Where to Place Swimming Pool

Having a swimming pool constructed is one step in many when you're looking to landscape your backyard. When it comes to landscape architecture around your home, you choose plants, flowers, trees or even gazebos or garden swings. Once you've added a swimming pool to the mix and you have added another dimension to what you can do to enhance your backyard and your outdoor living experience.
Whether you consider gardening a casual hobby or a full-time endeavor, it does take plenty of pre-planning to realize the outdoor decorating dream you'd hoped for when you started. As with any landscaping project, it's always a great idea to talk to your swimming pool designer or landscape designer unless you're able to visualize a landscape from start to finish.
Prior to contacting anyone regarding your initial plans for landscaping, it's best to sketch out what you hope the completed project will look like. Next, determine which types of flowers, plants or crawling vines you want to incorporate into your landscaping theme. Remember, you don't want too many trees dropping leaves into your swimming pool or spa.
Another part of landscaping can be the addition of an outdoor kitchen, a fire pit or even a Zen garden. Will you be using your outdoor space for family parties or for an entertaining space for colleagues or business associates? Depending on the area of the country in which you live, having a pool house or a gazebo constructed can extend the number of months you can spend outside around the pool. The outdoor kitchen or fire pit also adds another level of outdoor living fun.
Another way to undertake the beginning phase of your landscaping project is by taking photographs of gardenscapes you enjoy and by looking through gardening magazines for inspiration.
Here are other places to look for inspiration for your landscaping project:

• The internet
• Gardening and landscaping shows or trade shows
• Thumb through landscaping or gardening magazines
• Take a walk around your neighborhood for inspiration.

Take stock of why you want to landscape and what you're hoping to accomplish. Do you want a serene, relaxation space? Are you looking to turn your yard into a rustic getaway? Or are you looking for a lush oasis of flowering plants and waterfalls? Regardless of what you hope to accomplish with your landscape design, you are sure to enjoy it once the project is done. Choose the perfect furniture and you have taken your outdoor living space to an even higher level!

How to Maintain Your Lawn

Every homeowner spends a good portion of time on lawn care and maintenance. Despite lawn maintenance being a common chore, there are risks involved due to the nature of the equipment used and the terrain. According to George Mason University, between the years 2004 and 2006, over 242,000 Americans were treated in the emergency room due to accidents during lawn care. They highlight typical injuries resulting from getting too close to moving parts, but also the aches and pains due to the physical labor.

Injuries during lawn care can occur when an object being ejected from the mower blade strikes a person. Running over rocks, toys, or litter can result in those objects being thrown, sometimes at a speed of over 100 miles an hour. Many times, it is children that are struck when lawn care is being done in the same yard a child is playing in. Flying objects can also result in broken windows of nearby homes or cars, as well as damage to the mower blades. Prior to beginning lawn care and maintenance, check the area for loose rocks or other debris. In addition, turn off the mower blade while going over driveways or other landscaping where rocks and pebbles are found.

It is not pleasant to think of an extremity interacting with a mower blade; but it happens. Of the many scenarios, it's possible to get your foot caught when you are reversing direction. Mowing wet grass doesn't help your odds of slipping under the mower deck. Wearing close toed shoes with gripping soles, as well as waiting until the blade has stopped moving completely before approaching it for service are safer bets.

A riding mower has its own challenges. The BBC states that over 66,000 Americans were injured while using a riding lawnmower over a five year period of time. Many of these injuries were caused by falls from the lawnmower or by the lawnmower tipping over. Children have been injured from falling off the mower while riding with adults. Lawn care and maintenance on steep hills or on wet slippery surfaces can also result in the lawn mower tipping. Falling from the mower can result in amputations from direct contact with the blade. It can also result in severe injury when the mower tips on top of the fallen individual.

On the other hand, lawn care and maintenance can seem like such a relatively sedentary or peaceful activity. But, have you ever wrenched your back or thrown out your shoulder from just pulling the starter cord? You can slip on wet grass and sprain an ankle or twist a wrist catching yourself, among other things. Pushing that mower up a hill or holding out that electric trimmer for hours can certainly make for sore muscles; as can kneeling in the soil plucking all those weeds. Those intermittent chores that you only do a few times a year are breeding grounds for finding muscles you forgot you had. To help prevent such aches and pains, why not stretch? Athletes stretch to get their muscles ready to work and prevent injuries; why shouldn't you before you rev up that weed eater? All bets are off if you hurt yourself stretching.

