Category Archives: Landscape Construction

Gold Coast Garden Wall Designs

Having a garden is one of the best things for a good living. Having a place to spend time when stressed or relaxing is a good idea, and it is even better since you have the option to choose what should be there and what should not.

There are many people who have spent a lot of money to ensure they have the best-looking garden. There is a lot that goes into having a great garden, and it is important to careful weigh the different options and choose the right ones. There are some people who assume having a garden is just about planting a couple of plants and setting up furniture.

The process will involve choosing garden wall designs with the different elements and materials to be used. Different people have different preferences, and it will be up to you to decide what makes and what doesn’t.

One thing that many people don’t put enough effort in choosing is the design of the garden wall. There are many options out there and it is important to know how to choose. The design you choose will be determined by your preference and how much you want to spend on your garden walls.

There are different designs out there and you should choose the one that suits you the most. There is no need to choose a good looking gardening wall that will interfere with the general look of your garden. It is always important to have all the aspects of the garden work together and bring out the best possible look.

One thing you should also put into consideration is the expected lifetime of the garden walls. There are some that may seem a great option at first but will end up costing a lot. There is also the issue of maintenance. Below are some of the steps you can take to ensure you have chosen the best gardening wall design for your garden.

Create a performance specification
Creating a performance specification can seem like a complicated process, but it is very simple. Start out by making a list of the criteria your fence needs to fulfill. This process can save you a lot of time you would have otherwise used to go through other options you wouldn’t have chosen anyway.

On the list, you should include all the factors you deem important for any gardening wall. If you want to have a wall that provides from the neighbors you need to list it down. If you have kids, then you also need to ensure that they have been well considered in choosing the gardening walls. The security should also be considered.

One mistake that many people make when choosing the design is going with the one that meets their aesthetic requirements. There is no need of having a beautiful fence that doesn’t meet other functions. If you have kids, ensure that their safety is the first priority over everything.

Choose the right material

The type of material you go with when choosing garden wall designs can affect the design and the cost of a gardening wall. The material you go with should not only fit the theme of the garden but also that of your home. Do some research and find out which materials go together and which should never be used together. Seeing the bigger picture will save you a lot of effort and money.

The safe and traditional materials can be the best option, and it is a better place to start than the newer options. The height of the wall can also determine the material to be used. If the wall will be higher than 600mm, there needs to be concrete strip footing support. This is why you need to consult a landscaper.

Ensure that the wall design meets your privacy needs

Make sure that the design you choose will provide you with the privacy you require. This is a good idea especially if the property is uphill or level with the other properties around. Put up a simple timber frame or sheet and see of the fence you want to choose will provide you with the privacy you need.

Different materials have different pros and cons and you need to put all of them into considerations. There are some materials that will cause noise reverberation while there are some that will provide you with complete acoustic privacy.

The gardening walls must meet the required safety levels

It is important to get the safety requirement needed to build a gardening wall from your local authority. A landscaping can provide you with all the resources. There are some guidelines that are usually followed when putting up a wall.

Climate

Climate will play a part in determining the design of wall you can choose. An example is a tile that is usually used in Mediterranean location cannot be used in frosty locations. If you are going to use stone, then you should consider using the local stones and rocks. You can easily make a local stone look very contemporary by creating straight edges. If you are going for the rustic feel, then you can choose different stone sizes.

Budget

This is one of the most important things you need to consider when putting up a gardening wall. Choose the option that meets most of your criteria in the list you had previously made, and it should be within the budget. With the right information, you can have the wall you have always wanted without spending much. Choosing garden wall designs should not be as hard as it may seem.

7 Landscaping Ideas For Your Home

7 landscaping ideas

When you want to be sure that you are able to get the absolute most of your property, you need to focus on the exterior as much as the interior. With this in mind, you can develop some landscaping plans that will allow you to not only protect the aesthetic quality of your property, but also to increase and sustain the property values that you enjoy. With this in mind, there are a number of different landscaping decisions that you can make in order to take full advantage of this property to the best of your ability.

With this in mind, read on and take advantage of these 7 landscaping ideas, in order to make the most of your property for the long haul. You can handle some of these landscaping matters on your own, or reach out to a landscaping contractor who is well equipped to assist you in this regard.

Take advantage of these 7 landscaping ideas for best results.

#1: Create A Winding Nature Walkway

When you want to be sure that you are truly embracing nature, while still  operating with great direction and efficiency, this is one of the best steps you can take. You will be able to create a cobblestone, brick, brick pavers or other walkway which is adorned with bordering plant life that will be rich and vibrant. This walkway makes it easy for you to navigate your property, in a way that makes it very easy to get around with beauty and peace of mind. Make sure that in addition to a number of plants, you also install a number of lighting fixtures which will illuminate your past and entice you to enjoy the cool night air.

