“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

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Compost bins and tumblers are a hassle-free way to create good-for-your-garden compost.

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 just weren’t sure how to start — fall is a great time to try your hand at turning this year’s yard debris into next year’s natural fertilizer.

Composting delivers many benefits. Modern gardeners face strict waste removal ordinances in many communities. Plus, growing environmental consciousness inspires gardeners to minimize their eco footprint while cleaning up the back yard. Composting is a cost-effective, eco-friendly way to convert your yard debris into “black gold” – a nutrient rich, all-natural, safe fertilizer for next spring’s planting season.

Fall, by nature, is an exceptional time to begin composting. Dry leaves, grass clippings and woody materials represent a large percentage of total yard waste. Each offers either the carbon or nitrogen components necessary for the decomposition process that takes place during composting. Add air and water, and you’re well on your way to rich, loamy compost.

The trick to successful composting is to maintain a working balance between carbon and nitrogen. A simple rule of thumb is to use one-third green and two-thirds brown materials. This allows oxygen to penetrate and nourish the organisms that reside within the material.

You don’t have to live with an unsightly, foul-smelling compost heap to do your part for the environment. Compost bins and tumblers are a hassle-free way to create good-for-your-garden compost. Bins are basic, but tumblers add an element of motion, something that can enhance the quality of your compost.

Tumblers add an element of motion to enhance the quality of your compost.

The Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler by Clear Air Gardening is a good example of how tumblers work to produce great compost. The Tumbleweed holds 58 gallons worth of kitchen scraps and yard waste. When full and finished breaking down, each batch contains enough compost for a medium sized garden or flowerbed, or a 10 feet by 10 feet area of lawn.

Unlike typical tumblers, the Tumbleweed features a stainless steel rod running through the middle of the bin that helps break down materials even more quickly than tumblers without a rod. The twist-lock, animal resistant lids on each end make filling and emptying the compost tumbler simple. Built-in vents allow rainwater to drain easily, keeping your compost moist, aerated and odorless. The end result is organic, nutrient rich compost in as few as 21 days. All that’s required is a daily spin of the tumbler.

Compost materials can be added to bins and tumblers year round. Although the process will naturally slow or cease in the winter when temperatures decline, the process will resume again in the spring and summer as temperatures slowly begin to rise.

First time composters may be surprised to find that finished compost smells earthy, fresh and natural. They may be even more surprised to learn that compost can suppress plant diseases and pests, reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and increase water retention in the soil — all great benefits that ultimately save consumers money while safeguarding the environment.

Convenience and environmental stewardship aside, compost is essential to vibrant lawns and healthy gardens. The rich macro and micro nutrients in the well-aerated compost replenish the soil that grasses, shrubs, trees and flowers need to grow and fend off disease.

Compost started in fall can be used for planting fall bulbs, trees, transplants and as mulch to protect vegetation from winter’s cold. Fall leftovers can be used to prepare the soil in spring for vegetable gardens, flowerbeds and around trees and shrubs. As mulch, compost will retain moisture in the summer.

For more information on creating your own “black gold” by composting, visit www.cleanairgardening.com.

Courtesy of ARAnet

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Bark Mulch is not only a way to protect your flowers and create a layer of weed control but it is also a great way to decorate a space, tie in flower beds or create lovely walking paths through a garden or yard.

There are a number of different types of bark mulch including:

• Hemloch Bark Mulch:  This is one of the more popular mulch, it provides a vibrant color that ranges from a dark brown to a brownish red.  The mulch is usually preferred since it has a very beautiful smell and it decomposes slowly. This means, less time spent replenishing your mulch.  Another bonus with Hemloch Bark Mulch is that it is a “sliver-free” mulch and it provides all the benefits to your garden that other mulches do.
• Douglas Fir Bark Mulch: Another popular product that can bring a rich dark chocolate color with a hint of red to your garden.  It is a versatile mulch and it can be used for all of the same reasons that you would use any other mulch.  One of the biggest bonuses for Douglas Fir Bark Mulch is that you can purchase it as a shredded mulch and also as a nugget.
• Pine Bark Mulch:  This is one of the more cost effective mulches that you can buy.  It has a reddish brown color and is usually used to cover larger areas since it is a cheaper alternative to other bark mulches.
• Cedar Bark Mulch:  There are several types of Cedar Bark Mulch but one of the best cedar mulches is the Western Red Cedar Bark Mulch.  It is a reddish brown in color with just a slight touch of orange and has an excellent smell to it.  Cedar Bark Mulch is one of the most weather resistant of all mulches and you will find that fewer pieces will blow away during a wind storm.  The product also has a natural herbicide in the bark that helps control weeds in your garden.

