Create Stone Patio Designs

In planning do it yourself stone patio designs, the first step you need to take is to determine what type of stone and what size.

Even for a patio, you can use the larger stepping stones, but while flagstone patio designs are popular in their own right, it is more common to use a cobblestone or patio pavers with patio paver designs, which are usually more uniform in shape and size, making it easier to lay in unison.

There are endless varieties of colors, shapes and sizes of paver stones, so this is often a good choice to go with for more options when it comes to creating stone patio designs.

Once you have determined the type of stone you will use and the quantity necessary from the supplier or hardware store, it is extremely important to determine the design you will use on the stone patio before you get started. You will not be successful at laying the stones yourself if you wait until you are in the middle of the project to determine how you want them laid. There are a variety of design books, landscaping magazines and online tools that can help you with patio design ideas.

The steps you need to take to create your stone patio design, is as follows:

1. Excavate the area, to between 2 ½ and 4 inches deep. How deep you excavate will depend on how thick the stones are and will also depend on how much slope you need to consider in the patio design. Also make sure to consider where you will place all of the extra soil and dirt once it is removed from the design area. You may want to create a frame out of 2 by 4s, to allow you to stay within your desired area, if your excavated area is not that deep.

2. Compact the excavated area. It is necessary to completely smooth out the area to ensure that there will not be any unevenness in your design.

3. You will likely be using compacted sand for your base material and will need at least 1 inch to cover the entire excavated area. Pour the base and use a 2 by 4 to even out the base material. Remember if you are using sand, you will need to dampen the sand before placing it in the excavated area, to allow for easily laying the stones. Be sure to place at least 1 inch of material before moving on to the stones. You may need more base material if you live in a cold climate area.

4. Although it is the most simple of instructions, placing the stones will be the most time consuming, as it is important to place them evenly so that you will not have to go back and fix them at a later date.

5. After all the stones have been placed correctly, it is important to restrain them around the perimeter before compacting the stones. Most experts will recommend an aluminum or plastic edging to help in maintaining the stones in bad weather.

6. The next step is compact the stones. In order to properly compact the stones, it is suggested to use a vibrating plate compactor for the best results.

7. The final step will be to pour the remaining cracks with sand. Almost all patio designers will suggest using irregular sharp sand, which helps to create an interlocking action between the stones. It will help to keep the stones from coming loose. Be sure to fill the joints to the top.

8. Compact the stones again after adding the sand. If necessary spray down the stones to clean up and your stone patio design is complete!

Window Box Planters Will Add Charm To Any Exterior

Window box planters and raised deck and balcony planters full of blooms, greenery, and cascading vines brighten dark and uninteresting areas of the exterior of your home, soften harsh lines and materials, and add dramatic focal points. Make your planters harmonize with their surroundings by considering color, texture, and design before choosing a home for your plants. Nothing says romantic like plant tendrils, vines, and flowers spilling over a balcony; the cottage look is enhanced by cheerful flowers in picturesque window boxes, and elegant planters with stunning color-coordinated blossoms are an outstanding choice for the windows of a formal home.





Types of Window Box Planters

1. Ceramic – Large ceramic planters aren't a popular choice for window boxes because of their weight, but you can find small planters to fit on sills and railings and to hang against walls. You may lose your heart to one since they are available in so many colors and designs and they certainly are suitable if you have a safe site.
2. Fiberstone – This is a material made of real limestone mixed with fiberglass to produce planters with the look, feel, texture, and durability of limestone but are light and waterproof and make an excellent window box choice.
3. Ironworks – Ironworks make artistic window boxes of welded steel dipped in a rust-proof coating (e.g., black plastic) and designed as baskets with lining of natural fiber or coco moss.
4. Wood – One of the most popular choices for raised planters and window boxes is rot-resistant wood like cedar or redwood, which can be adapted to all architectural styles.
5. Plastic – Plastic is light, moisture proof, and a popular choice for hanging planters, but is less commonly used for window boxes because it is not as strong or durable as many other choices.
6. Fiberglass – This is a good material for window boxes because it is light, moisture proof, and durable, and is available in many different styles, colors, and textures.
7. Metal – Metal window boxes (e.g., wrought iron) are popular for their charm and functionality and, like ironworks, are usually designed in a basket style because of their weight and are lined with fiber or moss to retain soil and moisture.