#2: Create A Relaxation Nook

One of the greatest steps you can take with your exterior landscaping is to create a relaxing nook. This nook can feature a number of fixtures which will make it easy to take a load off ó some examples include a hammock, lawn and garden chairs and a patch of greenery that is excellent for a picnic. This will make you want to spend plenty of time outdoors amongst your landscape, which will pay huge dividends when the spring and summer months arrive.

#3: Plant A Garden With Fresh Flowers, Fruits And Vegetables

Imagine how exquisite it will be to relax amongst your landscaping with fresh flowers to smell and succulent, sweet fresh fruit to pick. You can receive this any time that you decide to plant a garden in your landscaping. This will give you the opportunity to test out your green thumb, while also enjoying riches of your labor as an end result. There are countless types of plants that you can instill into your garden, so take this as a challenge and an opportunity to play around with different seeds and plant species.

#4: Align Bushes For A Clear Property Entrance

Another great step to take for your property is to align bushes that lead to your property. This will allow you to navigate your property in a way that always gives you a taste of nature. You will also be able to decorate these bushes to your liking, which will create an excellent scene during Christmas season. You can decorate these bushes in any way that you like and will always be able to enjoy your time on your property when you have them aligned in a way that allows you to navigate your property whenever you need to.

#5: Plant A Mish Mash Of Mixed Greenery

While many people seek order and efficiency with their garden, nature is far more playful and unpredictable. If you want to give your garden a taste of the wild side, instead opt for a mishmash of different flowers, grass, bushes and other forms of plant life. This will allow you to create an exquisite scene throughout the course of your landscape, so that you are able to instill a sense of wildness which is native to all of nature.

#6: Adorn A Beautiful Courtyard

A courtyard is excellent whether you want to simply relax with a hot cup of coffee in the morning or entertain company in the summer. This courtyard can be blocked off or open, extending from the rest of your yard. However you go about it, make sure that this courtyard features plenty of lighting fixtures and plants that are decorative and wonderful. Creating the courtyard that you always wanted will allow you to make it a relaxing place to enjoy yourself, regardless of what settings you are looking for.

#7: Purchase A Deck Or Patio

One of the most sound investments that you can make into your landscaping is the installation of a patio or a deck. This will give you all that you need in order to entertainment company and enjoy some sweet rest and relaxation outside drug or landscape. You can get a deck installed by a professional in order to make sure that the job is done correctly. If this is what you need, be sure that you reach out to a landscaping contractor that is licensed and insured. By taking it upon yourself to get this proper installation, you will always be in good hands in this regard and will get the finished product  when you want such a fixture for your landscape.

What To Consider Before Landscaping

Are you looking to redesign your entire landscape? Are you just making a few changes to the landscaping design already in place? Are you wondering what to consider before landscaping? Whatever the case, you need to consider a few important factors before commencing anything. Most people prefer visiting the local garden store to browse through selections. However, creating a plan before trying anything is a good idea. Well, here is what to consider before landscaping.

Knowing The Yard

You need to consider elements such as the climate in your region, the topography, the type of soil and many more things before you can start landscaping. You can find all the necessary research online. Depending on the current conditions of your yard, there is a chance you might have a micro climate. Therefore, take that into consideration before doing anything. Don’t forget to consider the drainage of water into the soil, especially away from the house and into the other areas of the landscape.

Users

Before doing anything, you need to consider who will be using the yard once it’s finished and how it will be used. For instance, are your children going to be playing in the yard? Are the pets going to be sleeping or playing in the yard? Do you consider using the yard for entertaining guests? Note that, it’s possible to create different spaces for various uses with specific designs and tricks. Don’t forget to add walkways for moving people from one area to the other effortlessly.

Themes

By choosing a particular theme for your yard, you can guide plants and unify your landscape accordingly. You can choose consistent forms or shapes in the garden. When choosing a particular theme, you should consider the current architecture of your home. Any theme you choose should complement the style of your home since the backyard is an extension of the house.

A good theme will guide you in choosing which plants to add to your yard and where to place them. It’s also a good way to decide on the best structures and decorations for the landscape. You can either choose geometric themes, natural themes or anything else that brings out a colorful and beautiful yard.

Link Spaces

If you want to make the best use of your yard, you should think of it as another room in your house. If your house has carefully planned and designed rooms, you should do the same with your landscape. You can achieve this by using various landscaping materials wisely to bring out the best out of your yard. Create walkways and openings in the garden that allow easy exploration and movement.

