Posts Tagged ‘landscaping’

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Deciding On A Swimming Pool

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Buying a pool is definitely a tough decision indeed, especially when you are trying to decide between above ground pool or an in-ground swimming pool. You need to think about the differences between the two types of swimming pool and also the decision will be based on the needs of one’s family.

A significant aspect of your swimming pool is its shape. The designs of inground pools can vary from square, oval to kidney designs. With an in-ground pool you can occasionally decide your own shape. Compared to above ground swimming pools which are only available in round or oval. The shape of your swimming pool will also depend on how big your family is and how many people you will generally have swimming in your pool.

Size is important too, especially for families. Above ground pools are a lot smaller than in ground swimming pools. In-ground pools could be constructed in numerous sizes and shapes and tend to be bigger. The in-ground pool will most likely cost you more than an above ground swimming pool. Pools which are above ground generally use less water but because of the size of the pool you will be limited as to what you are able to do in your pool.

An in-ground swimming pool is required if you intend to do some diving. Above ground pools are unable to have diving boards, as most are only 6 foot deep. This is simply not a good diving height, which is why you will not be able to dive having an above ground swimming pool.

If money is one thing you need to think about then an above ground pool is definitely less expensive. The money which you save, can be used to add to your pool area, such as a deck or privacy fence around your swimming pool. If you choose to purchase an in ground swimming pool, you will spend lots of money. A deck is usually not needed when you put in an in-ground pool but you may decide to do some paving or leave it as just grass. When you have an in-ground swimming pool you only need to put in a regular swimming pool fence but if you want privacy for an above ground pool you will need a much higher fence.

When investing in a pool you need to think about the installation of it. You can normally install an above ground swimming pools by yourself with little to no help, in a few hours. In ground swimming pools however, take numerous days to install and they must be done by a professional. The installation can become very expensive so this must be thought about before you purchase a pool.

You have to decide on what you want from your pool before you are able to choose which style of pool is correct for you and your family. If you need a great deal of space or want to swim laps, an in ground swimming pool is your ideal choice. An above ground swimming pool is suited to those who just want to use it for themselves and also the kids. The choice is completely up to you , and what works best for you. An above ground swimming pool is certainly for those who are on a tight budget, you can have your pool without spending great sums of money.

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Shades For The Swimming Pool And Yard Patio

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Shades for recreational areas around a house are usually for backyards, especially where pools and patios are concerned. People put up different kinds of shades depending on whether the area is a shade or the side of the pool. Pools use things like cabanas, canopies and side-arm umbrellas. Patios use things like awnings, pergolas, and also some canopies.

Shades are an important component of recreational activity because they help shield the people from harmful ultraviolet rays. Sunlight is needed to some extent for production of vitamin D, but past a certain time limit or intensity it becomes harmful and increases the risk of skin cancers. Sun screen can help with some of these issues but demands extra effort and time.

Choosing the right cloth material for shades requires keeping note of two things. The first is that the cloth material should be good at stopping ultraviolet light – not all materials provide sufficient protection. The second is that the cloth material should either be pretreated in some way to stop microbial growth or be naturally resistant to microbes and fungi.

Some types of patio shades are given in this article below to show the reader the range of possibilities.

Patios and pools are shaded by canopies. A canopy is a structure constructed like a tent. Two components make up the tent-like structure of a canopy: a steel scaffolding and a section of canopy fabric that is covers it. It is useful to block out light coming from above so there is invariably a shade material roof. On the other hand, putting up fabric for the sides is not a requirement, as some people are worried more about circulation whereas others are worried more about privacy.

Awnings are found largely for use as patio shades. Residential awnings have seen a surge in inventive progress in last few years. One may obtain retractable and sensor-driven awnings that are responsive to remote control. There are several types of retractables. One is opened or closed with an unpowered crank. Another uses a lateral swing-open set-up which is pushed in or drawn out. Lastly the mechanized kinds automatically unfold at a push of a button.

Around the pool some people use pergolas. Pergolas are designed for a purpose other than stopping the sunlight. Instead of supporting fabric material, the wooden struts of a pergola raise up wood slats that stop only part of the sun. Miniature kinds of pergolas are also available. They are sometimes called arbors, and are simpler to set up but are not suitable for shading many people. Instead, they are guide posts for foot paths.

Peruse the most up-to-date information concerning to shade. Still have questions ? It might be worth it to check out our resources about the patios shades market.

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The Best Ways Of Extending The Life Of Your Summer Garden

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

The overwhelming majority of gardens look their most impressive in the summer whether they produce flowers, fruit or vegetables, the same is probably correct of your garden. When the garden looks so pleasant and the weather is fine, it is nice to spend more time out of doors.

