Garden Landscaping - Thinking About Umbrella Shaped Plants In The Garden Design

One of the factors behind a successful and satisfying garden composition is the intelligent use of trees and shrubs that have a definite and clear form. A pencil thin Cypress for instance, creates a clear vertical accent, and draws the eye upwards. A contrasting effect, horizontal in nature, is created by trees that possess an umbrella, flat-topped shape. In general, plants with a strong, definite line enhance both the sense of order in the garden, and its natural feel. Umbrella-shaped plants are therefore ideally suited to small home gardens. Two fine examples that stand out for gardeners in Mediterranean climates are Delonix regia and the Silk or Mimosa tree. (Albizia julibrissin)

Delonix is only suitable for warm winter locations. It has zero tolerance of frost, and is best avoided if the winter minimums reach below 10c. However, in the right place it can be one of the most unforgettable garden treats imaginable. In the tropics, where it originates, it grows to about 12 meters in height and as much in width, although in climates with cooler winters, it has a more squat, flat shape, being very wide, but relatively low. Delonix's leaf texture is delicate and feathery, but most people are struck by the spectacular red blooms that adorn the tree in the summer, followed by the dramatic looking fruit that hang from in long pods. Delonix is not suitable for planting as a shade tree near a house, as its roots are very aggressive and invasive.

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The Silk tree cannot compare to a truly great Delonix, but as it can be grown in locations that receive light frosts, it is a far more viable option in many Mediterranean regions. Sometimes, the leading shoot has to be clipped, causing the tree to adopt the desired umbrella form. Mimosa's leaf texture, like that of Delonix, is light and feathery. It also adds color to the garden with its pin-cushion, pinkish red flowers. It associates brilliantly with Calliandra, a large shrub from the same botanical family, (Fabaceae) the latter's blooms being almost identical in color and shape. Mimosa is a slow starter tending to take a few years before growing fairly rapidly to 4-5 meters.

Garden Landscaping - Thinking About Umbrella Shaped Plants In The Garden Design

A number of shrubs and bushes can also be used for the purpose of creating a low, flat appearance. One of the best and easiest to grow in this manner is the Chaste tree, Vitex agnus-castus from West and Central Asia, or its Australian counterpart, Vitex trifolia. These plants can be limbed-up to reveal interesting branch architecture, while the tops can be pruned now and again to maintain the desired height. Furthermore, their addition to the planting scheme, strengthen the umbrella motif established by the trees.

Garden Landscaping - Thinking About Umbrella Shaped Plants In The Garden Design

My name is Jonathan Ya'akobi.

I've been gardening in a professional capacity since 1984. I am the former head gardener of the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, but now concentrate on building gardens for private home owners. I also teach horticulture to students on training courses. I'd love to help you get the very best from your garden, so you're welcome to visit me on http://www.dryclimategardening.com

Garden Design Ideas For Awkward Shaped Gardens

The temptation with an awkwardly shaped garden is either to do as little as possible to it -- maybe a lawn surrounded with flowerbeds -- or to add too many hidden corners and details, which might work well in an enormous plot, but won't make the best of an average-sized garden. The ideal is to come up with a layout that's simple but uses design tricks to correct the shape of the garden. Better still, a clever layout can make the awkward shape an advantage, using odd corners for hidden storage or raised levels to define areas of the garden.

We asked Katrina Wells of Earth Designs to come up with three solutions for three classic problems: a sloping site, an L-shaped garden and a tapering plot. Our advice is to simplify the look of the garden, where possible, by using similar shades to unify the different elements such as decking, paving and walls. As for budget, we've suggested where you can make savings. Now all you have to do is pick the plan that's best for you.

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Designs For A Sloping Garden

Garden Design Ideas For Awkward Shaped Gardens

Make the most of a sloping garden by creating different levels, each with its own purpose. This design has an area right next to the house for outdoor dining and a barbecue. Then, wide steps lead down (or up, depending on which way your garden slopes) to an area with built-in seats (with lift-up lids for extra storage) and a water feature, or sandpit if you have children. The last level includes a play area and lawn, plus a shed and compost heap. Hardy plants that don't need lots of water, such as osteospermum, are great for a low-maintenance garden. Will it take much looking after? The lawn will need cutting up to once a week in high summer, but if you choose raised borders planted with hardy perennials, such as hosta and astilbe, they won't need much care or constant maintenance. Add splashes of colour with drought-resistant osteospermum and gazania. How can I cut costs? Shifting earth and shoring up the terraces can be quite costly. In a gently sloping garden, save money by just decking over the top of the old surface, and swap raised planters for pots (which you could always add later when you've saved up).