Choosing The Right Plants

During the planning session, you should assess the function of plants in your landscape when it’s done. You can add plants to the yard for various functions. For instance, they can provide delicious vegetables and fruits, add beautiful scenery to the landscape and also provide beautiful and relaxing aromas in the yard.

You can also use the plants as barriers and boundaries thus defining the areas in the yard. It’s easy to block the view and allow access to any area using specific plants. For instance, you should consider low growing plants to prevent access but provide a beautiful view of the yard.

If you place the plants correctly, you can also alter the conditions in the landscape site. For instance, you can control the light, wind or temperature in any specific landscape using particular plants. They can also provide insulation from other noisy features in the landscape such as water fountains or bird houses.

Structured Plantings

When choosing plants, you should consider the various visual planes in the yard. For instance, you should consider the overhead planes such as trees or archways. Secondly, you should check the vertical planes such as the spacing of the plants, layering or staggering of plants. Don’t forget about the individual and overall heights of all the plants in the yard. Finally, there is the ground plane that determines the grouping and arrangement of smaller plants, hardscapes and also groundcovers. If you repeat similar structures throughout the yard, you will get a unified view.

Attention To Detail And Highlighting Important Points

If you want to highlight a particular area of your landscape, you should use garden ornaments, distinct structures or unique plants. The different sizes, shapes, colors and textures will direct the attention to the particular area. Each of these items has unique attributes that can complement and contrast accordingly. Therefore, if you take that into consideration, you can create a very integrated and appealing landscape.

Of course, not only the visuals should be considered. Don’t forget about the aromas of the plants you choose to enhance the overall experience of the garden. For instance, you should find the scents that come into play when various flowers bloom and how they will complement each other.

Future Additions And Maintenance

Of course, the plants will not look brand new forever. That’s why you need to consider how they will look after some time has passed. On that note, you should consider the growth rate of plants, the maintenance requirements and also the size of the plants when mature. Provide each plant with enough room for maturity but you should keep in mind the optimal conditions to achieve the desired height and size of maturity.

In conclusion, with this information on what to consider before landscaping, you should be able to choose the right plants for your yard, the good designs, and themes that bring out the beauty of your garden.

Gold Coast Landscapers

What is landscaping. Is it an art form, is it engineering solutions, is it construction, is it problem solving to create the best possible solution for every individual situation, or is it just plain hard work? I would suggest that landscaping is all of these things and more. If designed and installed correctly landscaping address any drainage issues, create usable outdoor areas, be constructed with integrity to last the test of time and provide a eye pleasing finish for you to enjoy for years to come.

Whilst it is possible to teach different elements of landscaping the only real way to bring them all together is years experience of dealing with different challenges  and creating the solutions needed to overcome them and deliver the best possible finish to any landscape project. Any landscaper who aspires to be good at their job needs to learn through solving problems on the job and creating the best solutions. The question is; do you want someone learning on your job or do you want to feel sure that the person you engage has the experience to complete  your project professionally to the highest possible standard?

When you engage a contractor for your landscape project there are things you should check; 

Ask for and check references.

Check QBCC license details and history. 

Ask your contractor about different options for your works i.e fences, retaining walls, concrete etc. A good contractor will have at least 2 or 3 options and be able to explain the pros and cons. Make sure you feel comfortable with the person you engage for your project. Remember experience counts, not all good landscapers have been around for a long time but all landscapers that have been around for a long time are good ones.

When you engage a  contractor to deliver your landscape project ensure that they can complete the scope of works required to deliver the finished product. If other trades are to be engaged, such as plumbers, electricians, renderers ensure that the contractor you choose has a  Builder Restricted to Structural Landscape license, otherwise they will not be able to engage other contractors to perform your works legally.Potentially leaving you to deal with and organize other trades and contractors. This can be time consuming, add to construction time and costs and frustrating if you don’t understand exactly what has to happen to finish your landscape project. If you engage a contractor who is capable of quoting all of your works there should be nothing left out of the pricing, everything should be considered and the quotation should reflect the true cost of the project to be undertaken so that you don’t end up with a costly extras bill at the end of the job. This also means that the project is considered as a whole, all sections of works being performed in consideration of the next stage to provide you with the best possible finish to your landscape project.

Bluestone Landscaping has been servicing the Gold Coast/South Brisbane area for more than 10 years. Our staff have been landscaping for more than 25 years and are ready to provide you with the best possible service. We specialise in refurbishment and restoration of existing private residential landscaping. From repair/replacement of retaining walls to garden rejuvenation and full landscape refurbishments. We value our customers and endeavour to provide them with the best possible solutions, personalized service and an experience that means you will want to  refer us to your friends. Whether it be our polite, courteous staff; attention to detail; site cleanliness and organization or our willingness to go that extra yard to make sure our customers are happy.