Secrets of Success

1. Raised and window box planters should be at least eight inches high and ten or more inches across. The length is a matter of choice, but for window boxes, the container should fit snugly on the ledge. If you have a very long window, it might be advisable to fit one or more boxes end to end, just to make them easier to handle than one long, unwieldy container.
2. Make sure the window ledge – or the railing on your deck or balcony – can support the weight of the container, the watered soil, and fully-grown plants, especially if the box is one or more stories off the ground. Use screws, wires, chains, or whatever it takes to make sure that your planters aren't going anywhere without your approval.
3. In the spring, you can grow flowers like primroses that need only three or four hours of sunlight, and then, as the day lengthens, switch to colorful geraniums and other blooms that require more sun. It is a lot easier to re-plant raised patio planters and window box planters than re-plant beside garden pathways or in garden beds. If your window box planters don't ever receive much sun, grow an assortment of the many beautiful shade plants available.
4. It is easy to change outdoor color schemes when you are a container gardener. Color theme plantings are fun and garden planters lend themselves to the process. Try monochromatic color schemes in white (e.g., verbena, bacopa, marguerit, alyssum, and white petunia), pink (e.g., pink petunias and geraniums, and pelargonium), or use gentle mixed colors (e.g., candytuft, pansy, lavender, and mixed petunias), or brilliant splashes of color (e.g., pansy, nasturtium, and dwarf marigold).
5. What better place for your herb garden than a window box? Picture yourself opening the window and pinching off fresh parsley or basil for your dinner. Yum.

City, town or country dweller – everyone should have the fun of window box gardening.

Indoor Foliage Plant Care Tips

Water every week to 10 days.

Water at the sink or outside with the hose. Let water run through soil, drain, and replace.

When watering larger plants, slowly pour small amounts of water, enough so that a little comes out of bottom into your protective saucer. Insure that your floor surface is protected from excess water.

Do the soil touch
Touch the soil – go about 1” down into the soil. If it's dry to the touch, then water. If it is moist at all, wait a few days, and check again.

Never let plants sit in excess water
Most plants will become distressed from too much water. Many plants want to be slightly dry before the next watering, but some plants like to stay slightly moist. Ask about your plants specific watering needs at time of purchase, or go online and find out what your specific plant likes.

Rotate your plants monthly
This way they will get an even distribution of light, and their growth will be more evenly distributed.

Fertilize
Fertilize every month or so with a good liquid plant food. Don’t over do it ⎯ just a small amount is fine.

Clean the foliage
Spray your plants with a gentle water stream (the shower works well ⎯ or outside with the hose) a few times a year to clean the foliage.

Create The Illusion of Distance

If you have an area in your yard or garden that you would like to make bigger, but you don't have the room - no worries!

There are two basic ways professional landscape designers create the illusion of a larger area, creating distance so to speak, and both ways are easy and fast to implement.

1. Use Warm To Cool Colors

To increase the apparent length of your flower borders or beds when seen from inside, place the majority of warm and hot-colored plants (yellows, oranges and reds) nearest the house. These plants can be perennials or annuals, it doesn't matter.

Next, concentrate cool colors, especially different blues, which have a tendency to appear more distant, in the second half of the garden. Make the change from warm to cool gradual, so a harsh line isn't created, and along with the blues, include some pink and mauve flowers.

Plants with silver or white foliage can be used to provide a unifying ground color throughout.

This trick can be used anywhere. We are assuming you may be looking out from your house, but your point of view may be from your patio, deck, hot tub, or walkway area. Just use the same trick: warm to cool, and it will make a big difference in making a small area look larger.


2. Use Different Dimensions

The second way to create the illusion of distance is to vary your dimensions of the borders and the paths separating them.

For example: in a border that is 20 feet (6.1 m) long, make the planting area and path narrower the farther away you get from your focal point.

