Desert Landscaping

Desert Landscaping

When most people think of the desert, they only think of boiling hot days, cactus, and dry heat. In truth, many deserts are located in high terrain and the hottest of days can actually turn into very cold chilly nights. Many deserts also experience cold winters that can include snow, and desert landscaping often reflects this.

Desert Landscaping: The Hot And Cold

Because the desert can experience such a high range of temperature changes, desert landscaping needs to be hardy enough to tolerate heat as well as cold. Evergreen shrubs and trees survive well in high terrain deserts, because they can withstand the heat and tolerate the cold nights. Many cactus plants are also cold hardy. This surprises many people, because they think of cactus as hot area plants.

If you have a home in the desert and want to do some desert landscaping around your house, the best place to buy your plants is from your local nursery. Often big box garden retailers have their plants ordered by someone in their regional office. This person often doesn’t understand the complexities of desert weather and orders plants that might not do well in your backyard. Ordering plants from a local nursery or choosing landscaping that is locally grown ensures that you will get plants that will thrive and grow in your desert landscaping.

Desert Landscaping: Water With Care

If you stick to plants that are native to the area in which you live, watering your yard shouldn’t be an issue. However, if you want to grow flowers, vegetables, or other plants that don’t normally grow in the desert, you need to make sure that you provide a source of water to your desert landscaping. Before you design your desert yard, check with your local authorities to make sure that there are no watering restrictions in your city or county. Once you have established how much water you want to spare on your yard each month, come up with a watering plan. Do you want to water by hand? The easiest way to water your lawn and garden is with a timed sprinkler system. If you plant grass set your timer to go off in the early morning hours, so that the water can seep into your ground before the sun rises and causes it to evaporate. Choose a drip irrigation system to water your shrubs and ground covers and you will see minimal waste.

If you want to cut back on the amount of watering your desert landscaping requires, fill your yard with gravel or rocks instead of grass. This low maintenance alternative to grass looks attractive in a desert setting. One caveat to rocks is that light colored gravel will reflect the sun’s heat, causing your yard to seem even hotter each afternoon.

Deer Control

If you have mature plants that are being devoured by deer
-- it's time to take action! Deer Repellents can be very effective and easy
to use.

Deer will almost always stay away from plants that offend
two or more senses. Therefore, if a plant tastes and smells offensive deer
will avoid the general area it's planted in. Deer resistant
gardener use's this knowledge to their advantage.

Yardiac.com recommends using two deer deterrents together
(one that offends the sense of smell and one that offends the sense of taste)
they will render your tasty plant repulsive to deer.

The best combination we have found is:

Tree Guard or Hot Pepper Wax
used in conjunction with Coyote
Urine.

Using two
products will activate the sense of smell and taste and encourage the deer to
move on to more attractive foliage (hopefully not your neighbors) You can
learn more about or purchase these products at Yardiac.com's animal
repellent department.

Deer hate hot and spicy foods

After one little nibble of a plant coated with hot pepper wax they will
definitely say, “No thank you!” when it comes time for seconds. Hot pepper
wax combines hot cayenne pepper extract in a food-grade wax. Unlike some
solutions, the wax will not wash off of your plants for several weeks.

Applying hot pepper wax to the surfaces of your plants & hanging dispensers
filled with Coyote
Urine is possibly the most effective method of protecting your plants from
deer browsing. Why do predator urine and hot pepper wax work best when used
together? Most deer deterrents work on the premise of “offending” one of the
deer’s five senses: sight, taste, smell, hearing or touch. Predator urine
works on the sense of smell, while hot pepper wax works on the sense of taste.
Using these two products together you are not just offending one sense but
two.

Say Bye to Bambi enter the Deer
Repellent Department Here

Pruning

Pruning is a vital part of plant and tree care. This task can be confusing so we developed the following guide to help you prune properly.

Three basic tools suffice for most pruning jobs: shears, loppers, and a pruning
saw. Keep them sharp for clean cuts; disinfect after pruning diseased material.

1. When Do Roses Need To Be Pruned?

Prune in winter or early spring when plants are still dormant. Prune plants to maintain symmetrical
bushes and to encourage strong new growth. Cut back all
previous years growth as much as one-third its length. Remove branches that cross through center and remove plants understock.
Also prune weak and dead stems as needed. This will also encourage strong new growth.


