Hillside Landscaping Ideas

Hillside landscapes are one of the largest challenges a property owner can face. Designing the landscape to look beautiful while controlling erosion and drainage can be one of the hardest things to do - and one of the most expensive. With proper planning and research you can save money, control erosion and drainage and create a hillside landscape that will last for years.

Some of the most common methods used for hillside landscaping incorporate rock walls, decks, retaining walls and plants. In your design you can choose to use any number of these methods to create your perfect landscape. We will touch base on each of the methods and explain what each can offer to your hillside landscape.

Retaining walls are some of the most common methods of creating a pleasant landscape on a hillside that needs erosion control. Retaining walls can be made of rock, brick, wood and even PVC or plastic. The first thing you should do is research and decide on how to best place your retaining walls. You will need to know how they will affect drainage patterns on the hillside. You will also need to understand whether the positions will help prevent and stop erosion or increase it. You will need to keep in mind placing your retaining walls one way might stop erosion in that area but could cause increased erosion and damage in another area that otherwise would not be a problem. It is highly recommended that you consult a professional landscaper or engineer to assist you in the layout and design of your retaining walls. With their help you will be able to not only prevent or stop current erosion but insure your design does not change or cause problems for other areas.

Plants are another method of creating an erosion free hillside landscape. Beside helping to hold the ground in place, plants can also help give beauty to an area that otherwise might be bare. Like standard landscape designs, plant selection is one of the most important aspects of your hillside landscape design. You will need to select plants not only for their look but for their ability to withstand erosion and harsher growth locations. With proper plant selection, you can turn your hillside into a plush landscape that compliments you and your home.

Decks are another common method of use in hillside and sloped landscapes. In some areas building a deck can be beneficial in hiding areas that are not convenient to landscape using other methods. Decks can be designed to also contour to the natural layout of the land thereby enhancing the beauty of an area that might otherwise be unusable and unsightly to look at. As with other landscaping measures, you should carefully plan the layout and design of your deck. Improperly designed and placed decks can increase erosion and in some cases be the source of dangerous situations if they are not mounted or anchored properly, especially on steeper slopes.

Some of the most successful hillside and sloped landscapes incorporate some of all the different landscaping methods utilized for these types of areas. By carefully planning each zone of your area, you can minimize additional impact to erosion and drainage of an area and in many cases reclaim an area that would otherwise be unusable. If you have an area that is already prone to hard erosion, proper landscaping can be the method of solving and repairing an area that would otherwise continue to degrade in time.

Imagine a beautiful landscape with a multitude of trees and color plants anchored by a well designed deck where you can relax and enjoy the sunset. With proper care and planning you can turn that otherwise plain hillside or slope into the sunset of your dreams.

Front Yard Landscaping Ideas - No More Yawns When Neighbors See Your House

Numerous yard landscape design ideas are simply dull. While you don't wish to do anything that will get you kicked out of the home owner's association, you are able to have a fascinating and distinctive style. Here are some ideas.

Stones, Boulders And Rocks

You might have observed a sizable boulder in the next door neighbors lawn and just thought it had been part of the scenery before the house had been constructed. That may be true. However, when the rock seems to match just right, it had been most likely positioned there by a landscape style team.

You can purchase rip-rap rock, ornamental boulders, granite, water rocks and other stones from the number of different providers. A lot of companies provide free shipping for large heavy purchases.

There are many benefits of designing with rock. First, the stones shield you against erosion, but need absolutely no watering. Second, they help stop unwanted weeds from expanding. Third, they look fascinating.

Your front yard and entrance walk could be made up of interlock paving stones, instead of concrete or cement. If you take a look at some of the on-line photos of finished projects, you need to concur that interlock pavers are much more appealing than standard materials.

Using pavers is among the  yard landscaping suggestions that will help you save money later on. Ice growth won't cause them to break. They'll actually give during an earthquake rather than falling apart.

