Savvy Landscaping: Landscape Design, Ideas, Photography, and More » DIY

Versatile Retaining Walls are a DIY Landscaper’s Best Friend

Jennifer — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:09:23 +0000

(ARA) – Segmental retaining wall systems are one of the most versatile tools available to the do-it-yourself landscaper. Besides traditional walls designed to hold back soil, these innovative systems also can be used to build a whole array of landscaping features.

“Fire pits, outdoor kitchens, seat walls, stairs, columns, tables, even plantable walls that become a part of the landscape are possible for homeowners willing to invest a little creativity and sweat equity in their yard,” says Shannon McGregor of Patio Town, a Minnesota landscape supplies retailer. “With the right system, the only limit is your imagination.”

The Versa-Green plantable wall system will really grow on you. It features a hollow core in each wall unit for plantings and will accommodate an irrigation system.

So imagine yourself entertaining guests around a built-in grill in your back yard. Using a retaining wall system like Versa-Lok, you can create a freestanding kitchen island wrapped around a grill and refrigerator and topped with a granite slab. The solid concrete blocks can be modified and configured to accommodate appliances and utility connections.

One of the most popular backyard features for DIY landscapers is a fire pit surrounded by a patio and seat walls made from retaining wall units.

“A circular or square patio is built around a cast-iron fire ring, and matching seat walls ring the patio,” says McGregor. “It’s a terrific project for someone who wants an affordable, easy-to-install backyard makeover.”

Why cook indoors when you can create your own outdoor kitchen? Solid retaining wall units can be easily cut to fit a grill or refrigerator and topped with a nice stone slab.

Several courses of pavers may be used to encircle the fire ring. The seat walls are simply freestanding walls built at an appropriate sitting height. These may be capped with bullnose pavers for added comfort.

Freestanding columns constructed from split wall units stacked and glued in a four-square pattern make an attractive landscape feature that can be used to perform a variety of functions. Standing alone at the end of a driveway or on either end of a freestanding wall, columns can be finished with natural or cast stone caps. Install wrought iron between columns to create elegant fencing. Columns can be built around the posts of a pergola to add a touch of class to a garden space, spa or even front entry. Or make a table from a column topped with a natural or cast stone slab.

“The Versa-Lok system is especially design-friendly because it uses solid units that can be easily cut or split to fit any application,” explains Austin Keay, owner of AKeay Landscaping in North Branch, Minn. “Even stairs can be built with this system.”

With the most versatile retaining wall systems, you can also build stairs, freestanding walls and columns using the same product.

Retaining wall units are stacked in tiers to make the stair’s base pedestal. Stair treads are made from wall cap units, pavers or precast treads. The stairs can be fully inset into a wall or exposed on one or both sides.

“These are kind of like the building blocks of landscaping. You can do almost anything with them,” says Keay. “Hot tub enclosures, raised paver or natural stone patios, mail box stands — we’ve done it all.”

Some homeowners prefer the look of greenery to hardscaping but still need a high-performance retaining wall. The new Versa-Green plantable wall system by Versa-Lok gives them the best of both worlds.

“Versa-Green is a natural option in situations where significant soil retention is required in a wall but visibility of the wall isn’t wanted,” says McGregor. “Plantings in each individual wall unit grow up to conceal the courses above or hang down to cover the wall below. Eventually, the wall appears to grow right into the landscape, much like a vertical garden. The result is a functional wall that becomes a living part of your landscape.”

Working with segmental retaining wall systems doesn’t require a lot of expensive tools. Those that may be needed — concrete saw or block splitter, for example — can be rented on a daily basis or your supplier may have them available.

Many retailers like Patio Town offer DIY seminars on retaining wall and paver installation as well.

“Investing in landscaping is a sure way to add value to your home,” McGregor concludes. “That, coupled with an increasing trend toward entertaining at home, make segmental retaining wall systems an appealing solution for the do-it-yourselfer with a bit of imagination.”

For further information about Versa-Lok Retaining Wall Systems, visit www.versa-lok.com or call (800) 770-4525.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Landscaping DIY For Everyone

Jennifer — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 01:24:45 +0000

Most people want a well landscaped yard but many are not able to pay professional landscapers. This does not mean that you have to do without; it just means you have to follow a few landscaping diy tips and tricks. There are many design ideas which you can find on the Internet to help get you started. You will also find out which tools you need and what plants will give you the desired results. There are certain plants which do well in shade and certain plants that require several hours of direct sunlight. Knowing the difference will make all the difference in your success.