2. When Do Crepe Myrtles Need To Be Pruned?

The best time to prune crepe myrtles is in February. Prune out twiggy stems and any dead wood. Thin out
crossing or crowding branches in the plants center. If tree form,
prune lower branches. Prune top to maintain symmetry. Each year
after flowering, cut 12 to 18 inches off the tips of branches that have bloomed.

3. When Do Hollies Need To Be Pruned?

Prune in winter or early spring mostly to shape plants. Cut back wayward branches and prune
out weak unproductive dead stems as needed.

4. When Do Butterfly Bushes Need To Be Pruned?

Butterfly bushes bloom in summer on new
spring growth. They can be pruned in late winter or early spring. By
pruning old blooms you will encourage new flowers. Also prune out old dead
and unproductive branches.

5. When Do Hydrangeas Need To Be Pruned?

Hydrangeas fall into two groups.
Some you prune in early spring and others after the flowers fade.

1. Early Spring Pruning
   
   Hydrangeas bloom on new growth. These plants are Climbing
   Hydrangea, Annabelle, Grandiflora, and PeeGees.
   
2. After-Bloom Pruning
   
   Hydrangeas bloom on last years stems. These include Bigleaf
   Hydrangeas, Oakleaf Hydrangeas, Lacecaps, SummerBeauty, and Nikko
   Blue. Pruning should be done when the flower has faded. Cut back the flowering stems to the strongest pair of new shoots. As plants mature, begin to thin out the oldest woody stems. Remove crowded crossing, broken, or dead branches.
   
   6. When Do Clematis Need To Be Pruned?
   

Clematis can be put in three
categories: Spring-flowering, summer-flowering , and twice-flowering.

1. Spring-blooming
   
   Clematis produce flowers on stems that grew during the previous year.
   Prune when flowers are done blooming. Cut back the flowers that are
   now dead. Prune out any old dead stems as well.
   
2. Summer-blooming
   
   Plants bloom on new growth produced in the spring. Cut back stems before new growth begins. Late autumn or early spring is a good time to prune. Cut back about 12 inches of old growth. Each year the vine will grow larger and stronger.
   
3. Twice-blooming
   
   Plants first bloom in spring on stems produced the previous year.
   Late summer or fall will be the next bloom time. In late fall or very early spring, prune lightly to thin the stems. After the spring bloom, prune more heavily for more healthy stems to develop for the next bloom. After a second bloom, prune old flowers away.
   
   7. When Do Fruit Trees Need To Be Pruned?
   

The most common fruit trees are apple, peach, pear and cherry.

1. Apple Trees
   
   Apple trees should be pruned in late winter or early spring before new growth starts. Always remove all suckers (summer is a great time).
   Also remove dead and other unproductive branches as needed.
   
2. Peach Trees
   
   Peach trees are fast growing and need to be pruned in winter.
   Without pruning the peaches will grow farther away from the tree's center.
   This will put great strain on the branches, causing them to break. In winter, thin out upward-growing branches that cross in tree's center.
   
3. Pear Trees
   
   Prune back in early spring. Always prune dead and unproductive
   branches as needed.
   
4. Cherry Trees
   
   Prune in winter. Prune out branches that cross in center and dead unproductive branches as needed.
   
   8. When Do Azaleas and Rhododendrons Need To Be Pruned?
   

They can be pruned in winter or early spring.
However pruning at this time will prevent plants from producing many blooms. The best time to prune azaleas and rhododendrons is just after their blooming period in spring. If you prune
at this time , no additional pruning will be necessary.

9 When Do Junipers Need To Be Pruned?

Junipers need very minimal pruning. They should be pruned to correct their shape, to accent their form, or to limit their size. This should be done during the juniper's growing stages
in mid-summer.

10. When Do Flowering Trees Need To Be Pruned?

Flowering trees should be pruned after they have finished blooming. Prune as little as possible. Dead branches, branches that cross in the center, and branches that are unproductive should be pruned out.

Three basic tools suffice for most pruning jobs: shears, loppers, and a pruning
saw. Keep them sharp for clean cuts; disinfect after pruning diseased material.

Choosing The Correct Landscaping Plants

How to Choose the Correct Landscaping Plants For Your Homes ?

The weather has become nicer, and after a cold winter all you really want to do is liven up your yard with some new landscaping plants. Sorry to post about this when winter is actually drawing near.

However, just one visit to your local garden center revealed to you that there are many choices, so you need some advice when it comes to choosing the right landscaping plants.

About Landscaping Plants

The first thing you need to think about is the effect that you want the landscaping plants to have.

