Posts Tagged ‘landscape design’

Xeriscaping & Landscaping Solutions for Dry Climates

The final beautifying touch to each new home, home remodel, or outdoor project is Landscaping.  It’s what makes the overall project lovely, while enhancing the building, the exterior, and more.  Landscape Design should be done to complement the exterior of the building and accent the overall architecture.  Most landscape solutions come from the homeowner side of landscape design or landscape architects – who specialize in all aspects of exterior design, landscaping, and outdoor ideas.  The best xeriscaping landscape designers are very conscientious of upfront installation costs, monthly maintenance, and long-term upkeep. 

My background stems from many years in Phoenix, where upfront costs were negligible, and the yearly operating costs (i.e. water & landscape maintenance bills, etc.) were slim to none.  this came the importance of low maintenance, low water consumption, and xeriscaped landscapes for dry climates.  Xeriscaping is one of the most popular and landscape friendly solutions for the southwestern climates where water is not available.  Desert landscaping & xeriscaping is such a beneficial, long-term solution that many city governments are offering cash rebates and tax rebates just for converting sod to desert landscaping.  Xeriscaping has been a very popular method of landscaping, and landscape designers have adapted this style for many of their clients.

As a Phoenix landscaping company, our expert designers in landscaping can provide many techniques and ideas of xeriscaping.  From Sonoran Xeriscapes, which include assortments of AZ cactus, ocotillos, and agaves to Southwestern landscapes and Phoenix Landscaping that usually include many desert environments that can’t quite tolerate the hot summers of Phoenix.  Desert landscaping & Xeriscaping often include many of these following types of plant species:

  1. Traditional Color Plants- These desert plants are standard, normal landscaping plants that require normal water usage.  Some of these species are known for lots of flowers, long bloom times, and hummingbird attractant.  Some common species may include: Arizona columbine, Artemisias, asters, columbines, or coreopsis.
  2. Arizona Desert Plants- Many of the species above would not sustain an Phoenix summer, which is the reason for a supplemental list of Arizona xeriscaping plants.  Some popular choices in Phoenix climates is the Red Bird of Paradise, Arizona yellow bells, orange jubilee, texas sage & fairy duster.  Other standard species you will find in hot xeriscape regions may be the creosote, bursage, mexican hopseed, feathery cassia, ruellia katie, or bougainvillea species.
  3. Xeriscape Grasses- Landscape planners use grasses for accents or to fill in over-sized areas.  Desert grasses can include large specimens such as pampas grass, purple fountain grass or large deer grass which can grow to over 6′ tall.  Muhly grass has an incredible purple bloom in the fall, making it a great selection for an ornamental grass.  Some ground-cover grasses can actually fill in large spaces and provide a great xeriscaping environment (blue fescue, blue grama, and other ornamental grasses).
  4. Agaves- There are many unique species of agaves, that range from the little agave parryi to the huge 5′ tall agave americana.  Some perfect solutions for xeriscaping is the Agave, because of it’s drought-tolerant features and low maintenance.
  5. Cacti-  Arizona xeriscaping designers have the great selection of many selections of cacti – but most commonly, the Saguaro cactus (native to Arizona).  Saguaros make the perfect statement for any desert sustainable landscape because of it’s ability to look great with NO water usage.  Cacti in landscaping will drastically reduce the need for irrigation, and some incredible cacti considerations are:  Hedge Hog, Organ Pipe, Mexican Fence Post and Cholla.
  6. Desert Trees- Desert trees also require less water and less maintenance.  Properly placed trees and large shrubs can provide natural shade for some plants, as well as provide some natural wind break.  Some professional landscapers love to use the Acacia, desert willow, chitalpa and palo verde in landscape designs.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR LANDSCAPING PROJECT:

  • Review the local requirements for xeriscaping species, plant locations and restricted species.  Check your local rules and regulations for high water use plants like turf – it may not be allowed.
  • Find out which landscaping & xeriscaping plants that are good for your specific location.  Not all plants grow in all regions – some may do very bad if planted in the wrong region.
  • Research precipitation for your location and this can help you find plants and setup & plan for a proper sprinkler system.
  • Use groupings of plants, different colors, and mounding.  Use larger specimens of plants and trees, while under-planting the small growing ground-covers below for splashes of color.
  • The best results from watering plants occurs watering for longer periods of time in the morning (to avoid evaporation).
  • Great irrigation habits can be achieved by training your plants to require less water, and infrequent waterings.
  • Snip old flowers & foliage to enhance blooms & blooming seasons.
  • Reduce the quantity of sod in xeriscape designs, since they require lots of water.
  • The hiring of a Phoenix landscape designer is a excellent investment when considering the best of Soutwestern landscaping & Xeriscaping.

