Resources for Landscape Architects, Contractors and Superintendents from the publisher of Landscape Architect and Specifier News, Landscape Contractor National, and Landscape Superintendent and Maintenance Professional.
Home | About  
 

Archive for June, 2009

Building Backyard Ponds – A Great Challenge For Landscapers

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

As more and more people beautify their backyard with shrubbery and flower beds, building backyard ponds to improve their landscaping is considered a new aspect of business for landscapers. The cost of building backyard ponds will change based on the design as well as the size of this additional attraction. Therefore, building backyard ponds will be a great opportunity for landscapers.

Finding a Need and Filling It

Nonetheless, for fancy designs where electric power is needed away from the home, contractors are starting to expand on an additional aspect of the landscapers business. Adding building backyard ponds to their repertoire of enhancements for the outdoors, having the right equipment as well as expertise can create additional revenue.

The majority of small ponds are available in a kit form for owners of homes to add on their own, yet once they begin digging the hole and realize the amount of excavation in addition to adding power to the water pump they might start making some phone calls looking around for professional assistance. While the all-in-one kits make building backyard ponds sound relatively easy, there is quite a bit of physical work involved.

Various Steps for Adding Outdoor Pond Can Be Intimidating

When building backyard ponds, a whole needs to be dug about the size of the pond desired. For small round ponds that are narrow it is not a major problem, but for areas that are larger the use of power equipment, going beyond the scope of the majority of homeowners, will make the job of far easier.

Then, the idea of having to hook up the power to a water pomp for the fountain as well as filtration system will ordinarily need the services of a licensed electrician, unless the homeowner is comfortable with having an extension cord running over their lawn. Plants that are in and around a pond will also add to the decorative nature and furnish a more aesthetic area within the yard, and because the majority of landscapers are familiar with the types and sizes of decorative plants, they are typically called in to assist people who are building backyard ponds.

An individual or a company who has a proper equipment as well as experience in building backyard ponds can typically have a small to medium-sized type of pond in place in a day or two, and would then be working on adding decorative shrubs while they wait for the water to become clear through the filter. But the time and effort that is required, the majority of owners of homes are turning building backyard ponds into a moneymaking business for landscape companies.

With frequent efforts, landscapers will bring this new landscaping field to homeowners soon. Although process of building backyard ponds is hard, the cost it give you is greatly big.

Making Your Garden Attractive With Landscape Supplies

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

There are a variety of landscape supplies to beautify your garden. Following are basic things which your garden can enchant people with.

First in the list of landscape supplies are plants. These plants are perhaps the most important part of your landscaping. It is easy to find almost any type of plant or tree you might like to include in your landscape. If you can’t find the plant you are looking for at your local garden store, you can always turn to the computer. Thanks to Internet and the World Wide Web, gardeners have the opportunity to order plants from nearly every part of the world.

Now that you have your plants and trees, you need to create flower or garden beds. Generally gardeners will dig out dirt down to about six inches or so, lay down weed fabric, then refill the area with the original dirt plus specially formulated additives or they will replace the original dirt with a garden mix. Once you have your beds prepared, you will need to choose landscaping supplies to outline your beds.

Some people leave their beds without a border or edge, while others prefer to surround their beds with landscaping edging, rock or bricks. Rock and bricks are great because they will not rot or attract termites as wood landscaping edging will.

The next category of landscaping supplies you need to select from is some type of material to mulch your garden beds with. Mulch will not only make your beds more attractive, it will also help prevent weeds from growing in your beds.

Mulch will also help keep your plants from drying out in the heat of the summer as well as keeping them protected from the cold in the wintertime. There are a variety of mulches to choose from. These mulch types include shredded or chipped wood, small rocks or pea gravel, and peat moss. Instead of buying mulch, some gardeners prefer to make their own mulch using shredded, composted leaves and grass clippings.

Once you have your garden beds set up, there are a variety of other landscaping supplies for you to dress your gardens up with. Glass gazing balls add an attractive, formal look to any garden. Other popular garden additions are bird baths and bird feeders. Not only do birds add extra beauty to your garden, some types of birds actually help your garden by pollinating your flowering shrubs and plants.

Another popular addition to any garden is a water feature. The sound of running water can add a relaxing touch to your garden and also help to cover street noise if you live in town. Whether you choose a small freestanding water feature or decide to invest in a pond complete with a waterfall and fish, there are plenty of opportunities for you to purchase this type of landscape supplies.

Besides the landscape supplies above, you can choose more something from a variety of landscaping supplies available to highlight your garden style.