Do you want landscaping plants just for aesthetic purposes, or would you prefer to have landscaping plants that are more for privacy?

If you want landscaping plants that provide privacy, you need look no further than the ivy vine.

If you are unfamiliar with the ivy vine, you have probably seen it in movies or in quaint cottage depictions. There are very nice photos of ivy vine here.

This vine is quite hardy and requires only a fence or the side of a house to climb up of.

The thing that you might have to consider is the rate at which the ivy plant grows.

You see, when you first purchase the ivy plant at your local garden store, you will notice that it is relatively small.

However, you might find that over the course of a night the vine will have grown by several inches!

Thus, keep this in mind, because otherwise the ivy will eventually completely cover over the area that it is placed upon.

If you would rather use flowers as landscaping plants, you have to consider the overall climate in which you live.

Tropical flowers that you see in your garden store can only be placed outside if the climate is temperate throughout the year. Otherwise, they are meant as indoor plants.

Thus, if you live in a climate that had four definitive seasons, you should consider a flowering plant that is known to be quite hardy, and those generally are Impatiens or Chrysanthemums.

Both flowers do require watering, but only every other day. They require a mix of sun and shade as well.

If you are hesitant about buying either of those kids of flowers, be aware of the fact that these flowers are available in a variety of different colors.

If you would like more information about landscaping plants, be sure to ask for advice at your local garden center.

You can also search the internet on reputable gardening websites.

You are sure to find the right information about landscaping plants with the proper research.

Yardiac.com - The Ultimate Garden Center

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

You just bought and installed an inground pool in your backyard and the whole family is looking forward to spending many to summer days in it.

However, while you have the pool area separated from the rest of the yard by a chain link fence, you want the backyard landscaping to compliment the pool area.

Thus, you are in need of some backyard landscaping ideas.

About Backyard Landscaping Ideas

Since you became the proud owner of the inground pool, you have been meticulous in making sure that the pool and the pool area itself are very clean.

However, you have not really consider how the pool area would look if it had certain themes.

These themes would lend themselves well to various backyard landscaping ideas.

If you frequent you local home improvement center, you have probably noticed that there are often tall poles with lights at the top.

These are often used to light backyards during barbecues.

However, they could also be used at night for illumination while you are swimming in the pool at night.

Thus, if you take these illuminated poles and strategically place them throughout the backyard, it really can add to the overall ambience.

However, while that is one backyard landscaping idea that you can integrate, you also need some decorations that can be easily seen during the day.

You have probably seen in various gardening centers large pots that contain groups of colorful flowers.

These make for wonderful backyard landscaping ideas, because you can place these pots in a variety of different places.

Start in the pool area, and place a pot in each corner. Then, place a pot or two in various areas of the backyard so that there can be flowers everywhere !

Something that many people don’t think about is the possibility of weeds growing in the pool areas.
Weeds are surprisingly strong, and can sometimes poke up in the cracks of the cement, as well as grow through the chain link fence.

If you have a yard that is prone to lots of weeds, a backyard landscaping idea is to make sure the lawn is weed wacked along with being mowed at least once a week.

Of course, the backyard landscaping ideas are contingent upon the overall size of the lawn.
If much of the lawn is now taken up by the pool, you will have a different set of option than if the pool was just a section of the lawn.

If you want more information about backyard landscaping ideas, be sure to search the internet for various reputable website about the topic.

You are sure to find the right backyard landscaping ideas with the proper research.

Backyard Landscaping

You look outside your kitchen window to see that your backyard needs not only to be mowed, but also is in serious need of being weeded. You have a job that takes up most of your time, and are wondering if you should just hire a landscaper.

However, you also need to exercise and in dire need of FRESH air. However, you should also be aware of the pro and cons of backyard landscaping.

About Backyard Landscaping

Often the most annoying part of backyard landscaping is mowing the lawn. The taller the grass, the harder it is to mow the lawn. If you are younger, mowing the lawn can actually turn to a great exercise. However, if you are older and having some serious health problems, you really need to consider hiring a landscaper to do the backyard landscaping, because you do not want to push yourself too much.

Another thing that you need to think about is the quality of your grass. If you have been diligently mowing your lawn and still the grass looks awful, you might need to have the grass completely reseeded. Now, you can either buy a seeder and walk up and down the lawn as if you were mowing the backyard, or you can have a professional landscaper completely replace the grass in he backyard.