Interlock or mortar-less rock may be used to create flower beds, water fountains, retaining walls and other decorative items. The options are restricted only by your creativeness and also the size of your lot.

Grow Herbs, Bushes, Blossoms And Trees

Although some individuals may not concur, I do not believe it is feasible to have a lot of blooming plants. Herbs are not only stunning. They're aromatic and may be used with the cooking.

For many truly distinctive yard landscaping suggestions, you might speak with somebody that has gotten rid of all or the majority of their own lawn. While the "barefoot lawn" remains the norm, you will find alternatives. A number of them are very stunning.

The home owners which have went grassless take advantage of flowering ground cover, decorative grasses and time tested bushes such as boxwoods.

Boxwoods really are a sturdy drought-resistant plant you can use to produce a hedge and prevent traffic sound. The year-round greenery is satisfying to the attention and may be covered with plant lighting at Christmastime.

You'll find countless yard landscaping suggestions on-line. Be sure that you seek advice from your home owner's association before you decide to do anything too extreme.

Landscaping Ideas: Using Landscaping Rock for Maximum Effect

Looking to give you yard some something special to set it apart from those in the rest of your neighborhood? Want to add some depth and texture to your landscaping design? landscaping rock comes in many different forms, is inexpensive, and used sparingly, give a garden a warm, natural look.

Not only is there a good selection of colors, landscaping rock comes in different kinds of stone to choose among, from limestone to slate to granite. Different landscaping designs call for different types of landscaping rock, obviously, but given all the choices it is easy to get just the right rock.

If you are landscaping a new property, when you first clear the ground and rototill the soil for your yard, you'll no doubt find a few choice rocks you wish you hadn't. Don't have them hauled way; these can be set aside and used in your landscaping. It could save you time and expense
later on.

The trick to using rock in landscaping effectively, as with any form of hardscaping, is to completely incorporate them into your yard's design. Locate them in places that will add to the yard, not where it looks like you are trying to cover something up or take attention away from another part of the yard. Plan just where each landscaping rock should be placed for maximum effect and balance.

Take the time to bury your rock and it will improve it's look, making them appear planted. They will integrate better into the overall design and look as if this is where they belong.

How far you bury your rock in the ground will depend upon the landscaping rock that you select. If you have a very large piece of rock then it should be buried deeper than a smaller landscaping rock. Four to six inches is a good depth for a medium size rock. Dig a shallow hole about the size of your landscaping rock and place the rock into it. Use common sense here and get help lifting it. If it is a larger piece, you may need to rent lifting equipment or hire a contractor for this part. Finally tuck back the dirt into the gap around the rock.

Next time that you are out walking or hiking in the woods, keep an eye out for larger rocks and boulders. Look at how they naturally sit in the ground and you'll see what kind of a look the landscaping rock in your yard should have. This is the kind of detail that will set your yard off from the rest of your neighbors.

Cheap Landscaping Ideas

This article is on cheap landscaping ideas. One of the main hassles of a garden is not planting, but weeding. Weeds grow with remarkable speed and can quickly overtake a garden. Using a poison or herbicide like roundup is not recommended as you might kill your plants. I know that the manufactors claim the product breaks down in the soil very quickly but I find with my lawn edges after a second dose of roundup no grass is growing there six months later.

In moving into a new rental property I had a large front garden with a nice quickkerb concrete border to highlight the beautiful weeds. So I began to weed, got sick of it and left it for a month. Big mistake, there were now more weeds than ever. I was going to have to have mulch it or spend everyday in the garden. With the landlord not interested in paying for it it was going to have to come out of my own pocket. Now I don't mine paying for gardening supplies, plants, etc when its my own place, but I'm certainly not keen on giving my landlord a free ride.

So I needed a cheap mulching option, that would look good, work, but not cost too much.

I chose three basic supplies, newspaper -the local rags free and it doesn't take long to build up a stock pile of papers, sugar cane mulch - its comes in a big bags and is cheap, and finally a few bags of bark - not so cheap, but as you will see its used to give colour not as a mulch so only a little bit is required.

