Tag Archives: Landscaping

What do you when you’ve decided a garden bench would look perfect in your landscaping

August 26, 2023   Matt

What do you when you’ve decided a garden bench would look perfect in your landscaping

What do you do if you decide to build a new shed for your backyard?

If your answers are:

Go to the garden center and buy one,

Hire a reputable contractor

Buy a premade shed from lumbermills

You may be right! Then again, you may be wrong! If you would like to save 50% or more on your home projects, and feel the satisfaction of doing it yourself, this is where MyShedPlans.com comes to the rescue.

MyShedPlans offers the most complete home project resource you can buy on the Internet.

It is bursting with plans for over 12,000 woodworking projects! You will find plans for birdhouses, garden furniture, sheds, full size decks, and everything in between. If it can be made out of wood, it will most likely be here. After all, 12,000 pretty well covers the gamut of whatever you might like to build! Toys are included, too. All plans are complete from start to finish, and include material lists, detailed diagrams, and explicit step by step instructions.

Many different designs for each type of project are also included. For example, there are hundreds of designs for outdoor buildings, from small sheds all the way up to a complete stable. Choose whatever type of shed or storage house is right for you. Pick from fancy ones or more utilitarian designs.

What if you do not have carpentry skills?

No worries. it brings you up to speed with professional tips and tricks used by the pros. Learn how to handle carpenter equipment, follow the right safety rules, and how to do your projects professionally so that they will look good and last.

In addition to the woodworking projects, MyShedPlans brings you valuable information for all your home projects. You will discover professional guidelines for plumbing, electrical work, foundations, plastering, building codes, wallpapering, installing fireplaces, decorating, tile, stone work, working with cement and mortar, and so much more!

With MyShedPlans, you can finally be the handyman you always wanted to be. You don’t need to feel helpless if the faucet breaks. Install improvements like new lighting with ease. Got a new puppy? Make him feel welcome with his own doghouse.

You’ll always have the ideas and plans you need for your next project.

MyShedPlans is delivered via instant downloads. The plans are printable, so that you can pick out your project on the computer, print out the plans, and have them with you when you go to get materials and then work on your project.

It really is an awesome resource. And you can have it all, in one swoop, with a single, small payment. Save time and money, and get the satisfaction and pride that comes with accomplishment at MyShedPlans.

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Landscaping With Rocks Will Spotlight Your Yard

August 11, 2023   Matt

Landscaping With Rocks Will Spotlight Your Yard

Taking a drive around town will reveal yards that look the same. Sure some may have beautifully manicured lawns and others may not but the overall look is the same, green grass, trees and flowers. If you’re longing to make your yard stand out from the acres of sameness adding some decorative rocks and stones will do the trick.

The addition of landscaping rocks will give your yard a style and character that most homeowners would love to have but don’t know where to start. The first step to adding some personality to your landscaping is to remove some of the grass. If you aren’t using your front lawn there’s no point in maintaining it and this will make your landscape unique.

Use a shovel or if you have access to one, use a tiller to break up the ground. Pull the rocks out of your way –these are not the kind of rocks we’ll be using for this landscaping project 🙂

While you’re digging, decide whether or not you have the proper drainage for your plants and flowers, if not, now would be a good time to add the appropriate irrigation system.

One addition that you can add to your front yard landscaping is to add a walkway. Having your guests use the driveway or worse, the grass, to get to your door is not the effect you’re after so think about adding a walkway. This addition will keep guests from tracking in dirt and other debris in to your home too.

One popular effect for a stone walkway is to stagger rocks all along the walk to your door. Make certain that when you do the final install your rocks are secure and they don’t move when they are walked on. To keep the rocks in place remove four to five inches of soil beneath each rock that you lay. Add a thin layer of gravel beneath the stone. This will keep your rocks and stones in place to ensure safety and stability.

When planning the walkway try to add interest by adding curves to your design. This will give your work a more distinctive yet informal look. Add smaller trees and shrubs top provide structure for your new walkway. And add some color with some easy to care for perennials. Perennials work well with a rock landscape because they are easy to care for yet they add beauty and color to the project.