Electrocution or shocks can occur when one is doing lawn care and maintenance with electric equipment, such as a weed whacker or electric lawnmower, and the electric cord is accidentally cut. In addition, when lawn care is being done around electric boxes or wires, the individual can be badly injured if those live electric wires are contacted. Just like identifying underground wires before you dig, you should also identify above ground wires before you begin lawn care and maintenance. But, let's say you do nick or sever a wire because you forget to call and have the underground wires located. Then, if the electricity or gas from the exposed lines doesn't get you, the dreaded frying pan injury to the head will because you just knocked out all the creature comforts to the house.

Burns can be another result of lawn care and maintenance accidents. Burns can occur when the equipment runs out of fuel and you attempt to add gasoline to the tank while the engine is still hot. These burns can easily be prevented by filling up prior to beginning lawn care or by allowing time for the engine to cool prior to refueling. You may have never read it before, but your equipment's owner's manual will give you direction on this as well.

You can disturb insects or other animals while doing yard work. It's possible to aggravate bees and be stung by many at one time. Ticks can jump on you from nearby trees. Heaven forbid that you run over a nest of baby rabbits. Whose yard is it anyway?

While lawn care is often a weekly occurrence at nearly every home, accidents are common and can have significant consequences. However, by being aware of the surroundings and practicing a few basic safety measures, lawn care and maintenance can be done safely and effectively, producing a beautiful lawn that is the envy of the neighborhood. Each tool and task has its own set of challenges and safety should be paramount. You must take the time to read that owner's manual. And we haven't even talked about tools like chain saws and rototillers. They are a whole story by themselves.

Vegetable Garden in Your Home

It is not difficult to plant a vegetable garden, but you do have to understand the few steps that are involved. The first thing to do is to plan where you will be placing your garden plot. The next step is to get the soil prepared, and set the seeds or starter plants in place. After that, all you have to do is tend to the plants in your garden and keep the weeds at bay. You will soon be excitedly waiting for your first harvest.

Vegetable Garden Plan
When you are planning the location for your vegetable garden, be sure that you select a place will allow for a minimum of six hours of full sunlight each day. This will play an important role in whether you have a successful garden.

Be sure that you plan the space wisely by taking into consideration the kinds and amounts of vegetables you would like to harvest. Some vegetables take up more space to grow than others, so be sure you understand the requirements of those you like. If you are really serious about taking on the responsibility of a vegetable garden, you will also want to make sure that you can afford to take this space away from other family activities.

One thing that many people do to create a lovely and bountiful vegetable garden in their yards is to prepare space around the perimeter of the yard, like around the fence line. This can render a great deal of space without taking up more active areas of the property. Many even use containers that can be relocated when necessary as an alternative to a traditional vegetable garden.

Soil Preparation
Soil preparation is a very critical part of successful vegetable gardens. You will want to have loose soil that is rich in nutrients. This can be accomplished by using a shovel to turn the soil over and a rake to clear it of unwanted roots and debris. If you have time between when you are planning your garden and the time you will actually be working on it, this is a good time to start a compost bin. You can have new soil ready to put in your garden beds by recycling food scraps and some paper products and wood chips in your compost bin.

Planting Vegetables
If you like getting your hands into the soil, you will enjoy this next step. It is time to plant your seedlings or actual seeds into the soil. Regardless of the location of your vegetable garden, leave enough room between the seeds or young plants to accommodate the mature plants. For seeds, all you need to do is make a slight furrow in the soil and place the seeds in and cover them up. Seedlings need to have a hole dug in the loose soil that is deep enough to accommodate the roots. Once you have completed your planting, water everything in without disturbing the seeds and wait until your vegetables are ready for harvest, weeding when necessary, and providing much needed water.

The Elegant Iron Garden Furniture

Nothing beats outside entertainment on a summer evening. But we would usually associate outside dining with a barbeque, a very informal gathering of friends and family. We tend to use the inside dining room for the formal dinners. It is because we don't regard our patio areas as elegant enough for a formal dinner. We don't think that we can revamp our patios into elegant dining areas because we don't regard our garden furniture as elegant, classy and formal.