Step One:-
Prepare the garden, yes this means a huge effort and weed the whole garden by hand. Rake over the soil so its nice and smooth and then apply the newspaper. The thicker the better.

Min. six sheets thick. Spread it out and then with a hose wet it all down so it soaked. The now heavy paper won't blow around in the wind and will mold better to the grounds surface.

Step Two:-
Next spread out the sugar cane mulch. If you cant access cheap sugar cane mulch, try straw, but ensure it has no seeds in it. Make sure all the paper is covered. It doesn't have to be deep, just enough to cover all the paper. Once again apply water to damp down the mulch. Once watered it takes on a lovely golden colour.

Step Three:-
Now apply the bark. Just grab handfulls and throw it around. You don't want to totally cover the yellow mulch, the barks mainly to give colour and to contrase with the mulch.

River Rock Landscaping Ideas

Your backyard has been the same for years, and you've decided to give it a new look. You've chosen to put in a modestly-sized brook, and to give it the most natural appearance you can, will be finishing it with river rock river rock landscaping. Because you are new to river rock landscaping, however, you'll need some suggestions which can be quickly and easily implemented.

Rustic Feel

Using river rocks when landscaping is no different from using ocean rocks; they are both popular among those who want to give their landscaping a rustic natural appearance. River rocks are very effective when used to border manmade brooks; but they have to wait until the brooks have been built.

Brook Basics

Brook installation goes far beyond digging a backyard trench and adding water. It includes installing a water circulation system; otherwise the water will stagnate, becoming a breeding ground for insects, algae, and other health hazards hazard. To make sure its water circulates properly, you really need to have a professional install your backyard brook.

You also need to consider the depth of your brook, especially if your have small children. And check your local zoning laws; many communities have strict rules about fencing around water.

Once your brook's water is flowing freely, it's time to devise a plan for your river rock landscaping. You can place the rocks in the brook's channel to give it a more natural look, or you can arrange them along the edges of the brook.

If you decide to place them along the edges, you can substitute faux river rocks for the real thing; they are more readily available, but your river rock landscaping may not look entirely natural.

Consider the Environment

While you may be thinking that river rocks are as near as the closest natural stream or river, you may be prohibited from gathering them because of environmental restrictions. Too many rivers and stream ecosystems are already in fragile condition; having people remove the rocks which offer protection for the wildlife that inhabits them will only make matters worse.

Your best bet for getting river rocks that you can be sure were not taken from environmentally threatened areas is to get them at your local garden supply store.

How To Get Garden Landscaping Ideas Free

There are many different sources where you can find landscaping ideas free. The first and most obvious is the internet. Thousands of websites exist where you can find gardening and landscaping ideas. Free information is easy to locate simply by searching on Google for 'free landscaping ideas' or similar. You could also try landscaping blogs and forums where authors are always adding new ideas.

You can also find free landscaping ideas in books which you may already have at home or that you can borrow from friends or family. They don't necessarily need to be landscaping or gardening books, but any that have pictures that inspire you. You can also look in magazines for ideas. Many newspapers also have a gardening section which may prove useful.Another simple way to get new landscaping ideas is to explore your local area. Look in friend's garden, local parks and buildings for garden design ideas. It's amazing what you can pick up on a morning walk.

Another great place to go for landscaping ideas free is your local garden centre. Many garden centres have landscaped areas showing off the plants and materials that they sell. Before you think about installing a new landscaping feature, make sure you check that it will fit and also look right in your garden! Make a list of your ideas and then carefully consider which will work best. You should start by taking a walk around your garden in order to get a good sense of what can be achieved. Check how good the drainage is and also check out the slopes and levels of your garden. Finally draw a plan to check that everything will fit.

If you are new to garden landscaping, before you start work take a little extra time to learn the basics in order to implement your landscaping ideas. Free advice is often available from friends and family. This is imperative if you have never done any work like this before.