Landscaping is always a very rewarding occupation – whether you do it for yourself or as a profession you always learn something from the projects you take up and you always end up with something more beautiful than you envisaged in your plans. When you do landscape designs for the southwest landscape, you get to put in a little more effort than you would do regularly, as you need to choose the right combination or trees and bushes for it, and as a reward you get better results than in any other type of landscaping.
Trees And Bushes For Landscape Designs For The Southwest
Most of the trees that are used for landscape designs for the southwest are drought resistant and possibly evergreen so you would have to worry about it only when you plant them. The rest would be taken care of by regular maintenance which ordinarily is not much if you know how to do it well at planting time. In order to get the best out of your efforts you need to choose the right type of trees and the combination of plants as well.
The Hoop’s Blue Spruce is a wonderful tree which fares exceptionally well in the southwest climate and environment conditions. This is an extraordinarily beautiful tree that grows fast achieving its full height and width of about 50 feet and 20 feet respectively in less than 24 months. Its form, color and imposing stance makes it a wonderful choice for any type of landscape designs for the southwest.
Another great choice that is very popular for landscape designs for the southwest is the Colorado Blue Spruce. This is an evergreen coniferous tree that can grow to a majestic 60 feet height and upto about 20 feet in width. Its cones and pine needs add a special essence to the air where it is planted which is a great plus for the environment. The best part is that once it is fully grown, and that is in about 2 years time, it can give you that wonderful full forest look and you see and admire in posters.
There is another tree that can be used here, i.e. the Afghan Pine tree. This is a huge 70 feet tall tree when fully grown and can become a great barrier in the path of winds even as a standalone specimen. This is the best choice for border as it requires a lot of maintenance for it drops a vast amount of cones.
Best Homeowner Landscaping Ideas Of All Time
There is many a landscaping tip out there to satisfy even the most desperate of landscapers or would be landscapers and you can find hundreds of them online. But in all of my years as a landscape artist I have come to the conclusion that while there are many different homeowner landscaping ideas only a few are universal and there is a good chance that only one landscaping tip will do you any good.
The landscaping tip that you need the most will be different than the one I needed because each project is different, so take your time and learn about as many landscaping tips as you can before you start your project.
Homeowner Landscaping Ideas
The best homeowner landscaping tip that everyone can learn from is to always make your yard one that will look great at any time of the year. This can be tricky because in the middle of winter many things do not look so hot. This is why it is so important to learn about the kinds of plants and trees that will still bring beauty to your home in the depth or winter and in the summer heat.
To find the plants that will make this landscaping tip work will require you to do a little more work. You will have to find out what plants will thrive in your climate all year round. Of course some will do better during certain months but you need to always have something going on that is attractive in your yard. The best place for you to find out the best plants for this landscaping tip is your local garden center.
They are the experts and they should be able to answer all of your questions about what your choices in plants and trees should be. If this does not work for you then take a trip to the library and check out some books on local flowers and trees. These can be gold when you are trying to choose just the right things for your yard.
Another good landscaping tip is to layer all of your planting beds. This will bring a sense of unity and balance to your entire yard. To get this particular landscaping tip working at its best you should also use repetition in this design. Have these layers repeated throughout the yard and it will look that much better to those walking by.
Finding Your Own Homeowner Landscaping Ideas
It is not all that easy to always come up with your own landscaping ideas. In fact, most people are going to need a little help with their landscaping, it is a good thing that it is easy to find your own homeowner landscaping ideas to use.
There are a few places that you can get some fantastic homeowner landscaping ideas and probably the best place is the internet. You will find hundreds of sites on the internet that will all have a great landscaping idea or two for you to take and make your own. It is important that you put a lot of though and consideration into the landscaping of your yard in the front and in the back so finding the perfect landscaping idea is essential to your success.
The Perfect Homeowner Landscaping Idea
You should start by taking a walk around your property in order to get a good sense of what can be done. See how the drainage is and check out the slopes and levels of your property. This way you will be able to tell which landscaping idea is right for you right off the bat. The more you notice the easier things will be.
It would be terrible to choose a landscaping idea and then start work only to find that it cannot be completed halfway through due to some aspect of your property. This is why you need to find out all that you can about each landscaping idea that you are contemplating using.
And before you choose the final landscaping idea that you are going to use take a little extra time to learn the basics of landscaping. This is imperative if you have never done any work like this before. If you re new to the whole world of landscaping then you might want to take out a book or two from the library.
This way you do not have to pay for them and you will still get all that they have to offer. There is a lot of be gained from reading some good landscaping books, you might even find a landscaping idea in them.
If you know that you want to change the landscaping in your front yard and your back yard then you need to use a landscaping idea that will incorporate both of these. Your front and back yards should flow together, this will give you the best possible design so look at a landscaping idea that will give you this kind of harmony and you will have a better yard for it.
Layering Backyard Garden Landscaping Tips
Could your home do with a little more garden landscaping? Probably so, and that is a good thing. In fact you should be very excited about it because there is nothing more fun than garden landscaping, it will get your imagination working overtime and you will have a ball planting and rearranging your plants and flowers.
By layering your backyard garden beds you will be able to add a whole other level of beauty to your landscaping design. Your yard is the first thing that people will see when they come to your house and giving a grand tour that includes a fabulous garden is always fun and exciting. You will be the talk of the neighborhood, and for all the right reasons this time, when you do some really good garden landscaping.