While backyard landscaping can be annoying, it can also be incredibly rewarding, especially if you decide to place a vegetable or flower garden in the backyard. Think about the benefits of growing your own vegetables for lunch and dinner. Or, think about the beauty that a flower garden can bring. Anybody will consider having a simple backyard garden which will provides fresh vegetables for their family. You could save a few bucks of your weekly market shipping too.

If you decide to plant a vegetable garden, be sure that you have a considerable amount of patience. It can take up to a couple of months for certain kinds of vegetables to grow to their full potential. So, you need to make sure that the vegetable seeds have the right amount of water, shade, nutrients, and sunlight. Try growing okra, they are very easy to grow. You just need to plant them early in summer.

The same rules apply to flower gardens. In fact, if you have a large enough yard, you can have a significant amount of it devoted to your flower garden. This would certainly require less mowing on your part if you choose to take care of the lawn on your own. However, it should be noted that there are professional landscapers who specialize in designing flower gardens.

If you would like more information on backyard landscaping, all you have to do is go to your local gardening center and ask a customer service representative for advice. You can also search the internet as well, since many gardening centers have official websites. You are sure to find the right information on backyard landscaping with the proper research.

Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

Your front yard doesn’t have to be a typical patch of grass, mailbox, and garbage bin.

The front yard landscaping ideas that are available for you to use are endless. With a little creative thinking and an open mind, you can have a front yard that everyone in your neighborhood will talk about.

Front Yard Landscaping Idea Number One : Create Outdoor Rooms

Many landscapers sell the idea of creating outdoor rooms in your backyard, but it is very popular to apply this landscaping idea to the front yard.

Simply assess the size of your yard and look for areas that can be landscaped as a separate little sitting space. Place a bench under a tree. Fill in the surrounding area with different types of flowers and shrubs, and add a few potted plants next to your bench.

Having a sitting area in your front yard creates a wonderful place to visit with neighbors, observe the daily happenings on your street or even watch your kids while they play.

Front Yard Landscaping Idea Number Two : Create Visually Pleasing Displays

Make your front yard a fun place to be by adding lots of visual stimulating objects.

Adding a bird house or birdbath will attract lots of interesting wildlife to your yard. Planting shrubs and flowers that attract butterflies is a great way to bring these gorgeous insects to the area around your house.

Try to partner your non plant items with compatible foliage and fauna. For example, if you place a birdbath in your yard, plant a colorful array of flowers around the base.

Containers are a fantastic way to add variety to your yard. You can place big tubs or planters of flowers on your front porch, along your driveway, or even on your lawn.

The beauty of containers is that when you get tired of them in one place, they are easy to move or replant.

Front Yard Landscaping Idea Number Three: Mix Perennials And Annuals

Perennials are one of the easiest ways to landscape your yard. The bloom year after year can be propagated by division, making them an inexpensive way to add to your landscape, and they are relatively maintenance free. Perennials tend to bloom in succession, so you always have something blooming in your yard.

Annuals give a continuous burst of color in your front yard, but they only last one season.

They aren’t that expensive, so it isn’t hard to plant them each spring. Because they only last one season, they are wonderful for people who like to try new things each year. By having a mix of perennials and annuals in your front yard, you get the best of both worlds.

Backyard Landscaping Can Be A Real Stress-Reducer

You have a hectic schedule, in that you have a family to take care of, an annoying mother in law and a stressful job.

What you really need is something to reduce all that stress that you have been experiencing lately – something that can really be productive at the same time.

Your backyard needs to be fixed up, so why don’t you try a bit landscaping ?

About Landscaping

You might think that landscaping can be even more stressfull, but really, landscaping is only as much stress as you let it be. In fact, if you just take your time and find the fun in making your yard look beautiful, you can make it into a very relaxing hobby.

Start by mowing the lawn – now, this is something that you will only have to do once per week in accordance with the spring and the summer climates. However, if you live in a climate that remains temperate throughout the year, you will have to keep the lawn trimmed on a weekly basis.

If you have a smaller lawn, it should only take about a half hour to mow it. If you have a larger lawn, you have the option of getting a lawnmower that you can drive around. However, if you choose this landscaping option, you will need to be aware of the safety precautions.

The next thing that you need to do, once the lawn is sufficiently cut, is to decide what kind of plants you want for the yard. You can find some nice one on this page . . .hehe. Some people, in an effort to minimize the upkeep, choose to get silk flowers. This might be an option for you if you think that you won’t have the necessary amount of time to water all of the flowers.