Designs For An L Shaped Garden

The trouble with L-shaped gardens is that the slimmest part of the ?L' is often wasted space. Try and use it to tuck away things you don't want to see from the patio, such as the bins and shed or a play area. Keep the rest of the garden simple and break up the straight lines with a curved patio, borders and lawn to make the most of the space and give it a relaxed feel.

Will it take much looking after? The lawn will need cutting in summer, but if you use bark chippings the kids' play area will be maintenance-free. For borders, choose long-flowering, care-free perennials, such as yarrow, bleeding heart and black-eyed Susan. How can I cut costs? This garden shouldn't be expensive to create or maintain, as long as you keep the borders quite narrow. You can make them seem deeper, though, by planting evergreen climbers, such as Clematis armandii.

Design For A Tapering Garden

The best design for a tapering garden uses strong diagonals to trick the eye. The main border comes into the middle of the garden, while the lawn widens as the garden narrows, balancing the tapered shape. The shed hides behind a water feature at the far end, making the narrowest part of the garden a useful spot.

Will it take much looking after? In the summer the lawn will need cutting once a week and the plants in the borders will need regular watering. Put down a weed-suppressing membrane (from garden centres) to cut down on the amount of weeding, then plant the border with ground cover plants, such as geraniums or catmint. Geraniums, in particular, provide good ground cover and colour through the summer. Use tall pots planted with grasses for an eye-catching display. How can I cut costs? Replace the pots with tall plants set into the ground -- bamboo would be a good choice because it's evergreen and makes a good screening plant. Making the lawn area larger and the border narrower will also save money.

Garden Design Ideas For Awkward Shaped Gardens

You can find more information on garden design ideas and garden advice at house to home, helping you create a look you'll love

Antique Garden Tractors

Antique Garden tractors were quickly used for all different facets of farm work, including digging and moving soil. The invention of the garden tractor has great increased a farmer's efficiency in taking care of a farm. Garden tractor pulling also helps to bring families and friends closer together. You and your family and/or friends get to travel to other towns (sometimes out of state), see the beautiful countryside or interesting sights along the way while on the road, meet interesting people and make new friends, dine at nice restaurants, even stay at a motel before or after a pull! Antique garden tractors are designed to use many different attachments and have the ability to mow your lawn. Antique garden tractors are designed for one thing and that thing is mow.

Lawnmowers in this range are fitted with either an electric key start system or a recoil pull start. Some people personally prefer an electric start. Lawnmowers in this range are equipped with either electric start system or a key drop draw departure. Lawn equipment stores should let you get a demonstration and test ride the mower--especially for the price you're going to pay.

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Garden tractors, on the other hand, are larger machines, built on heavier duty frames and usually have more horsepower. They have larger wheels, stouter axles and transmissions, and the rear wheels are usually bolted on. Gauge wheels on the deck prevent scalping of your grass in uneven terrain. Additional features include 6-position cutting height adjustment, 4 gallon fuel tank, an 18 inch turning radius and comfortable 15 inch high back seats. Antique garden tractors with mower decks count as one item, see delivery information above for carriage charges. Optional accessories such as grass collection systems and additional mower decks may incur an additional charge as they will normally need to be shipped on a separate pallet.

Antique Garden Tractors

Gardens with an area of around 2 to 3 acres can make use of Antique Garden Tractors for mowing. Small Antique Garden Tractors come in capacities of 4 to 6 HP. Garden tractors provide more brawn than a riding mower, and you need to do more than just cut the lawn, don't you? Garden tractors have larger engines, taller tires and rear connections for ground-engaging attachments, such as tillers and cultivators.

Antique Garden Tractors

Article by Andre B Antique Garden Tractors [http://www.gardentooletc.com/Antique%20Garden%20Tractors.html]

The Secret Garden

A mysterious garden hidden behind a high brick wall, a key stashed away in a forgotten room, and a young, bored and curious girl set the stage for an exciting and engaging story. My favorite childhood novel was Francis Hodgson Burnett's classic The Secret Garden. I think at the time I was drawn in by the mystery of the secret and my fascination with wild, unkempt English gardens. That must explain the state of my own yard today!

