Showing all posts in Gardening and Landscaping

Poor drainage in a yard or close a structure can create awkward puddling, negatively impact the health of vegetation and lead to leaking or excessive humidity in a basement or crawlspace. 1 possible way to tackle a drainage issue is to install a French drain system which effectively transports water from structures or exposed low spots to a ditch, pond or municipal drain. The phrase “French drain” traditionally described a trench dug with a sloped bottom and filled solely with aggregates like gravel or rip-rap, but modern French drains typically include a lined, gravel-filled trench which also includes a perforated pipe to get more efficient drainage.

Dig a trench or trenches where you plan to install the French drain, making certain that the trench network extends through problematic low spots in the landscape, or alongside any exposed structure, to an appropriate outlet. Make the trench at least 12 inches wide and 24 inches deep, bearing in mind that the trench should slope gradually toward the outlet and your general thickness depends on the nature of the water issue. For example, if you are installing the French drain mainly to capture surface water, a shallow trench is appropriate, but if you are addressing potable water beside a structure, the trench should be as deep as the foundation footing.

Pound a stake into the ground at each end of each trench section and extend a string with a line degree attached between the bets, ensuring that the string is level and then mark the point at which the string is level on each stake.

Measure the distance between each pair of bets and calculate the essential drop in elevation between each pair of bets so that the trench bottom has a slope of at least 1 percent. For example, if a section of a trench is 50 feet, the thickness of the trench should increase .5 feet, or 6 inches, over that distance. Step down the second bet and adjust the string to this new degree.

Shape the bottom of the trench so that the string rests gently on the trench bottom.

Line the trench with landscaping material. This will definitely keep silt from entering the pipe and gravel, clogging it and shortening the effective life of this machine.

Place the 4-inch perforated PVC or corrugated plastic piping in the middle of the trench so that the perforations in the pipe have been oriented downward.

Cut any sections of this perforated PVC piping to dimension so that they fit in the prepared trenches, run a little piece of sandpaper across the inside and outside of the cut pipe ends to remove any burrs and dry fit the PVC pipe segments with couplings so that the entire piping system is joined together. When you have the pipes and couplings fit with them, make corresponding marks on each pipe end and the coupling it attaches to so it is possible to align them correctly before the PVC cement dries.

Spread PVC primer along the inside of each fitting and about the outside of the pipe end where the two will join together and let the primer dry for about 10 seconds.

Spread an even layer of PVC solvent cement over the primed surface on the pipe and in the matching and rapidly fit the pipe to the coupling a quarter-turn in the marked orientation. Twist the pipe or fitting as you push them together so that the marks are aligned and hold the pipe and fitting together securely for at least 15 seconds. Repeat this priming and re install, working from one end of this drain system to the other, until each of the pipes and couplings are securely joined.

Decide on a level on top of the pipe in various sections to be certain that the slight slope established on the trench bottom remains and remove or add soil or gravel under the pipe to correct the slope, as needed.

Add at least 12 inches of coarse, clean gravel across the drain pipe from the trench.

Cover the gravel layer with landscape material.

Fill in the remainder of the trench with gravel, other aggregate or the fill you eliminated when digging the trench.

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The development of branches and leaves on top of a tree or group of trees is known as the canopy. There is A canopy equally healthful and beautiful to the shrub. It helps the tree to absorb as much sunlight as possible in areas that are tight and also protects the tree. A canopy offers shade and cover for most people below while opening the parts of the tree up to get improved sight lines and a spacious feel.

Step back from the tree and divide it into thirds. This segmenting of the tree enables you to better plan and carry out your pruning procedure. Put a ladder against a part of the tree. The tree trunk or a branch that is substantial will burst, however a helper ought to be stationed to keep it. Mount the ladder and climb to a height that allows you to reach the top third of the tree.

Cut back small branches close to the edges of the tree that grow along with other branches that are similar. Cut back the mature branch of the group dangling borders and using sharp pruning shears to make cuts as few jagged. An tree found is useful to reach the branches from the ground or by the ladder. Repeat this procedure all around the top parts of the tree to create an airy, open and aesthetically canopy.

Inspect the lower third of the tree and use pruning shears and the tree found to get rid of any small branches that exist beneath the primary growth branches across the back. Inspect the third of the shrub for water sprouts, which increase straight upward from existing branches and then cut them back.