So if you have a border that is 3 feet (1 m) wide and 20 feet (6.1 m) long, the dimensions would go from 3 feet (1 m) and narrow down to 1.5 to 2 feet (.46 to .61 m) wide at the end.

Do the exact same with the path that is close to the border, start it out wide and then narrow it down the farther way you get.

So do what the professional designers do, use dimensions creatively and it works out to your advantage every time!

7 landscaping tips

These ideas offer some of the best returns for your renovation dollar. Plus, the payoff increases over time.

If prospective buyers looked at your house today, what would they see outside? A giant evergreen that looks as if it might swallow the station wagon, perhaps, scraggly old foundation plants or maybe a kitchen-table view of the neighbors' kids' trampoline?

If so, you have a truly inexpensive opportunity to boost your home's curb appeal.


By spending $500 to $3,000 on plants and materials and a few hours of time, you can achieve a well-landscaped look without shelling out for professional help.

Besides the personal enjoyment you'll get from a prettier yard, landscaping adds more value than almost any other home renovation.

A recent Michigan State University study found that depending on where the house is located, high-quality landscaping adds 5 percent to 11 percent to its price.

If you have no immediate plans to move, all the better: Landscaping is the one home improvement that actually appreciates over time.

So how do you decide which projects to tackle? That depends on how long you think you'll be around to enjoy the results.

If you're selling in a year or less
Edge the beds Cutting fresh edges where grass meets mulch makes the lawn look well kept. A move as simple as curving the edge of your flower beds could increase the value of your home by 1 percent, says horticulture professor Bridget Behe, the lead researcher on the MSU study.

Also, if your foundation plants are overgrown, widening the beds by two feet will make the shrubs seem smaller.

Nourish the grass For truly lush turf, ideally you should start regular fertilizer treatments a year before listing the house. But you can green up the lawn with just a single application.

Spend $45 on a broadcast spreader, which quickly distributes fertilizer over a lawn, enabling you to nourish a quarter-acre lot in about 10 minutes.

For a yard that size, expect each monthly application to cost about $20 (for straight fertilizer) to $30 (with weed killer).

Scatter color throughout For about $1 a plant, you can blanket your yard with petunias, impatiens and other small annuals that will flower throughout the current growing season.

Also invest a few hundred dollars in some larger perennials and in shrubs that stand at least four feet high.

"A few good-size plants have more sex appeal than 20 little ones," says Chicago landscape architect Douglas Hoerr.

If you're improving for the long-term
Cut back the jungle Many everyday yard plants, such as azaleas, forsythia, hollies and rhododendrons, will fill out with new growth after a season or so even if you hack them down to stumps, says Christopher Valenti, a landscape contractor in Lewes, Del.

Be careful, though, of yews and junipers, which won't grow new leaves on old wood and may need to be removed altogether if they're severely overgrown.

Add drama with foliage A distinctive yard will make your home more appealing to buyers, says Los Angeles realtor Dana Frank. So replace plants that don't flower, or provide interesting foliage with eye-catching alternatives, like a patch of blackeyed Susans, a flowering crabapple or a cutleaf Japanese maple.

If you're planning to stay put, you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars for big plants. You'll save 50 percent or more by buying small ones and waiting a few seasons to get the full visual impact (when planting, make sure to space them based on the mature size listed on the label, not how they look now).

Consider new angles Most yards have almost all the plants along the foundation and the property lines. But if you place yours throughout different parts of the property, you'll create a depth of field that makes your home look farther away from the road, says architect Hoerr.

Try putting some near the house's corners to accentuate its shape, others near the street to define the yard, and some in between, where they can block unfortunate views and be admired from indoors. Many nurseries offer free design help to buyers.

Cover your rear It's nice to wave hello to your neighbors out front, but the backyard should be a private space. If yours feels overexposed, fencing can offer a quick fix.

For each eight-foot section, you'll pay about $100 (for a plain cedar stockade fence) to $300 (for an elaborate Victorian model), plus another $50 to $150 a section for installation.

You can also achieve the same effect at a much lower cost by planting small evergreen shrubs, although you'll have to wait a few seasons for full coverage.

