Archive for the 'Landscape Design' Category
Planting a flower garden may be an overwhelming experience for anybody let alone a beginner gardener. The good news is there are easy ways to get around it by following these simple steps. Read on to find out what these simple tips are for planning your garden landscape and what lawn décor to choose to get what you want from the sweet escape in your backyard.
Before you head to a nursery or garden center, make sure you have a plan. Think about where you want to put your flowers and garden accessories, what colors you want where, how many and so forth. This will make your shopping experience much easier and faster and probably less expensive. Y ou’ll want to enjoy a garden that’s in bloom from early spring to late fall by choosing annuals ( plants that do not come back every year) and perennials (plants that do come back every year) based on when they flower. Refer to plant tags for specific information that pertains to your garden. When picking plants at the nursery pay attention to the height and width before assigning them a permanent home. When it’s time to divide your perennials, offer to share your extras with your garden-savvy neighbors in return for plants you don’t have yet. Make sure to observe your yard’s sun and shade areas. Look for wet or dry spots. Watch for sandy soil and dense clay. By knowing your garden’s conditions, you can plant flowers where they’ll thrive. For soils that do not produce thriving plants consider putting garden accessories such as garden statues, gnomes, wind spinners, wind chimes, stepping stones, mulch, rock, and other lawn and garden décor. When choosing garden accessories for additional lawn décor around your garden, consider potting perennials and/or annuals in containers and placing them around your yard. Garden planters are an easy way to create colorful accents. Many plants benefit from deadheading, when faded blooms are removed to encourage new growth. To deadhead, cut off the spent slower close to a bud that’s lower on the stem or above a leaf node. To enjoy perennials or annuals indoors, cut the flowers in early morning or late afternoon, submerge them in lukewarm water and add a floral preservative.
Garden accessories are a great way to add a little extra something to any outdoor space. The nice thing about garden accessories is that they come in all forms, shapes and sizes. Choosing the right lawn décor for your garden or backyard is always a fun experience because there is so much you can do with it. Garden stepping stones make transitioning from one place in your backyard to another very easy and it is also very decorative . Stepping stones can be anything from limestone rock, cement blocks or slates to flat plaques. Don’t forget about your avian friends. Putting bird houses, bird baths and bird feeders in a flower garden invites even more color and entertainment to enjoy. There are tons of different kinds of bird feeders out there; some are decorative, some are for specific kinds of birds and some are very plain-jane bird feeders. Which ever strikes your fancy your avian friends will be sure to re – visit your flower garden. Other garden accessories you can consider putting up in your flower garden are wind chimes and wind spinners. You can find many different kinds of hook stands out there for hanging these types of garden accessories as well as brackets for the side of a post or wall.
Your flower garden will look amazing after following these simple steps in planning for a garden. The nice thing about garden accessories is that they are versatile. You can put them almost anywhere and plant flowers around them or accent some already planted flowers and plants with the garden accessories. Whatever you choose to do you will be happy with the result it produces.
Artificial grass lawns are the ideal alternative to natural lawns for households with any breed of dog. All artificial turf products on the market have been engineered specifically to withstand pet usage. There are several reasons why an artificial grass lawn is idyllic for families that own dogs. Dog kennels, dog hotels, and dog shows have adopted synthetic grass due to its pet-friendly nature. Several dog owners and households with dogs have also been pleased with artificial grass lawns for several reasons.
Artificial grass products are composed of polypropylene and polyethylene. These components are then melted together and extruded into long yarn-like strands that are later tufted together. All of the materials used are nontoxic for all dogs. Should any part of the product be ingested, it will not pose a serious threat to any pet’s life. Washed sand is used to help synthetic grass blades maintain its upright aesthetic, even after heavy usage. Even the largest dogs that try to dig through the grass are not able to puncture or ruin artificial turf because of its strong backing. Most synthetic grass products have warrantees that last for up to 10 years, should any lawn become torn or defective.
The latest artificial turf products have been made to look and feel just like a natural lawn. New technological breakthroughs in engineering have allowed the synthetic grass industry to create artificial grass products that closely resemble real grass. Your dog will be able to enjoy the comfort and feel of a natural yard. Dogs love the feel of synthetic grass, while owners do not have to worry about staining or discoloration found on real grass lawns.