Truth is, garden furniture is available in a variety of designs that can lend any type of design look to your garden or patio.

Wrought Iron Garden Furniture would add elegance to your patio and transfer your patio to a lovely classy dining area. There are so many furniture pieces available in wrought iron, that you would be able to create the right atmosphere easily.

Iron garden furniture can have a cold look and feel but that is a minor challenge which easily can be rectified with the introduction of bench cushions. The type of cushion would depend on the look and feel that you would want to create with your wrought iron garden furniture.

You can achieve a classical, timeless, white and black look when using beautiful white cushion with black wrought iron garden furniture. The use of such furniture would help to create the perfect elegant dining area for a formal dining event.

The beautiful intricate detail of wrought iron furniture has an ornamental quality. Thus, you can save money on decorations as the furniture is naturally beautiful.

The same area can easily be transformed back into an informal relaxing corner by simply replacing the cushions and the minimal decoration.

The classic elegance of wrought iron garden furniture also brings an element of romance to a garden.
Benches with beautiful, but intricate, scrolling detail can transform a dated relaxing reader corner into an elegant, and dignified, romantic corner. The comfortable seating area would provide the relaxation needed while the contrast between the beautiful hard cold iron and the soft natural beauty of the flowers provide for an unexpected elegant design element.

Whether you want to inject your outside living area with class, elegance, dignity or romance, you can't go wrong with wrought iron furniture. The furniture is high quality and will never fail to help you to create the perfect design look and feel.

The versatile beauty of wrought iron garden furniture makes it an excellent investment. The furniture is also well designed, sturdy and very heavy. It can't be moved easily and won't fall or tilt. As such, it can withstand the onslaught of severe weather. It can even be left out in the rain or snow. It is also very easy to clean the furniture.

The timeless beauty and durability of wrought iron garden furniture makes it the perfect choice if you want to take your patio and garden from pretty to beautiful and elegant.

Garden Lights to Make Your Backyard More Attractive

A person who would want to make their backyard or garden attractive may want to use garden lights. These not only help light these areas up but they may also accentuate certain parts of the backyard or garden. These may be placed also not only outside but also inside the house which you'll have to be careful about. These are helpful products to help you decorate these places. They are very helpful in such a way that it will make a statement in your garden if you decide to use it.

If you are planning to use garden lights for your backyard or garden, it would help if you consult with the one who helped you design it so that you can get a better idea of how and where you'd like to put these. That person could also help you pick out the design, color, and style which may appeal to what you want. Also, you can request for her to let you know if what you want will complement the theme you your garden. It doesn't hurt to do this because you care about your home and would want to make it to how you want it as close as possible. This person understands that which is why they would be happy to help.

Garden lights may be used inside the house if you have something like a mini-garden in-house like near your living room and you know that it would look better illuminated. These would definitely help but consider to put it in a strategic safe place. This means that the wires are not just left lying around but tucked away nicely to one part of the mini-garden so that no one would trip on it. It is for your safety and for the people in your home because this will help avoid accidents or injury. Since these are mostly electric, then consider not putting it near the water because it might short-circuit or cause a fire if water and electricity become in contact.

Think about these things when you buy your garden lights. Remember these will definitely help you decorate and make your home more beautiful. Try not to over-decorate because you'd also want this to complement your house. It is definitely important because you'd like to have these complement each other so that people who would be coming over your home would also think that it is beautiful.

Garden Maintenance in Autumn

You have to take care of your garden during the autumn months and this is a very important thing to be kept in your mind. Autumn is, perhaps, the busiest period in which we have to spend more time on maintaining the garden and these efforts will save loads of your time in the coming spring. Here are some basic ideas and tips to be followed by you, in maintaining your garden, during autumn. You should also take care not to walk on the grass when there is frost on it. Now get ready with your garden blower.

Tips to be followed in Steps
To begin with you have to remove the plants that are dead, from your garden. These plants, survived during the warm summer months and now, they have withered on the ground. The removal of these dead plants will give a fresh look to your garden, at present. While you are in the process of removing these plants, you can go on planting new plants and vegetables in your garden. You should be sure enough, that the new plants will withstand freezing conditions, but you think of providing some cover on the plants during the night-time.

