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

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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

English Garden Landscape Design - The Mystery and Romance of a Secret Garden

Materials, accessories, and, of course, appropriate plant life are all important aspects of a romantic cottage style garden design that brings elegance and beauty to your outdoor space, as well as your home. Natural, twisting walkways, edged with flourishing plants and shaded by majestic trees, thriving lawns for relaxing and playing, and traditional county cottage style accessories create a simple outdoor living area full of beauty that complements your home.

Building English Garden Paths

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Secluded walkways with graceful curves and abundant, free-flowing plant life are the foundation to creating a genuine English landscape design. Garden paths meander through the landscape, allowing peaceful enjoyment of nature's pleasures. The materials used to build the walkways are the key to a romantic, English atmosphere.

English Garden Landscape Design - The Mystery and Romance of a Secret Garden

These materials and design tips are perfect for your English garden style outdoor living area:

• Natural materials, like gravel and bark, make beautiful paths with a simplistic look. These materials are inexpensive and relatively low-maintenance.
• Stylish brick or stone pavers are a more luxurious option, lending an element of charm and grace to your outdoor design.
• Combine stone, gravel, and brick materials for a more genuine English garden landscape design.
• Avoid formal angles and conservative patterns, integrating soft lines and curving designs that suggest romance instead.

The Charm of English Garden Accessories

Your quaint English garden should be a relaxing and tranquil place that allows you to enjoy the beauty of fine outdoor living. The garden accessories you choose are an important influence on the overall atmosphere and theme of your outdoor space. Select decor that complements the free-flowing, natural uniqueness of the English countryside.

Green lawns with picturesque views of the most beautiful aspects of your design are made functional with wooden garden furniture, like teak, that has an antique, aged appearance. Romantic benches or intimate cottage style outdoor furniture, along with quaint arbors and fragrantly adorned trellises, create the appeal of the country without detracting from the modern beauty of your home. Gazebos, quaint foot bridges, and rustic fences can also add the charm of your country style garden.

Wildlife's Role in the English Garden

Traditional English gardens were abundant with a variety of insects, birds, and other wildlife that only complements the natural beauty of this landscape style. Garden accessories, like water gardens and rustic bird baths or feeders, are one way to attract a number of species to your outdoor living space.

Certain plants and ground coverings are known to attract wildlife like butterflies and hummingbirds. Plant fragrant lavender, clover, and small bushes with bright colored berries throughout the garden. Undisturbed grasslands and natural rock arrangements are also inviting to area wildlife.

English Garden Plants

The country garden style is characterized by a lavish array of flowers, shrubs, and vines in a rainbow of vibrant hues, complemented by majestic, curving trees providing relaxing shade from the afternoon sun.

Select a variety of country garden plants for your design, including blooms that provide color in each season. Some flowers and shrubs to consider are:

• Traditional country rose bushes, aromatic honeysuckles, foxglove and primroses, and the native, graceful lily of the valley are excellent plants for shady areas.
• Potted herb gardens and planters filled with cornflowers, violas, and petunias can tolerate the tranquil shade of your English garden as well.
• Native flowers, peonies, easy to care for geraniums, and fragrantly luxurious sweet peas are other suggestions.

English garden landscape designs provide unique outdoor living areas with a fun and whimsical atmosphere. A landscape design plan that blends the style of your home into the simple, natural charm of your outdoor space can be perfected with the assistance of a professional landscape architect or garden designer. Your design firm can also offer advice on the best country garden style for you and your home.

English Garden Landscape Design - The Mystery and Romance of a Secret Garden

Allen Quay is a professional landscape designer in the Southern California area and specializes in custom high-end landscape designs. You can find more valuable landscape design tips and information on Allen's website, the Landscape Design Advisor: http://www.landscape-design-advisor.com

Garden Design - Incorporating Hostas and Ferns

You may think that if your only option for a garden is a shady
area, you may not be able to create a garden. If you use shade
loving plants, however, it is very possible. Hostas and ferns
are perfect options for shady areas. They add grace and charm to
any garden area, and their foliage is beautiful.

Since other plants might not do well in the shade with the hostas
and ferns, you can compliment them by adding elements such as a
statuary, stone bench, brick wall, or birdbath. The deep greens
of the ferns and hostas will work well visually with the stone or
brick accessories. You will love relaxing in your shady area!

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Since the area will be in the shade, it will hold moisture longer
after rain or in the mornings, so creating a cobblestone or brick
path will help to keep your feet clean and dry. A natural bark
path is another option, especially if the garden is among trees.
The brick or tiles should be used for formal gardens, but more
informal gardens will look good with pebbles or paving stones.

Garden Design - Incorporating Hostas and Ferns

A water feature is a very appealing addition to your shade
garden. It will remind you of a natural stream, and you will
feel as if you are in the wild, where the ferns and hostas
naturally grow. It doesn't have to be expensive to add this
feature, as it can be as simple as a reflecting pool.

If you use some boulders in your shade garden, mosses and lichens
will look great growing on them and will thrive in the shady
area.

To add some contrast and diversity to the garden, some of the
hostas should have variegated foliage, with cream and gold
colors. When placed in front of the dark greens of the other
plants, they will stand out and really show how green the rest of
the garden is. The colors will likely match those of the stone
elements that you add, whether it's a bench, birdbath, or
anything else.