Remove the lowermost branches of the tree at either the back or where they split away from branches. Utilize the shrub found to cut off them cleanly. Before making the cuts to ensure the lowest remaining branch on the tree sits within the base of the tree, Measure back. This ensures even weight loss and prevents.

Examine your pruning job. The surface of the tree ought to be thinned to permit light to pass and fresh expansion to fill from the canopy completely. The part of the tree ought to be without water sprouts and the tangles’ effects they cause, so that area accentuates the canopy above. This tree’s end ought to be clean and without any but the oldest and most powerful of the branches of the tree.

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Seaside homes exude a relaxed yet classy decor, including elements in the ocean, natural fibers and mild colors. Living near the water presents challenges, so lots of attributes which compose a coastal design house are necessary for the weather and climate. While some topics are specific to location, several exterior decorating ideas can transform any house into a coastal retreat.

Colours

Among the easiest ways to give your house a feel is via paint. The colour palette echoes the colors of the ocean, sky, and shore landscape and include blue, green, gray, beige and white. These colors can differ to softer, more muted tones. Often waterside homes have crisp white trim or brightly colored window and door trim. For a more East coast look, cover the outside walls of the home with either painted or natural wood shingles, based on HGTV.

Shutters

Commonly seen in shore side communities, shutters are uniquely coastal and functional for homes near the water. Though they add character to homes, shutters provide security while permitting air flow and protection from sunlight or inclement weather, based on Coastal Home Plans. Shutters can either be louvered or Bermuda design, which swing out of the top of the window instead of the sides.

Outdoor Spaces

Inviting porches, patios and decks are standard in coastal homes due to the weather. These spaces are thought to be additional living spaces complete with furniture and are designed to connect the inside of their house with the outdoors. Many of the porches and decks are protected by display enclosures or shutters that allow for air flow, based on Southern Living. Adding stair chairs, wicker and other furniture made of natural materials can give outdoor spaces a coastal fashion.

Landscaping

To accomplish a garden with a coastal theme, landscape with hardy plants that can thrive in sandy land, salty and wind climate, based on HGTV. Several plants comprise grasses, salvia, thyme, oleander and juniper. Another coastal element is using pea gravel in walkways to mimic sand and adding driftwood, shells or beach glass as accents. By comparison, a white picket fence and arbor covered in climbing flowers, such as roses, can give landscaping another exterior coastal look.

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A pathway is much more than just a means of getting from point A to point B; it’s a journey. Whether just a couple steps to the front door or a twisting trail through a backyard, a journey can be made memorable with one simple design suggestion: repetition.

Repeating a crucial plant or colour, or both down the length of a pathway produces a feeling of movement, enticing the eye — and the feet — to research further. It produces a unifying theme while incorporating highlights which cause you to want to enjoy the experience.

Alyson Ross Markley

1. An Alluring Stroll

Plantings and walkway blend easily within this picture-perfect scene. One is naturally drawn to the partially obscured stacked stone sculpture however also wishes to linger on this delightful meandering path.

The colour palette concentrates on colors of purple provided by ‘Beni Otake’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Beni Otake’) and ‘Velvet Cloak’ smokebush (Cotinus coggygria ‘Velvet Cloak’).

The chartreuse leaves of ‘Mellow Yellow’ spirea (Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’), ‘Golden Spirit’ smokebush (Cotinus coggygria ‘Golden Spirit’) and Bowles’ golden sedge (Carex elata ‘Aurea’) adds high contrast, taking center stage.

Rhododendrons add rich magenta accents, while black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) adds deeper black notes.

Essential plants and colours are repeated on alternate sides of the pathway, luring you deeper and deeper to the dappled glade.

AR Design Studio Ltd

2. The Boardwalk Experience

What a fun experience this stroll to the lakehouse must be. Neither directly nor curved, this jaunty boardwalk traverses the marsh in a zigzag, reaching its final destination by means of a ramp.

Cattails grow easily on both sides of the boardwalk in the shallow water, enhancing the experience. Maybe we’ll hear the trill of a red-winged blackbird or see a very small marsh wren flitting among the reeds if we take our time.

We might not have a natural wetland on our property, yet this design might recommend a new method to create a casual, naturalistic pathway using wooden boards simply teeming with trees that are taller, like maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’).

Le jardinet

3. An Intimate Walk

When the view is grand and the pathway sweeps from perspective, how do we design a pathway which feels romantic?