There are two means of approaching this: you can try to extend the growing life of your garden by say a few weeks or a month or / and you can extend the number of hours you can sit in the garden per day. By taking both routes you will get the greatest pleasure from your summer garden.

The first thing you can do to extend the life of your summer garden is construct some raised growing beds. Raised growing beds heat up more quickly and cool down more slowly than a growing bed in the soil. This is because the brick walls of the raised beds will absorb and hold the sun’s heat, warming the soil faster and retaining it.

It will also chill down more slowly as winter draws on because frost comes up from the ground and your raised beds will be that much higher so the chill will have to travel further. You can also try to heat these raised beds artificially if the first frost has not yet arrived. Apply the heat to the walls of the beds.

You may think that the cost of heating the flower beds is not worth the money, but if you have a special function on just at that period of the year when the weather usually takes a change for the worse, you may think the cost worth it to have a nice floral display for that special day.

Raised growing beds are definitely the best route to take, but if for some reason you cannot build some raised beds, you could give your plants a head start by planting them in pots ahead of when the first frost is forecast for. if you have a greenhouse, you will be able to get even flowers commenced in this way. Then, you could transplant more mature plants outside when the weather allows. This will extend the life of your summer garden to the fore a little.

Another way of prolonging the garden’s summer life a little is to cover the plants over at night. However, you have to keep an eye on the plants, because these covers are very effective. You must be able to remove them before the sun heats up or your plants may cook. You cannot go to work in the morning and leave your plants covered over all day.

The second way to get more enjoyment from your summer garden is to extend the number of hours per day that you can sit outside. This is easily achieved with exterior lighting. You can either run electric wiring to your garden and have lighting installed or you can use solar powered lighting, which will save you money on installation and electricity costs.

Once you have enough light, the only other things you might have to have to extend the life of your summer garden are a mosquito trap and a patio heater.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on quite a few topics, but is at present concerned with exterior lighting fixtures. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

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Backyard Landscaping Ideas

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

A good backyard landscaping idea is one that everyone can make use of. There are many different backyard landscaping ideas and most of them are pretty good but to find the one that is right for you and that is just what your yard needs may take some reading. This article will help you to find the perfect backyard landscaping idea for your home.

A good backyard landscaping idea is to use evergreens. The use of these fabulous trees will do o much for any yard. They will add a stately nature to the feel of your home while keeping it welcoming and warm. Many people like to use deciduous trees in the yard and this is always a good idea but it is the evergreens that will give the yard the structure and the stability that it needs for a good backyard landscaping idea and design.

You need to look for a backyard landscaping idea like the one above that will benefit you all year round. Deciduous trees will not be gorgeous in all seasons, most perhaps, but not all. Evergreens on the other hand are always fantastic and they look as beautiful in the winter as they do in the summer and this is why they make for such a great backyard landscaping idea. The key to any great landscaping design is to find a backyard landscaping idea like this that will keep your yard interesting no matter what time of the year it is.

Another good backyard landscaping idea is to use hardscape. This is the use of things like rocks, fences and walls. These can make your yard look very interesting during all of the seasons. You can have climbing plants on it in the summer and spring and pretty trees around it that will look great in the winter. When looking for a good backyard landscaping idea you need to look for other options besides just plants. There is much more to landscaping than just plants and trees.

Walls and fences can frame your property beautifully and using them is such a great backyard landscaping idea because they will just accent all of your other wonderful backyard landscaping ideas. They will frame your yard as a picture frame frames a gorgeous painting. Look at this kind of backyard landscaping idea as well in your search for the one.

Your backyard landscaping is going to have to be about many different things but the most important one of these if your well being. Most people get into backyard landscaping because they want to change the look and feel of their home, they want to make it a wonderful place where their family can feel safe and comfortable at all times. Backyard landscaping is a great way to add some more peace to your life whether you are alone or you have a large family and tons of kids. You will be able to create a sanctuary with your backyard landscaping that you have never had before in your life.

Backyard landscaping does not have to be drastic or hard. You can do your own backyard landscaping or you can hire a contractor to do it all for you. The choice is yours but doing it yourself can be a lot of work, especially if you do not have any experience in this type of thing. There are all kinds of things that you will need to learn about before you start doing your own backyard landscaping. You will have to take a crash course in landscaping and this course will be jammed packed with all kinds of info that you never even knew was out there. You may be able to save some money on the work if you do your won backyard landscaping but if you screw things up too badly you may end up paying even more to get everything fixed.

