http://www.a1articles.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Trees are the most important – and certainly the largest – living parts of a home landscape. Whether your garden is a courtyard or 25 acres of fertile farmland, it is usually possible to include at least one tree in your landscape design. The positions of... http://www.a1articles.com/creative-planting-ideas-for-trees-in-the-landscape-2348599.html 19th September 2011 Restoring curb appeal to a run down front yard landscape can often be more of a challenge than installing an entirely new landscape. Not being able to see past the existing design can blind us to the possibilities of what our yard can become. One thing th... http://www.a1articles.com/front-yard-makeover--8-easy-steps-to-restore-lost-curb-appeal-1686340.html 09th August 2010 Landscapes and gardens that include both the front and backyard of a property will usually stay within the same theme and style for both front and back. And even if there is a slight variation, it is usually to comply to the differences in purpose between... http://www.a1articles.com/front-yard-landscaping-101-1666372.html 21st July 2010 Planting a wildflower meadow garden is a project that appeals to a lot of folks simply because they look good and require very little maintenance. Also, a wide assortment of flowers, grasses and plants can be grown together without any rigid specific desi... http://www.a1articles.com/top-tips-for-planting-a-wildflower-meadow-garden-1117148.html 24th September 2009 Most lawns are far from being an environmentally responsible element of a landscape. Their constant demand of water, dependence on chemical fertilizers, and need for insecticides and herbicides, makes them more of an environmental casualty than anything e... http://www.a1articles.com/the-environmentally-responsible-lawn-1090919.html 16th September 2009 Every landscaping project has different considerations according to the needs and wants of the owner. Decorating for Christmas and other holidays is a big deal to a lot of folks and so planning electrical access specifically for it into their landscaping ... http://www.a1articles.com/landscaping-considerations-for-christmas-decorating-1084659.html 15th September 2009 A garden, even a small one, can accent and add beauty to a home. If you've avoided creating a garden because you think that you don't have the space, you may want to rethink it. You can make a nice little garden in an unused corner or even an area as smal... http://www.a1articles.com/considerations-for-designing-small-gardens-1032098.html 12th August 2009 Although it seems almost impossible to contemplate before spring has so much as pushed a daffodil through the soil, cooking food and eating it in the open air are two very pleasurable aspects of summer. The question is, does your landscape plan take these... http://www.a1articles.com/landscape-design-for-outdoor-dining-and-cooking-1012419.html 02nd August 2009 Are roses the most admired of all plants? It is difficult to know how to prove it, but just looking around seems to suggest it's true. Most gardens have at least one or two roses. Among the reasons for their popularity is the great variety in form and hab... http://www.a1articles.com/support-and-care-for-climbing-roses-964724.html 04th July 2009 Deserts are defined not by heat, but by aridity. Most deserts have less than 10 inches of rainfall a year, and this is the natural situation in significant parts of the south-west of the United States. Climate change may be expected to extend the area sub... http://www.a1articles.com/innovative-desert-landscaping-styles-955433.html 28th June 2009 The word "espalier" is both a verb and a noun. It means to create a wall of fruit. That is done by creating a framework to support the limbs of the fruiting plant. The structure can be free-standing, in the middle of a lawn or garden plot; or it can be er... http://www.a1articles.com/garden-espaliers--growing-a-wall-of-fruit-955093.html 28th June 2009 Wherever you live, and whatever the weather conditions in your area, your garden will have its own special climate - its microclimate - brought about by a number of factors working together. The factors include the orientation of your site, its protection... http://www.a1articles.com/landscape-design--considering-microclimates-in-the-plan-939243.html 16th June 2009 Despite the best efforts of landscape planners, sometimes parts of a garden are used for purposes for which they were not originally designed. If you notice tracks or worn patches on a lawn, or, worse, across a flowerbed, it is a sure sign that a hard sur... http://www.a1articles.com/designing-garden-path-access-with-stepping-stones-939169.html 16th June 2009 Most gardens have an area that is best hidden from public view - perhaps it's the place where you have your useful, but possibly unattractive, compost heap. Or it might be other utilities, such as a recycling bin or a clothesline, which you would prefer t... http://www.a1articles.com/privacy-screening-in-garden-design-932591.html 12th June 2009 Birds can create some annoyance in the garden by scratching up seeds or pecking ripening fruit but most gardeners consider their feathered friends a desirable part of the gardenscape. If you want to create a bird-friendly zone in your garden, you can