Once the main plantings are in, you can start to add some smaller greens and flowers. You can add some greens in between the rocks in your walkway to fill in the gaps. Some people suggest that instead of using mulch to maintain the manicured look use river rock between the flowers. Both would work well it’s just a matter of taste and budget.

Now for the finishing touch –add some climbing vines that will wrap up and around your railing and front porch. Hanging plants can be hung from the roof of you porch or you can create a trellis for the vines and the planters. This will give it the finished look of a Tuscan garden. Decorative rocks are the final touch for this easy to do project and you’ll have a front yard that neighbors will envy for years.

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Tips on Choosing Plants for Landscaping

August 01, 2023   Matt

Tips on Choosing Plants for Landscaping

Choosing the right plants for your landscaping project is
one of the most important aspects of landscaping. First of
all, the plants are the ones which people will see
immediately so their impression of your lawn will depend
much on how you choose your plants.

Below is a list of some tips on choosing the right kind of
plants for your lawn.

1. Know thy plants

– being familiar with the plants that you are planning to
grow in your lawn is important because it will immediately
tell you whether or not they will grow in your area.

Aside from that, it also tells you how large it will grow
(which is important when you have a small lawn) and how
much care you would give to it.

2. Choose your color combination

– ugly lawns are those with terrible color combinations.
You should therefore be mindful of the plants or the
flowers’ colors before you even buy them. Otherwise, you’d
be in for a disaster.

3. How well can you maintain them?

– this is another important consideration when choosing a
plant for your lawn. There are plants that need extra care
and attention while others can grow with little
maintenance.

If you’re the busy type, you might want to opt for the
low-maintenance plants. On the other hand, if you have
extra time or are considering getting the services of a
gardener, then opt for those that require a little more
effort from you. What’s important is that you have a plant
that you can maintain.

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Landscaping On A Budget

July 27, 2023   Matt

Landscaping On A Budget

It is possible to have an appealing, unique look to your yard without investing thousands of dollars every year in order to do so. Practicing some basic conservation rules can help you to save money and still make your yard look great.

One great new innovation that is all the rage is the art of xeriscaping. As water becomes ever more valuable a commodity, many homeowners are seeking to conserve their water costs by choosing plants that do not need very much water in order to survive. These plants are available in many different varieties, and they will add a splash of color to your yard while still saving you money. Know which plants tend to use a lot of water- cedar hedges, for example, are the landscaping equivalent of the sports utility vehicle. Don’t plant any if you are concerned about your water costs!

Another way to save money on water is to include a material in your planting that has good water retention qualities. Peat moss, for example, is very cheap. When you mix it in with the dirt and bone meal while planting your new flowers or hedges, any water that goes near the area will be soaked up and retained for later use as the plant’s needs dictate.

As with many other areas of budget concern, the best way to stay within your means when it comes to landscaping is to do the job yourself. This means everything, from picking your plants to weeding and pruning. With the information age in full swing, though, it is not hard to educate yourself well on all the different tasks specific to your yard.

When it comes to weeds, you are probably going to have to expect a few. If you wage a campaign against your weeds, and this is especially true of your lawn, you are going to end up spending a lot of money and time on various chemicals and treatments, processes which, in the end, may end up doing more harm than good. Be content with some weeds on your lawn, particularly if they have some aesthetic appeal, such as clover.

Don’t be afraid to skip the nursery and buy your plants at a box store. A lot of the time, the plants you buy at a big store that carries many varieties of items will cost much less than those at the local nursery. These plants will not have been tended as carefully as the nursery plants, but with some care taken in the planting and tending, they will probably grow to the same levels in terms of appeal as will the plants which cost more but took less time initially in tending. Most do-it-yourself gardeners like to maximize their time outside anyway, so the extra attention these plants may need will help to increase the time spent on your hobby.

One of the best ways to keep a low budget in your landscaping is to limit your green space. Smaller lawns, and less flowers mean less materials needed for the upkeep. Watch what you use as your replacement, though- some types of landscaping rocks (such as lava rock) can be incredibly overpriced. Bark mulch is a fairly inexpensive option, but again, you have to be willing to invest a little extra time into its containment and maintenance.