Woodland wildflowers should bloom well, even in the shade. The
colors of these will look great against the other dark colors.
Be sure to sprinkle seeds for both early ad late blooming plants,
so something is always blooming. Some early bloomers are crested
irises and creeping phlox. Examples of late bloomers are
goldenrod and mountain anemones.

It can take some time to prepare the soil and design where the
hardscape elements of the garden will go, but once everything is
in place and planted, the maintenance of your shade garden will
be low. Ferns like the classic Boston fern will be a great addition to your landscape, whether
it's your only option or you have it just in the shady part of a
full garden landscape.

Garden Design - Incorporating Hostas and Ferns

The Boston fern plant has been a favorite since the 1900's. In fact ferns are making a comeback. learn more about this classic plant which has been improved at http://www.plant-care.com/boston-fern.html

Pond Waterfall Pumps - Completing Your Pond's Design

There are various effects that enhance the overall look of your garden pond. You may have all the aquatic plants a pond can have. You may have all the aquatic fish and other organisms to add a realistic feel to your design. You may have multiple levels. You may different depths. You may have simple fountains, or you may have fountains that shoot water from every angle with precision and accuracy. However, the most alluring attraction your pond might have is the presence of a waterfall, and what better way to accomplish this is to have the right pond waterfall pumps to make this happen.

Some people may have a single waterfall. Some people may have multiple. Some may have sort and wide falls. Some people might have tall and narrow falls. Some might even an assortment of falls, coming from different levels of the pond. For whatever design you might have you must have the appropriate pond waterfall pumps for the job.

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These pumps come in a variety of sizes and horsepower depending on the size and design requirements of your pond. It is important to know all the details and information about water capacity, water depth, and size of the pond to avoid purchasing the wrong pump. This is also important to avoid spending more money, and protecting your investment. In addition, it will also be advisable to know the power requirements you might need. You may have the best designed pond, but are unable to supply the pond with the appropriate power. Also remember the safety requirements needed. Be sure to have your power outlets at a safe distance from the water. We all know the dangers of having electricity come into contact with water. Having them come into direct contact with each other will be catastrophic. Also remember to use the proper outdoor wiring. Meet these requirements and you are sure to have a well thought of design, and a safe design to be enjoyed by you and other people. You do not want a guilty conscience.

Any pond design will not be complete without a waterfall. This is why it is so important to install pond waterfall pumps.

Pond Waterfall Pumps - Completing Your Pond's Design

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Pond Water pumps can a little be confusing. You need to visit our blogs to find out more about pond water pumps and getting the right pumps for your garden pond project.

Flower Garden Design With Concrete Fountains

A concrete fountain is a great addition to any backyard, since it can transform yard into an entirely different outdoor living space. They can be placed into almost any garden setting, giving your garden the theme or perhaps time period you envisioned. Concrete patios can also put a lot of charm into a small space, making it easy to create an amazing living space in even the smallest of backyards.

Types of Concrete Fountains

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Concrete fountains come in two different types. They can either be wall fountains or standing fountains, both of which look amazing in garden settings! Wall fountains are ideal for spaces that have a wall to place them, such as a small backyard or patio area. Because they work best when in a viewable area, having them close to a sitting area is the best place for them. Standing fountains are great for gardens that do not have wall space for a hanging fountain, and can work great in a number of different settings. You can use your fountain as the center of a landscaped garden design, or even place it near your garden sitting area for optimal viewing. You can set one next to a pond or area of water you may have near your garden, or even tuck it inside a beautiful flower bed to draw more attention to it.

Concrete Fountains: Styles and Colors

There are a number of different styles and colors of fountains that you can use in your flower garden, all of which can offer a different style to your space. You can opt for an outdoor fountain to stick with the theme of your outdoor garden, or even go for a more classic look made out of brick if you have a country theme going on. While the majority of fountains are made out of concrete, you can find various finishes that will look great in almost any setting.

If you plan on designing your garden around the fountain you choose, there are a number of different possibilities you can pursue. The type of plants and flowers you should include in your garden will depend on the time of year or you can even choose those that are in bloom all year long. Standing concrete fountains work great with luscious flowers that are packed full of color, since the various colors can actually bring attention to your fountain. If you are going for a softer look, you can try adding small palms or trees near your water feature to bring attention to that area of your garden.

If you decide on installing wall fountains you'll want to make sure your landscape design brings attention to them as well. Planting tall plants on either side of the fountain will help to draw attention, while smaller and spaced out flowers will actually make your fountain the center of attention in your entire flower garden. Rose bushes work well when planted next to a hanging fountain, and you can even wrap the vines from the plant around your fountain once the vines have grown long enough.

Including concrete fountains in your garden area can make it a charming welcoming area, transforming your garden with an entirely different look and feel. You can choose to purchase your water feature and then plan your landscaping around it, or you may even consider placing wall fountains to an already existing patio garden, for example. No matter what you choose, a fountain will look great in your flower garden space.

Flower Garden Design With Concrete Fountains

Elizabeth Jean writes water fountain and related topics for Garden-Fountains.com, the Internet's premier destination for wall fountains, indoor fountains and distinctive water features for your home and garden.