comb... http://www.a1articles.com/a-decorative-birding-garden-897469.html 18th May 2009 By definition, the main element in a courtyard is that it is an enclosed space. The degree of enclosure will vary, but in a small courtyard we can expect it to be quite marked. How can we choose plantings that help to dispel any tendency to claustrophobia... http://www.a1articles.com/planting-the-smallest-courtyards-889153.html 13th May 2009 The four qualities of form, texture, tone and color interact, allowing us to see and enjoy the world around us. It is not really possible to separate one from the other, so looking at how to select color - something your landscape contractor will have had... http://www.a1articles.com/patio-design-and-color-effects-865518.html 21st April 2009 Patios provide a space for outdoor relaxation - a cup of morning coffee, a lunchtime snack, a relaxing pre-dinner drink, a musical interlude with your iPod, a place to curl up with a book or magazine. Most of these activities suggest that you will need so... http://www.a1articles.com/creative-patios--furnished-and-functional-849881.html 08th April 2009 Patios are generally designed to catch the sun. Not necessarily, in warmer areas, the heat of the midday sun, but enough sun to give you that good sense of relaxation and well being that we get when exposed to lots of vitamin D. Patios are also a hub f... http://www.a1articles.com/patio-design--awnings-for-shade-847737.html 05th April 2009 Tenacity is a key word for cacti and succulents. They make a good choice of plant for gardeners who lack the knack that sees plants flourish, but who yearn for something green in their immediate surroundings. They are also very good subjects for indoor co... http://www.a1articles.com/successful-succulant-container-gardens-819292.html 10th March 2009 You have a brand new site - a blank canvas - and it's decision-making time. What will you plant? Of all the landscape changes you can make, adding plants is possibly the most important. When you are at the choosing stage, there are three major considerati... http://www.a1articles.com/best-plants-for-creative-garden-design-805481.html 03rd March 2009 One of the three "primary" colours, yellow is the most visible of them all and it always gets noticed - a fact of which advertisers are well aware. In your landscape design you may not want to put yellow flowers beside that ugly old garden shed that you w... http://www.a1articles.com/yellow-plants-for-creative-landscape-design-765489.html 22nd January 2009 We humans develop passions for classic cars, postage stamps and great art: and among the planet's collectors are those who have a passion for a particular plant. Plant collections can be more or less broadly defined to include whole plant families or just... http://www.a1articles.com/creative-alpine-gardens-and-plant-collections-765112.html 22nd January 2009 As a landscape contractor in a small town that sees quite a bit of it, I was under the impression that the rotten contractor syndrome was isolated to small towns or at least my area. However, the more I read and listen to people, it's quite evident that i... http://www.a1articles.com/bad-contractors-syndrome-and-how-to-avoid-it-756013.html 16th January 2009 It is possible to divide most gardens and other landscapes into two main groups - those that are informal, natural and asymmetrical, and those that are symmetrical and formal. The informal gardens, although put in place by man, are intended to look as tho... http://www.a1articles.com/strictly-formal-gardens-symmetry-and-neatness-753427.html 16th January 2009 It is not always easy to visualize certain aspects of landscape design without a plot plan that is scaled-to-size. If you're moving into a newly constructed home, your builder or contractor may have some initial design specs that include landscaping that ... http://www.a1articles.com/simplified-landscape-planning-724467.html 17th December 2008 Certain factors come into play when designing your yard. A well-planned landscape should suit your lifestyle, your family's needs, your site's plot plan, and topography. Of course, there is also personal preference as well as the fact that your landscape ... http://www.a1articles.com/landscaping-outdoor-activity-areas-709897.html 03rd December 2008 Your outdoor living spaces should suit your family's lifestyle as well as be an extension of your indoor living areas. Such outdoor areas should be designed to maximize their space, complement your home and lot, and be functional for the types of activiti... http://www.a1articles.com/creative-designing-for-outdoor-living-spaces-704658.html 02nd December 2008 High traffic areas of your landscape, such as driveways, car yard, paths, and walkways must, first and foremost, be functional. Depending on how your house is positioned on your lot, you may have a front door and pathway to the street with a side door to ... http://www.a1articles.com/landscaping-traffic-areas-for-a-creative-design-695748.html 26th November 2008 Your outdoor landscape can provide a natural and functional extension of your indoor living space if designed to complement your home and your suit your family's needs. Hobbies such as gardening (of course!), swimming, lawn sports, creative arts should be... http://www.a1articles.com/creative-landscape-design---assessing-family-needs-690312.html 20th November 2008 