Landscaping diy can be fun and enlightening if you do your research. You will probably find that it is not nearly as hard as you expected and your results will be rewarding. You will be able to have that beautiful yard that you desire with a lot less costs that are associated with a professional landscaping company.

Landscaping DIY Tips

Garden Fountains: Consider adding a water fountain to your landscape. This can provide hours of soothing relaxation just listening to the water. Fountains have become very popular in recent years and can add an element of tranquility to the landscape.

Rock Gardens: More and more people are using rocks in their landscape. Some people will work rocks into the design and others will build a rock garden which features only a few small plants to add interest. Most landscaping companies now have all types of rocks for sale but they can get expensive. You could start your own collection by searching for your own. Many places will have unique rocks that you can choose from without disturbing the natural surroundings.

Raised Beds: If you don’t have a lot of room for a garden, but still want to enjoy the benefits, you can always build a raised bed out of landscaping timbers. This type gardening is easy and usually requires less maintenance than other gardens. A layer of landscape material in the bottom of a bed will help keep out unwanted weeds and grass. If you are especially crafty, you can even build the beds high enough to have a storage area underneath. You can use this area to store all of your landscaping tools.

There are many more landscaping DIY tips for you to consider. If you have access to the Internet all you have to do is a search using “landscaping DIY” and you will have an abundance of ideas to choose from. Add some of your own imagination to these ideas and you will be able to create a unique and inviting space that you will enjoy by yourself or sharing with your friends and family.

Do-it-Yourself: Planting Trees

Jennifer — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:09:02 +0000

Trees are a beautiful and desirable part of almost any landscape. They provide comfortable shade, protect against soil erosion, and can even contribute to the energy efficiency of a home. Additionally, trees are beautiful and can make any landscape attractive. Any home with a nice, attractive, well-maintained tree on its property enjoys increased property value. But in order to enjoy a tree, it must first be properly planted. There are three main ways that plantings can be bought; subsequently, there are different ways to plant them. You may plant a bare root tree, a container tree, or a ball and burlap tree. Each of these types of seedling set-ups requires a different technique in planting. However, it is very possible to do this planting yourself, saving money and keeping within a reasonable budget.

Planting a bare root tree. This is a tree moved from one location to another (dug up and transplanted).

The first thing you should do is make sure you have the proper tools: a garden fork, a shovel, two wooden stakes, tree ties, and mulch. Use a shovel to mark out the area of the planned hole. This hole should be at least twice the diameter of the treeâ€™s root system. Once you have the area marked out, with a shallow hole already dug within the markings, use the garden fork to scarify the edges of the hole. This action loosens the soil and will make it easier for the roots to properly expand.

In the center of your hole, build a small mound. Then place the two stakes into the ground on opposite sides of the mound. The stakes act as stabilizers and supports to the tree as it works to establish itself. You should try to make sure that you plant the tree at the same depth at which it was planted before. Spread the roots over the mound. Next, add enough soil to support the tree (but not fill up the hole) and then spray the area with water. Backfill the hole with a little more soil, add water again. Then repeat two or three more times, completely filling in the hole.

Tamp the soil down to get rid of air pockets surrounding the treeâ€™s roots. If your climate is dry, or if water drains away quickly, a moat should be dug around the tree to retain water. Fasten the tree ties to the stakes and the tree, not too tightly, to ensure that the tree receives adequate support for its first year in the new area. Two to four inches of mulch should be applied around the planting area, but be sure that the mulch does not touch the tree trunk. The tree should be watered well and the soil kept moist for the next year.

Planting a container tree. This type of tree is often found at nurseries, coming in a pot or other plastic container.

Like with a bare root tree, it is necessary to have a shovel, garden fork, stakes, tree ties, and mulch. Then, using the container as a guide, mark out the planting using the shovel. The hole will need to be right around three times the width of the container. The hole should be about one and a half times as deep as the height of the pot. After the hole has been properly dug, use the garden fork to scarify the holeâ€™s sides.

Pound the two stakes (preferably cedar) into the ground angled outward. There should be enough room between the stakes for the root ball to fit. Water the tree in its container, and then gently lay it on its side. Remove the pot and gently tease the roots out with your hands. A small cultivator would also work. Backfill some of the soil into the hole. Place the tree in the center of the hole. Make sure that the edge of the hole is level with the height of the container. It may be necessary to add soil until this level is achieved. After the tree is at the correct height, fill in the hole with soil, tamping it down as you go. Dig a moat if needed. Use your tree ties and apply mulch in much the same manner as the bare root tree. The tree will need to be kept moist for a year while it establishes itself.

