Best Landscaping Secrets for Your Home

So, you've decided that you want a new landscape for your property? Great! Landscaping can increase both the visual appeal and the value of your home, and knowing the best landscaping secrets for your home can be of tremendous help.

Even if you aren't the most creative type you can still play an integral part of your landscape design, as you well should. Start by looking at landscapes in your area with aspects that appeal to you. You don't need to be in love with the entire landscape - just focus on those things that you do like. Take photos of those focal points so that you've got a reference to look back on later.

Now look through magazines and design books for anything that may stand out to you - there are photo rich articles both in print and posted on the Internet these days so your job doesn't need to be as difficult as you might think.

Once you have a few general ideas in mind you need to consider the limitations of the area that you will be landscaping, whether that is your home or office. The terrain, availability of water and the amount of space available will all be things that should be considered while you are completing the landscaping design process.

You should also think about the overall look of your current property, at least those things that you either cannot or simply don't want to change. You wouldn't want the landscaping to stand out in stark contrast to the existing buildings, for example. An antebellum home might not be well complemented by a modern art sculpture garden in the front yard.

When it comes to landscaping design, size matters

Scale is one of the most difficult and most important things to master, and when it comes to the grounds surrounding your home or office, it should be a priority. Even if your home is small and your design is large and intricate you can find ways to scale the design down with dwarf plants (or different plants entirely) that will achieve a similar look without making your home look like a dollhouse in a rainforest.

In addition to scale, you also need to think about the location and how it is favored by the weather. Does the area receive a great deal of sunlight or is it partially for fully shaded for much of the day? These factors can affect the types of plants that you choose for your final product.

While soil type should also be considered, it is something that can easily be altered through the use of amendments like compost, sand, clay and fertilizer, depending on what part of the world you are in.

Using Landscaping Design Software

One way to get creative and come up with your very own best landscaping secrets is to use one of the landscaping design software programs that are readily available these days. These programs make it easy to input a bit of information and let the software do the rest.

Before attempting to purchase or use one of these programs, you should first make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements listed on the software company's website or in the enclosed documentation (if you have already purchased one).

In the end, your landscaping design process should be a very personal experience, just as your landscape should reflect your personality. Use the best landscaping secrets to help guide you into creating a one of a kind space that you will be proud of for years to come.

HOW TO - Keep the Lawn Green (Even in a Drought)

As some of you know, I'm in the landscape business. As summer has set in and droughts imposed I have been shocked at how many people really have no clue about how to properly maintain their yard.

Seller Beware: Messy Neighbors Bring Down Home Value

The Kennedys, who thought of the home as their "dream house," have mixed feelings now that they are making the transition from proud homeowners to nervous sellers. "It's not the house, it's the neighborhood. Their houses are $300,000 and ours is $600,000," Andrew said.

Xeriscape, the Art of Water Conserving Landscaping

The idea behind Xeriscapes is to create gardens with a rational water use, to avoid any waste of water, especially in Mediterranean and warm temperate climates. Saving water however is not the only objective of Xeriscaping.

Hearts of stone - Monty Don describes the yin and yang features of two botanic gardens

During the reign of Chinese Emperor Zhengde, between 1506 and 1521, the site of what is now the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou was occupied by a temple; but it was appropriated by a tax collector who turned it into his private villa, complete with botanic garden.

Sculptures crown parish's effort to beautify Veterans - Arts and Events News

The New Orleans Museum of Art has lent Jefferson Parish three sculptures to display along Veterans as part of a spruce-up effort; The sculptures are the apex of a six-month beautification project that included new trees, gardens and decorative stone walls along Veterans.