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I see a lot of books on designing large gardens, but we live in California and have a very small back yard that we'd like to liven up (right now it's just mulch). Is it worth hiring a contractor? Is there good landscape design software we could use to help do it on our own?

HGTV offers an online tutorial.

If you are cramped for space. I'd plant vertically...Tall, skinny shrubs, climbing plants, hang baskets from fence, house, etc. Save all the ground space you have for you to move around in and enjoy. Potted plants offer lots of versatility. If you get tired of where they are or need that space later, just move them.

P.S. Keep the mulch away from the foundation of the house. It give bugs easier access to basements and crawlspaces.

2006-11-21 10:26:33 by JS

Tim Wilson, a Senior Landscape architect at Farrer Huxley Associates talks about the pleasures of designing your surroundings - video made for ...

Years ago I worked in a amateur way in gardening maintenance. I realice that I liked it a lot but I don't have the specific knoledge and experience to start a landscape and gardening design business. I have the feeling that I have the creativity for doing this but of course this is not all. Could someone help me telling me the kind of tools that I would require to start this gradually? Maybe I would requiere to know some landscape design software, etc. In short, what kind of tools would be necesary to have and learn. Maybe the thing would be more complex like doing an Business plan? I'll thank any advice. Chris

mower

bobcat

trimmers

Edger


Gardener: A truck or trailer to carry your equipment and debris (although some enterprising people have even started without this). A lawn mower, rake, broom, and other small hand tools. Buy your equipment used if necessary, but shop carefully.

Landscaper: Basically you need hand tools and a truck or trailer. To start with most other tools you can rent.

Interiorscaper: A car or truck is necessary, watering cans, and assorted small hand tools.

>From the basic requirements to start it would seem that interiorscaping requires the smallest capital outlay. This is correct, but starting an interiorscape business is more difficult in other ways. It requires a better understanding of the trade. Indoor plants are much more difficult to maintain. Also, acquiring accounts is not as easy as in outdoor work. Most, if not all, interiorscape accounts will be commercial, as opposed to the residential work of gardeners.

For gardeners and landscapers a truck or trailer is a must, but as I mentioned earlier it is possible to start without one for some work. If you are doing maintenance you may be able to get accounts that will allow you to use their equipment and not require you to haul away debris. You will be expected to work very inexpensively, though. If you can get a truck do so.

For both gardeners and landscapers another source of income is from clean-ups. This is simply a one-time job of cleaning up an overgrown landscape. These jobs are hard work, but can be quite profitable.

In every business you have to contend with the government. Service businesses are no different. Before you get started investigate what is required in your area. Most likely you will need a business license from your city. The state may require a contractor's license or certification for landscape contractors. Most likely your state will require a pest control license if you intend to apply pesticides. Check out all the city, state, and federal rules before you start.


misc hand tools rakes shovels

2007-08-27 16:08:24 by Quantex

Price: $32.00 $24.99

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As he is only 16 years old and would love learn more about Landscape design .

Only a thought - and I'm not trying it for you - but look at "Reaseheath" - they might be of some help or interest to you ! ! !

2007-09-04 03:40:12 by sandy

Price: $149.99 $103.81

Integrated Internet - shop for materials, find a contractor, or import from Google Sketch up, we just made the possibilities endless.
Get Started fast - reall! Even a beginner can build a house in 59 seconds!
Smart Room technology allows you to simply drag drop rooms, move or resize at will.

I am in a Design class for Landscape Architecture.

The most efficient, functional, and aesthetically pleasing home landscape should be developed to satisfy the needs of
the people who will use and maintain it. The planting design should be compatible with the existing environmental
conditions or restrictions. But most important, the design should enhance the quality of life for the users. Good
landscape design and the arrangement and placement of plants are all based on certain plant characteristics and
time-tested design principles. The visual characteristics of plant size, form, texture, and color contribute to the
functional and aesthetic qualities of a planting design.

Plant size should be the primary consideration. Large plants, such as shade trees, should be located first; the smaller
trees, shrubs, and finally the ground covers should be arranged to provide a sense of support or framework to the
overall design. Shade and evergreen trees, such as maples or spruce, are the most dominant plants in the landscape
design. They provide background, visual weight and structural framework. Ornamental trees, such as flowering
crabapples and birches, are used as focal points or dominant elements because of their seasonal and often picturesque
branching characteristics.

Tall shrubs, such as viburnum and lilac, help establish vertical edges to an outdoor space, create screens, enhance
privacy, or provide a neutral background. Small shrubs, such as junipers and cotoneasters, are also used to define
edges and spaces without blocking views; they can connect and link unrelated or separate plants, and define areas and
space on the ground.

Form or shape is a second important consideration in a planting composition. The most common plant shapes are the
spreading (cotoneaster, Hetz Juniper) and rounded (lilac, Norway maple) forms. These two basic plant forms have the
most application in planting design; they create neutral patterns in contrast with more unusual forms of plants.
Columnar and pyramidal-shaped plants, such as tall-hedge or Hicks yew, have visual characteristics that suggest
vertical edges in an outdoor space. They create a major contrast with the more common rounded or spreading plants.
The picturesque and weeping forms of plants, such as weeping birch or willow, are useful as accents or focal points in
the planting design when used sparingly.