 

How To Maintain A Great Lawn

Every homeowner aspires to have a great looking lawn and tries everything that he or she can do to attain such a lawn. So many people assume incorrectly that only a professional landscaper can create a great looking garden. This is not even a little bit true. Hiring a landscape professional will of course reduce your work load, but it is possible for you to have a great looking lawn without the help of a landscape professional.

Though there is no shortage of lawn maintenence equipment, there are a few that are critical for the general maintenence of a good looking lawn. If you dont’t need these tools, lawn care would simply be impossible. A few of these extremely important tools: lawnmowers, rakes, aerators and shears.

Aerators are very important tools for lawn care since they create cavities or holes on the upper most layer of the soil. This enables the soil to move better. In other words, it is because of aeration that water and nutrients penetrate the soil and reach the roots. Not only this, it also enhances the levels of oxygen in the soil, and therefore helps the roots to prosper and flourish.

Lawnmowers have great utility in giving a neat and tidy look to the blades of the grass. Because it trims the dead grass and allows for the growth of healthier grass, it is a very beneficial service for your lawn. If you do choose to not purchase the recommended tools for your lawn, you must use a lawnmower which is extremely important.

Shears are a type of tool that is used to maintain the hedges of the lawn by cutting and trimming it as necessary. Have a creative streak? You could design your hedges using some shears into any shape you like. So, it is a very important tool for your lawn or garden.

Other than the afore mentioned tools, rakes are very important to the health of your lawn. With the help of rakes, you can remove the leaves from your Los Altos garden. This is a very important thing to do as leaves that pile up do not let water and sunlight reach your grass and thusly the grass could die.

Getting these tools will not be hard as most hardware store or your neighborhood home improvement store will have these immportant tools. So, if you use these tools for maintaining your lawn, there is no reason why you should not have a glowing and healthy garden throughout the year and that too, without the assistance of professionals who specialize in metal landscape edging.

The Best Lawn Care Tools

Each homeowner wants to have the best looking lawn and will use all the available tools to maintain their lawn. Many people wrongly assume that only professional help can result in a gorgeous garden. This could not be less true. Hiring a landscape professional will of course reduce your work load, but it is possible for you to have a great looking lawn without the help of a landscape professional.

Even though there is no dearth of lawn care equipment, there are some that are absolutely vital for the upkeep of your lawn. Without these tools, any kind of lawn care would become impossible. A few of these extremely important tools: lawnmowers, rakes, aerators and shears.

Aerators are also quite important for lawn health because they create cavities, holes on the top layer of the soil. The allows the ground to move in a better way. Because or aeration water and vitamins get into the soil and reach the lawns roots. Not only this, it also enhances the levels of oxygen in the soil, and therefore helps the roots to prosper and flourish.

Lawnmowers have great utility in giving a neat and tidy look to the blades of the grass. Because it trims the dead grass and allows for the growth of healthier grass, it is a very beneficial service for your lawn. Even if you have decided not to buy a lot of tools for lawn care, lawnmower is an item that is practically indispensable when it comes to lawn care.

Shears are a type of tool that is used to maintain the hedges of the lawn by cutting and trimming it as necessary. If you have a creative streak in you, then you can even design your hedges according to your fancy with the help of shears. Therefore, it is a quite important tool for your home lawn and garden.

Apart from all the tools mentioned above, rakes are the tools that play a great role in the health of your lawn. With the help of rakes, you can remove the leaves from your Los Altos garden. This is a very important thing to do as leaves that pile up do not let water and sunlight reach your grass and thusly the grass could die.

Finding these tools should not be difficult as any home hardware store or local home improvement store will stock these important tools. So, if you use these tools for maintaining your lawn, there is no reason why you should not have a glowing and healthy garden throughout the year and that too, without the assistance of professionals who specialize in metal landscape edging.

Lawn Care Tools For a Great Lawn

Each homeowner wants to have the best looking lawn and will use all the available tools to maintain their lawn. Many people wrongly assume that only professional help can result in a gorgeous garden. Of course, this is not at all true. Hiring a professional will definitely ease your work, but you can have a beautiful lawn without the help of a professional, as well.

Though there is no shortage of lawn maintenence equipment, there are a few that are critical for the general maintenence of a good looking lawn. If you dont’t need these tools, lawn care would simply be impossible. A few of these extremely important tools: lawnmowers, rakes, aerators and shears.

Aerators are very important tools for lawn care since they create cavities or holes on the upper most layer of the soil. The allows the ground to move in a better way. Because or aeration water and vitamins get into the soil and reach the lawns roots. Not only this, it also enhances the levels of oxygen in the soil, and therefore helps the roots to prosper and flourish.

