May 12 2008
Baby Steps On The Road To DIY Landscaping
Do-it-yourself landscaping can be extremely intimidating. You might think that it involves a lot of time and effort, or you might be afraid of doing something dreadfully wrong. However, not all DIY landscaping involves sledgehammers and rented groundbreakers. There are plenty of small DIY landscaping projects that you can do on a sunny day, and they will all make your garden that much more special.
Plenty Of Plants
Planting shrubs, flowers, and trees in your backyard might seem like a simple part of DIY landscaping, but being aware of a few tips can help you to enhance your garden and make it more enjoyable. One thing to keep in mind when selecting the plants for your garden is to choose plants that will provide interest in all four seasons. A well-selected group of plants will include flowering shrubs and trees during the summer, foliage during the fall and good structure throughout the winter.
When planning the layout of your garden, it is important to incorporate equal amounts of annuals and perennials. This will help your garden to look full and flowery for longer. Additionally, plant the plants in three layers. Tall trees, shrubs and evergreens should be in the back, and continue to plant two more rows based on the height of the plants. This will enable all of your effort to be seen.
Accessorizing Is Easier Than You Might Think
The DIY landscaping projects that are perceived as being more difficult are the accessories such as the fountains, manmade waterfalls, fences and rocks. However, these DIY landscaping elements are really not that hard to accomplish by yourself. One of the easiest DIY landscaping accessories to construct is a potted plant. An ornate urn or pot can be purchased at your local home and garden store, and from there, simply plant your favorite flower for a nice patio decoration.
Other DIY landscaping projects can be more difficult, but this shouldn’t discourage you from giving them a try. A water feature can be installed using flexible tubing, cheap fountains, rigid plastic liners and durable pumps. Purchasing small flagstone and concrete, clearing a path and laying down the materials can create a stone walkway.
A Deeper Meaning
For some people, DIY landscaping might mean spending less money than you might otherwise. For others, it might be a fun hobby that they enjoy. But ultimately, the result of completing your landscaping without the help of landscaping companies is personal touches that you wouldn’t see anywhere else.
Sipping coffee on your back deck on a beautiful fall morning, you look up and gasp — there in your suburban oasis stands a small herd of deer. For a moment you pause, enchanted. An instant later, as the deer begin to munch on your landscape, you realize they’re just not as awestruck by the [...]
Soon it will be time to leave outdoor living spaces and ride out winter’s cold indoors. But before you batten down the barbecue and stow the patio cushions, don’t forget to take care of wooden structures – like decks, pergolas and play sets – that must remain out in the elements.
Routine maintenance of these structures [...]
Leaves turn brilliant colors, evenings cool and the kids go back to school. So long summer, hello fall garden cleanup.
You may already know that composting is a better way to deal with bags of leaves and backyard waste. But if you’ve avoided composting because it seems like too much work and mess — or you [...]
As the leaves turn different colors and the weather becomes cooler, many Americans begin to engage in outdoor cleanup. Consider the number of Americans injured in yard work accidents every autumn and you may begin to suspect that “fall” is actually short for “pitfall.” Fall, it seems, is becoming the season for back injuries, tumbles [...]
Probably one of the most widely used landscaping surfaces around, bark mulch can be used for pretty much anything. I have seen it used for children’s playgrounds, and if you are trying to incorporate a swing set or mini playground into your landscaped space, then bark mulch may be the product for you, and [...]
When I first started to garden I would have these landscaping ideas and I would hire someone to bring my ideas to fruition. Finally one day I decided to try and complete some of these projects myself. My advice, don’t be intimidated give it a try.