn a shade of gray and you will have to refresh the area the same as mulch, every six months or annually. Pine straw does have some acidic levels and is great for certain types of plants that thrive in an acid base environment. (Azaleas in the south love the pine straw)
If you have pine trees around, let the needles from the tree collect the ground and use it in your landscaped area. Prices range depending on your geographic location.
Your cost will usually run anywhere from two to four dollars per bale. You have a big advantage if you live on a farm with pine trees, as the needles will naturally fall onto the ground.
Pine is safe around foundations, children or animals. One word of caution, every once in awhile you may find a a vine with thorns in a bale. I recommend wearing gloves. Did you know that birds and other small creatures will use the pine straw to make part of their nests? If you are planning a relaxed landscape project, and want to feel as if you are walking through the woods, pine straw may be the answer.
Stone
Decorative Stone is a third alternative in finishing your landscape project. The stones are usually cut in one, two, or three inches in diameter.
There are several different colors to choose from. Decorative stone creates a look of formality in garden areas. The rocks will last longer than pine straw and mulch. You can purchase stone in bags at a local store, nursery, or garden center. Some nurseries and garden centers will carry the decorative stone in bulk.
Depending on the size of your project, they will deliver the stone usually starting with a half ton. Pick up trucks are great for getting the rocks to your home, but also a lot more work for you. Delivery fees can run twenty to forty dollars.
If you have a sunny location be careful about putting stark white stone in a bed, as the sun reflects off the white color. In partial shade or full shade, the white rock creates a very clean and crisp look.
An idea for you to think about is using the stone in certain beds, and pine straw or mulch in other beds. Consider the stone around a few trees or any outdoor feature such as a bird feeder, sun dial, container gardens or decorating around a pond or pool area. You also can purchase pebbles. These flat stones are smaller in size and great for walkways.
Whether you are planning a full scale landscape project incorporating a few new beds, or tired of what is presently there, consider the above possibilities. These three materials can improve the appearance of your home. Remember to include this step in your planning phase.
Take a look at plan-prep-plant and finish with mulch, or pine straw and understand the importance of the planning phase. I hope this article has helped you in the decision making process of applying the final material in your outdoor venture.
http://fossie09.ideas4land.hop.clickbank.net
Great Day! For Landscaping!
Donald
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Designing within a Design - A Garden or Landscape
Designing within a Design is a great way to create your very own garden or landscape project. Techniques for developing your garden can be made easy through a few simple tips. Think about a particular shape for a bed.
For example, lets take a square. There are different ideas you could do inside the square. Generate rows similar to what you see in vegetable gardens. Another thought, you could actually use different shapes such as a triangle or circle inside the square.
In the triangle, put one or three of the same or different shrubs. Remember to keep odd numbers. (This is a good rule of thumb) Another consideration is border your triangle with flowers and put a series of three shrubs inside the triangle.
Think about what you want to plant in each of your shapes as you draw them. Next to your triangle, make a circle. You love Indian Hawthorns, put Indian Hawthorns in your triangle, add flowers inside your circle. Does this sound confusing to you? Take a piece of paper and and try these steps...
Draw a big Square - use a pencil so you can erase.
Think about putting a triangle somewhere inside the square.
Before you draw the triangle, think about what plants would fit well in this shape.
Draw your plants in your triangle. Don't worry about drawing an actual plant, put an x for now and make a key and identify what your x is.
Continue putting X's in or if you want something different, make that an o. You can use whatever code or key you want. Make it as simple as you can for yourself. Use letters or numbers.
Once you have your triangle done, stop and think about two things. Do you want all different shapes throughout your square or do you want just triangles? Another tip is to add rows to connect all your triangles or your different shapes. There are a couple of possibilities with rows. If you have trees in your triangle, put a row of shrubs to your next triangle or shape. If you have shrubs in your triangle, add a row of perennial flowers.
Build your square with your own personality of what you like. Maybe you want to do a square with all flowers. Pick out your favorite ones and create shapes and rows.
This is a basic technique. You start with a shape and continually add on. I have done a entire backyard of just kidney shapes and then put different shapes in all the kidney beds. You can have a formal or informal garden using these shapes.
Below is a very simple drawing for your garden or landscape project. You can create any type of garden designing within a design. I drew the square, put a couple of of triangles in each corner, a kidney shape in the middle and two circles on either side. This could be your backyard or front yard. You do not have to have this many shapes. Make it as simple or get real creative and design several shapes or beds. Also there is an easy key to follow with a few tips and suggestions on what kind of plants to incorporate.
Designing Within A Deisgn
A - Trees - Consider putting two evergreen trees in the triangle, such as an Emerald Green Arborvitae, Douglas Fir, Redbud, or a Nellie Steven Holly. You could go a little smaller and put a Osmanthus, (Tea Olive) Cleyera, or a Weeping Youpon Holly.
The open space where there are three trees, consider maybe two evergreen trees on the outside and a deciduous tree in the middle. A Purple Plum, Maple, (provides great shade) or maybe a flowering Crabapple. Add some color with the evergreens such as a False Cypress, Black Dragon Cryptomeria, or a Leyland Cypress. Leyland Cypress looks striking with a Purple Plum.