Waterfalls of gentle yellow Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) placed strategically along both sides of the walkway become trail markers within this Asian-inspired garden, leading us from one to another.

Layers of foliage in shades of green, highlighted with a deep burgundy ‘Crimson Queen’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum var. Dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’) will be the critical features in this design. The repetition of the textured mounding grasses ties into this foliage-focused subject while producing pools of light which naturally draw the eye.

Ann Kearsley Design

4. The Softened Straight Course

Straight avenues may easily resemble a runway, suggesting a fast entrance and leave with no reason to linger. To create the illusion of curves, then repeat a key plant. Purple catmint (Nepeta sp) and pink dianthus (Dianthus sp) are used within this photograph on alternating sides of the road.

As these mounds spill on the flagstone, the straight lines become partially obscured, while the eye is naturally drawn from a single purple haze to the next, all of the way to the renovated barn.

Who would not want to linger on such a superbly fragrant journey?

Peter Raarup Landscape Design

5. Woodland Highlights

Woodland paths naturally suggest a slower pace, yet they may be uneventful with no few highlights. Here groups of shade-loving caladiums have been repeated along the pathway, sweeping the eye easily from one side to the other and inviting people to observe where the disappearing route leads.

This contrast in foliage colour and feel makes the journey more interesting, although the repetition of those groups makes the wander memorable.

Do you end up rushing along your garden route, or do you enjoy those few moments? Simply by rearranging and replicating a few plants, you can transform the experience from predictable to exceptional.

Read thousands of beautiful path design photos | guides to plants and blossoms

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The idea of balance is deeply ingrained in our DNA. We people could not walk without balance. We’re at peace if a scene is balanced; we’re agitated when what we see appears out of balance. We almost intuitively understand “good balance” if it is done nicely, but can we describe why and how a visually balanced surroundings, setting or landscape moves us?

Based on Marjorie Elliott Bevlin, author of Design Through Discovery, balance is a fundamental characteristic of art, and it is separated into three classes:

Asymmetrical, where the two halves of a scene may express the exact same visual weight but are positioned unevenly. Think about how a scale works or children playing on a seesaw. Balance is made by means of a change in weight on both sides of a central fulcrum.

Symmetrical or bilateral, where both sides of a makeup are equal. Think about the human body and the majority of the clothing we wear. 1 side is essentially a mirror of the opposite side.

Radial, where balance emanates from a central core like the beams of a spokes of a wheel. “It’s perhaps the most dynamic kind of balance, for it connotes explosive action,” Bevlin writes.

Understanding balance permits us to decipher why a designed landscape is powerful or not. Here are a few examples that caught my attention.

Natural Balance Home Builders

Asymmetrical Balance

A modern entry garden is balanced thanks to the clever use of lines, plants and materials. Notice the way the graphic entry route creates a visual volume equal to the front door. And the color-block planting bed echoes the loudness of the window. This is a thoughtfully designed space that uses geometry to make a playful balance of many parts.

Grounded – Richard Risner RLA, ASLA

There are no symmetrical elements of the modern patio, nevertheless the components feel balanced thanks to the rectilinear layout “blocks” aligned both perpendicularly and horizontally with all the home’s facade. The stepping-stone “rug” and the part of oat grasses balance well with the strong concrete patio and the pool. These textures and elements are all the more exciting due to the asymmetrical arrangement.

Lee Ann Marienthal Gardens

Asymmetrically aligned with the house, a long, narrow walkway is often the most difficult kind of hardscape to operate with. But here the designer takes advantage of this exaggerated space. A lush, densely planted shade bed more than accounts the linear walk. The urn’s presence brings importance to the setting and provides another nonplant element to the scene.

Studio William Hefner

Symmetrical Balance

Vintage but not obsolete, this French state–inspired residence relies on symmetrical balance. In the placement of this bubbling fountain in the auto court — adapting perfectly with the front door — to the four freshwater trees that are placed two per side, this really is a picture-perfect example of superior balance. The garage has been attached at the left, of course, but it is visually balanced by the dense hedging to the right.

TEA2 Architects

This elegant entry garden conveys symmetrical balance with curved and straight lines. The walkway, front door, columns and trees are displayed in excellent alignment, which makes this space feel relaxed and secure. The gentle curve in the yard reproduces the eyebrow-shaped gable above the front door; collectively they give a softening influence into the darkened space.