However, if you do choose silk flowers, be sure that you choose the kind that look as realistic as possible. If you don’t, it could really lessen the appeal of your lawn decorations. Also, be aware that although the flowers will not require any watering, frequent rainfall can result in the flowers getting moldy.

If you choose real flowers, pruning them and making sure they get enough soil is another excellent example of how landscaping can be a stress-reducer. You will need nutrient-rich soil so that the flowers can grow. Planting and smoothing the soil can feel relaxing between your fingers.

For more information on the relaxing properties of landscaping, go to your local bookstore. In the gardening section you are sure to find books on the topic. You can also search on the Amazon website.

Herb Garden

You have just started an herb garden in your yard, and so far you haven’t done much with it. It really is just a patch of the lawn that you dug up. You need to make it a garden that adds to the overall decoration of your lawn. So, you are in dire need of some landscaping ideas.

About Landscaping Ideas

The first thing you need to do before you think of landscaping ideas for the herb garden is to make sure the allotted area is properly edged an free from any weeds. Begin by using an edger to straighten out the ides of the garden. Once that is done, take a gardening claw and go through the garden soil, making sure it is completely clear.

This is a job that will take at least a day to complete if done at a diligent pace. You might need to add some soil that is rich in nutrients as well. When those two initial steps have bee completed, it is now time to think of the landscaping ideas.

Go to your local garden center, and evaluate the herb section. Now, there are two kinds of herbs that you can choose: cooking herbs, and herbs that simply add to the aesthetic look of your yard. The latter is what is most often incorporated into landscaping ideas.

However, it is an excellent idea to make an herb garden that incorporates both kinds of herbs. After all, that way you can have an herb garden that you can truly enjoy! So, choose the herbs in accordance with your own preferences.

The thing to remember about herbs is that they have to be kept separate from each other. Otherwise they will end up overtaking each other and becoming hybrids. Thus, you should take some wire fencing or some wood and section the garden off.

How does all of this coincide with landscaping ideas ?

Well, when you look at your backyard, the herb garden should ideally be one of the focal points. Thus, make sure that the garden is properly positioned in an area that has both sun and shade, and that it has a nice little fence so that animals cannot get into it.

If you have a larger yard, you can make the herb garden even more of a focal point by expanding it over time. Add a garden path and a little waterfall for a lovely effect. If you need more information in regard to landscaping ideas, you have several options.

Firstly, you can ask for assistance at your local garden center. You can also ask a professional landscaper to help you design the yard and garden. Of course, you can also search the internet, on the many landscaping websites that are available. You are sure to find the right landscaping ideas with the proper research.

Where You Can Find Free Landscaping Ideas

You have been looking at your yard lately, and are dismayed at the way it looks. You mow the lawn on a regular basis, but the lawn looks more like an overgrown paddy field !!. You try to weed whenever you can, but the weeds just keep growing. You don’t have a lot of money at the moment, so what you need are some free landscaping ideas to spice up your garden.

About Free Landscaping Ideas

The first thing that you need to do is find free landscaping ideas in reference to why your lawn is so paddy field like. The main cause of this probably has to do with lack of watering. It can also have to do with too much mowing. So, you should begin by only mowing your lawn when it really becomes taller than three inches – so no more than once per week.

The next free landscaping idea that you need is in reference to why you have so many weeds. Much of this might have to simply do with the climate that you live in. For example, if you live in a humid climate, weeds thrive on moisture. So, a free landscaping idea to try is to take some lemon juice and spray it throughout the lawn. The acidic nature of the lemon juice can help to kill the weeds.

If you need other free landscaping ideas, a simple thing that you can do is take a walk around your neighborhood. Look at the lawns of your neighbors, and make a mental note of things they have done with their lawns that you might like to do as well. You can also ask them about their lawns.

Another free landscaping idea that you can do is to go to your local garden center and look at the free pamphlets that are usually available throughout the store. Not only can these pamphlets give you free landscaping ideas, but they can also give you ideas as to how much landscaping products generally cost.

Something else that you can look into when it comes to free landscaping ideas is the gardening section of your local bookstore. Many places now have sections where you sit and read without having to actually purchase the book. Of course, the intent is that you buy the book if you think you will like it.

However, take your time and go through the gardening books and any gardening magazines that are available. The pictures alone can help you find what you are looking for when it comes to landscaping your yard. You can also search the internet, but regardless, you are sure to find the right free landscaping ideas with the proper research.