Or, rather than pruning those hulking foundation plants, hire a landscaper to transplant them along the property line. As long as they're healthy and evergreen, it's a great way to maximize the value of the plants you already own.

Take your home outside: An open-air "room" adds inexpensive living space that may come in handy at resale. And it needn't have a price tag as big as the great outdoors.

Garden illumination

For paths. Often use or bulbs built in a path, or lanterns-columns. The first ones specify a direction of the movement, the second ones - softly shine a path and surrounding landscape. So, in darkness you will not stumble any more.

Small columns (may be of the most different forms) can shine a path in radius from one and a half up to four meters. Therefore designers recommend establishing them on distance of 4 - 5 meters from each other that there were no dark failures on a path.

For small plants. Small decorative fixtures (for example, gnome with a small lamp in hands) are usually established near to the plant. More simple fixtures can be hidden in the ground of colors or grasses. At night the bed will as though be shone from within.

For bowers or sculptures. Sculptures can be illuminated only from below. Game of light in bends of a statue will give new outlines to its forms.

For a pond or pool. Underwater fixtures can be both usual (yellowish), and light-emitting diode. The second ones can have various colors and even to change it, being poured by all colors of rainbow. And light of usual small lamps, being reflected from water, will play and flicker not worse than illumination. So, relaxing effect is provided!

Landscape Problems (And How to Fix Them)

There are plenty of common landscape problems that can really mar the beauty of your yard. These problems range from something aesthetic to things that can actually affect the over all health of your landscape. When you encounter these problems, it is a good idea to fix them as soon as possible. If you have ideas of your own to fix landscape problems, so much the better. If not, here are some suggestions for making simple improvements to the landscape.

Side Yards

These are usually among the most common of landscape problems. They are so narrow that they may be hard to maintain as far as lawn is concerned, and they also make better passages than practical places to play or sit. Sometimes they seem like the perfect place to "store" odd items and then simply turn into junk heaps. To prevent junky or barren side yard from tainting an otherwise beautiful landscape design, turn into a cottage garden or courtyard garden. Perennials and ornamental grasses, all in a variety of colors, are perfect for side yards. Turn it into a kind of wild little garden full of color. It will look beautiful and will not be an inviting place to stack junk. If you would still like to use the side yard as a pathway, it is possible to install a little pathway made from stone.


Excess Mulch

This is a landscape problem that has pant health implications. The problem is especially prevalent near driveways, walkways, and lawns. Mulch often overflows from flowerbeds or gardens, and this can create an untidy look to the yard. Additionally, if you have too much mulch (preferred depth is 2 to 4 inches) you can damage the plants and cause root rot.

There are a couple of thing that can be done to prevent mulch overflow (which can happen if you put 3 inches of mulch on top of the soil bed). One of the things you can do is to use ground cover plants along the borders. This will be attractive and help to contain the mulch. Another possibility is to lower the soil level about 3 inches. Then you can add the mulch and rather than being higher than a nearby hard permanent surface, the mulch will be level with it, but still performing its job of plant care.

Exposed Air Conditioners

and swamp coolers can be very visible blights on the landscape. While this is mostly a problem of aesthetics, exposed appliances can be heated by the sun, causing them to work harder and use more energy. Both of these problems can be fixed simply by planting a small tree or a hedge. The offending appliance is screened from view, and the shade helps keep the unit cooler, resulting in lower energy bills. This can even be done in areas where space is at a premium: you can plant a narrow hedge of nandina (should be 30 inches from the unit) or you can add a trellis with a colorful vine or climbing roses.

There are areas in your landscape that are too small for grass, and sometimes you may have odd corners that are not feasible for you to plant grass. Most of these areas are near an entrance, or at the edge of a patio or deck. Some of them are near walkways. No matter where they are, these areas are hard to mow and otherwise maintain.

Solutions to these problems are also varied. Making use of containers with plants is an attractive solution. One large container with one plant can be used, or it is possible to make a small container garden with a variety of plants in containers of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Problem areas such as these are also ideal locations for accent objects such as an obelisk, a stature or even topiary bushes. Water features can add cooling and soothing effects to your landscape, and there are a variety of water features that can be built to fit into nearly any space.

