In order to plan your landscape accurately, you should have a drawing board, ruler, tape measure, paper, and patience.

A flowering shrub costs less than an evergreen, and in my opinion can achieve equally marvelous effects.

False Cost Estimates

Once you have studied the techniques of landscaping you will be able to guard against making false cost estimates. Here is a typical example of how many people go wrong: The novice would be “professional” home landscaper says to himself, “The distance across the front of my house is 40 feet – the ten plants to plant there cost me $75. Therefore, to go all around my property would cover 300 feet and this would cost approximately $550 plus dollars.” He shakes his head and resigns himself to a half-planted garden.

You will soon learn that such a method of estimating costs is inaccurate. In the first place you must try not to enclose the entire property; secondly, plants in the back yard will be given much more space in which to develop; finally, the plants in the back yard for the most part will be or should be deciduous.

The final decision as to what type of garden you will want is not reached at the snap of a finger, but can be achieved in one of two ways. The first, and most businesslike, is to write down all pertinent facts and figures concerning yourself, your family, the size of your property, the size of your house, its exposure, etc. The other, which is just as workable but perhaps a little more confusing and likely to cause you undue worry, is simply to carry your ideas around in your head and finally try to put them on paper in the form of a plan. These are not solutions of your problem but rather helpful guides.

The more orderly method is to make a check list and to give our thought reality we shall consider the requirements of a family living in a development of identical houses in Central New Jersey. Their check list should be used as a guide in making your own.

Planting a rose plant goes beyond how deep the hole should be and if plant food should be utilized now or later. The first and most fundamental measure in rose planting that should not be forgotten is picking the positioning of where you are going to plant your roses. It is as true in planting as it is in real estate; location, location, location. There are different things that are required to be studied when picking out a position for our rose plants.

Will the place you care selecting to plant your roses get plenty sunlight? The majority of rose species should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight a day. Yet rose plants that are shade tolerant need about four to six hours of direct sunshine to do well.

Is the land where you plan to plant your roses healthy? Roses are avid feeders and require to have nutritious soil. They do not like soil that has too much clay or too much sand. A quick test you can perform with your soil to find out if it has too much clay or sand is to clump it in your hand. If the soil holds the mold and does not crumble easily, it has too much clay. If the soil crumbles too easily and does not hold the shape, it has too much sand. Great soil should hold the shape in your hand but fall apart easily. The soil should also not be too acidic, contain too much limestone or too much chalk.

Geographical location and climate will largely determine which plants can be used on your property. A garden in the New York City area might emphasize such plants as the Yews (Taxus) and Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica). A similar home located in Central Texas would have to rely on entirely different plants to achieve the same sort of effect, e.g., Junipers and Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria). Again, a third location, on the West Coast, say, would need a plant setting different from those used in the East or the South.

Topography

The topography or “lay of the land” is another factor which must be considered when planning a landscape design. It will affect not only the basic layout of your property, but also the type of plant and turf or other ground cover you will use.

Picture a home located on a hillside in any mountainous region. On such property, in order to develop a comparatively level area of any size at all, it would be necessary to construct expensive retaining walls, which might very well be beyond the means of the owner. Since it is difficult if not impossible to maintain a good lawn on a steep hillside, it will be necessary to select another type of ground cover that will be more suitable for the slopes.

Down through the ages various nations and races have developed certain styles in gardening largely because of the different climates and topographical features in their particular parts of the world. If you want to do some extra reading on the history of the landscape art, you will find good books on all phases of the subject in public libraries. The important thing concerning the evolution of the landscape art in America is the fact that there has been developed a distinct style which is admirably suited to our modem way of life. Consequently, in professional circles, it is referred to as the “American Style.”

Years ago I remember meeting the famed Brazilian landscape design visionary Roberto Burle Marx who’s style fascinated me but was of a completely different flavor than American Style.

Public Area

Basically, American Style is built around the theory that for maximum efficiency, privacy, and beauty, the property shall be divided into three distinct sections: the public area, the service area, and the private area.

You can grow any vegetable you want hydroponically, there are no limits! It’s an exciting hobby and you can even make money from it.

Take a look at the following reasons for growing your own hydroponic vegetables.