If you want to get some backyard landscaping done you should only do it yourself if it is going to be a simple and straightforward job. If you need irrigation things dealt with and planes and elevations leave it to the professionals that do it for a living. These things may be over your head entirely. You need to watch out how you go about your backyard landscaping or you could end up with quite a mess on your hands.

There are a couple of great places for you to learn some more about backyard landscaping such as the local public library and the internet. You can get many backyard landscaping books out of the library and these will help you to make the best decisions as to your landscaping needs. You can also get many do it yourself tips online.

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Build A Flagstone Patio By Yourself

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Trust me when I say you made a good decision on picking flagstone to lay your patio. Flagstone patios are very durable, but still beautiful and sophisticated looking.

Instead of having to deal with all the extra work involved in laying mortar, there is a much easier way to lay flagstone patios.

Flagstone patios are layed very similar to any other patio out there. But with this method there’s no messy mortar to deal with, you just throw down sand and set in your stones on top.

Let me walk you through the Basic Steps involved:

What you want to do first is pick a good spot to place your patio. Once you’ve found your perfect spot, take some measurements.

You could say this is an optional step, but i would recommend it. You will know exactly where to dig and have a good picture of the final patio design.

Before you start laying anything, get some wooden stakes or something similar, and put one in each corner of the area you chose. Next you’ll want to connect all of the stakes with a rope or twine.

Finally, time to start some work! Dig out your area that should now be marked off with rope. Dig down about 6 inches all around so there’s room for about 4 inches of gravel and 2 inches of sand.

Ok now we can start laying down our gravel. You want it as flat and level as you can get it. Keep spreading gravel until you reach 3 1/2 to 4 inches high.

After the gravels all set, lay landscaping fabric over the whole area. This is another optional step, but it will help keep weeds from growing up through your flagstone. Some people might actually like that look, so you choose whether to use it.

Next you can start pouring sand over everything. 2 inches thick is usually enough. An easy way to do this is throw down a 2-4 so you’ll know when your at 2 inches. Let the sand just barely start to cover up your piece of wood.

After this you should lightly spray the sand with a water hose. Then you can use your 2-4 again or another piece of wood to level out the sand.

When you get everything down you can start laying the flagstones. Create a small workplace next to the patio area where you can arrange a few flagstone how you want them. That way you can kind of see where they will fit on the patio.

It’s easier to do a few flagstones at a time. Then all you do is pound them into the sand with a rubber mallet. Don’t hit too hard though, I broke a few that way!

To get a nice, even patio all the way across, use a level or straight edge.

Almost done!

After you get the flagstones in place, you should put down another layer of sand on top of everything to fill in any gaps.

It might be easier to take and old broom to spread the sand across all the rocks.

Take the hose again and spray the area with some more water. Let the sand dry, then throw down some more dry sand, and don’t forget to sweep it with the broom!

Do these steps until every single flagstone is in place and securely layed in the sand.

Hopefully if you had any questions on how to lay flagstone patios, this article answered them. If not, you can find more flagstone patio laying tips here.

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Tips For Turning Your Garage Into An Art Studio

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

If you like to paint, draw, or do anything artistic that needs space, you might be trying to figure out where in your house you can set up shop. Have you ever considered that using part of your garage might be the perfect solution? If you have extra space in your garage, or can create some by cleaning out the boxes and other things you don’t need, you will have a space that you can use as your own studio.

A garage is generally much larger and will provide much more space to explore your artistic activities than to try and use any other room inside your house – plus, a garage gives you the freedom to expand to the outdoors. But before you just dive head first into a project to turn your garage into a studio, you should spend some time doing a little research and planning first.

One thing that you will want to keep in mind is how you are going to set everything up. You may want to make a list of materials that you are going to need such as easels, drop cloths, and other important things that will help you to be able to express your creativity. Once you have you list made out you will be able to start thinking about where everything is going to go.

In your room layout, be sure to consider the direction that you would like to be facing. Being able to see out of any garage windows is generally beneficial or you might consider opening up the garage doors on a nice day.

There is a lot of work that will need to be done in order to completely turn a basic garage into a full-functioning art studio, but if you plan it all in advance it won’t be that difficult. It is important to include everything you will need and everything you want to add to your master list and then be sure to consider where you want it placed in order to create a studio that you will enjoy working in on a regular basis.

If you want more information about patios such as stone patio ideas, please take a look at my website Backyard Patio Ideas.