And that was a run down of a few bark mulches that you can purchase.  If you are looking for cost effective, go with a pine mulch but if price is no deterrent, then by all means go with whatever will look good in your landscaped space.

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo Credit

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It is just a horrible thing to see and many people just give up without a fight when it comes to deciding between a nice lawn or a happy dog. Still, there are a few things that you can do to keep your lawn healthy and happy the whole time you have a dog or three running around.

First things first, don’t get too down on your dog if he starts destroying your lawn. Things happen and usually it is the owners fault more than the canines. Now that we have that figured out, lets get to the lawn.

One of the biggest complaints that pet owner’s have about dogs and lawns are the burn spots caused by their urine. Now, this isn’t a blog for pets but since some landscapers either have pets or know people that need help with those burn spots, I thought I would take a minute to talk about ways to get rid of those problem spots on your grass.

First, the damage done to a lawn isn’t caused by the actual urine but is in fact caused by the nitrogen that is found in the urine. Have you ever noticed that there are more burns when a person owns a female dog and less with males? This is often because a female will empty her bladder in one spot while a male will distribute it around a space (marking). The amount of nitrogen is spread out and it doesn’t affect a yard as much.

If you prefer to not worry about the grass at all, the best option for you is to add into your landscape plans, an area of gravel or mulch where the dog can go to the washroom. This is actually one of the easiest ways to alleviate the problem of burnt grass but make sure that you avoid using that particular gravel or mulch in your flower beds since the dog may have difficulty differentiating between the two areas.

If you want nice beautiful grass, one of the most inexpensive options is to go outside with your dog and pour a bucket of water on the spot where your dog has urinated. This gets rid of the nitrogen and you should be able to avoid the yellowing stains in your yard.

Since not everyone has time to get out there and pour buckets of water, there are several products available for both pets and lawns. I’m not sure how I feel about feeding pets pills to cut down on the Ph level in their urine but I know that many pet owners have begun to use them. If pills aren’t the way you want to go, you can always go with a treatment for your lawn, such as Pet Peeve, which is an organic treatment that should prevent yellow spots as well as correct burns that have already occurred.

Whatever your choice for dealing with unsightly grass stains, rest assured in knowing that pets and green grass can now be enjoyed by all.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Now besides me coming off as a completely impatient woman that is almost unbearable, I thought I would look at planning a landscape for the future. This is a great way to continually build on your yard and to see improvements each year without having to wait for all the trees and bushes to mature and for everything else to fall into place.

When you sketch your garden out on a piece of paper, you will probably be sketching for the end result of your landscaping, taking into account full sizes for trees, plants and anything else that you are putting in.  The whole problem with this type of planning is that you will end up having  a lot of empty spaces for several years since it takes time for a landscaped yard to take full effect.  So, instead of dealing with all those gaps, plan your landscape for the future.

First, before you do anything else, take a look at your end design. How big is it? how big are the plants that you are putting in?  If they are larger sized plants and shrubs, then you aren’t going to need to plan for the future garden too much. If you are starting with young plants, you are going to have a few years to wait for them to grow to the desired size.

Now that you have accessed that, take your garden plan and chop your garden beds into thirds.  This is the best way to plan a garden.  In the center are the taller bushes and perennials that are going to take some time to grow.  When you get outside and put your plan to good use, you will want to dig out the first ring of gardens for the first year.

Fill that first tier of planting with the desired plants and to deal with some of the sparseness, plant some annuals as filler.  The second or even third year, move out to the next level and expand your flower beds.  Repeat what you did during the first year by adding the new plants that you wanted and filling in with annuals.  This is also a great time to reassess what your gardening goals are and you can make some changes now instead of being stuck with a space that you just don’t like.