1. Hydroponic vegetables can grow up to 50% faster than there soil grown counterparts! This is because you have full control over the vegetables growing conditions which you will have manipulated to be at optimum levels.

2. Because you don’t need to have a garden, you can grow your own hydroponic vegetables if you live in a crowded tower block.

3. There will be no soil borne diseases which affects many gardeners and their vegetables.

4. You will not have to purchase any expensive pesticides and chemicals to spray on your hydroponic vegetables as there is no soil, no soil loving pests will get close.

5. Once you have your hydroponic vegetables system set up and running, your costs are around 20% lower than traditional gardening methods. You can also make money by selling your produce!

6. You could grow more hydroponic vegetables in a smaller area! This is true despite the actual vegetables being bigger on average because the plant roots tend to be smaller!

Apparently, we can see how nature is treated these days. It is a sad thing to know that people do not pay attention so much anymore to the environmental problems. What can we do about this?

It’s as simple as starting with the children. It is good to see the children’s involvement with environment-friendly activities. One such nature-loving activity that children could easily get their hands on is gardening. Why should you consider gardening for your children?

Here are the benefits that gardening could easily provide the children with:

1. Science

In planting, children are indirectly taught the wonders of science like the plant’s life cycle and how human’s intervention can break or make the environment. They can have a firsthand experience on the miracle of life through a seed. This would definitely be a new and enjoyable experience for the kids.

2. Life

Watching a seed grow into a tree is just as wondrous as the conception to birth and growth of a child. In time, kids will learn to love their plants and appreciate the life in them. Gardening could actually help simulate how life should be treated — it should be with care.

Plants, like any other commodity we use, do cost money. However, unlike, say, a vacuum cleaner, they grow more valuable as they grow older.

You should expect to pay a fair price for any plants you decide to use in your landscape. But, since the price depends largely on the amount of work the nurseryman has put into the given plant, you should always buy smaller specimens. Properly cared for, they will grow into valuable shrubs, flowers and trees.

If you have enough time, patience, and skill, you might try developing your own shrubs – a difficult task but one that will stretch your gardening dollar.

Cash Outlay

Do not, confuse the fully grown plants shown many magazines, websites and books with the ones you will plant when you start to landscape. These plants are often shown mature in order to help you visualize what you will ultimately have.

Your initial cash outlay, however, will not be for mature plants or even large specimens. You will be buying plants for much less because you are going to wait for them to mature.

What is butterfly gardening? Simply put butterfly gardening is the art of growing flowers and plants that will attract these colorful and dainty creatures to your garden. Delight your family and visitors with beautiful butterflies, but be sure to create a safe habitat for them. If you own cats rethink your plans, because it would be a shame to attract these lovely insects to their death.

The design your butterfly garden is a matter of personal preference. Typical points to consider are the size of your garden and the types of flowers and plants you want to grow. Pick a style of garden that appeals to you, but ensure it also contains the plants and flowers that appeal to the butterflies you wish to attract.

It is important to find out which plants and flowers will attract the species of butterflies. That live in your area. This information can be found at the local library.

To create the kind of environment that they find attractive, you will also need water of some kind. A birdbath will look attractive and keep the butterflies up off the ground, away from stray cats or mischievous puppies. A shallow dish on a post or hung in a tree will do just as well.

If you are looking for spring just as soon as March 21 comes around, treat yourself to a preview of the season by forcing a few of the hardy perennials. Almost any of the early-blooming plants can be used. For a start I would suggest that you select from the following: English primrose, Primula vulgaris; Himalayan primrose, P. denticulata; pasque-flower, Anemone Pulsatilla; and leopards-bane, Doronicum caucasicum These should be dug with a good root system and put into a pot no larger than is necessary to contain the roots.

The rose daphne, D. Cneorum, is a small, pleasing shrub with beautiful, fragrant flowers. It too can be forced. Plants with a spread of 8 to 10 inches are preferred. If you do not have any plants on hand, you can buy them from almost any nursery specializing in trees and shrubs.

When forcing these plants, it is important to pot them early so that they can make root growth before winter sets in. Then put the pots in a cold-frame, burying them to their rims in sawdust, peatmoss or sand. After they have been exposed to a few hard frosts, cover with something which will not mat. The glass sash should be kept on for most of the winter to prevent the soil from freezing too deeply.