Solving landscape problems is not too difficult if you use a little creativity. These problems can transform eye sores into beautiful additions to your yard that create enjoyment for you and add distinction to your home environment.

5 Tips for a Better Looking Landscape

There is no doubt that when landscaping one wants to save money, as well as have an attractive property. Not only can landscaping help you beautify your home, but it can also provide a source of satisfying exercise in the fresh air. When you take care of your yard on your own, it is possible to save money and to improve your physical conditioning. But if the landscape turns out to look bad, then that is so much time and money wasted. However, it is possible to ensure a better-looking landscape by following a few tips that can help you take better care of your yard.

1.Know your soil type. Some plants thrive in soil with more acidity, and others prefer a little more alkali. Additionally, sandy soil and clay soil, as well as the presence of a loamy soil, can make a difference in what types of plants will thrive in a landscape. You should have your soil evaluated in order to determine what types of vegetation should be planted on your property. When you purchase plants that will succeed in the soil conditions present in your yard, then you make a wiser money decision, and you end up with a more attractive landscape. If there are plants that you would like to use in your soil, but the soil is not quite ideal, it is possible to improve the soil to proper conditions. You need only add mulch or peat, or to add crushed limestone or clamshells, depending upon what you hope to accomplish. As long as there is not a great difference in what you have and what you hope to achieve, it is possible to make soil adjustments to be more accommodating.


2.Understand how much space each of the plants need. There are some plants that require more room for their root systems than others. If you choose one plant that tends to grow everywhere, and you do not have adequate space, you will find that your other plants may be crowded out or that they may choke and die. Also, make sure you understand the spacing requirements for between plants. Many shrubs and small trees need to be planted at least three to four feet apart to have enough room to grow.

3.Use native plants in your landscape design. One of the most effective things you can do to ensure a good-looking yard is to make use of native plants. Find out what plants grow best in your area, and what plants are indigenous to the region. This way you will already be ahead, in that you know that the plants you choose are adapted to the climate. You will not have to struggle against natural inclinations to keep your landscape looking beautiful. If you due use non-native plants, assure yourself that they come from a place that shares a climate similar to the one in which you live.

4.Plan your landscape around different blooming times. Different plants bloom at various times throughout the year. If all of the plants in your landscape are at their most attractive all at the same time, then your yard will look beautiful for a few weeks each year, but quite possible ugly the rest of the year. One way to help avoid this is to choose attractive bushes and shrubs that look good green, but also have some sort flower. However, it is a good idea to stagger plants among each other. Plant tulips and crocus among later-blooming plants so that in early spring the bulbs bloom, and then when those flowers time is up, the next plants will be in bloom. In this way the cycle of your landscape is in keeping with the seasons, and looks attractive all year round.

5.Use wood chips around shrubs, bushes and trees. Wood chips can help the ground around shrubs, bushes, and trees look more attractive. Not only do the chips cover the ground (often looking better than dirt), but they also help keep in moisture, repel weeds, and provide natural food as they break down. Likewise, attractive groundcover like chicks and hens placed around trees and shrubs can make the area more interesting and pleasing to the eye.

Landscaping Tips for Home Remodeling

▪ Please note, If you live in a very different climate, the suggestions will obviously need to be modified.



▪ To get started, I recommend that you take some photos of your house show them to someone at your local nursery (like Pike's). Explain to them how much sunlight you get in certain areas and ask for their advice about what to plant where.



▪ Grass is not as easy to get going as one might think. If you want grass quickly, you can pay for sod (strips of grass and roots that are already mature). However, sod can be very expensive and you must be sure that you are going to be around to water it while it is taking hold.



▪ Some areas are just too shady for grass, and you can get very frustrated trying to get it to grow. In these areas, I would suggest any of a variety of shade plants. My all time favorite plant is the azalea. This plant does well in the shade, requires little maintenance, can grow full, and has beautiful colorful blooms. Some special varieties of azaleas will even bloom twice per year. To get azaleas to look less "spindly" and more full, some homeowners will prune them shortly after they bloom. Ask a professional the best way to do this.