Lastly, finish the third tier of planting after another year or two.  I am using the word tier just to differentiate between the expansions of the garden but it can be a level garden you are planning.  Again, fill in with plants and annuals and then sit back and let the garden grow.

This may seem a bit more work but it gives you a chance to see how your garden is working and it will also stretch out the costs of landscaping through several years.

Below is a sketch of how to plan for the future garden.  Please bear in mind that it is the levels I’m illustrating and I am by no means an artist.

Sirena Van Schaik

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When it was time to take the pool down, we were left with that horrible brown spot in the middle of our lawn (okay, not quite the middle because I had it off to the side). Still, the lawn looks awful and there is very little that I can do to fix it now.

Next year, however, I can ensure that my lawn comes back as green as the rest by just following a few simple steps.

1. Find a grass seed that is similar to the grass in your yard. It doesn’t have to be the same seed, something that can be hard to find if you didn’t lay the original sod, but there are many varieties that will blend in.
2. Before you apply the grass seed, get the space ready. Just like when you are aerating the yard, prick the soil with a rake or a fork. Don’t go too deep since this is just a brick and not a full aeration.
3. As you work, remove any weeds, no sense leaving them there to choke the seeds you are putting down.
4. Take a steel head rake and level the surface that is bald or brown. The rake will create a small furrows for your grass seed.
5. Apply a thin layer of compost (about an inch) if you are not working with a bald space. You can also use a starter soil. Use the rake to create the small furrows.
6. Add the grass seed across the space. Make sure it covers well.
7. Take the rake and lightly draw it across the area in right angles. This will cover the furrows with a thin layer of the soil or compost.
8. Finish off by stretching black cotton thread over the area and tying the thread down with some stakes. This will keep the birds from eating all the seeds.
9. Finally, water and continue to water.

One final point to mention about repairing your lawn is to repair in October or early November at the latest. If it is too hot or dry, your grass seeds are not going to have a chance to grow and you will have wasted both the time and money it took to apply the seed.

All the best and goodluck with that green lawn.

Sirena Van Schaik

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I have never been overly fond of rock gardens, I find that many people will fill up a flower bed with a garden stone, throw in one or two shrubs and plants and call it a rock garden. I often found them plain and uninviting, at least the few I had seen, but the rock gardens at the Royal Botanical Gardens brought new definition to the term rock garden and I will be rethinking my whole “dream garden” yet again.

So here are a few pictures of the garden that I thought might inspire you a.

Use existing trees as the focal point to your rock garden.

Don’t feel like everything has to be surrounded by rocks. Use low lying plants for flower beds and don’t shy away from having grassy places for contemplation.

Use natural stone slabs for pathways and decks to draw the rock garden out from the flower beds to the yard.

Don’t be afraid of color.

Natural looking ponds offer variety and depth to a rock garden and can give you more variety of plants to play with.

And I hope you enjoyed my little tour of the Royal Botanical Garden’s rock garden. If you get a chance to go there, I would strongly recommend it for a day trip.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Before we actually look at the space, let’s look at your landscaping. Generally, a lot of people will landscape in a sort of top heavy manner. Spring and summer is often the season of the best blooms and many plant their gardens so they are at their peak during the summer months, by the time fall arrives, the garden is beginning to look a little worse for wear. When you are landscaping, take into account all the seasons, try using evergreens, plants that either bloom in fall or ones that last for several weeks, or plants that produce fruit in the fall. This way your landscaped space becomes an enjoyable space year round.

Now that I touched on the actual landscaped space, let’s get you set up for fall entertaining. Nothing is more enjoyable than an evening out during a crisp fall evening. The number of bugs have declined, the nights bring a crisp scent with them and lighting becomes even more important in creating your ambiance.

