Landscaping Ideas - How to Landscape Around a Swimming Pool

Landscaping around a pool can be a challenge and the best laid plans for a beautiful landscape can turn to disaster if not done right. As in all landscape designs you need to think about the future and what the pool area will look like months and years from now.

When I talk to clients in regards to their landscape needs I always like to ask if they have looked at any magazines or other landscapes that they like so I can get an idea about what they like. Usually they will show me an article from a magazine that will show a nicely done landscape and they would like to have something similar to the particular article they have shown me. When we are talking about pool landscaping the challenge is to make sure landscape materials that are featured in the article will working the planting zone of my client.

The ideal poolside landscape would be one that has a large enough bed area to plant trees and color that will not effect the water in the pool. On one job I reviewed with a client the previous landscaper had planted Live Oak trees around the pool area when the house was built in beds that were only 36" wide. Now 25 years later the trees are 15 to 20 feet tall and dropping acorns in the pool each year causing headaches for the pool cleaning company and the homeowner. Another client had a landscaper plant red crape myrtle trees along the back side of the pool, again in a bed 30" in depth and reaching over to the pool"s water area. As you can imagine my client had red flowers all summer long in the pool water.

This is why I have my clients think about their landscape wants and ideas early in the planning stage so they will not be faced with removal of beautiful Live Oak trees or Crape Myrtle trees when the landscape is maturing.

So what plants can be planted around a pool area that would be maintenance free? At some point all plant materials need some type of maintenance so the trick is to have minimal maintenance that will result in minimal pool maintenance for the homeowner.

You can still plant trees around a pool but only if you have a large enough bed that is away from the water. Remember all trees will drop something sometime and you do not want that dropping to be in your pool water.

Planting a mix of annual color and perennials works well. One of my favorite plants is lantana. This annual comes in many colors and loves the heat and once established is drought tolerant. Zinnias also work well and will usually reseed and come back the following year. Heat tolerant coleus is nice to use. The color here can be found in the leaves. Make sure you get the sun tolerant coleus for full sun exposure. For a vine check out sweet potato vine. This vine will really spread and works well in full sun or half day sun. Comes in chocolate, bronze, red, lime and tricolor.

Perennial color should include hardy hibiscus and daylilies. Both come in several different colors. You might even think about using the hardy banana. This will give you that tropical look and fell at poolside. Cannas will also provide a nice look around a pool and are easy to maintain.

And do not forget native grasses which can provide a nice accent in the pool landscape. Remember once ornamental grasses are established they are low maintenance and drought tolerant for the most part.

Landscaping around a pool can be very rewarding with a plan and a vision of the future. Have fun with your design. Your pool is a relaxing part of your yard and needs to be enjoyed by you, your family and your friends. The best compliment is to have someone come up and tell you that they wished their poll landscape looked as good as yours.

Inspiring Backyard Landscaping Ideas

Before starting a landscaping project there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration. It is important for a garden to have a soothing and peaceful atmosphere. Besides plants, shrubs and trees, water features can create a relaxing atmosphere and make wonderful backyard landscaping ideas.

Nowadays many landscaping plans include water features. There are several options when it comes to water features which always adds a touch of serenity and elegance to any garden whether large or small. Water features can be included almost anywhere in a garden and are ideal to draw attention and add beauty to your yard.

One can also include backyard landscaping ideas such as rock pools and water features. A great idea for those that already have a swimming pool is to add a beautiful faux rock or natural rock feature at one end of the pool whereby the rock pool inter leads into the swimming pool which will create a special effect. There are also water features that operate at specified intervals saving electricity.

In addition garden ponds are also really attractive and one can have a fountain incorporated in the middle of the pond. If you do not intend incorporating marine animals into the pound then the pound should ideally be below ground level. In addition creating stepping stone features around the water feature which leads off in different directions around the garden, will add beauty, as tiny flowing shrubs can also be planted in and around the stones.

Should you choose to add fish or water plants to your garden, one needs to consider color coding as well as whether these plants and animals will compliment the rest of the landscape or not. Perennial favorites are Koi and goldfish due to their bright colors. One can incorporate lilies or certain seaweeds which are eye catching in appearance and in addition are edible. There are several different types of edible aquatic plants such as lotus, chameleon, and duck potato and water fern.

One has to bear in mind that even the minutest backyard landscaping ideas will affect the overall results, so you need to be sure that the plants and features complement each other in order to produce a picturesque effect. There are various different options, which require low maintenance as well as multipurpose gardens such as rock gardens, butterfly and bird gardens. The idea is to have a unique design so that your garden does not look identical to the neighbors.

Tropical Landscaping Ideas - Landscaping Software

Landscaping Software - Residential Landscaping

For most people who value nature, their expertise is on landscape designs. Having a beautiful garden and an eye-catching approach of surrounding is their passion. They never stop in purchasing products and developing well-established ideas to assure that they have a paradise outside their doors. Having relaxing scenery on their yard makes them complete.

Our home is the best place where we can unwind, relax and eliminate all the stress we used to experience. Psychologists do believe that garden replicates the attitude of the person living inside it. To be more reputable to neighborhood, you must impress them with your decent surroundings. You must also keep in mind that this factor is also a personality growth matter you must develop.

Planning is the concept of landscaping. Without it, there is no assurance that the outcome of the landscape is victorious. It is advisable for everyone to have a competitive landscape plan before every execution regardless of its scale size. It may not exactly work on your yard however; you can get started with it. You can make it a basis of your actual landscape design.

You may need some assistance in designing your front yard, backyard, patio, driveway, sidewalk, pool area, court, main entrance and lighting. This is no more an issue today since landscape designs have now its software. In a minute, you can create your own site plan without having trouble on images and graphics. The software has ready made images for you.

There is professional landscaping software that provides comprehensive features in order to attain the best residential landscape. It is where you can improve and level up your knowledge with regards to your surroundings. You can customize everything, explore and come up with an efficient and quality design you're longing to have. There is no hesitation on homeowner's part since it is user-friendly and you can directly visualize your desires. So far, a lot of homeowners who had this kind of software successfully built an admirable end result.

There is also a high quality architectural drawing symbols that gives you a good looking presentation of your proposed plan. You don't have to be a licensed graphic artist or an architect to have a good landscape plan. These symbols are collection of tools and commands to speed up the process of making your site.

A pleasant outdoor seems to be very a nice place to stay and you can no longer feel anxious to invite all your friends to hang out on your residence. To attain it, there is landscape designer ready to lend a hand for all your landscaping needs. Investing is sometimes better than making impulsive decisions. It could be the ideal way to make your home paradise' dream come true. In fact, it is also an achievement to become an architect of your own residence.