Planting a ball and burlap tree (root ball surrounded by burlap sack).

This planting technique requires only a shovel, garden fork, mulch and scissors (or a knife). Dig a hole, much like with the container tree, of three times the root ballâ€™s width. The hole should only be as deep as ball, however. Scarify the holeâ€™s sides. Place the tree in the hole and use the scissors to remove twine or wire from the ball. Remove the burlap altogether if it is synthetic. If it is natural, loosen the top layer and roll it down to the base of the ball. Fill in the hole and mulch, caring for it as other newly planted trees.

Do-it-Yourself: Laying Sod

Jennifer — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:55:00 +0000

For many landscapers, the instant gratification felt in having an instant lawn is not to be competed with. After all, when one seeds a lawn, it can take quite a while to grow. But laying sod is an excellent way to get an instantly grassy and lush yard. It is more than possible to lay sod yourself. It is not very difficult to do, although it does require planning and some hard work. But, if you plan wisely and work well, you should be able to save a great deal of money over having someone else lay the sod for you.

The very first thing to do is to prepare the dirt area for the sod. You should, of course, already have the sod on order to be delivered or picked up, so that you can lay it as soon as the ground is prepared (but do not have it delivered or go pick it up before preparations are complete; it will rot if it sits in the sun for too long before you begin laying it). Prepare your yard by performing any necessary soil enhancements to bring the pH in line with what the sod needs. The soil should already be tilled, and you should do a final rake or drag of the area to ensure that it is level and that all larger pebbles, rocks, and sticks are removed from the area. Moisten the soil, but do not make it muddy and soggy. If you plan to have an irrigation or sprinkler system, make sure that it is in place before you lay your sod.

Sod comes either in rolls or in rectangles or squares. In any case, it is a good idea to begin by laying the sod against a straight line. A sidewalk, driveway, or flowerbed against the side of the house makes an excellent guide. As you unroll each new length of sod, or fit in each piece, press the edges together. Do not overlap them, but do try to manually â€œknitâ€ them together so that there are no visible spaces between pieces of sod. You should stagger the locations of joints so that there is not a line of sod pieces showing the length of the yard. Staggering will give the sodded lawn an appearance of being more naturally grown.

Having an inexpensive carpet knife available will help you as you lay your sod around more oddly shaped or rounded areas. Even though you start along a straight edge, few yards are completely uniform in their shape. You can cut pieces of sod to fit around fixtures, trees, and sprinkler heads. You should work from one end of the yard to another, but in such a manner as to avoid walking on laid sod until after it can be rolled.

After the sod is down, you should use a lawn roller to go over your sod. These can be rented at reasonable rates. The roller is specially designed to help sodded lawns take better root. It forces the roots in the sod to make positive contact with the soil below, encouraging better knitting. You should water your new lawn every day for the first week (except, of course, on rainy days) and more than every day if the weather is especially hot. After the first week, gradually begin stretching out times between watering, as this encourages the roots to grow downward, seeking moisture deeper in the soil. Be sure to water deeply, however. Fertilizer can be applies at intervals throughout the season, and you should begin a regular mowing schedule three to four weeks after first laying the sod.

If you take good care of your new lawn, it should flourish, and you will achieve faster results than seeding the lawn and waiting for it to grow. Additionally, if you take care to conscientiously prepare your soil and carefully lay your sod, then there is no reason that you cannot enjoy some of the best lawn in your neighborhood. But be sure to properly care for the sod after it is laid to ensure that the roots firmly house themselves in your soil, and to prevent the sun from drying out and killing your brand new lawn.

Do It Yourself: Drip Irrigation System

Jennifer — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 14:49:31 +0000

Installing an irrigation system in your yard can help make maintenance easier. After all, you will not have to hand set sprinklers all day and try to remember where you have already watered. A sprinkler system, however, is not a project for the average do-it-yourselfer. This is because there are multiple precise calculations that need to be made, and a great deal of special handling necessary to properly set up the sprinklers. A drip irrigation system, on the other hand, can be set up fairly easily by most do-it-yourselfers and conserves water to boot.