Now you have removed the dead plants from the garden, the next step is to clear the garden from the leaves that were shed by the trees, using a garden blower. This process has to continue for a few months, as the trees will lose their leaves during that period. Now you should remove the built up, that is beneath the grass, and this should be done in a straight pattern. Now your lawn may become too short because of this, but you are going to be fertilising and seeding in the lawn, so that the lawn will improve soon.

Now you have to clean the garden and remove entire unwanted things that have accumulated in your garden due to the above operations with the help of the blower and lawn rake. Then fertilise your lawn starting from the edge and ensure even coating across the whole area. Then make the area moist by watering the garden fully. If necessary, you have to apply seeding again, if you see any bare or yellow patches even after fertilisation process.

Now it is time to set right your sprinkling system and you have to wrap it well. During winter, you have to water the garden lawn by hand using detachable hose pipe which will help to prevent from freezing.

Suitable Material for Outdoor Furniture

When thinking about which materials to use for your outdoor furniture, there can be more aspects that you need to consider compared to choosing furniture for the indoors.

To be sure that you have made the right decision, you have to know the materials well. There are important points for every type of material. And, there are advantages and disadvantages that will make a big difference in your decision.

The most common material we use is wood. This is mostly for the chairs, the benches, the tables, etc. Wood can be an ideal material as there are varieties that are very affordable. However, their durability might not be the best when compared to other materials out there. But, if you think about the price and the durability, it can be worth it. It will be easy for you to change an old and damaged furniture item with a new one as you didn't spend too much for that one.

The design of wooden furniture are also very laidback and familiar. There can be no radical changes to the comfortable outdoor feel that you have with such familiar furniture items. As earlier said, there are several types of wood that can be best for the outdoors. Even if they are just cheap, you should still go for the ones with the most durability.

Wicker is another material that you can possibly use. They are also generally cheap. And they can be turned into pretty comfortable furniture. Depending on the design, they can be very low maintenance. Also, they can be made from either bamboo, rattan, cane, or several more. This allows you to choose the best material to complement your outdoor area's ambiance and design.

As wicker furniture are generally lightweight, it can be easy to move them from one area to another. You can even take them inside a sheltered space when rains or the snow comes. These can be best for that relaxed, outdoor feel that you are trying to have in your outdoor space.

Synthetic wicker furniture are also available these days. For these type of furniture, you will not need to worry about the weather and the furniture's durability. They are more suited for the outdoors and they can withstand the heat or rain more than those made from bamboo, rattan, etc.

If you want to have metallic furniture, aluminum can be one of your first choices. First of all, they can be the cheapest of the metal furnishing. But, they remain lightweight, durable, and comfortable to use. Cleaning aluminum furniture can also be very light work. Even if you have left aluminum furniture outdoors for some time, you will not have much problems with corrosion.

If aluminum is not suitable for you, you can check out iron furnishings. They can be a little bit heavier but, they are durable and can withstand almost any type of weather. If you are worried about rust and corrosion, you can go for wrought iron as these will not be your problems with such items.

Timber Garden Fencing

Gardeners often find themselves at a loss when it comes to replacing their timber garden fencing. This is because the quality of timber garden fencing is so good that gardeners seldom have to replace them. It can be even trickier if the garden came to them with property that already has the timber garden fencing.

There are three main types of timber garden fencing that gardeners can choose from. The choices that the gardener makes are going to come down to what they want and need for their garden. Perhaps they want something more decorative, or perhaps they want privacy or perhaps they want a little of both. The two are not mutually exclusive, and sometimes hiring fencing services can help the gardener get exactly what they want.

One type of garden fencing that is particularly decorative is picket fencing. This type of fence looks great but does not provide much privacy. In any case, the gardener can construct it themselves, or they can have fencing services build and install it for them. Common picket designs are round top, pointed topped, chisel top and square top. If the fence is glossed white to finish this will look wonderful, but the timber may not hold up well under the finish.