River Valley Orchids

Radial Balance

Radial balance is seen here in a totally round cobblestone patio in a quiet shade garden. Think about how ordinary this distance would seem with a conventional flagstone patio or a concrete slab. Using the radial design both energizes and enlivens the garden.

Huettl Landscape Architecture

The slats of the circular arbor span outward such as the frame of an open lover and create a dynamic architectural point of view. Perfectly situated in alignment with all the home in the distance, the structure employs radial lines to add interest to some formal landscape.

Debora carl landscape layout

A Hybrid Strategy

A personal, semiformal courtyard exemplifies symmetrical balance and a hint of radial balance. Aligned with the urn along with the gate, a gravel path moves through the middle of the garden, in balance with herbs on both sides. As the path reaches the small, circular focal point, it splits into two matching crescents; they last around the urn and reconnect to the far side. Including a circular detail to a straight path is a traditional layout tip that turns an otherwise ordinary space into something really special.

Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens

This abundant entry garden feels completely in balance since the makeup draws on elements that are both symmetrical and asymmetrical. The flagstone path creates a strong, straight axis to the home’s front door. There are many plants that mirror each other on either side of it, including two shade trees that flank the path. But thanks to its freely flowing annuals and perennials that have minds of their own, nothing is too great or too matchy-matchy. And that’s the reason why we’re charmed by this scene.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

The set of raised planters on each side of the timber corridor is a hybrid combining both symmetrical and asymmetrical aspects. They are certainly made from the exact same stone and feature the same square proportions. But there are various textures, shapes and colours of vegetation in every planter, infusing a touch of asymmetrical balance into the plan.

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A Fine Balance Makes Your Space

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We’ve terraces on the mind this week end as Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer in the U.S. When it is nonetheless great you are currently diving for shade or where you might be, we are thinking you will discover tips you need to use over the world. in these 2,700+ terraces from all Begin browsing here.

Locate your appearance: Filter photographs by area and fashion and save favourites for your ideabooks. In case you see a label that is green below the picture, click it to view goods sourced in the picture.

AHBL

Get more information: In The Event you are contemplating a brand new veranda, it is possible to click “More Information” under each picture for more information about the designer. From that point you can also share the picture via the “e-mail” button, post-it on Fb or add it to your own Twitter feed.

1800Lighting

The laundry can wait. Go pour your self a lemonade or glass of wine find a great spot for dreaming and scheming, and drink in the see.

Locate your ideal veranda here.

Pathways and appealing patios are essential to some well-developed backyard. When thoughtfully created, they support one to linger and entice you to the garden. However to paving around sections of a backyard, a possible drawback is the fact that surfaces can be created by it. Within a rain storm, water sheets them off and is dumped as an alternative to recharging the water level and soaking into the ground.

The great news is that there’s a practical and appealing alternative: permeable paving, an essential characteristic of sustainable backyard style. There are lots of kinds of paving. Some kinds that are made — especially concrete and asphalt — are porous, enabling water to seep through them. For house gardens, a few of the most effective options are open- the utilization of permeable substances, like gravel and decomposed granite as well as grid paving layouts. Below are a few of the best layout thoughts for permeable paving.

Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

A trail turns paving while supplying a a secure surface, when broken into big squares with broad joints. Here, the joints are full of gravel.

Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

Linear concrete pads split up a big area of gravel. Since the strips are slim, the area is not extremely impermeable.

kim E. rooney

Cut bits of grey flagstone, in set with gravel, give a casual look to this veranda. In the event the jewels was place with grout, there’s a great chance that the veranda would be run off by rain and find yourself in the neighbours’ lawn.

Ron Herman Landscape Architect

Rectangular granite stepping stones and gravel that is grey create a course that is permeable and an entrance.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Black gravel place between sandstone-coloured flagstones adds the layout and comparison.

Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

In this backyard that is little, every area — including course, the deck and putting bed — was created so that water could readily percolate into the soil rather than run off the house.

Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

With a lot of space for furniture, this veranda made from rock strips provides the exact same advantages as a layout that is good, but water can drain through to the s Oil below.

Studio H Landscape Architecture

Grout can nevertheless perform with a roll in fixing rocks provided that there is a means for water to permeate the place. Here, the the answer was to dissect the sections that are sound with big grid lines full of rocks.

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