If you are considering a landscape project that involves;

retaining walls; timber, concrete sleeper, linkwall,  block

retaining walls higher than 1 metre fences; colourbond, timber,  blueboard,  pool fencing.

concreting; plain, exposed, covercreting drainage

deckspergolas and patios paving 

tiling turf and gardens water features irrigation design  and consultation

Please contact us at Bluestone Landscaping for an obligation free quote. We Service all areas of the Gold Coast and South Brisbane. From Coolangatta, Elanora, Southport, Ormeau, Willowvale, Hope Island, Maudsland, Ashmore, Robina, Logan, Springwood and all areas in between. Whatever your needs we look forward to servicing you landscaping requirements.

Landscaping Nature Stone Walls

No matter whether you are looking to add something special to your property or you are someone who currently works in the home improvement or landscaping field, there are plenty of amazing features that you can put together that include nature stone walls and landscaping elements.

A stone wall is a beautiful option in the landscaping world that can bring together nature with your house design in a way that is both attractive as well as harmonious. It is all going to be a matter of trying to come up with the best features to match up with whatever your tastes and your budget might be.

A stone wall is an incredible structure that actually defines a backyard, a patio setting or even a great walkway or charming raised flower bed or garden. Natural stone walls will help to fully transform your yard and your landscaping ideas to help you add a bit of style to any outdoor living set up.

If you are looking for a nice way to incorporate amazing landscaping ideas, a dry stone wall is a great choice. There are also plenty of other options where you can turn a seating area, water feature, flower garden or fireplace into a functional and elegant living space in the great outdoors.

These are all options that are just right for the modern lifestyle and some of these projects can even be done by yourself with the right materials and instruction. All you have to have is a vision and the knowledge of your stop options so that you will end up with the best possible nature stone walls and landscaping elements.

There are a lot of people who may initially shy away from a dry stone wall design. However, these materials are just perfect for any sort of seating area that you would like to have outside. Whether you are interested in creating a fire pit, a standing fireplace, a small pond or a fountain style water feature, these walls are going to bring a bit of luxury to any patio or garden.

The building of such a stone wall will help you to define the design and bring in the element of a stunning stone wall background that will help you to showcase some of your favorite flowers, plants, outdoor lights and modern patio furnishings that you have on hand.

No matter what type of stone you are interested in using, the right selection to match your space will be able to elevate the look from the very moment that the project is finished. Whether you are interested in a sophisticated and modern look or you want to have a cottage feel that is calm and relaxing, the perfect stone selection will be able to get you just that. Even if you only put up a stone wall with the addition of a gate, you are sure to see that this is an excellent idea for your yard that will be a breathtaking backdrop.

Maybe you have a steep hill slope in your yard that you would like to address. If so, you will see that a natural stone wall can be the perfect addition. You can add in a garden area with a curvy path, use the wall to break up the hills and also work to protect the site from land erosion due to the impact of the elements.

For larger scale nature stone walls and landscaping project such as this, you can enlist the help of a team of professionals that will have all of the design experience along with the proper equipment to get the job done in a prompt and efficient manner.

The retaining wall is a nice way to add both beauty and function to your yard. Simply by putting in a stone retaining wall, you are going to add a whole lot of value to your home should you be looking to resell in the future. This natural stone is going to be a wonderful way to distinguish your property from others in the neighborhood and you are going to be able to enjoy what is known as instant curb appeal.

To gather some ideas on what it is that you may be interested in, you are going to see that landscaping books, websites and even visiting the stone mason in your local area will give you a lot to think about. There is truly no limit to the looks that you can create for your outdoor space when you take the time to browse through all of the options.

When you want to take your stone landscaping designs to a whole new level, you can enlist the help of the professionals so that you will have the guidance and expertise that you need every step of the way. Not only will they be able to give you advice on the designs that may work best for your exterior and the land that you have, but they will also be able to discuss all of the stone options with you that you can choose from.

When all is said and done, you are sure to see that nature stone walls and landscaping elements are going to be the perfect way to bring everything together. You are going to end up with a perfect outdoor setting that you are sure to be proud to show off to all of your guests for years to come.

Selecting A Garden Designer

There’s a huge number of terms that are nothing more than marketing. Doggy daycare, for example, is no different from a kennel. It’s a place where you take your dog when you can’t watch them for a while, and you need to hire someone else to watch them for you. Doggy daycare is just a more pleasant sounding term that escapes certain negative connotations.