Panel fencing is good for privacy, but may not look as nice. For many gardeners this is not really an issue, for their primary concern is privacy over decoration. What is nice about this style is its ability to be constructed on a tight budget. Plus, it is a style that has been in use in Europe for quite some time. While this style is not necessarily the most decorative, that does not mean that it cannot be made to have decorative aspects. When it is built from quality timber and maybe built a bit high, it can take on a nice, decorative look while also providing the desired privacy.

Finally, close board fencing offers both privacy and decorative style both in equal measures. The style of construction is wedge profile boards perpendicularly overlapped all along the extent of the fence. Heights generally range to as high as 3 metres. Because of the overlapping boards and the height of the fence privacy is virtually ensured. The overlapping boards also offer a wonderful aesthetic that is pleasing to the eyes.

In short, choosing the right timber garden fencing is going to come down to what the person wants and needs. While for many all they want is a nice decorative fence, others see that as unnecessary and opt for something strictly utilitarian. Other still will opt for both, as they fancy a nice aesthetic but also value utility at the same time.

Overseeding Grass to Keep a Green Lawn During the Colder Months

Warm season grasses like bermuda, zoysia, and St. Augustine go dormant and turn brown all through the colder winter months. Overseeding using a cool-season grass can be a solution to keep a green lawn during the colder months.

When overseeding, you're actually seeding into your existing warm-season lawn and perennial ryegrasses are very well suited to this purpose. Overseeding in advance of the warm-season grass dormancy guarantees continuous green grass throughout the winter. Preparation of seed bed should be enough for good fall establishment but minimal enough to allow for good recovery of your grass for the following spring.

St. Augustine and zoysia grass aren't suitable for overseeding. Having said that, bermuda grass lawns can be overseeded to make a year-long green landscape.

Preparation and Planting
Overseeding your cool-season grass too soon while in the fall can bring about thin, spotty establishment. Actively growing bermuda grass will out-compete the ryegrass, however if planted too late, growth is delayed by colder temperatures producing poor establishment. The best time to overseed your lawn will be between October 1st and November 15. During this time bermuda grass growth shall be slowed down by cooler temperatures but adequately warm to encourage good grass seed germination of your ryegrass.

Ryegrass seed germination will drop after soil temperatures begin to move below 63 F. You can determine soil temperature by sticking a cooking thermometer right into a hole made by a screwdriver. Examine many different sections of your lawn.

You want to verti-cut, power rake, and mow your bermuda grass down as low as possible to assist in removing or reducing thatch. This will guarantee good seed contact with the soil. Planting your rye seed is accomplished exactly like planting grass for any new lawn. Apply grass seed with a spreader or seeder and apply only 1/2 of your seed in one direction and stop. Then apply the other 1/2 of the seed in the other direction. This technique insures a well applied and evenly covered seed bed.

If overseeding with annual ryegrass, make sure you plant from 10 to 20 lbs per 1,000 square feet. If using perennial ryegrass (recommended), you are going to plant at 10 to 15 lbs per 1,000 sq ft. Overseeding at rates beyond these recommended levels could potentially cause excessive seedling competition and crowded seedlings are definitely more vunerable to diseases.

After seeds are planted, they need to stay moist to germinate properly. Top dressing seeds with finely ground bark mulch, manure compost, or sand should help hold the moisture in. Do not use peat moss as it's difficult to keep wet and might blow away.

Watering
After planting grass seed, light and frequent watering (up to 3 times daily) is important while in the first seven to ten days, till the seedlings have established their roots down inside the moist soil. Germinating seeds need lots of oxygen so maintain your grass moist but don't overwater which will cause flooding. Watering intervals should then be gradually moved to about once a week. During the coldest times of the season it's possible you'll just need to water once every 2 weeks.

Monitor the soil moisture by sticking a screwdriver in the soil. If the screw driver goes in easily and comes out moist, you don't need to add water. You basically would like to maintain the top six inches of soil moist and when your grass needs water it's going to show you. Symptoms of moisture stress are wilting, a grey-green color and after walking over your grass, your footprint indents remain visible longer.

Two weeks after seedling emergence, it's a good idea to put on a grass fertilizer loaded with phosphorous, which will promote good root development. There are many starter fertilizers to choose from but an example can be ammonium phosphate (16-20-0), which you would apply at about 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

Mowing
Annual and perennial ryegrass ought to be first mowed once they reach heights between 2.75 and 3 inches. If utilizing a rotary mower, set the blade height between 2.25 and 2.75 inches. If seeking to achieve a prime quality turf appearance and using a reel-type mower, mow your lawn between 1 and 1.5 inches when grass is one-third taller than the regular mowing height.