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Backyard Cooling With Patio Shades And Accessories

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

When summer rolls around, many homeowners curse the weather and seek solutions to cool down both the exterior and interior of the house. Installing an air conditioner is helpful, but is only one part of a systemic solution. Air conditioners are expensive to install, to run, and to maintain. Furthermore, they do not cut down on the amount of heat entering, but merely act as a heat pump in removing it from the house.

The more appropriate answer to the air conditioning problem is to put in outdoor shades as well as associated cooling accessories. Outdoor shades solve two problems that are not addressable by air conditioners. For one, they help create more living space outside, in the front and backyards or courtyards and patios. For another, if fitted in the right spots, they help decrease the heat and light that come in through windows and open doors. There are some other devices that can help cool the exterior.

One of these is the outdoor mister. It is essentially a pipe system that sprays a very fine mist over the area. An outdoor mister used properly can lower the ambient temperature of the exterior by more than 10 degrees, which is amplified and sustained by the use of shades. Often times, to increase the evaporative cooling effect of outdoor misters, one installs an outdoor misting fan also that blows over the affected area.

With respect to patio shades, there are three common types used by people in the patio.

An exterior patio canopy is essentially a large-version of a tent. There are two parts to the tent-like structure of a canopy: a sturdy scaffold and a section of canopy fabric that is covers it. It is important to block out sunlight coming from the top so there is always a shade material roof. However, putting up shade material for the walls is not vital, according to whether the canopy owner is more worried about privacy or more circulation in the canopy.

The majority of people have seen a patio awning. Awnings for personal use have advanced far beyond traditional fixed-frame and single fabric construction. Contemporary awnings retract automatically in strong winds, are motorized and remote controlled. There are several types of retractables. One is opened or closed with an unpowered mechanism. Another makes use of a swinging configuration which is slid in or drawn out. Lastly the motorized kinds automatically open at a push of a button.

A patio pergola is a somewhat simple wooden structure that is supported by four or more columns in a rectangular layout. Instead of holding up shade fabric, it holds wooden slats that supply partial shading and incomplete sunlight. Pergolas are found astride backyard decks and sometimes in gardens. An undersized variant of a pergola is known sometimes as an arbor. Arbors are used as entry ways to garden trails.

Drop by our site on outdoor patio shades to discover the most latest news. This and other topics on are available to all.

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Techniques For Keeping Cats Out Of Your Garden

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

It is very hard to keep cats out of your garden, but do not give up, it can be done. Cat owners may not understand why gardeners want to prevent cats gaining access to their gardens, but there are valid reasons, it is not always that gardeners hate cats. Cats are ferocious hunters and can also be quite destructive.

For example, my next door neighbour had a cat, but became lonely when her daughter moved away, so she permitted the cat to to have young. Now she has six cats. But cats are not like dogs. My dog stays in my garden not upsetting anyone apart from by barking if a stranger walks past the house However, that is his job and he is not only warning me but the neighbours as well. These six cats do not stay in their own garden though, so we have all acquired six cats whether we want them or not.

The first issue I noticed was that birds stopped coming to pick my dog’s bowl clean in the afternoon. Then I saw a cat killing a lizard, a beautiful nine inch adult and then I remembered not seeing many lizards recently. There is one lizard, the Tokay, that they have totally wiped out – I used to listen to them calling at night, but no longer.

Cats also dig up flowers when they defecate and use furniture as scratching boards, so I do not want these destructive animals in my garden. But how do you keep cats out of your garden?

Walls are rarely protection against cats, but cats will often prowl along the bottom of walls and if they come across a gap, they will possibly go in out of inquisitiveness, so repair all low-level gaps in your fences. There is not much you can do about the top of your wall other than putting broken glass or electrified wiring up there, but that is not a good idea.

Some dogs are good at keeping cats away, but not all. My dog got a nasty and completely unexpected swipe of claws across his nose one day. He used to chase them when they were kittens, but now they have grown up, he only growls to tell me a cat is on the premises. I cannot blame him.

In Australia, many gardeners believe that transparent bottles full of water confuse cats, so they stay away, but in my experience, only Australian cats react in that manner.

A row of prickly bushes or flowers along the base of a wall where cats regularly come in works. At the bottom of high walls too, where the cat cannot see them until he is on top of the wall. I often see cats mewing (in frustration, I hope) on the top of one of my walls. The only way down is to go back.

If you still cannot keep cats out, then you will have to teach them not to come in. This is best achieved by using several methods. If cats are utilizing your flower pots are toilets, try rubing the pots with pepper, lavender, lemon, mustard, or tobacco. Or you could leave a mothball in each pot. Some of these will work for you, others will not.