Maintaining a synthetic turf lawn with dogs is very simple. Pet waste and odors will never be a problem. This is because the revolutionary draining system allows liquids and pet urine to permeate through the surface of the turf, ensuring that it does not accumulate or flood. Pet urine, though very acidic in nature, does not eat away at the material of synthetic grass. Solid pet waste can simply be expelled by the use of a hose. Other small messes can be removed with household cleaners. If any debris or leaves pile upon artificial turf surfaces, they can simply be manually picked up or hosed off. Should the grass blades fail to maintain their upright aesthetic, a hard-bristled brush can be used to brush the blades in opposite directions to straighten them out.
With an artificial grass lawn, there leaves no room for barren spots or discoloration. Dogs will not be able to dig through and kill grass. Muddy areas and are also preventable with synthetic grass lawns. With the lack of mud, you no longer have to worry about tracking noticeable paw prints on your porch and inside your house. Artificial grass proves to be the better lawn alternative for those with dogs as pets. Synthetic grass allows you to create a customized pet-friendly environment for your dog without the worry of heavy maintenance or health hazards.
Tiger Express Landscape is a manufacturer and supplier of artificial turf and synthetic grass for residential and commercial uses. Our Artificial Turf can be used for landscaping, golf greens and sports fields.
To some, going green seems to be the latest fad. But unlike the ever-changing styles in shoes, cars and clothing, this “fad” is great for the environment, and will return benefits to you and your family. Follow these tips to start greening your backyard!
Organic Gardening :
Earth-friendly gardening is not about the kind of plants you grow, rather it focuses on the way you grow them. The biggest differences between organic and non-organic gardening are the types of fertilizer and pest control used. Organic gardening only applies animal or vegetable fertilizers, such as compost, instead of synthetic ones. Organic matter gives soil organisms something to eat. These organisms break down the soil and fertilizer and turn it into digestible items for your plants. Many organic gardeners even make their own compost from kitchen and yard waste, thereby not only nourishing the soil, but also reducing the amount of trash their households produce!
Organic gardeners also choose all-natural methods to ward off pesky insects. Instead of spraying dangerous chemicals to kill unwanted insect life, predatory insects such as ladybugs or lacewings can remove the bugs that damage flowers and plants. You can attract these predatory insects with plants like fennel, dill, allysum and cumin.
The type of plants you choose to include in your garden is another important consideration for organic gardening. Increase the natural health of your soil by finding plants that thrive in your geographic area. Also, alternate what you plant year by year to help create a mini-ecosystem in your backyard!
Eco-Friendly Lawn Care
Now that we’ve taken a look at organic gardening, let’s focus on Earth-friendly lawn care. Start with the kind of grass in your lawn. Just like your garden, it is important to choose grass that will thrive in your climate. People living in the North and Pacific Northwest, who deal with cool and humid climates, should plant fescue and Kentucky bluegrass. For those living in the warm and humid South or Southwest, zoysia, Bermuda and St. Augustine grasses are the best choices. People living in the cool and semi-arid Plains should plant Buffalo grass.
After finding the best grass for your area, it’s time to make sure your soil is nutrient rich and healthy. As with your garden, use organic products instead of synthetic fertilizers to feed your lawn. This will be a larger investment to begin with, but will pay off in the end. Synthetic fertilizers do not last as long as organic ones, which means you have to reapply a synthetic fertilizer more often. Make sure to sweep your fertilizer off the sidewalks or driveways and back onto your lawn to prevent water pollution. Both synthetic and organic fertilizers can cause water pollution if they wash down into storm drains instead of feeding your lawn.
Natural Landscaping
It may sound counterproductive, but reducing the amount of lawn in your yard is a great energy and water conservation method. A smaller lawn means less mowing, which in turn means less energy, whether electric or gas-powered, is used. A smaller lawn also translates into less water consumption. Watering grass uses more water than flower beds, or even vegetable gardens.
Now, you’re ready to transform your backyard into an eco-friendly wonderland! Head to your nearest gardening store or nursery and start planning. When your flowers, vegetables and lawn are in full bloom you’ll be glad you took the time to landscape by going green.
Earth-friendly gardening
When designing a garden or landscape, it’s important to maintain a balanced color palette. Just as you wouldn’t want an entire house decorated in blue and yellow, nor would you want an entire garden of only blue and yellow flowers. For this reason, we try to design our gardens and landscapes with a variety of colors that complement each other. The most obvious sources of color in a yard come from plants and flowers; however, color in your garden can come from many other sources. When planning your garden design, don’t underestimate how other materials can impact the overall look of your landscape.