A drip irrigation system consists of a series of tubes. These tubes have holes place in them at specific intervals, corresponding with the placement of your plants. Most of the time, these systems are placed under the soil, providing deep and efficient watering for the plants. These systems promote water conservation, as there is very little evaporation, the space between plants is not needlessly watered, and there is no wind to carry the water away before it reaches the roots. Plus, watering deeply means that you do not need to water your plants as often. While drip irrigation may not be especially helpful for lawns, it can be utilized to water some portions of the lawn. Root health is promoted by drip irrigation systems, and this means hardier plants that are more resistant to pests, drought, and disease.

Because they require the opening of holes along their length, drip irrigation systems are most often installed around flowers and shrubs, and even trees. This targeted approach to watering is more effective and more efficient that more traditional sprinkler irrigation. Additionally, it helps ensure that each of the landscapeâ€™s individual elements are properly watered and cared for. A drip irrigation system is unobtrusive and can be easily concealed so that the unsightly tubes do not mar the look of your property.

Installing drip irrigation is relatively simple. It is possible to create the system yourself, using hoses and making use of water available to your home, but it is much easier to use kits. There are kits available at most home improvement stores and warehouses that can help you better install a drip system. Most of the time, this installation only takes one day (or even less!). The kits come with easy to read instructions that clearly explain all of the necessary steps. There are some tools needed for the installation of your drip irrigation system, but they are generally tools that are commonly found in most households.

Not only can you install a drip irrigation system, but you can also make plant maintenance even easier by adding a timer to your system. We know that timers can be used with more traditional sprinkler systems, but many people are surprised that a timer can be used with a drip system. The timers are also available at home improvement stores and can be easily installed to go with your irrigation systems. Timers help you feel peace of mind knowing that you will not need to try to remember to water your plants. Additionally, they ensure that your plants will get the right amount of water at the right time. This can be valuable in helping you save time and money in costs associated with water usage.

It is good to note that drip irrigation systems can be used in conjunction with â€œirrigation zonesâ€ in your landscape. Plants that have similar water needs should be planted in the same area so that they can be more efficiently targeted by watering. You can help clearly demarcate irrigation zones by establishing separate beds for plants that need certain amounts of water. Your plants will also be healthier, since you will not be over watering or under watering some plants because of the water needs of its neighbors. Also be sure to note that areas that face south need more watering than areas located in areas with northern exposure. When installing a drip irrigation system, you need to keep these things in mind to ensure that your plants are best cared for by your targeted plan. Drip irrigation is one of the best ways to make efficient use of your water resources, and when combined with the concept of irrigation zones can be even more efficient.

Landscaping DIY Stores May Have All Needed Materials

Jennifer — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:06:37 +0000

For some homeowners, landscaping involves nothing more than green grass and blossoming flowers in the summer. Others however, may want raised flower beds and dividers built into the driveway and yard to accentuate certain areas of their outdoor living space. Installing trees, shrubs, flowers and retaining walls can be expensive, but with many landscaping DIY stores, the cost of labor can be reduced by doing the work yourself.

Most of the full-service landscaping DIY outlets will have all the materials a do-it-yourselfer needs to make their lawn look as good as they can afford to make it look. They should also have pictures and suggestions on ways to landscape lawns of nearly every size and shape and many offer free services by using landscape computer programs to help customers plan the best appearance possible. While a few of the landscaping DIY stores may be more interested in selling more products than in how your lawn looks, arming yourself with a little knowledge about what you are looking for can keep you within your landscaping budget.

Knowing which flowers to plant and when can help you maintain a full color assortment in all areas of the yard and a landscaping DIY professional should possess the knowledge of how to best accomplish this. Suggestions should always be welcomed by the landscaping DIY homeowner, even those with preconceived notions of how their yard should look.

If You Ask For Advice, Take It

One of the most difficult aspects of a landscaping DIY project is knowing how to achieve the best results. Unless you are a professional landscaper, you might need to ask for advice about installing certain parts of your project. While the advice may have been free when you bought everything, it becomes worthless if you ignore the advice. Many folks that own or work for a landscaping DIY store are knowledgeable about the trade and can offer hints to get the most out of your expense.

No matter how good you think you are, there are those working in a landscaping DIY store that can help you get the most out of your flower patch or how to make sure the tree you planted stays in the ground. Many of the landscaping DIY homeowners, for some reason, are reluctant to ask for advice. Sometimes they get lucky and everything grows according to plan, but in other cases the yard does not appear as planned. Remember, that with any landscaping DIY project, it is going to be a lot of hard work, paid for by the savings of doing it youself.