Executive assistant is another great example. It’s not much more than a secretary. The duties of an executive assistant may be a little more encompassing, but at the end of the day you’re still filing paperwork, making phone calls, typing up documents, and passing around memos.

Yet executive assistant sounds much more interesting and important than secretary, so people prefer to use that as a job title. It’s a way to make things sound like it’s more important than it is, or perhaps a way to bypass certain legal or policy guidelines involving certain kinds of jobs.

Some terms, however, may sound like marketing terms but are not. A great example of this is a garden designer. If you’re at all familiar with landscaping, you can probably already tell what the difference is between a garden designer and a general landscaper.

Yet if you’re not as aware of the details of landscaping, you may not really understand what the difference is. You may not even understand how a landscaper differs from a normal, ordinary gardener!

There’s nothing wrong with this, it’s just a matter of not really having a good idea of what the details are. Which means you may not have any idea about selecting a garden designer.

A landscaper is someone who not just tends the garden and the yard, but actually sets up the yard and garden. They’re capable of actually hauling out sections of the yard in order to install flower beds, shrub beds, sod, and other yard and garden installations.

In addition, they tend to know about irrigation systems, and are capable of installing them. Landscapers are who you hire when you want to actually set up a full yard, not just a nice garden bed but also any garden structures.

So how does a garden designer differ from an all purpose landscaper? Garden design is a specialty of landscaping. A landscaper is something of a lawn and garden architect, capable of building an entire lawn structure.

A garden designer specializes in the creation of gardens. They don’t just know how to do all the installations a landscaper might know, but they also have a huge library of knowledge involving the different kinds of plants and flowers that you can put in a garden.

They’re capable of ensuring that your garden is easy to tend, and not only looks nice but also is planted in such a way as to maintain plant health. In addition, they’re fully capable of building a new garden from the ground up, flattening out a section of the yard and tilling the soil in order to ensure that it’s ready for planting.

So now that you know the difference between a garden designer and an all purpose landscaper, how do you go about selecting a garden designer?

Can you just hire a general purpose landscaper and ask if they have garden design training? That is one option, but it might not be as simple as that. If you want to go about selecting a garden designer, you’re going to need to do a good amount of research.

First and foremost, you should head to the internet. Head to your preferred search engine, either Google or Bing, and type in the name of your city and search terms such as “landscaping” and “garden design”.

This will give you a huge number of different websites. Some of them will be from landscaping companies, and their websites will generally tell you if they specialize in garden design. After all, garden design is the kind of specialty that a landscaping company can charge a little bit more money for, so they’re more than happy to tell you about the service!

Don’t just look for landscaping companies that offer the services, though! Make sure you’re also tracking down customer reviews. When you’re doing your internet searches, you’ll be able to find the reviews of people who have hired the various companies in the past. You can then find out how well the companies did, and how satisfied the various customers are with the job.

Make sure to read more than one review! It’s unfortunate, but there are people who will decide to leave negative reviews for incredibly ridiculous reasons, even going so far as to lie on the review to make the company sound worse than it is. So read multiple reviews so that you can get a well-rounded idea of what the company is like.

You can also call the various companies and get an estimate. Some companies will even send a person out to take a look at your lawn and garden, and talk specifically with you about what you want done and how much it will cost.

Don’t just pick the cheapest estimate! If a company is working for especially cheap, it’s usually because they know they’re not going to do quality work.

Otherwise, hiring a garden designer is nothing more than being ready to tell them what you want. Make sure you do your research, and make sure you’ve got an idea of what you might want, and you’ll be happy with your selection.

Picking The Right Plants For Summer

When it comes to tending the garden, there are a huge number of reasons people do it. There are people who really enjoy gardening as something relaxing to do. They love the idea of putting together beautiful flowers, spreading color and joy around their yard and making everything look bright and cheerful.

There are others who would rather put together a great vegetable garden, growing their own food. They love the idea of using the sweat of their brow to put food on their plate, and so they want to make sure that, come the end of summer, they’ll be able to have the biggest, juiciest, tastiest vegetables they can possibly have.

Whatever the reason, if you’re going to try setting up a garden this summer, then you’re going to need to figure out the right plants for summer. There are a number of ways to do this, but no matter what, there are some basic steps you’re going to have to follow.

You can’t just grab a bunch of plants that you think look nice, after all. What you think looks pretty or might taste good is going to be a step, of course, but it’s not the first step. It’s not even the second step. It’s a step that comes much later in the process of picking the right plants for summer.