My mother was an avid member of the local Garden Club and even involved me in some of the youth flower arranging competitions. I think these activities nurtured in me a love of growing things, as I always had flowers on my windowsill while I was growing up. Nonetheless, I dreamed of the day when I, too, would have a large expanse of garden to till and plant and watch with joy as the beautiful mass of color burst into life with the warm winds of spring.

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Alas, by the time I had such space to enjoy, the responsibilities of every day life had crept in to steal my time and prevent my enjoyment of reckless abandon in the garden. So, while I love The Secret Garden I think I also envy Mary Lennox, who has the time and space to toil endlessly in the garden and then to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

The Secret Garden

She is also able to lure her chronically ill cousin Colin out of doors and he discovers the healing power of the garden. I can relate to that power - there is no quicker way for me to release tension and feel utterly relaxed than for me to spend a few minutes puttering in my garden.  A case of the blues can be cured rather quickly by a few minutes in the sunshine and a freshly picked bouquet of flowers.

There were life lessons to be learned from the story as well. People are not always as they first appear, keeping secrets can be detrimental to the healing of the soul; and in gardens, as in life, hard work  leads to more beauty whereas neglect and apathy eat away at the soul.

As the gardener reminds the children, "Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow." What a perfect philosophy for life : focus on nurturing the beautiful aspects of your life and there will be little room for the pain.

The Secret Garden

Lisa Scott is a mom, chef-on-call, and a nationally certified speech pathologist. She believes in living every day intentionally and thinking through decisions with a heart after God rather than just following the crowd. She is passionate about helping people find creative solutions to life's challenges, and blogs about her experiences at http://www.wisdompursuit.com When not chauffeuring her three kids around town, she helps professionals with a foreign accent or regional dialect to increase the clarity of their speech. You can find her speech services at http://www.accentuatecommunication.com

Garden Landscaping - Planting

If you have recently invested a lot of time and money in your garden, maybe you have upgraded your fencing, installed new decking or had a new patio area constructed, maybe the next job on your listing is the planting. If so, do you have the correct knowledge and know how to choose the best type of flower or shrubs?

If you have previously spend time and money getting your garden just how you want it, plants and flowers in full bloom, it looks great and then suddenly there is a down pour of rain, or some bad weather and then all your hard work and effort is destroyed. Maybe your planting looked great for the first year however the following year it really paled in comparison. If so, then you will know first hand just how frustrating and disheartening this can be. However, this can usually be avoided if you have knowledge of what plants and flowers are the best for your particular garden and soil.

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One way to avoid the above happening is to employ the services of a local landscape gardener who offer planting schemes. Maybe you have dry soil, your soil has a lot of clay or your garden may be is quite shaded. Whatever your particular situation they will be able to recommend plants, shrubs, or even vegetables that will thrive best in your particular garden/soil. Allowing your garden to look beautiful year after year.

Garden Landscaping - Planting

Maybe you aim is to create a theme, maybe you want to layer and have a graduated look, they will be able to help you achieve the exact look you want.

Of course as mentioned above it's not just plants and shrubs, maybe you would love to grow your own fruit and vegetables, maybe you have already tried and failed, getting the right advise up front can normally save you a lot of time, hard work and money.

Many people will admit that they don't have the knowledge but would rather give it a try then pay someone else to do it for them.This can however turn out to be fault economy, if you're lucky and your efforts work, then great, however more often than not this is not the case and you end up calling in the skills of a qualified landscape gardener, meaning your effort to try and save money, ends up costing you more in the end.

Summary: Whether you are looking for some advise or you want someone to undertake your planting needs for you, it makes sense to have a chat with your local landscape gardener. In the long term, it could end up saving you a lot of time, effort.

Garden Landscaping - Planting

Landscaping - Planting Schemes
Landscape Garden Design

Small Garden Bridges You'll Love To Cross!

Small garden bridges have become an all-time favorite form of garden decor. They add just the right touch that will turn a mediocre garden into something quite splendid.

This small structure is an ancient design that has been used across the ages for foot traffic and decoration, and it goes by many descriptive names: Foot bridge, ornamental bridge, landscaping bridges, timber bridge, oriental bridge, Japanese bridge and garden bridge are just a few.

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Small garden bridges are gently arched structures that span lengths from 5 feet to 20 feet, and are usually about 3 feet wide. Some bridges feature a flat platform.

Small Garden Bridges You'll Love To Cross!