Now-a-days, decorating patios has become a popular way to extend or create another room to the home. In the past, the backyards of our homes were ruled by swing sets, sandboxes, tool sheds and the family dog; but this is no longer the case. Today the pa... http://www.a1articles.com/creative-patio-design-ideas-684310.html 10th November 2008 Your home's entrances should provide easy access to and from your yard. First impressions count for a lot, so aesthetic appeal surrounding your entryways is important. It is easiest to begin with the highest traffic access area: how you will reach your ho... http://www.a1articles.com/creative-ideas-for-landscaping-access-areas-678573.html 30th October 2008 When it comes to landscape design, we often mention the importance of choosing colors that complement each other. We can choose colors based on those we prefer, while also picking those that work well with each other, your home, and its surroundings. So, ... http://www.a1articles.com/artistic-landscape-design--color-theory-in-landscaping-665560.html 15th October 2008 Throughout the spring and summer, we are treated to the melodious songs and chattering conversations of a variety of birds in our trees and shrubs. As summer turns to autumn, then autumn to winter, the songs die down and the conversations are less freque... http://www.a1articles.com/how-to-attract-birds-to-your-winter-garden-653552.html 01st October 2008 A landscape waterfalls can be added to flow into your pond, pool, or water garden, be freestanding and fountain-like made of stone, fiberglass, or concrete, or formed by enhancing existing natural water features that exist in your property. If you don't h... http://www.a1articles.com/waterfalls-as-design-elements-643700.html 22nd September 2008 Border garden beds are wonderful additions to your landscape when you want to highlight an edge, such as a driveway, fence, walkway, front porch, or patio. They can be used to delineate visual boundaries or create physical compartments in your landscape. ... http://www.a1articles.com/easy-care-border-garden-ideas-631751.html 09th September 2008 When designing a landscape or garden, most folks tend to consider the details only after the shape and plantings have been defined. Considering some of your details, accents, and decor through the entire design process can help you figure out how to use y... http://www.a1articles.com/landscape-design-around-existing-elements-628394.html 08th September 2008 In keeping with our theme of features you can use in your landscaping other than plants, we're now going to take a look at some more elements that aren't generally thought of as garden decor or accents. Common and functional elements storage sheds can be ... http://www.a1articles.com/creative-landscaping-for-functionality-623510.html 06th September 2008 Whether you are a novice gardener, lack time for maintenance, are planning your garden from scratch, or simply desire added appeal in your yard, there are many features you can include in your landscaping besides plants. Be sure to use features of persona... http://www.a1articles.com/a-place-for-garden-structures-in-your-garden-609702.html 25th August 2008 Do you start pulling out your gear several months before you take a hunting trip? If your anything like me, the day after you schedule a hunt, you start preparing for the trip. I spend so much time researching and preparing for a trip, by the time it fi... http://www.a1articles.com/hunting-big-game--totally-prepared-for-the-trip-607762.html 22nd August 2008 The cost of landscaping depends a lot on the elements you want and the types of materials you plan to use to create them. Looking at some of your neighbor's beautifully meandering pathways, flowering groundcovers, and perfect lawns can make you feel that... http://www.a1articles.com/budget-minded-landscaping---landscape-design-598812.html 14th August 2008 A good garden, like any long-term project, begins with proper planning. Consider what you want, why you want it, and how each plant will fare in its location. Spend time looking at your garden site, during its thriving months when you can easily spot what... http://www.a1articles.com/next-years-garden---planning-for-springtime-gardening-594128.html 12th August 2008 As Rudyard Kipling once said, "Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade." A lot of gardeners see Fall as a time to start putting their gardens to rest. However, Autumn is the perfect time for assessing, designing, and improving your gardens. Consider ... http://www.a1articles.com/fall-garden-ideas--checklist-for-fall-gardening-586280.html 23rd July 2008 Properly fertilizing your lawn should be one of the simpler and less time consuming processes in your lawn care program. While you could get very technical about it, the basics you need to know are not as complicated as they might appear to be. However, l... http://www.a1articles.com/fertilizing-lawns--how-to-spread-lawn-fertilizer-576961.html 15th July 2008 Deadheading, cutting off spent flower blooms, is necessary to not only keep the garden or landscape looking tidy, but to also encourage new blooms from plants that would otherwise be done blooming for the season. Plants produce flowers as part of thei... http://www.a1articles.com/deadheading-spent-flower-blooms--how-to-deadhead-flowers-568197.html 01st July 2008