First, you need to figure out what kind of garden you’re going to grow. Do you want a flower garden, or a vegetable garden? This one should be easy to figure out. Do you want to grow plants because you think they’ll look pretty, or are you hoping to grow food that you can eat?

Either one is going to take a bit of work, but the exact kind of work is going to be different. It’s important to understand the kind of work you’ll be doing, because it really is different. Vegetable gardens tend to require a lot more water, for example. They’ll also require a lot more work to keep the weeds and pests away.

Flower gardens tend to require less water overall. In point of fact, over watering a flower garden can easily lead to killing the flowers. It can wash away vital nutrients from the soil, nutrients that flowers are going to need in order to grow beautiful and healthy.

And while flower gardens need care to ensure you don’t have a weed problem, they don’t require quite as much work to keep the pests away. In general, any kind of insect or animal that nibbles on flowers are the kind you want there, because they help to cross pollinate the plants. This allows more to grow elsewhere, spreading the joy and beauty across the world.

Once you figure out what kind of garden you’re going to grow, you have to figure out what kind of plants will actually survive. There are many plants that require a certain kind of temperature and weather in order to grow. That doesn’t just mean hot or cold, either. Certainly, there are certain plants that only grow in the winter, and other plants that only grow in the summer.

However, there are also certain plants that only grow in mild summers, where as other plants need hotter weather to properly bloom. If you don’t live in an area that can promise the appropriate weather, then you should not grow that kind of plant. All you’ll do is put plants into your garden just to have them wither away and die. Hard to have a proper garden if your plants are all dying!

Once you figure out what plants are going to actually grow in your garden, that’s when you can begin making choices based on what you think looks nice or what you think might be tasty. Once you get to this point, you’ve managed to narrow down the field of potential plants quite a bit.

You’ll know whether you’re looking for vegetables or flowers, and you’ll know if the vegetables or flowers you’re looking at are going to actually be able to grow healthy and strong when you plant them. Since those are the two most important things to know, you might as well start thinking about what you like!

The best way to find out all this information is by doing some heavy research. You can head to the internet, of course, because the internet really does have a great deal of information. You can simply head to Google or Bing and type in keyword searches such as “plants for summer”.

You’ll get a huge number of different websites, all telling you all about the different plants you can get. However, just going to the internet isn’t necessarily going to be the best option. It’s true that there’s a huge amount of information, but it’s hard to sift through it all to make sure you’re finding the right information.

It’s a much better idea to go to your local lawn and garden store and ask questions. They’ll be able to help you figure out what kind of weather you actually have in your area. What you think is a hot summer may actually be a mild summer in terms of growing plants, after all. Similarly, what you think is a lot of water may not be enough water for certain plants.

Once you know those things, you can go about setting up your garden!

Landscaping Tips For Summer

It won’t be wrong to say that summer is the most challenging seasons for maintaining lawns and growing plants. The soil starts drying and plants start wilting with rising temperatures. You may also have to face water restrictions that make plant hydration difficult.

Your garden, lawns, trees, flowers and plants may undergo irreparable damages without proper hydration and therefore, it is important to take proper precautions to ensure that your plants and lawn remains alive during the summer season.

On the other hand, the warm weather during the summer months allows you to spend some relaxing time outdoors. Homeowners should take advantage of the summer months to landscape their home as it not only creates beauty around the home but also increases the value of a home. Here are a few useful landscaping tips for summer.

Summer months are going to be extremely hard on the average grass lawn. Keeping your lawn alive during the summer months can be extremely challenging. It is important to keep in mind that grass lawns can survive during these hot summer months if they have deep root systems. Therefore, the key to keep your grass is greener during the summer months is to encourage deep root development.

The best way to achieve that is to water the lawn for longer durations but less frequently. It is also important that you raise the blade on the lawn mower and allowed the grass to stand at a higher level. It allows roots to grow deeper and it also helps in discouraging the growth of weed which means that you will need to use lesser amount of herbicides.

One of the most often recommended landscaping tips for summer is addition of points of light to the backyards. Evenings are perfect for homeowners to enjoy their backyards. Many people find it comforting and enjoyable to spend some time on their patios and decks for enjoying the late sunset as well as the cool night air. Thanks to the advances in technology and high demand, solar lighting is available for cheap these days.

One of the best ways to add some points of light to outdoor entertaining spaces is to add some solar landscaping lighting to your backyard. You do not need to spend too much money for these lights as these are available for cheap and there is no increase in energy costs.

These self-contained solar lights can be placed around the pole, mounted on the frames, placed underneath the flowering bushes or you can also hang them on trees for a relaxed summer evening.