First and foremost, consider the type of garden edging or landscape border that you’ll use in and around your planting beds. The possible material choices are endless. A few of the more common borders used are pavers, black plastic edging, landscape timbers, and brick or stone edgers. Because edging varies so much in color and texture, your choice will have a big impact on the overall look of your landscape. You might also want to consider mixing a couple different types of edging materials to achieve an eclectic look with even more color.
Mulch or groundcover is another easy way to add color and dimension to your garden. Materials range from bark and wood chips to gravel and stone, with many other alternatives in between. Colors of these materials vary widely; it’s possible to find groundcover in almost any hue of the rainbow, as well as many colors that aren’t in the rainbow!
When planning your landscape design, don’t forget to include garden structures such as trellises, arbors, furniture, and more. Garden structures not only add color to your yard, but they also serve as an architectural element that can be used as a focal point in the garden, creating visual interest.
Trellises are probably one of the least expensive garden structures that can still provide a big visual punch. A garden trellis serves as a support structure for climbing plants and flowers, allowing them to grow upward instead of outward, and literally bringing your garden to new heights. Arbors and pergolas are the next step up in size and expense, but they also add a lot more height to your yard and can also provide shade, a place to sit and rest, or even a gated entrance into a back or side yard. Arbors, pergolas, and trellises are all available in a wide variety of materials and colors. If you want to color match the structure to your home, then you’ll probably want to choose wood that can be painted. For something that doesn’t require as much ongoing maintenance, consider a durable PVC vinyl that won’t require painting or staining. Just make sure the plastic has been treated with a UV inhibitor so the color doesn’t fade or change as exposed to sunlight.
Colorful outdoor furniture can compliment your design and improve the functionality of your outdoor space. Consider a well-placed bench in the middle of your garden, or even a pair of chairs and a table, nestled in a bed of daisies in the spring. Smaller pieces of outdoor furniture can be a good investment because they can easily be moved around and rearranged as desired. Like arbors, pergolas, and trellises, garden furniture also comes in a variety of materials and color choices. If you’re really picky about the specific color you want, opt for wood that can be painted. Otherwise, a rust free metal like aluminum or a UV protected vinyl will offer lower maintenance options that are still available in many hues.
As you create your landscape design, remember that plants and flowers are not the only way to add color and visual interest to your yard. By thinking outside the box and incorporating other garden elements like some of those we’ve discussed, you can create a garden that’s not only colorful, but also as individual and unique as you are.
Home Products ‘N’ More offers free shipping on colorful garden arbors and trellis kits. Visit us at http://www.homeproductsnmore.com/Pergola_Designs_s/43.htm
How do you provide memories of fun to help build closer relationships with others at the same time? In our busy world, what activities and accessories will slow us down, help us relax, and have quality time with them? Food, fire, and the ambiance of only a few outdoor accessories will highlight any evening . A simple fire with charcoal or wood with comfortable seating will entice others to sit, relax, and enjoy themselves. Include a few drinks using a few accessories for cooling wine from the ice bucket, or soda or tea, and you have the beginnings of a memorable evening under the stars.
Accessories for Building Relationships
There is something about the fire burning that gives you something to keep everyone busy watching the leaping flames while staying in close proximity. Your fire and entertaining accessories help you direct the conversation to sharing about your day, your week, and may help to learning the hopes and dreams each of you have for the future. We have spent many afternoons and evenings sitting by the fire getting acquainted with guests, while roasting smokies, snacking on smores, or just having a heartwarming glass of wine by the fire. Just a few accessories make it a special event that is remembered forever.
It is easy to make a fire if you have the right accessories, namely a fire ring or a fire bowl which contains your fire safely and in an attractive way on your patio or deck. Comfortable furniture is another important accessory which helps you get comfortable and enjoy relaxing around the fire.
Lighting Accessories and Other Quality Accessories
KISS it or “Keep It Simple, Stupid” with simple accessories is what makes this work. Do it simple with a few accessories while doing it with quality and style. A place to sit, something close by to drink and eat, and just enough light from the fire or candle or lantern accessories will add that feeling of calm and trust.
The easiest way to build closeness and trust in a relationship is to have the right setting, various accessories, and most importantly, time to share with others. The accessories to help you make this simple and stylish, whether it be patio chairs, or outdoor accessories, are easily found in one spot, at this unique garden decor store.
You Can Find It All Right Here
Enjoy having fun while building new and lasting relationships with the quality garden decor and accessories for your landscape. You will find outdoor accessories, rustic furniture, patio chairs and other unique outdoor furnishings at trellismart.com .