Spring Transition
Bermuda and most warm-season grasses will grow back when night temperatures get to the upper 60s. To encourage the bermuda grass's come-back, lower the mowing height to an inch or less after nights start warming up. This will affectively scalp the cool-season grass, reducing shading and warms up the bermuda grass beneath. Continue low mowing, stop fertilizing, but maintain good soil moisture. This will decrease the competition between bermuda and ryegrass, enabling your bermuda grass to come back strong.

Creating a Beautiful Rock Garden

A rock garden is a place built with large and small piles of rocks. They are arranged in a beautiful way to give the impression of a mountain. Small gaps are kept between the rocks where the plants are grown. The theme used by the owner depends on his choice. He chose to construct a rock garden because he wishes to be in an environment where there are rocks and mountains with streams flowing decorated with trees and shrubs and beautiful forest flowers enhancing the beauty. It's a special dream garden.

Once determined about settings of a rock garden, it is advisable to take the professional help of a designer or an architect. Take their opinion, ideas, suggestions and then plan. Planning is very essential, just piling stones will appear unattractive but placing every rock systematically, according to a design planned will emerge looking attractive. A plan will also give you a comprehensible picture of how your rock garden will look after it is completed. Even involve your spouse and children because they will also be fascinated by your dream project.

It is sensible to hire the services of a rock formation company who will effortlessly deal with all the technical procedures. It will also save you from doing something incorrect because you may either end up damaging the sewer system or the gas line, phone lines, waterlines and electric lines. You will just have to provide the map of your land and the designer team will make sure how to handle these places. And with their proficient assistance the rock garden formation will be done quickly and swiftly.

At first clean the land area by removing the bushes, weeds or any type of small or big vegetation. After the ground level is cleared combine equivalent part of soil, rough gravel and peat for the topsoil. This mixture should be spread evenly, all around the cleaned garden area. Subsequently, arrange the layer of rocks. Choose softer rocks to obtain an effective and natural look. Rocks of different sizes, shapes and various shades of colors will be required. You can buy these rocks from the quarry.

At the base the stones are arranged according to the plan. The rocks are laid very carefully one after the other with stuffing soil all around to fix them. Make certain that the layer of rocks runs in the similar direction. Then lay the second row of rocks. Keep on repeating the process and filling the gaps with soil mixture. Make pockets around various rocks to plant bushes. The rock formation planned is ready. Spread small colored pebbles with different colors and textures around.

Now you have to choose the plants. Certain trees have roots which grow towards water, so avoid planting such trees near the drainage system or water pipes. Buy plants and trees which are local so they can survive in the climate. Plants should be smaller and not grow big or spread like small bushes which prefer dry soil and less water. Seasonal blossomed flower and decorative plants will help to make the landscape attractive and colorful.

Small pebbles from the river bed will give a watery look and will help to keep the weeds away. You can also add a stream to make it look like a mountain side to. A small fountain can also be included. Any new special touches can be supplemented to the rock garden to make the landscape stunning and attractive. Maintaining a rock garden is simple. Watering, fertilizing and weeding are to be done regularly. If it is a big garden take help of a professional gardener.

A rock garden adds a natural beauty to your house. A well built rock garden enhances the landscape and increases the market rate of your house. Thus the money invested in designing and constructing a rock garden will be rewarded. Your personal rock garden will be a special place for you to sit and lighten up or meditate.

Create Boundary around Your Yard with Planting

A privacy screen is a good way to create a boundary around your yard, reduce the amount of noise coming in from the street, block strong winds, and prevent passersby from looking into your yard. If you want to grow a healthy privacy screen that will provide all of these benefits, there are a few factors to take into consideration.

Before you can select a plant that can meet your needs, here are a few points you will need to think about.

Map out your planting area: In order to have a good idea of the dimensions of your privacy screen, you should map out your planting area in advance. This will also help you determine the kind of trees or shrubs that will best fit your space.