▪ Cryptomeria can be a fantastic option if you want to block a view. For example, my house is very close to my neighbor's house. To get some privacy, I planted cryptomeria between the houses. They grow quickly, are dense, and make look great.

▪ There are differing opinions about ivy. Some view it as an invasive pesky plant. Others think it is an attractive ground cover. I do not like the way ivy climbs up trees and completely covers them, causing an early death. It is important to get the ivy off of your trees so that the trees can get adequate sunlight. Also, yards that have a lot of ivy often have a lot of mosquitoes. If you do want to plant some ivy, you do not necessarily need to buy it from a store. You can easily cut a few pieces off of an existing ivy plant, relocate it in some fresh soil, and it will take hold in the new spot. If you are trying to control erosion on a steep bank, ivy clusters are a good option.



▪ It is easy and fun to plant trees and watch them grow. If you plant a very young tree, it can resemble a weed to a yard maintenance man in a hurry! Be sure to put a colorful piece of tape around it so that everyone knows that it is not to be destroyed.



▪ Japanese maples are beautiful trees that are easy to plant.



▪ Some colorful plants are "annuals". This means that they only bloom once. You have buy new ones and plant them every year. People use clusters of annuals strategically placed in their yards to provide some seasonal color. A popular annual in my area is the Pansy. Tulips are beautiful annuals, but they require a lot of special care in their storage and planting.



▪ My two favorite ground cover options are pine straw or mulch. It is best to use one or the other in your yard, but not both. Pine straw and mulch help to retain moisture around plants and keep the roots from getting too hot in the sunlight. If you have an area that requires a lot of mulch, try contacting a local tree care company. They will likely provide you with some mulch, which is ground wood chips, for free.

Tips for Building an Outdoor Deck

An outdoor deck is one of the most popular home improvement projects. Whether you want to do it yourself or use the services of a qualified contractor to build it, an outdoor deck can add beauty, additional outdoor living space, and value to your home. As with any other home improvement project, there are many things that need to be taken into consideration so that you can ensure that your outdoor deck system is successful.

Size – The size of your deck should be taken into consideration for several reasons. First, you’ll need to accommodate your outdoor area and building a deck that is either to big or too small is a decision that you can’t take back. Second, you can save a lot of money if you plan your deck dimensions around standard board lengths. This will reduce the number of cuts and the amount of waste.


Location – You may automatically think that your deck should come off the back of the house, although this may not always be the best idea. Consider such factors as privacy and sun exposure when considering the placement of your outdoor deck.
Choosing a spot that receives both shade and sun at different times of the day gives you the best of both worlds: a time to soak up the rays and a time to relax in the shade.

Consider privacy when mapping out the location of your outdoor deck. Is it in direct view of your neighbors or the street? If positioning your deck in a private spot is not possible, consider a privacy fence, privacy hedge or shade trees to block prying eyes.


Home’s Exterior – Take into consideration your home’s exterior when designing your deck. It should compliment your home’s style, size and exterior color. For example, a Victorian home may have a deck with ornamental columns and turned balusters to compliment the architectural details of the home.


Existing Landscape – Consider your existing landscape when designing your deck. Don’t view landscape or terrain features as negatives when planning your deck design. Instead, view them as opportunities to create an interesting deck plan. For example, you can create framing around a large shade tree or boulder and simply integrate it into your deck design. A hill can also work into your deck design, as you can simply create a multi-level deck design to accommodate the slope in the terrain.


Local Codes – Regardless of whether you hire a contractor to build your deck or whether you do it yourself, you’ll want to check local codes and ordinances regarding outdoor deck structures. This can save you a considerable amount of time, money and frustration. For example, some municipalities require the use of stainless steel or galvanized screws; if you use any other type of screw, the local inspector will surely make you switch them, which will cost you a considerable amount of time and money.


Deck Protection – Don’t stop with just the installation of your deck. Protect your investment by cleaning it regularly and applying a deck coating system at least once a year.