Lawnmowers have great utility in giving a neat and tidy look to the blades of the grass. Since it trims the dead grass and helps in the growth of healthy grass, it provides a great service to your lawn. If you do choose to not purchase the recommended tools for your lawn, you must use a lawnmower which is extremely important.

Shears are a type of tool that is used to maintain the hedges of the lawn by cutting and trimming it as necessary. If you have a creative streak in you, then you can even design your hedges according to your fancy with the help of shears. So, it is a very important tool for your lawn or garden.

Other than the afore mentioned tools, rakes are very important to the health of your lawn. With the help of rakes, you can remove the leaves from your Los Altos garden. This is a very important thing to do as leaves that pile up do not let water and sunlight reach your grass and thusly the grass could die.

Finding these tools should not be difficult as any home hardware store or local home improvement store will stock these important tools. So, if you use these tools for maintaining your lawn, there is no reason why you should not have a glowing and healthy garden throughout the year and that too, without the assistance of professionals who specialize in metal landscape edging.

Lawn Care Tools For a Great Lawn

Each homeowner wants to have the best looking lawn and will use all the available tools to maintain their lawn. Most people would assume that only professional landscapers can help maintian a great landscape. This is not even a little bit true. Hiring a landscape professional will of course reduce your work load, but it is possible for you to have a great looking lawn without the help of a landscape professional.

Even though there is no dearth of lawn care equipment, there are some that are absolutely vital for the upkeep of your lawn. If you dont’t need these tools, lawn care would simply be impossible. A few of these extremely important tools: lawnmowers, rakes, aerators and shears.

Aerators are also quite important for lawn health because they create cavities, holes on the top layer of the soil. The allows the ground to move in a better way. Because or aeration water and vitamins get into the soil and reach the lawns roots. Not only this, it also enhances the levels of oxygen in the soil, and therefore helps the roots to prosper and flourish.

Lawnmowers have great utility in giving a neat and tidy look to the blades of the grass. Because it trims the dead grass and allows for the growth of healthier grass, it is a very beneficial service for your lawn. If you do choose to not purchase the recommended tools for your lawn, you must use a lawnmower which is extremely important.

Shears are a type of tool that is used to maintain the hedges of the lawn by cutting and trimming it as necessary. If you have a creative streak in you, then you can even design your hedges according to your fancy with the help of shears. Therefore, it is a quite important tool for your home lawn and garden.

Other than the afore mentioned tools, rakes are very important to the health of your lawn. With the help of rakes, you can remove the leaves from your Los Altos garden. This is an important task as leaf pile-up will not let water and sunlight reach your grass and thereby the grass could ultimately wither away and die.

Getting these tools will not be hard as most hardware store or your neighborhood home improvement store will have these immportant tools. So, if you use these tools for maintaining your lawn, there is no reason why you should not have a glowing and healthy garden throughout the year and that too, without the assistance of professionals who specialize in metal landscape edging.

5 Great Landscaping Tips for an Attractive Property

An attractive landscape can make a big difference in the overall appearance of your home. But for some people, it’s difficult to come up with good ideas for landscaping their property. There are just too many choices, and many of them seem like a lot of work.

To give you a start, following are some easy landscaping ideas. These tips are easy to implement. And they’ll keep your yard looking beautiful without a lot of work.

1. Start by evaluating your soil in order to determine what kind of vegetation you should plant. There are plants that prefer alkali soil conditions, while others are better suited to some acidity. The various kinds of soil are sandy, clay or loam. In some cases you can change the components of the soil in order to grow the plants you want by adding soil amendments.

2. Be aware of how much room each particular plant or shrub requires. Some root systems take up more space than others. If a plant has a tendency to grow wildly, and you don’t have adequate space for it, your other plants will be crowded out. Also, make sure you understand the spacing requirements between plants. Make sure there’s enough room for their leaves and branches to spread out.

3. Use plants that are indigenous to your region. This way you’ll know that the plants you choose are appropriate for the climate and soil. If you choose plants that aren’t native, try to find ones that come from a climate similar to yours.

4. Plan your landscape around different blooming times. Your property will only look its best for a few weeks of the year if all your plants are in full glory at the same time. You can work around this problem by putting in plants that are attractive when green but also bloom at some point in time. You should also group together several varieties of plants that flower at various times throughout the season. For instance, you can plant spring flowers such as tulips and daffodils in between plants that will bloom a little later.

5. Arrange decorative bark or mulch around your trees and shrubs. This will cover the ground and look more attractive than dirt. As well, it helps to retain moisture, keeps weeds from springing up, and breaks down into valuable nutrients for the soil. Using attractive groundcover is another good landscape design idea. Try growing hens and chicks around your shrubs and trees.

frog and toad together frog applique free flash games buy motorcycle Panasonic tc-l37s1 TV cat food coupons free insurance quotes diabetes