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Beauty Meets Function: Conserving Energy and Landscaping

July 22, 2023   Matt

Beauty Meets Function: Conserving Energy and Landscaping

Trying to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer have been primary concerns and costs for average families. After Hurricane Katrina, the world found itself having to deal with higher energy costs in order to meet the aforementioned concerns. After Katrina natural gas and oil prices went on an upward spiral. What has not been popularly explored was that landscaping is capable of conserving energy in the home.

How much energy can you really save?

By effectively arranging your landscape to meet specific energy needs, you can save up to at least 30% in the cost of your cooling and heating. Trees, which are a staple in properly landscaped property, can effectively reduce 60% of sunlight even without foliage.

How does it work?

The primary consideration in landscaping in to conserve energy is to conduct heat effectively through the property, properly direct wind movement to manage the effects of direct wind blowing through the house, and maintain whatever heat or cool is in the house.

These are the three goals, and these are achieved by positioning various foliage— whether it be deciduous trees, conifer trees, evergreen plants, shrubs or bushes.

Keeping the Heat In

Shrubs and bushes that are planted close to the wall of the house create what is called a dead air barrier, and actually buffers the foundation of the house, making sure that warm air or cold – whichever is inside the house – that would usually escape through roofs or windows stays inside.

Redirecting the Sunlight

The summer sun is one of the main culprits of increasing heat inside the home. When the sun’s rays hit the home directly, 90% of this heat goes into heating the walls and foundations of the home. The best location for these trees in the yard or garden is either west or south of the house, where they can best block the sun from its peak time until the time it sets.

By putting trees very proximate to the property, you are effectively reducing temperatures inside the home. Huge shade trees in particular can reduce temperatures up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the winter, deciduous trees that shed foliage allow for sunlight to pass through the branches, providing some warmth to the home.
Landscaping is an activity that should be maximized for all its functionality. After all, if beautifying a home garden or yard works to cut the utility bills it is worth consideration.

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Landscaping Stones That You Can Use

July 12, 2023   Matt

Landscaping Stones That You Can Use

Landscaping does not only involve planting flowers, shrubs and tress. To make it look pleasing, you also need to use natural stones. These are better known as landscaping stones.

Landscape stones comes in different shapes and colors. For instance, sandstones can be found in blends of blue, buff, black, brown or pink which are often used for wall making.

For those who will be making a fish pond or a fountain, they will need to use the slate type which is available in black, green and red. Stone marble is another alternative because these stones are finely grained. You can find these in pink white and yellow and have a high absorption of water. These can also be used for paving and wailing.

Limestone is very similar to stone marble because it can also absorb water. It is used primary also for making walls.

You can also use granite since these are fine to medium course and are very strong that are found in colors pink and red.

Apart from the big stones, you will also need some small ones and there are 5 types.

The first is called the river bed pebble. These are usually round and each one measures 2 and 75mm. in diameter. These are often used as decorative borders, ground cover, dry garden beds, swimming pool decks and patios.

Next is the stone circles. The nice thing about them is that they are low maintenance and used for large patio areas, winding paths and creative edgings for those who will be installing a fishing pond.

There are also stone cobbles which are hand chiseled. They are environment friendly, non slip, does not require any maintenance and are recyclable. These are available in big and small sizes and can be used on a pavement, outhouse and on pool sides. They are very decorative and can be mixed with other types of stones.

Stone steps is another option. From the name itself, you can already tell that these are usually used to make a flight of stairs. There are four types around namely the normal, mortared, pitched and capped stone steps.

Next is the stepping stone that is used on walkway areas and is very easy to install. All you have to do is plan the path and then put in each one. To keep them in place, you should put some builder’s sand, wait awhile for everything to settle then add another layer of sand and mulch as a finishing touch.

As you can see, there are different types of stones that are used for landscaping. You can choose what will work best based on their color so it matches with the rest of the house as well as their characteristics. You can even use a few stones which you find near your house. But since this isn’t always enough, you will really need to order them.

In case you did not know, stones can also be used to prevent weeds from growing. This is done by placing them around flowers.

When you are looking for landscaping rocks, the most important thing to remember is to get those that have similar shape, size and texture. This will give your garden a natural look which people will appreciate when they are invited as guests to your home.

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