Then there are industrial repellents, but I do not want to resort to them. However, if you have a big garden and a big problem, it might be the only way. There are also high frequency sound emitters. Humans cannot hear them, but almost all animals can, so I think that that is deplorable as well.

At night, motion-activated exterior lighting is a huge upset to cats. Cats have extremely sensitive night vision so a quick flash from a floodlamp really puts them off a garden.

The best deterrent is water. You can buy motion-activated sprinklers, which are excellent at keeping cats out of your garden, but I like to sit in my office or in the garden with a powerful water pistol and squirt them by hand. The lizards have not come back yet, but neither do the cats quite so frequently either.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with visual comfort lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

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Building A Garden Patio

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

A new patio is the best way to beautify your home’s garden and create an outdoor environment that you, your family and your friends will enjoy spending time in. Most people prefer to build patios close to their house but you can place them anywhere in your garden, with an elegant path leading to them. Maybe you would want to do that if you get more sun at the end of your garden. Either way, building the perfect patio for your yard required planning and preparation.

The size and proportions of the patio area are important things to consider. Before you decide on a certain patio plan make sure that you have thought practically about how the area will be used. For example, if you plan on having patio chairs or tables, or even a grill in the patio area, you will need to make sure that you have ample room for them. At least 3m x 3m of space is a good size for a patio.

Shape is another factor of your design to consider. A traditional rectangular patio is fine, but there are several other shapes, such as curved edges and geometric patterns that will give your patio and a more unique look. Marking your planned design with string line or hose pipe will help you visualize the finished effect. Get a second opinion before actually starting any of the actual work because changing the shape or size once you have started can be a real pain to do.

Even after deciding on size, shape, furnishings and other details there is one more vital aspect that most people do not consider: the color. Color is an effective tool to create a beautiful patio as well as a pleasant atmosphere, you want the color to not only complement your home but the yard as a whole. You could either match the stone of the patio with the colors of your house, or you could use two different types of stone with complementary colors, the options are endless.

The perimeter of your patio is also a chance for some keen design, it works as a nice outline to your patio and gives it shape. The height of the wall you will place around the patio is also a decision that must be considered closely. Do you want a low ornamental perimeter or something higher that sections the area off from the rest of the garden? You also need to decide if there will be room for plants along the top of the wall, or if you would prefer a decorative top, if you will want to use matching or contrasting stone for the wall and many other factors. You can really unleash your creativity with a project like this.

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Planning The Landscaping Of Your Garden

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

Landscaping techniques allow the gardener to transform a simple backyard into a beautiful garden. There are many paths to having a beautiful garden, because there are many types to select from and there are different tastes too. Each to his own. Some types of garden need a great deal of maintenance and others less so, but even a slabbed or concrete backyard needs some looking after.

The best way of going about making something lovely out of your backyard is planning and perhaps the simplest way of planning is to create a plan or a drawing of your garden.

If you choose this course, the first thing you will have to do is get some graph paper and plot the exact dimensions and form of your garden onto it, with as large a scale as will fit on the sheet of graph paper.

After you have completed that, mark in unmovable items like a brick shed, a drain or septic tank, a fish pond and doorways et cetera. Then you should photocopy it, maybe five or ten times. This is so that you can make mistakes, change your mind or even permit everybody in the household to make their own design from their own investigations and imagination.

If you consider that this is outside your abilities, you are almost certainly wrong. It really is not hard, kids draw on graph paper all the time in maths classes. Anyway, if you do not want to do it this way, then you will need to rely on plans cut out of magazines.

So, collect all your ideas from magazines and put them in a file. Likewise, if you are making a plan on paper, collect your ideas in a folder, but also mark them on your graph paper.

Set yourself or your team a deadline of say, a two weeks or a month, but you do need to do the majority of your work in the spring or the summer, when the weather is warm. On the appointed day, get together and amalgamate all your plans into one.

Put all the redundant material aside and forget about it. Do not over complicate the matter by having all the designs in the active file. Now you are prepared to go to work and implement the ideas.

The choice is now whether you do the work yourself or whether you get a builder in. A builder will have experience, and so will be able to get the job done quickly. They will also be able to offer practical suggestions, if what you want to achieve is difficult. The other side of the coin is that it is a lot more expensive.

If you decide to do it yourself, you may find it a good idea to split your drawing into segments. It could be done in quarters of the garden at a time, if that is feasible, or you could do all the groundwork first, followed by the brick and blockwork, then the pond etc. Depending on your plan. The only thing that really has to be done last is the planting of the plants

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on a number of topics, but is at present involved with outdoor accent lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

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