Visualize your privacy screen: After mapping out your planting area, you will be able to have a realistic idea of what to expect. Visualizing your privacy screen will give you a good idea of how you would like the screen to look once it is fully developed.

Screen width: Wider screens require denser foliage and reduce the amount of noise coming in from the streets. With more space, you can grow multiple rows for denser coverage; if you have less space available, you can grow smaller trees and shrubs instead.

Spacing: So that the trees in your privacy screen can grow well, it is important that you have enough spacing between the rows. The amount of space between each tree is determined by the crown width. In order to avoid competition between the trees, it is important to take crown width into consideration when planting.

Screen height: In order to determine which trees will best suit your plans, you will first need to decide how high you want your screen to be. Higher screens reduce visibility and are very effective at reducing wind speeds.

After deciding on the dimensions of your privacy screen, you can then decide which type of tree or shrub will best suit your needs. Evergreens provide a privacy screen year round and can help reduce noise, snow and wind speed. Deciduous trees, on the other hand, offer aesthetic benefits such as flowers in the spring and beautifully colored leaves in the fall, but they will not provide privacy in the colder months of the year when the leaves have fallen.

A privacy screen can be a wonderful addition to your home. Not only will it improve your curb appeal, it can also increase the resale value of your home.

The Right Lights for Your Garden

Among the many areas in your home, you simply can't deny the fact that your garden will always be very special and with proper garden lights surely it will be the best place in your home. As a matter of fact, there are some people who consider checking the garden first before purchasing a home. Now, in order for you to be sure that you have an attractive garden that seems to be the perfect place where you can spend some lonesome time, it is a must that you use the best lights for it. Listed below are a few benefits of using the right kind of lights for your garden.

Initially, the main goal of installing garden lights is to provide you, your family and even your guests the security that you all needed. Indeed, if you use the right kind of light in your garden you will be able to walk through the right way even during the night. Moreover, a garden that is peering in darkness can even be very appealing for robbers and other criminals because they know that darkness will hide them as they do their evil tasks. For that matter, a well-lit garden seems to be inevitable, something that is automatic if you want to get rid of yourself some unfortunate incidents. Now, if you feel like the area is really not that safe then all you need to do is to install motion sensor lighting in it.

Another benefit that you can get as you use the right kind of garden lights is that it can help you arrange several dinner functions or anything sort of that matter without worrying about paying for the place at all. You really need not to go any farther in order for you to celebrate special occasions in your life, for with proper lighting you can simply turn your garden to be the right place for any event.

Through garden lights you will be able to live a more socially active life. This is something that is really important because it can lead you to a happier, healthier and longer life. Lights can even be very crucial in setting the mood of the entire party. You can just envision an environment that is attractive and lively. It can even create a big impact to whoever will visit your garden. Nonetheless, you just also need to be keen with the precautions that come from using it.

Covered Your Wall by Using Timber

External timber covering or cladding, of a building gives it character, determines the building's cost value and protects it from weather. There are many types of external cladding choices, each with a unique look, price and way to maintain its function on a building.

Whether you're a wood, stone, brick, or a seamless steal person will influence what type of external timber cladding used on your building or home.

As you move inside the building you have created, you might decide to construct a home theater. That's where you will need timber cladding wall; an environmentally friendly way used to construct the exterior or interior walls of a building.

Timber covering of a wall is a very efficient way of creating acoustical wall panels. Whatever you decide to do (be it a home theater or a recording studio), natural wood works very well with sound waves. Acoustical wall panels made of wood are also a wonderful way to bring the warmth of nature inside your home.

If what you are looking for is a sparkle, or to see your reflection then there are 3 choices you must make; oil, varnish, or lacquer.

In using oil, you would leave the timber cladding untarnished; several coats of linseed or tung oil should be massaged into the wood, repeating the process once the wood starts to dull. With varnish or lacquer, you could use stain or leave it out, and add in several coats while drying in-between.

Always consider locally available options.