Backyard Garden Layering Tips
Layering your garden landscaping design is easy to do. You need to know the flowers that you are going to plant first however. The choices that you make as far as the flowers and other plants will affect just how your garden landscaping is laid out. For example you do not want to have the taller plants in front of the shorter ones. This is obvious but you should still make a rough sketch of where you want things laud out for your garden landscaping before you begin. This will help you to keep thins as simple as possible. Your garden landscaping will go a lot faster this way and you will run into fewer problems as you go.
When layering you should have about three layers. Your back row should face north, if it can, and the back row should have the tallest plants and as the rows descend so should the heights of the plants and flowers. The trick of this kind of garden landscaping is that oftentimes the plants we buy are baby plants. So you will need to talk to those working at your local gardening store about how large the plants will grow to be. This is key tip to successful garden landscaping. If the front or middle row of your garden landscaping design is going to grow much higher than the last row, then you will have to do some rearranging.
The layering affect of your garden landscaping design will add depth and make your garden much more interesting to look at. This is what will make your garden landscaping a success.
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Basic Homeowner Landscaping Ideas
Learning how to landscape your property will add both beauty as well as a higher financial value to your home. While many people seek out a professional for this type of work, a beginner with the right motivation can learn basic homeowner landscaping ideas by understanding a few basic principles.
The Homeowner Landscaping Basics
By definition, landscaping is making improvements to the area outside your home. These changes can be for practical or for artistic reasons. For instance, installing landscape lighting can provide much needed illumination on a sidewalk or pathway, while planting certain flowers and shrubs can offer a touch of color and fragrance.
Everything that surrounds your home, whether plants or junk or tools, affects the atmosphere of your property in either a positive or negative way. Learning how to landscape begins with this simple concept and then builds on the premise that by adding or subtracting items from your property, you can improve the overall look and value of your home.
Another basic homeowner landscaping idea is that everything must be in harmony, either through colors, textures or placement of certain plants. This is known as landscape designing and even a beginner can accomplish these do it yourself landscaping ideas.
Time To Begin Homeowner Landscaping Basics
The first step in a good homeowner landscape design is to access the current state of your property. Are the trees healthy or do they need to be trimmed or even removed? Do you have dead shrubs or cracked sidewalks? Perhaps you have a vine that has taken over a fence? Basically, you will need to clean up, remove or prune any existing plants or deteriorating conditions in your yard.
You may have to call in a tree trimmer for a larger job, but for small trees and shrubs, check your local stores for the right tools to complete this task. After this step is finished, it will be time to design your new landscape.
One of the best ways to learn how to design a landscape is by looking at photos and designs. Your library, bookstore or nursery will have resources that will show you completed projects. The general idea in landscaping is to group certain flowers and plants together for color or for practical reasons.
Landscaping Color Scheme
Select a color scheme that is in harmony with the color of your home. Many people like to add a vivid touch to their gardens and may even match the flowers to the color of their shutters or trim work on the house.
Another important consideration is placing plants where they will grow the best. Plants that need a lot of sun or extra shade should be allowed to grow in areas where those conditions are present. If your new plants need a lot of water, consider installing an automatic sprinkler system.
It’s helpful to draw a picture of your yard and even color in the plants to get a more visual idea of how your homeowner landscaping project will look. Learning how to landscape your property will give you a sense of fulfillment as well as an increased financial value to your home.
Landscape Fountains Add Focal Point To Your Home
In every home landscaping theme, there should be at least one focal point that draws attention to the remainder of the yard. One of the ways to create such a focus is by using landscape fountains that attract attention as well as fits into the rest of the theme. The size of the yard as well as the layout will determine the size of the landscape fountains being used, as well as the availability of electricity to operate the fountain’s pump and any installed lighting.
Landscaping Fountains Create a Classic Theme
Many homeowners use their landscaping to create a theme in their outdoor living space and the choice of landscape fountains can either enhance the appearance or make it appear like the fountain was an after thought. Too many times landscape fountains are chosen due to their individual appearance and not by how they fit into the theme, making them appear as though they were dropped in the middle of the yard. Having the fountain shoot water into the sky may look neat for a short time, but it will get old after awhile.
Unless you plan to use solar power to operate the landscape fountains, it will require running an electric line from the house to the fountain. The same power can also be used for any lighting installed in or around the fountain. Since most fountain pumps operate on 110-volt alternating current, it may require the services of a licensed electrician.
Planning For Placement Of The Fountain
When deciding to use landscape fountains to enhance the appearance of the yard, it might pay to hire a landscaper to install the fountain as well as to make plans for its placement. Remember that deciduous trees will lose their leaves in the fall and pine trees will shed their needles frequently, creating a need for additional clean up to protect the inner workings of the fountain.
To reduce the cost of installing electricity for landscape fountains, they should be as close to available power as reasonably possible. Additionally, many homeowners will want to see or hear their landscape fountains while in the home and placing them in a remote area of the yard will not be acceptable. Having them close to an outdoor living space, such as a patio or pool deck, can also provide relaxing sounds while spending time outdoors.
There are landscape fountains available in nearly every size and shape and being able to find one that fits the theme as well as the size of the yard should be no problem. Just remember not to choose the first one you come across as history shows that after landscape fountains are purchased, the homeowner usually finds one that fits their lawn better.
