Garden

How a Fence Adds Security and Value to Your Home

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Fencing

My Fenced in World
When I bought my new house in a nice little community, I discovered what life was like with a wooden privacy fence…and the maintenance that comes with it.

My little backyard with its hardy trees and pretty flowerbeds was great for me and the butterflies that visited. But mowing the grass? Not really. But it’s nice being in my own little world that is what you get with having a privacy fence.

Why have a fence?
Landscapers advises clients that the most practical reason is that it marks out the perimeter of your property. Your fence can also make your yard feel like an extension of your home. It’s provides a safe place for the kids and the dog to play, and when you have an event like a BBQ, you can show off your landscaping and gardening skills.

When deciding on a fence, the first thing to consider is the reason you want one installed, is it to add to your landscape design or for security purposes? Once you have found the reason, the next question is: How much are you wanting to spend on it? Costs vary, depending on the area that needs enclosing, and the materials on which you have decided. The beauty about fencing is the wide variety of materials and what best fits your budget, lifestyle and property.

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Garden

Simple Steps To Environmentally Friendly Landscaping

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Environmentally Friendly Landscaping

There is no escaping the fact that everything we do these days is often measured with regards to how environmentally friendly it is, and Lone Pine Landscapes told us that applies as much to landscaping as any other activity.

Now, you might think that landscaping being so closely related to the natural world that everything about it would be environmentally friendly, but that is not the case.

We need to consider the use of materials in the creation of certain features, how the water and drainage system is configured, and to what extent any landscaping design is sustainable without the need for an excessive amount of chemicals. Landscape Designers Perth say there are these, and plenty of other aspects of our landscaping design where we may or may not be doing what is best for the environment.

Whilst we cannot cover every single aspect of landscaping with regards to being environmentally friendly (that would take a whole book), we can give you pointers to some easy wins. These can be included in a new landscaping project or added to one which already exists to make it ‘greener’, and that is not a reference to what colour your plants are.

The first way you can improve your landscape garden’s green credentials is with regards to the plants you actually include. You may not be aware of this but using plants that are native to the area you live in means less threat of other species of plants causing an infestation. This also reduces the need for chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides, which is always welcome.

You can also choose plants that are more conducive to soil retention due to the fact that they require less water, and actually promote water filtration. This leads to the soil within your landscaped area being healthier, it retaining a higher level of organic material, and thus the plants that grow there will be healthier too.

When it comes to the environment, there are few more precious resources than water, and where we can conserve water, regardless of which part of the world we are in, makes a difference.

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Garden

Different Kinds Of Garden To Suit Your Lifestyle

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Cottage Garden

When you have a beautiful home you also need a beautiful garden to go with it, but not everyone likes or has time for landscaping.  However, you can still have a garden that will both enhance your lifestyle and add value and beauty to your home. It’s just a matter of choosing which kind of garden will suit you and your home. Here are some different types to consider.

  • A nationally themed garden. Many people enjoy overseas holidays and come home with lots of ideas to incorporate into their garden. You can have an Japanese garden, a Balinese garden or mimic a garden from almost any other country. Be careful to choose plants that are suited to your climate and soil though, otherwise they’ll die. Choose lookalike plants if you can’t get the overseas ones and add hardware items such as statues, furniture and water features from the overseas country of your choice.

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Garden

Patios, Paths and Putting Greens

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Landscape Design

If you want the best result from your landscape design, then paying attention to detail will help you achieve that goal. Especially if you are to be working with stonework.

Paths to Nowhere
It’s all about imagination and design to have a beautifully constructed stone walkway meandering through your backyard, joining your home to your beautiful patio, a place where you host amazing outdoor dinner parties. Think about the durability of well-constructed stone steps that descend from your home to the back lawn. If you have a beautiful garden, build elegant paths in the backyard so you can stroll through the garden any time to relax.
Add some kerb appeal to your home with a paved driveway and/or path that leads to your front door.

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Garden

Gardening Ideas for City Living

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Gardening

Do you live in the city with a tiny courtyard and envy people who have a large enough yard to grow plenty of flowers or vegetables in? Not everyone in the suburbs makes full use of their gardening space, especially if both work all day and raise children as well. That is enough to take up all your time and energy whether you live in the city or the country.

However, many people with small courtyards really want to allow their inner gardener to express some creativity. It is not as hard as it may seem. Courtyards have one advantage and that is shelter from wind. The high fences or buildings give plants protection from wind and very often also from frost that can damage many plants. So city sister, get out those gardening gloves and let’s get to work.

First look down

Look down to see what is underfoot. If your courtyard is concrete or pavers that you don’t want to dig out, you will need to have most of your plants in pots. This is okay, because the pots will add even more colour and shape to your small area. Make sure you get pots that are visually appealing; not just black plastic cheapos. (more…)

Garden

5 Backyard Landscaping Ideas

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Not everyone has the time or ability to landscape their backyard, but when you take care to make the most of it, your property will suddenly be worth a great deal more. Besides, landscaping your property gives it street appeal and makes you proud of the place you call home. If you don’t have much creativity when it comes to landscape design, here are 5 simple ideas to help you out.

  • Got an awkward corner that is difficult to mow? Convert it into a garden. Dig out the grass or poison it, then add shrubs and plants, making sure you plant the largest ones at the back. Cover the soil in between with organic mulch such as lawn clippings or wood chips to keep the weeds out. While mature plants will give you an instant garden, using those that are still young will most likely give you more success as they adapt to being transplanted more easily. Landscapers Sydney suggest you choose a variety of leaf shapes such as long thin ones and round or wide ones to give visual appeal.
  • Enclose the garden with an attractive edging – there are many on the market these days. This helps to keep the lawn grass from growing into the garden area. You can also make a living border with edging plants that grow in thick clumps or mounds. You can even have an edging of annuals so there will be a different look for each season. Mounding petunias or pansies will look fantastic.

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Garden

How to Retain the Romance of Bali

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Romance of Bali

Travelling overseas for a holiday is an exciting time. Many places such as Bali are very popular holiday destinations for Australian tourists, because it is fairly close and we love the friendly Indonesian culture. But rather than forgetting all about it once you return home, why not retain the romance of the region by keeping something of it in your home or garden?

Much outdoor furniture reflects the culture of other countries. While you are in Bali take note of all the wonderful furniture – not in the hotels, but in the Bali villas and other similar accommodations that more truly reflect the Bali lifestyle. Then when you get back home you’ll be able to find similar styles or imports from that country for your own home.

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Garden

Why Colorbond Roofing is Better Than Tiles for Your Home Design

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What you choose for your home design depends on several things; personal preferences, budget, availability and even what the council may or may not allow in your suburb. Two of the most common materials for the roofs of homes today are tiles and Colorbond roofing. Most of the cheaper tiles are made from concrete, although you can get slate and terracotta tiles. Whether you are building a new home or doing a roof restoration, there are a few things to consider.

Colorbond roofing is often considered better than tiles for your home design for several reasons: –

  • It is much lighter at only 10% the weight of concrete tiles. This has several advantages such as a lighter roof framework with rafters further apart.
  • Colorbond roofing does not absorb water like tiles do, so it remains lightweight even in wet weather. Tiles become even heavier as they absorb the water and so all engineering specifications have to take this into consideration. The framework and rafters of the home need to be much stronger and heavier to bear the weight.
  • Since steel roofing does not absorb moisture, if you want to harvest the rainwater from your roof, you will get much more from Colorbond. In addition, the water will be cleaner because debris and dust tend to blow straight off, rather than stick to it like it does to tiles.

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