Planning your perfect lawn in the great state of Texas offers a variety of grasses, each unique to the four climates across the state. Most of the favorite grass species are homogeneous with the spring or summer planting and at a dept of 1/4 to 1/2 an inch below the surface of the soil. Certain grasses thrive in the region’s select weather conditions, so be sure you have chosen your lawn seeding carefully to allow a robust growth with minimal maintenance. And if you need a head start with your options, take a look at the Texas Top 10:
1. Native Buffalo Grass
Native Buffalo Grass is the ideal choice for seeding your landscape with minimal care and maintenance. This low growing, curly shaped species is resilient in extreme hot and cold temperatures and prefers a planting in firmer soils. The tufted growth patterns adds drama and dimension to any landscape, yet requires low irrigation outside of the warmer months. The Native Buffalo species makes a nice appearance and is a good match for adding a few colorful wildflowers to the mix.
2. Southern Plains Native Grass
The Southern Plains native grass grows well in central Texas and may be used for ornamental or eco-friendly use. This graceful beauty can reach a height of 36 inches and is another fine choice for wildflower mixing over a large acreage.
3. Ryegrass
The ryegrass comes in a variety species, one of which is a Texas favorite for turf grasses. The delicate sheaths grow upwards and collapse into a graceful fold, with the glossy green shading on the underside. Ryegrasses prefer moist soil and thrive in stable climates that do not suffer extreme heat or cold.
4. Tall Fescue
The Tall Fescue grass does well in the Texas northeast regions and holds up well in hot temperatures. You can count on this species to be shade tolerant and thrive with a rich green color all year round. In addition to the pure Tall Fescue, blended seed varieties such as Kentucky Bluegrass and Ryegrasses make a nice appearance for any lawn. If you have exceptionally shady areas and wish to blend in a tailor-made variety, try adding Bonny Dunes Fescue Blend, Chewings Fine Fescue or Creeping Red Fine Fescue for minimal maintenance and dramatic results.
5. Weeping Lovegrass
The Weeping Lovegrass species grows in ornamental bunches, adding drama and flair to a special corner of your landscape. This beauty sprouts leaves of up to twenty inches in length and can stand up to four feet at full maturity. This South African import has adapted well in the United States and prefers to thrive in the southwest Great Plain regions.
6. Mohawk Bermuda
The Mohawk Bermuda is richly texture and adaptable to extreme cold and drought season. In addition, the Mohawk Bermuda grass is an excellent pasture seeding for munching and grazing while maintaining its star quality for landscaping and turf.
7. Argentina Bahia Grass
The Argentina Bahia grass works well for both pasture and lawns and favors the northeast region of Texas climate. The best time for planting is spring and summer for a dense growth with excellent tolerance for the sun. The Argentina Bahia is durable, requires minimal watering, however, does not do well in shaded areas.
8. Dichondra
The Dichondra grass is a maintenance free lawn coverage that offers a deep green tone and ovular-shaped buds. This love it and leave it variety requires almost no lawn care and adds a dark green layered look to open spaces. The Dichondra grass does well in warmer climates where the air temperatures remain above 25 degrees at night and requires only one inch of water per wetting session.
9. Tallgrass
The Tallgrass species thrives in southwest Texas and is partial to lower elevations below 6000 feet. This native grass can grow to 96 inches and prefers a moist soil for maturity. This beautiful free-flowing grass makes a great companion to wildflower seedlings for a landscape bursting with color and a sweet aroma.
10. La Paloma Bermuda Grass
The La Paloma Bermuda grass is an excellent choice for that finely manicured garden appeal. A favorite with golf courses and sports fields, the La Paloma Bermuda grass produces a dark green and finely textured lawn that performs well with most weather conditions.
Joe Cline writes articles for Austin Real Estate. Other articles written by the author related to Cedar Park real estate and Austin Texas real estate can be found on the net
Now is the time to find the perfect birdhouse for the nesting birds that are visiting your garden. Birds and birders alike are looking for the perfect home to raise their young avian broods. The best birdhouse has an unfinished interior, with holes the correct size for each species. Features include recommended finishes, both inside and outside, hole size, proper materials, drainage, ventilation, and easy maintenance. Find the right birdhouse to allow a larger number of successful broods to be raised throughout the summer. You, your family and friends will enjoy the avian activity throughout the gardening season.
Features A birdhouse made of wood gives better insulation from the hot daytime temperatures and holds heat during the cooler nights. This allows for a more even heat for the young, allowing the parents to use less energy to keep the birdhouse at the optimum temperature for their young birds’ quick growth and development. Many song birds, including chickadees, titmice, wrens, and nuthatches prefer a 1 1/4″ size hole in order to keep larger birds and predators out of their birdhouse.