Autumn Garden Decorating

Do you want 2011 to be the year you enjoy the beauty and bounty of your most outstanding garden ever? Are you dreaming of a crop of beautiful, sweet tomatoes or to improve your display of autumn color? If so, now is the time to start planning. That's right, deep winter is when it all starts. Maybe you're snow bound or wiped out from the holiday season and the peace and tranquility of the garden seems light years away - but the seed catalogs have arrived and the stirring in your soul is rising. You have a vision in your mind of all your garden ideas come to life; color, fragrance, flavor and form. All gardeners are artists at heart and whether you plant a pot of petunias on your condo balcony or have an acre of valley bottom soil to cultivate, the stewardship of Mother Natures' beauty lies in your hands. Now is the time to begin the upcoming masterpiece!

As in life, your garden needs a plan. So where to start? The first thing to do is to have a look back at last years' garden and ask yourself a few quality questions - and please, please do this on paper. Don't just let it roam around in your head; get out a notepad and pen, maybe some of last summers' photos and this year's catalogs or magazines, then settle in to get excited! Let's begin:

1) What were the highlights of your garden last year? What were the aspects that you loved? What were the successes and triumphs? Have you identified the "sweet spots"; the beds, plants, groupings and unexpected delights?

2) What were the failures of your garden last year? What were the duds and disappointments? What did you say you were going to do, but never did? What aspects were frustrating for you? Did you have the physical strength and stamina to do what you desired to?

3) What did you learn from these experiences? Have you determined to be rid of the under-performers? Do you have a better feel for what your low and high maintenance plants are? What are the areas where you need to improve your knowledge or skill set?

4) What are your gardening goals for the upcoming year? Write out a list of at least 10 gardening goals for the upcoming seasons and then decide which of these 10 goals are your top 3, and then write out a paragraph or two on why you want to accomplish these goals. What will you get from it? How will it make you feel when your project is finished? The idea here is to get emotionally connected to your goals as this will give you the drive to commit to your goals and follow through until completion.

The next step is to work out your plan. Start with the final outcome you desire for each of your top 3 goals then work backwards to determine what steps and actions will be required for each goal. Will you need to budget finances? Or find a book on deck plans or how to build a compost bin? Will you need a helper or a contractor? Do you have all of the tools, equipment, material and resources necessary?

Once you have your plan outlined, schedule the actions into your calendar when each of these steps needs to be done. And do it in writing - a short pencil is better than a long memory! Now post your calendar where you're going to see it daily and the vision of your goal is going to excite you.

Finally, what can you do right now to get started to achieve your gardening goals for this year? It doesn't have to be big, but do something now to get going and begin building the necessary momentum to carry you through. If you follow these steps, you'll achieve your goals and reap the rewards of watching your visions ripen into fruition for a beautiful and bountiful garden!

Choose the Most Suitable Outdoor Furniture

One of the most fun parts about having a home is decorating. Interior and landscape design can be an ongoing project that changes with the season. While the décor around you is changing, some things will rarely change in your home. For example, you may have the same bed or couch for ten years before you decide it is time for a change. Another thing that rarely changes is your outdoor furniture. A house can have the same porch swing throughout its lifetime, and patio furniture rarely is changed out. Here are some benefits and uses of having custom outdoor furniture for your home.

Custom services are always the best way to go when decorating your home. They give you endless options when it comes to matching your specific needs. You may search all the outdoor furniture stores in your area and still not find exactly what you were looking for. Why settle for a piece when you can have it made professionally to your liking? For example, you may want to put a porch swing on your porch but you have an odd shaped space to work with. A custom design will adapt to your dimensions and make it look like the swing with built right along with the home. You can voice your vision to the furniture designer and they will match your goal to the best of their ability.

Custom wood designs for outdoor furniture are always a handsome choice. Not only do they give you room to paint or stain the pieces to match your home or wooded deck, but they provide a high level of durability and comfort. Wooden outdoor chairs have design options that provide maximum comfort as they take advantage of sculpted seats and curved back slats. Not to mention, they can last for unheard of amounts of time. A lifeline of custom wooden outdoor furniture may be over 100 years, and they undergo heavy testing to guarantee not only safety but a long life time. For example, they go through temperature tests ranging from as low as -40 and going up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You won't get even close to these benefits when you purchase just any piece for your outdoor decor.

When it comes to decorating your home, keep in mind the option to have your pieces custom made. Outdoor furniture does not get replaces often, and it doesn't have to when purchasing something as beautiful, durable, and comfortable as a custom wooden outdoor set.