To add a vertical element to the landscape, you can create shade by adding a pergola to the landscape. This is perfect for lawns that do not have any mature trees. As far as the planting for a pergola is concerned, you can approach it in many different ways. If you want constant colour, you may choose to plant various flowers that bloom at different times of the year.

You may also plant some flowers that attract butterflies and bees. For instance Cypress Vine is available in various colours; it grows fast and attracts birds. Experts recommend mixing slower growing perennials and fast growing vines to add colour to the pergola. This not only provides shade but also provide enough time for the perennials to grow. You may also add some evergreen climbing plants to the mix.

One of the better ways to landscape is to break of various spaces in the yard as per their usage. This not only helps in reducing the amount of money spent on maintenance but it also helps in reducing time and effort needed for the maintenance. The overall landscaping plan should also take into account access to various utilities for watering and electrical outlets.

If a portion of the yard needs to be dedicated to children’s play, you can have a sturdy turf that can withstand a lot of sunlight and air. On the other hand, you can plant more delicate plants in areas that do not see too much foot traffic.

Low maintenance shrubs should be planted in areas that are difficult to access. You may also plant vegetables and high maintenance flowers near your house to make it easy to attend to them on a daily basis.

The best way to cool the landscape is to add some water features. Adding some moisture to the air during the summer weather cools down the landscape and it is also a pleasure to watch. These are not expensive as there are a number of convenient project kits available on the market today that allow you to add a fountain or a pond to the landscape easily. These not only cool down the landscape but also add a soothing feeling to a hectic day.

If you take all the proper precautions and follow the advice given by experts, but still notice that the lawn is not growing, it is important that you get the soil tested. There are a number of lawn care services that can perform a cheap soil test to improve the lawn. The lack of growth may be due to the lack of right nutrients in the soil. It is also possible that the soil may need cultivation or aeration on a regular basis.

Another important thing you need to keep in mind that the fertiliser needed for use during the summer months is different from the fertiliser to be used on winter lawns. Choosing the right type of fertiliser depends on the condition of the grass, location as well as some other local factors.

These are some of the landscaping tips for summer that will help you in keeping the grass green and enjoy the summer months in the outdoors. Do not forget to water your lawn as advised above to ensure that it takes deep roots and does not wilt in the hot summer months.

Nature Stone Walls and Landscaping Designs

You want your home to be as beautiful outside as it is inside. Your lawn, garden and landscape are an important part of making a harmonious, beautiful outdoor appearance for you home.

While most designs and plantings can be done in DIY fashion, you might want to get some professional landscaping help to make it more incredible than you can imagine.

Retaining walls are an essential part of a beautiful design. These help keep the landscape and gardens stable. Nature stone walls and landscaping are a unique, natural-looking way to add beauty to your outdoor area all while doing the job of retaining walls to keep the  stability intact.

Nature stone wall designs are virtually unlimited.  You can get a wall that blends with the garden or trees, or one that surrounds them for visual emphasis and impact. You can choose one that is curvy, straight or angled. They can be installed to look formal or rustic in a way that complements any size yard or any style home.

Choosing Form and Function

Any nature stone walls and landscaping designs have the job of helping with drainage, preventing flooding, keeping erosion at bay and beautifying the surroundings. All you need to do is decide upon the designs that will best fit your style.

A professional landscape or hard scape company can assist you with ensuring any functional needs are met by your nature stone wall. With their help, the wall will last for years.

Natural stone walls are excellent for creating landscapes along steep hill slopes. You may have thought you couldn’t landscape any steep areas in your yard, but you can. With nature stone, you can create garden paths along the slope to create an incredible charm.

You can decide how you want your wall to look. Create your own vision and implement it with the help of your hard scape professional.

Some nature stone walls and landscaping arrangements need to keep a sloped or hilly area from eroding. This is necessary to keep any and all plants there healthy, but it also helps keep erosion from causing more problems in the future, including protecting your home’s foundation from destabilizing.

Leave the engineering to the professionals so that a secure, stable installation job can be done right the first time with the right materials. You can take over the job of deciding how the wall should look.

It is not worth it to build your own wall with natural stone only to have a flood wipe it out or damage it. Trust a landscape professional to handle the design and construction while you work on creating the most attractive looking garden or patio.

Find qualified professionals near you to offer the design plans as well as samples of the types of stone you can use to build your gorgeous retaining walls.

The company you choose will probably have a website filled with sample photographs of their previous projects and designs. Use these as inspiration to create your designs and also use the website to choose the perfect stones for those designs.

Design Ideas

Stone walls work to fluidly blend your home’s design with nature in a harmonious manner. They can enhance patio areas, add dimension to flower beds and they can even make your outdoor living room or kitchen look like something out of an architectural magazine.