Other birdhouse features needing attention are ventilation, drainage, and nontoxic materials. Ventilation allows a more even temperature for the nest during the warm days of summer. Drainage holes allow moisture to drain away, thereby reducing the risk of disease. Nontoxic materials are a must for healthy development of your new brood.
Birdhouse Maintenance
When purchasing a quality birdhouse , birders look for easy maintenance boxes that allow for quick clean-out. The top, side, or back can usually be removed or opened on for easy care. This minimizes disease and pest problems by complete removal of the previous nest. Successful nesting boxes may require two or three clean-outs a year. When boxes are provided earlier in the season, birds will begin their nesting as much as two weeks earlier, thereby allowing time to raise an extra brood in the same year.
We recommend birdhouses with an unfinished interior, and a nontoxic exterior finish or no finish at all. The construction materials should be entirely nontoxic with hardwood being the preferred material. Drainage, ventilation, and easy clean-out design are all important features that a quality birdhouse will offer your birds. This ensures a higher fledgling rate so you have many young birds for you and your family and friends to enjoy.
Hurry to get your new birdhouse up soon since they are scouting for their new homes now. These birdhouses that will offer your nesting birds the most success this summer can be found at Trellismart.com along with other unique garden decor and gardening needs for your landscape.
Imagine you have commissioned a new build property and want to feel that the garden has been there for 20 years. Perhaps you want to disguise an eye sore in the garden next door or a new development has sprung up within your favourite view. Corporate clients may want to impress their customers with lavish mature landscapes or perhaps the Planning Authority have insisted that mature stock must be replaced like for like. One of the greatest challenges in any landscaping project is the use of semi-mature trees but one that certainly affords the greatest rewards.
In the last decade this area of the market has developed leaps and bounds. A new growing industry has evolved to supply mature trees and shrubs to the landscape industry. These specimens are used widely in projects such as business parks, shopping malls and townscapes. Corporate clients realise that a mature landscape has become as essential an element as something like air conditioning, The up shot to this Corporate revolution is that a much greater array of plant material in now available to you, the home owner.
The stock comes from Northern Europe, with Germany, Holland, France, Spain and Italy the major suppliers. The nurseries are really something to see; hundreds of acres of neatly planted fields of a bewildering selection of trees that in some cases have been tendered for up to 20-30yrs. They are repeatedly lifted and re-planted each autumn when the trees are dormant. This encourages the tree to make fibrous root growth that allows it a speedy recovery and establishment when finally planted. All year round armies of Nurserymen tend, water and prune the trees. I often think it like looking after a fine wine that has been laid down for years. Every autumn the Nurseries race to lift and root ball’ the trees, wrapping the roots in hessian sacks and wire to retain soil around the fibrous root ball. They are carefully tied up and loaded onto covered articulated trucks bound for all countries. For example wealthy Russians have brought up large conifers by the thousand as they build brand new houses in the more affluent areas of Moscow. This can have a dramatic affect on the supply chain, so much so that some species are no longer available.
Some of these trees are sold to UK nurseries that pot’ them on to then sell them throughout the year. This takes out the seasonality of the process and means you can purchase and plant a tree at any time of the year.
The impact of semi-mature tree planting can be amazing the instant WOW factor. Imagine planting a 12-15metre tall Oak tree with a canopy spread of 4-5metres which will literally block out any eye sore that lies behind it. Costs vary so much from type to size and also the location. Some of these trees will weight up to 10 tonnes and costs can be up to several thousands of pounds each. We were recently asked to source two amazing trees for the entrance to a substantial home. They had to be evergreen and unique. We found a pair of cloud pruned Yew that were 120yrs old and to die for! These are the most expensive trees we have planted at a cost of 20,000.00 each. You may find this staggering but there were only a few left out of a batch of 30 in a Dutch nursery. Size should never be a barrier – Landform were contracted to plant six 14 Metre+ Quercus palustris (Pin Oak) for the Tree Top Walkway, Kew Gardens in May 2008. The trees weighed in at 8 tonnes each were manoeuvred using a 100 tonne crane.
If you are planning to plant semi-mature trees, make a plan before you visit the nursery. Ensure you have a qualified and experienced contractor on board to carry out the planting works. Think about access to the planting location we often use cranes to place a tree if access is restricted. Visit the nursery and tag’ the tree (s) you want. Just be aware that if you are someone who loves your trees/plants you’ll be like a kid in a sweetie shop.