The gallery of plants section has photos of different trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs. There is a brief description of each and also climate zones.
B - Shrubs - Put a couple of evergreen shrubs in either side of your triangle. Try a Loropetalum, (Chinese Pizazz) Mop Cypress, Indian Hawthorn, or a Blue or Gray Owl Juniper. (nice teal color) Mix and match some deciduous shrubs also. Winged Euonymus, (beautiful red tones) Spirea, Peegee or Annabelle Hydrangea.
C - Dwarf Shrubs - dwarf shrubs are wonderful specimens around flowers. Dwarf Hinoki Cypress, dwarf Hemlock, Blue Pacific Juniper, or a Birds Nest.
D - Flowers - annual or perennials would look nice. Do two beds of perennials or mix some annuals up with the perennial flowers. In winter, those annuals will die out and you will be left with a dead space. Some great annuals are Petunias, Impatiens, Dusty Millers and of course some marigolds.(a very popular annual flower) Mix in some perennials such as Phlox, Columbine, Bee Balm, or some Coreopsis.
http://fossie09.ideas4land.hop.clickbank.net
Go! Landscaping!
Donald
For example, lets take a square. There are different ideas you could do inside the square. Generate rows similar to what you see in vegetable gardens. Another thought, you could actually use different shapes such as a triangle or circle inside the square.
In the triangle, put one or three of the same or different shrubs. Remember to keep odd numbers. (This is a good rule of thumb) Another consideration is border your triangle with flowers and put a series of three shrubs inside the triangle.
Think about what you want to plant in each of your shapes as you draw them. Next to your triangle, make a circle. You love Indian Hawthorns, put Indian Hawthorns in your triangle, add flowers inside your circle. Does this sound confusing to you? Take a piece of paper and and try these steps...
Draw a big Square - use a pencil so you can erase.
Think about putting a triangle somewhere inside the square.
Before you draw the triangle, think about what plants would fit well in this shape.
Draw your plants in your triangle. Don't worry about drawing an actual plant, put an x for now and make a key and identify what your x is.
Continue putting X's in or if you want something different, make that an o. You can use whatever code or key you want. Make it as simple as you can for yourself. Use letters or numbers.
Once you have your triangle done, stop and think about two things. Do you want all different shapes throughout your square or do you want just triangles? Another tip is to add rows to connect all your triangles or your different shapes. There are a couple of possibilities with rows. If you have trees in your triangle, put a row of shrubs to your next triangle or shape. If you have shrubs in your triangle, add a row of perennial flowers.
Build your square with your own personality of what you like. Maybe you want to do a square with all flowers. Pick out your favorite ones and create shapes and rows.
This is a basic technique. You start with a shape and continually add on. I have done a entire backyard of just kidney shapes and then put different shapes in all the kidney beds. You can have a formal or informal garden using these shapes.
Below is a very simple drawing for your garden or landscape project. You can create any type of garden designing within a design. I drew the square, put a couple of of triangles in each corner, a kidney shape in the middle and two circles on either side. This could be your backyard or front yard. You do not have to have this many shapes. Make it as simple or get real creative and design several shapes or beds. Also there is an easy key to follow with a few tips and suggestions on what kind of plants to incorporate.
Designing Within A Deisgn
A - Trees - Consider putting two evergreen trees in the triangle, such as an Emerald Green Arborvitae, Douglas Fir, Redbud, or a Nellie Steven Holly. You could go a little smaller and put a Osmanthus, (Tea Olive) Cleyera, or a Weeping Youpon Holly.
The open space where there are three trees, consider maybe two evergreen trees on the outside and a deciduous tree in the middle. A Purple Plum, Maple, (provides great shade) or maybe a flowering Crabapple. Add some color with the evergreens such as a False Cypress, Black Dragon Cryptomeria, or a Leyland Cypress. Leyland Cypress looks striking with a Purple Plum.
The gallery of plants section has photos of different trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs. There is a brief description of each and also climate zones.
B - Shrubs - Put a couple of evergreen shrubs in either side of your triangle. Try a Loropetalum, (Chinese Pizazz) Mop Cypress, Indian Hawthorn, or a Blue or Gray Owl Juniper. (nice teal color) Mix and match some deciduous shrubs also. Winged Euonymus, (beautiful red tones) Spirea, Peegee or Annabelle Hydrangea.
C - Dwarf Shrubs - dwarf shrubs are wonderful specimens around flowers. Dwarf Hinoki Cypress, dwarf Hemlock, Blue Pacific Juniper, or a Birds Nest.
D - Flowers - annual or perennials would look nice. Do two beds of perennials or mix some annuals up with the perennial flowers. In winter, those annuals will die out and you will be left with a dead space. Some great annuals are Petunias, Impatiens, Dusty Millers and of course some marigolds.(a very popular annual flower) Mix in some perennials such as Phlox, Columbine, Bee Balm, or some Coreopsis.
http://fossie09.ideas4land.hop.clickbank.net
Go! Landscaping!
Donald
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