Plant texture refers to the visual roughness or smoothness of a plant. The texture of the foliage, twigs, and branches is
either coarse, medium, or fine. Texture effects are most visible at close range and in smaller landscape plantings.
Coarse-textured plants, such as rhododendron or viburnum, tend to be dominant and attract attention. They usually
have dense foliage or broad leaves. Fine-textured plants, such as shrubby dogwood or birch, appear delicate and tend
to recede from view. They usually have fine foliage or needle leaves. In planting composition, medium-textured plants,
such as crabapple, yew, or lilac, should dominate and contrast with either the coarse or fine textures.

Color is one of the most visual plant characteristics. It includes the color of leaves, flowers, fruit, branches, and bark.
Green is the predominant plant color, but has seasonal variations. With evergreens, the same color is present year
round. The color of the summer foliage has the longest seasonal effect and the most importance in design composition.
A variety of greens has more visual appeal when displayed against a uniform neutral green background. A common
mistake is to use too many different colors. Plant color can be used as an attractor, to call attention to some area in the
landscape. Dark-colored plants contrasted with light-colored plants create focal points in a planting composition.

Plants should be arranged for summer foliage effects first, and the color characteristics of flowers, fall foliage, fruit, or
branching second. Foliage color varies with texture. Fine-textured leaves are more reflective and tend to be weaker in
overall visual effect. Plant colors can also be used to suggest certain emotional or psychological feelings. Dark greens
give a somber, gloomy feeling. Lighter greens suggest gaiety and cheerfulness.

Order is the design principle used to create unity in the planting composition. Unity is achieved when all parts of the
design, plants, and materials have a harmonious relationship to each other.

Unity in design can also be achieved by reducing the number of different elements such as plant species, sizes, forms,
colors, or textures. A basic principle in planting design is to group plants together in groups of three, five, or seven,
rather than scattering them about. Young plants may first appear as small individuals, but as they grow and mature they
should be viewed as a group unless they are designed as individual specimens. Scattered plants or groups of plants can
be connected with beds of ground covers (bugleweed, Japanese spurge) or low shrubs (junipers, cotoneasters).

Dominance suggests that one element in the composition has authority over other subordinate parts. Dominance may
be created by size alone, such as a shade tree, or by form, texture, color, or location of the elements within a design.
The dominant element may also become the focal point. Major contrast is a similar design principle where one element
is so different that other parts of the composition are subordinated to that element, such as a bed of red salvia flowers
against a background of green yews.

Repetition and rhythm are planting design principles achieved when similar plant characteristics are introduced and
repeated to help create the feeling of recall or unity in the composition. Interconnection is a principle similar to
repetition whereby different plants are linked together by overlapping or touching similar plants. Fences, walls, or beds
of ground cover are frequently used to link elements together in the landscape.

The theme of a planting composition may be informal, curved, or natural. The style may give a formal, linear, or
symmetrical theme. By following a definite order or style, the design does not have a fragmented or uncoordinated
appearance. The most visually pleasing designs are not created by chance, but follow a specific order, theme, or style
that carries throughout the landscape.

(Adapted from a publication by Fred K. Buscher, Ohio State University)

2007-09-28 12:06:52 by veronaitaly

I am currently trying plan a design for my backyard landscape, does anyone know of anythings I should keep in mind? I live in zone 10b and have dogs and know that I want something relatively low maintainance. What are things that are more on the actual design side that I should think about?

Several things.
1. Water movement and pooling - if you have areas that are more wet, look for plants that prefer wet soil.
2. Sun - obviously know what type of light the plant likes.
3. pH. Plants that like a higher pH soil are happier next to the house in most soils. Typically, the foundation of a house is concrete which leaks lime into the soil.
4. Roots - most trees should be 10 feet from the house. Be careful with Silver Maple, Cherry and Redwood. Trees like these can actually push in the walls of a submerged basement, tear up sidewalks and wreak havoc.
5. Compatibility. Some plants are toxic to other plants. Black Walnut will kill just about everything around it.
6. Size at maturity. People buy "cute" shrubs because they like the flowers or color. 10 years later, they're living in Sleeping Beauty's castle, surrounded by a jungle.
7. Color arrangement. Consider different layers - light greens, white, reds, etc. Don't just use monotone green. Contrast the color of the house with a shrub, then put another contrast in front of that. If you have room - 3 layers is very luxurious looking.
8. Maintenance. If you don't want to trim or divide, look for things that grow more slowly. In 10b, you probably use Bermuda grass? Consider putting in solid flowerbed edging to stop or severely deter invasive runners. If you have Fescue, you don't have to worry as much.
9. Flowers. Leave limited space for annuals if you want some really amazing color. Otherwise, look at some perennials. Note, however, that Perennials get bigger and bigger each year.
10. Fire. This is more an issue in dry climates. Consider rock against the house rather than mulch. Mulch is very VERY flamable in hot dry weather. Even in the moderate areas of the Northeast, it's not uncommon for catastrophic fires to start in flowerbeds when someone flips a burning cigarette into someone's yard and it lands in the mulch.
11. Shade - put deciduous trees around the south and west sides. The leaves will reduce your power bills in the summer. But they will drop their leaves in the winter allowing that sun to warm the house. Of course - in 10b, this might not matter! Go with Palm Trees!
12. Go Native. Look for plants that are native to your area. They're more likely to survive weather cycles. Imported plants are most prone to escape and cause environmental problems. Look at Honeysuckle in the Northeast, Kudzu in the South, etc.

2007-10-17 07:06:41 by Greg S