Mark Gregory is a director of the college of garden design, one of the leading garden design schools in Britain
Vines can be a great addition to any landscape. They help cover empty vertical space to give your garden an overall beauty from the ground up. Vines can be trained over pergolas or arbors to provide shade. Here are some gorgeous flowering vines that you can add to your backyard. They all tolerate growing conditions from full sun to light shade so you can place them where they will be best showcased in your yard.
Bignonia capreolata
The Bignonia, also known as Cross Vine, is woody vine that can grow from 10 to 50 feet and spread anywhere from 5 to 10 feet. It produces clusters of 2 inch trumpet shaped flowers in a beautiful red and orange color from mid to late spring. The leaves are also unique in that each leaf has two lance shaped leaflets. The Bignonia climbs very rapidly and is ideal for covering fences and trellises.
Lonicera sempervirens
This is the Trumpet Honeysuckle which is a woody vine that is evergreen in the warmer regions. It blooms all summer with colorful flowers that are tubular in shape. You can select from vines that produce red, orange, scarlet or yellow blooms. These can used as a vine and trained to climb any vertical path or they can be used as ground cover.
Campsis radicans
The Campsis, commonly referred to as Trumpet Creeper, is also a woody vine that blooms with vibrant flowers from mid-summer to early autumn. These vines do need support for best spread but the beauty of the vibrant red, orange or yellow flowers with glossy deep green leaves makes it all worth it.
Rosa
The Rosa is also called the Rambler Rose and is a hybrid that is a great climbing vine. It blooms with large clusters of small rose flowers in late summer. You can select from a variety of hues of pink color. This is the perfect plant for arches and entries into gardens as they are not only beautiful but also fragrant.
Use vines to add texture and appeal to your garden that goes beyond just the grass in your lawn and flower beds.
Ann is a home based business entrepreneur who researches and reviews many products and writes about her personal interests. Visit her newest site Fish Pond Supplies for great information on Fish Pond Pumps and more.
One of the biggest problems you are going to encounter when you are landscaping small spaces if the amount of light available and how well the ground drains. In larger spaces this is much less of a problem because you can always vary the design according to the conditions, moving a particular idea into another section if required. This is one luxury you don’t have in smaller gardens. Landscaping small spaces doesn’t have to be about growing plants. Where there is little natural light you could still landscape – but without using any plants or just a few of those plants that thrive of poor lighting conditions. Just fill the area to be landscaped with gravel and then place a bench in a strategic position and dot around some garden statues and sculptures – perhaps a bird-bath or an ornamental birdhouse for feeding birds off the ground and away from predators.
You could, of course, lay a crazed paving walk, lined with the many varieties of shade-loving plants. If you are landscaping small spaces you could let your eye move skywards: install some frames and train some climbing plants over them – perhaps variegated ivy or Virginia creeper, both of which are lovers of poor lighting conditions. Try Oakleaf hydrangea and, perhaps, a deciduous shrub such as one of the varieties of tree holly or, if you really have green fingers, try growing an azalea or two – I am told they are a bit tricky to grow but some people seem to have the knack! For ground cover try coleus, a plant that comes with some beautiful variegated leaves, and other ground covering plants such as the various Erica species.
Landscaping small spaces can be particularly effective if you look around you and carefully take stock of the whole space at your disposal. Part of the key is to look up. You are bound to have a perimeter fence or wall around your property and these can be ideal to support climbing plants against – not just the Leylandii that everybody loves to hate, but honeysuckle, passion fruit and climbing roses – to name just a few. There are literally hundreds of varieties of climbing plants you could use. You could even plant fruit trees – yes, honest! Even the smallest patio space has sufficient room to grow a couple of espalier apple trees or pear trees which are trained horizontally along a wall rather than allowed to grow into their natural state.
Once your actual landscaping has been implemented you could finish off with some night-time lamps dotted alongside your crazed paving path. Nowadays you can get those solar lamps that absorb sunlight during the day and then use that energy to light up at night. I think they are a brilliant idea. Landscaping small spaces really can be quite fun if done properly with plenty of research up front: you could end up with a beautiful complement to the rest of your house and a delightful place to relax in the evenings – especially if you plant some night-scented stocks and other plants whose aroma tends to waft out during the late evening.
Learn how to decorate Small Spaces . Also enjoy, furnishing tips, photos of small spaces and projects for the DIYer.