The simplest garden bridge is the arched or flat plank structure without hand or side rails. More decorative garden bridges are built with ornamental and functional posts and side rails. Some side rails are specifically designed to protect children and other pedestrians; other side rails are strictly for decoration.

Garden landscaping bridges are not just for large, elaborate gardens. Many gardens that are small in size are large in beauty simply because garden bridges have been added in just the right places. Used over a small stream, rough terrain or even a little pond, bridges can add a wonderful, new dimension to any garden.

With such popularity, small garden bridges are easy to find. Garden centers and home improvement depots carry them, and one of the best places to find and compare garden bridges is online. Most bridges are shipped requiring some assembly.

How To Select Small Garden Bridges

Choosing the right garden bridge is easy with just a little planning. Look at the space you have and decide where a bridge would fit in. Consider more than one area and then choose your favorite. Always measure the area you intend your bridge to span.

When you measure the distance you want an arched garden bridge to reach across, you need to know exactly how long the bridge will span. Measure the actual span length of the distance you wish to cover and not the arch length. Some bridge builders may sell an "8 foot bridge" but it will actually only span about 6 or 7 feet.

Make sure the bridge is made of weather and water resistant wood, or sealed and stained wood. Most small garden bridges are constructed of cedar, teak, pressure treated pine, spruce, redwood, and birch planks and posts. You can also find garden bridges made with an attractive steel frame with wooden planks. The construction of the bridges should also use only stainless steel or galvanized hardware such as bolts, washers, nuts and screws.

Try to find a garden bridge that is very easily assembled with only a few tools required. Find out if the manufacturer numbered and labeled each board, each post and rail - so when it's time to assemble it, you just match the numbers and put in the screws and tighten.

For Do-It-Yourselfers, building a small garden bridge is a great project. Garden foot bridge plans are always available at the same places you can find the actual bridges for sale.

Small garden bridges can be used in a host of garden and landscape settings. As a foot bridge over a stream, or as a decorative accent through a large flower bed, these simple structures instill a functional and captivating charm.

Copyright 2006 Robert Mosse

Small Garden Bridges You'll Love To Cross!

Robert Mosse is a gardening and lawn care specialist and author of the "Easy" Lawn and Gardening Book Series. Visit Robert at Lawn And Gardening Tips for great, hands-on gardening info... and get the Guide for 101 Gardening Tips, completely Free at http://www.lawn-and-gardening-tips.com

Vegetable Garden

Having a vegetable garden is very good. There are many people who like plants and like to grow vegetables in their back yard. The vegetable garden looks nice and elegant if planned properly. First and foremost vegetables need a whole lot of sunlight to grow. So first look out for a place where there is enough sunlight to set up your vegetable garden.

The ground should be even for a vegetable garden. This is because the water that you would be giving to your plants would remain in the soil itself. This would ensure that all the fertilizers and essential minerals that exist in the soil are not hampered. If you do not have a choice then you will have to flatten the ground or then finally plant them on the slope itself.

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The vegetable garden requires good soil. The soil should contain enough amounts of minerals for the vegetables to grow well. Some places naturally have good soil then in such a case it is not a problem. But if you do not have such a soil, then you will have to get it and place thirty centimeter of soil in the ground. This soil would be available in the market easily.

Vegetable Garden

In the vegetable garden you can plan to grow any type of vegetables from tomatoes, potatoes, beans, cucumber, melons, sweet corn, radish etc. It is not very difficult to grow them. They just require a whole lot of care and attention.

You will have to plan the vegetable garden well. What kind of pots you would like to keep; whether big ones or smaller ones. In the pots you can grow tomatoes, mint, basil etc. in smaller pots you can think of growing lettuce, French beans etc. Keeping small pots are very advantageous as they fit into any place easily. If you have a small garden you can think of this option. If you have a large place to have a vegetable garden then you have lots of options. You can divide the place into different parts and plan accordingly where you would want to plant each type of vegetables.

Try to keep pests away from your vegetable garden. This would ensure that the plants are healthy and are growing well. There are some sprays that are available to keep such pests away from the vegetables. But be careful when buying them as they may be dangerous to your health as you would be consuming the vegetables. Alternatively, you can use your hands to remove the pests other than using chemicals. This would keep your garden fresh.

Vegetable Garden

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about vegetable gardens [http://growvegetablessite.info/vegetable-garden] visit Grow Vegetables Site [http://growvegetablessite.info] for current articles and discussions.