• The Colors: Bring out the colors of fall with bamboo place-mats in autumn color schemes. Table clothes (if you use them outside) can also reflect the autumn theme and you can add a few centerpieces to the tables with fall foliage or scented candles in golds, reds and oranges.
• The Leaves: I know that the first thought everyone has about leaves is to rake them up but why not leave some of them on the ground to provide a splash of color in you area. This is great when you are entertaining since a few tumbled leaves around the patio and across the lawn will give a natural feel to the occasion.
• Pumpkins: Set up a few pumpkins around your space. Remember that if you place a pumpkin on cement it will decay faster than when it is on grass or soil so try to find a place in the flower bed for your pumpkins.
• Fall Mums: You don’t need to fill your flower beds with mums (chrysanthemums) but place a few fall mums in containers around your entertaining area. The colors will draw the fall landscape in and create a cozy space.
• Lighting: Since fall welcomes shorter days, bring out some nice lighting with candles, twinkle lights and a backyard fireplace. People will love curling up in front of the fireplace to drink some spiced coffee.
• Throw blankets: Not something that you need to bring out every day, throw blankets offer a little protection from the evening chill and add to the overall decadence of a fall space. Keep them in earth tones of browns, golds and dark reds.

And there you have your space. It doesn’t cost a lot to add a few elements to your fall space and you will get the added bonus of having a space you can enjoy throughout the seasons.

Sirena Van Schaik

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He, of course, just nodded since this is the same conversation that I have every time I pass by the statue center and I have passed by it at least 20 times in the last summer.

So why my aversion to landscaping statues? I think it comes down to the fact that most of them remind me of a tombstone and the rest are usually so cheaply made that it seems like a travesty to see them in a garden. Of course, that’s just me on a bad day, and I recently found out that my aversion to landscaping statues has less to do with the previously mentioned reasons and more to do with the fact that all the landscaping statues I like fall in the 200,000 dollars range.

If you haven’t guessed, writing doesn’t pay well enough for that type of expense on anything, let alone a statue.

Still, landscaping statues (ones that are much cheaper) can be used to really complete a landscape. When you are using a statue, it is better to look at the overall feeling you are trying to express. Is the landscape a quiet place for reflection? Or a busy area for guests and children? Will it have a lot of traffic or barely any?

Once you understand what the feeling is behind the space, you can usually find a perfect piece. Surprisingly, it isn’t always like your usual taste in statues but this is where the most success comes out of using landscaping statues. They fit the space and ultimately, even if they seem a little boring at first, they will fit you.

A landscaping statue should continue the flow of the area. If it provides contrast, it should not be a jarring contrast that leaves the viewer uneasy. (One example of this would be a life sized Jessica Rabbit statue in a Japanese rock garden, the flow would be horrible.)

Another point to make is that landscaping statues don’t need to focus on just the garden or the landscaping. A friend of mine, who is a Labrador Retriever breeder and a lover of the breed has a beautiful door that has Labs worked into it. It is very simple and you can barely notice it but when you do, all the various statues of Labs that she has in her garden, in front of the door make complete sense and compliment not only the garden but the entire house.

So, despite my earlier comments about landscaping statues, they really can be a compliment to any landscaped space.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Sure, maybe I just expect perfection but it often seems that people either forget the edging or the edging is so wide that they need a bridge just to step across it. (Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit but just the other week, I almost sprained my ankle when I slipped into someone’s attempt at edging.)

Making a neat edge, doesn’t have to be that hard. In fact it is rather simple and all it takes is the right tools.

For any type of edging, you will want to have a pair of sheers. You can use regular sheers but considering the size of some lawns, it is better to have a long handled pair of sheers or a mechanical edge trimmer.

Many people believe that for a neat edge, there has to be an actual gap of an inch or two between the flagstone (or sidewalk) and the lawn. This isn’t necessary at all and can actually lead to soil erosion, something you do not want to deal with. Instead of digging out an edge, simply run your sheers or edge trimmer along the grass where it meets the pavement. This will clip the grass back and you won’t have any creeping out of the lawn. The edge is neat and the soil erosion is nil.

If you are dealing with edging along a planter, then chances are you will need to have a spade or an edging tool. This is where you can dig out an edge but keep the dig about a half inch to an inch wide. Any deeper and you are building channels not edges. Remember that this type of edging does cause soil erosion so there will be times when you need to build up the soil again.

Lastly, if you don’t want to deal with edging tools and spades, simply plan your flower beds around flagstone by having the flagstone work as a divider between the flower beds and the lawn. This way, all you will ever need is your sheers and your lawn will always have a neat edge.

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo Credit

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