These walls can actually be crafted into seating areas around fire pits or near water features. They can surround or accent water features. Your outdoor space will be made to look elegant, natural and relaxing.

What many of your friends and family may not realize is how big of a job many of the wall areas have to keep your home and yard safe from flooding or other ground debris following a huge rain storm in your area.

If you want, you can see natural stone samples in person before choosing them. Your hard scape or landscape company can come to your home with them for you to look at, or you can visit a local showroom.

You are sure to find a beautiful stone that is right for your landscaping desires after taking the time to see all the stones available. They are available in an array of natural shades from browns to grays to so much more.

Installing your stone wall can transform your patio. You can take the existing patio and add definition and texture to create a patio where you will enjoy the beauty of the rest of your landscape. The stones can enhance any furnishings you have or any lighting you have set up on your patio.

Do not forget that, with your hard scape professional’s help, you can even build custom features like benches to put around your garden. You can even take individual stones and set them up in various arrangements around outdoor lighting fixtures to hide them in the day, and make them light up with a magical hue at night.

Make your home as beautiful on the outside as you have it on the inside. See what working with nature stone and landscaping designs can do for you garden and outdoor areas.

You can get the best of both function and form with them and increase your home’s value. Many of your stone wall creations will keep your yard and home safe as well as something to treasure for many years to come.

Landscaping Along Bushlands

Those who are going to be landscaping along wooded areas will understand how difficult the job can be when you are not sure about the approach to take.

There are many people who are put into this situation and then wonder what they have got themselves into. There is no reason to worry as long as you have the following tips in your hands.

These tips are going to make sure you are able to do the type of landscaping that is needed and make it look as nice as you want it to look.

Outline The Garden Area

The garden area has to be outlined right away because you are going to be trying to create a balance between the wooded areas and the rest of the setup.

This is where landscaping along wooded areas becomes hard because most people don’t know how to outline the area and/or forget to do this.

You can’t just start. Put a plan together and then move forward. It is going to save you a lot of time and you are going to love the results that you get as well. This does not hurt one bit when you are trying to get a feel for what works.

Prune Foliage

The foliage that is present has to be pruned and you are going to have to be attentive when you begin this process. Don’t just rush through it and hope you are going to get everything that has to be touched up.

You have to be careful and be willing to spend a few hours on the process as those who are more vigilant are the ones who are going to get better results at the end of the project.

Make sure you are being attentive to how the foliage sits and where it has to be pruned.

Cleanliness Is Key

You have to realize a clean landscape is always going to win people over and you are going to need to put in the time to clean things up. This means you are going to need to get rid of all the weeds that are in the garden and ensure the lawn is as clean as it should be right away.

If you are not doing this, you are not laying the foundation for a good lawn and that us going to set you up for real failure, which is what you don’t want.

Layers Are Important For Beauty

Layers are key and those who don’t put thought into this are the ones who are going to stand and wonder why there is no balance in place with their landscaping.

You have to work in high and low layers with the plans you are getting. Too much of one thing is going to make it look unappealing.

This is why you have to plan it out in advance and make sure there is a real balance to the look you are going for and it stands out in a manner that is going to let you relax. Many people don’t think about this as much as they should.

Consider Accessories

Accessories are a great way to bring life to the area and ensure you are getting the type of results that you are after. What type of accessories can you go out and get in order to see positive results? You should be taking a glance at accessories that are going to make things come to life as a whole.

These would be things such as bird cages, bird baths, fountains, and/or benches. It is up to you as to what you are looking to put in place.

Go With Low Maintenance Plants As Much As Possible

The plants you are going to be putting in place along the wooded areas have to be low maintenance and there is a reason for this. The wooded area is going to be ‘messy’ and that is something you are going to have to take into account.

When you are landscaping, you are trying to create an effect and that is only going to happen when you understand the value of not getting plants that are going to grow out and look like a part of the woods.

Don’t Rush

When you are going to be landscaping along wooded areas, you have to realize being quick is going to waste time and is just not worth it at all.

There is no reason to rush and those who do this are the ones who are going to miss out as a whole. Don’t take this sort of risk and just be as patient as you can be every step of the way.

Those who do this are going to get more out of the process than those who just speed through everything and wing it.

Make the most of these tips because they are going to come in handy right away and you are going to enjoy them from top to bottom. Those who want the best results are the ones who are going to make the most of these tips and are going to put them to use right away.

It is these tips that are going to let you relax and just focus on the job at hand because these tips are proven to work and are going to do the trick as you want them to. Stop wasting time with solutions that don’t work.