Landscaping Outdoor Decorating

If you have ideas about landscaping and are wondering about how your existing landscape will fit in, there are many options! Maybe you have a mature yard that needs cleaning up and pruning. Or maybe you want to add some new features and the garden has become boring with the same planting and no focus. But if you can use the existing landscape it makes the project quicker and cheaper, especially when you consider how expensive it can be to add or replace trees and large shrubs.

If you have a desire to add annuals every year, maybe you should think about more permanent items instead, like water features, rockeries or colored lighting and power to illuminate trees or rocks. Consider introducing a split rail fence, rocks and boulders. Adding stones and sand and new plants can totally change your garden even with the same landscape! If you are more aggressive with your project and you are good with such tasks, think about adding structures such as gazebos, pergolas and trellis – these draw the eye and make an ideal focus away from an existing landscape.

A mature yard can be the easiest to maintain surprisingly – as long as well-established plants get a yearly or seasonal pruning or trim. Ensure weeds are kept in check or suppressed and overgrown areas cut ruthlessly back. You’ll be surprised how different garden areas can look when you do this, even with plants you already have. You can spread them to different areas by splitting tubers, transplanting, taking cuttings or seeds. Be willing to create new areas that offer different textures and color. And swapping plants with gardening friends can change your garden for nothing!

Think about solar lighting, water features, patio pots and planter boxes and outdoor artwork and sculpture. Mature plants may not need so much attention, but if you have little starting material, you might like to consider introducing some low maintenance options. These could include dry creek beds, desert landscapes or use natural items like rocks and driftwood. Take care of the plants you have, but you can make big changes for very little cash and can still make a big difference in your new yard!

ST26 Buffalo (or ST26 St Augustine grass, as it is referred to in North America) is another variety of Stenotaphrum secundatum. The Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) of ST26 Buffalo are owned by H.&T. Whiting Turfgrass Development group (an American owned company that has developed many different species of turf grasses).

In general terms there are two (2) main grass types including Cool Season Turf Grasses and Warm Season Turf Grasses.

The Buffalo variety of turf grass is one of many Warm Season Turf Grasses. Buffalo grass, like Queensland Blue Couch (Digitaria didactyla), ONLY has Above Ground runners (technically referred to as Stolons). By virtue of the way Buffalo grass is built, Best Mowing Practice (BMP) dictates that Buffalo should never be scalped or cut too short as this is the quick way to seriously damage the turf.

The other Warm Season grasses like Couch grass (also known as Bermuda Grass in the North American continent), Kikuyu, Zoysia, Seashore Paspalum and so on have BOTH Above Ground Runners (Stolons) and Below Ground Runners (technically known as Rhizomes). As these grasses are built with both Stolons and Rhizomes, they can be mowed fairly short with good results. This is why green couch grass is used successfully in sports field situations and for cricket pitches and lawn bowling greens.

ST26 Buffalo, or Austine Buffalo (as it is promoted by some Turf Growers) has proven to be susceptible to drought stress (due to its shallow root system) and also susceptible to severe leaf damage when sprayed with the correct registered broad leaf herbicide. These observations are common in the harsh Australian climate.

All round, ST26 Buffalo does not make the grade as a desirable turf grass for domestic and recreational situations in Australia.

If you live in the southern part of Arizona, you know that maintaining a beautiful landscaping is a challenge to say the least. During the summer months, Arizona can get up to 124 degrees, which is extremely hot. Luckily, there isn’t much humidity, but it is still very hot and hard to keep your plants a live. However, during the winter months, it really isn’t all that “wintry” in the southern parts of Arizona. For example, there isn’t any snow or blizzards to worry about. Like I mentioned earlier, the hotter than normal climate in Arizona does challenge the normal homeowner for how to landscape their yard. I would like to share with you 4 simple landscaping ideas for you if you live in Arizona.

1) One concern for Arizona residents is the fact that water is scarce and in order to conserve water, some homeowners decide to go with the “Desert Landscaping” theme for their yard. It isn’t really that hard considering that Arizona is part of Sonoran Desert Region of the western half of the United States. However, there is a big difference between having a desert landscaping in your front yard and having a professional nice looking desert landscaping. Usually, desert landscaping consist of the following factors:

a) Mainly rocks with No Grass
b) Various cacti
c) Native shrubs and bushes like Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) or Graythorn (Ziziphus obtusifolia)
d) No drip systems needed
e) Accent boulders

With the above proportioned nicely throughout your yard, you will easily be able to have a beautiful desert landscape that looks professional and nice looking.

2) Keeping with the conservation theme, a recent trend that I have been seeing is using artificial grass or turf for your landscaping. These types of artificial grasses require little to no maintenance when it comes to watering and/or cutting it. All you really have to do is blow off the leaves or the surface whenever it starts to get covered. Artificial grass usually comes with a 5-10 year warranty depending on the manufacturer.

In Arizona, artificial lawn is especially intriguing to homeowners because of the amount of golf courses in Arizona. Arizona is one of the leading places to play golf because of the year around ideal golf climate and number of courses. Why does this matter with artificial grass? Well, you can actually design yourself your own putting green in your backyard for you to practice on. Do keep in mind that the more extravagant you get, the more it will cost your bottom line.

3) Taking a 180 degree turn, the last idea for your landscaping in Arizona is putting in a pool or a water fountain. Now, because of the extreme heat in the summer and the amount of time you can have to swim, it is sometimes nice to have a pool to cool off in. It does take up some energy and water costs, but the gain in being able to entertain, and cool off is well worth it to most people in Arizona. There are so many options for you when it comes to the type of pool you can put in, but in Arizona, the growing trend is “play pools”. These type of play pools are smaller, but perfect for a game of volleyball or basketball. Just big enough to get cooled down, but small enough to keep energy costs down.

Most backyards in Southern Arizona aren’t very big because of the fact the southern part of Arizona is densely populated cities that are right next to each other, so installing a pool in your backyard is usually the main focal point for guests. It is important to get the type of pool that best fits the rest of your landscaping.

These 3 ideas are great for the new homeowner who has taken advantage of the recent woes in Arizona’s real estate market. Remember that there are other great ideas, but hopefully, these 3 did give you some good ideas for your next landscaping project.

Your lawn should be offered special attention before the onset of winter. You should reseed it and fertilize it during this time. This is because you would want it to offer roots before the cold season freezes the water.

During the early autumn you should take care of the bare patches of your lawn. You should add sod because this will surely help you enjoy a perfect lawn in the early spring. The sod should definitely contain grass from your area in order to be effective.

Your trees also require special attention before the winter comes. You should make sure that the tree limbs are not touching your roof or any wires. They can cause serious damage if you will not take care of this aspect. You should know that tree branches are very heavy when they hold a lot of snow.

The plants should be kept away from the cold winter if you want to enjoy them next year too. However, not all the plants should be brought inside. The ones that still bloom in a pot are the best to bring inside. You should also take care of them and make sure that you clean them.

Your walkways and patios might suffer during the winter because of freezing. If you live in a cold area where temperatures are usually low during the winter, you should take into consideration pouring gravel that will absorb the water. Otherwise the concrete or the bricks might settle unevenly.

Your pool requires special attention before the cold winter days too. It is important to know that a hard cover is necessary for keeping out animals and debris from your pool. You can purchase a cover from your local store or you can purchase it off the Internet.

There are many changes that take place in your yard during winter. You should be aware of them and try to minimize the impact that winter has on your yard and on your life. Being prepared will surely help you overcome any problems that the winter might cause to your yard. These tips above should be followed and besides them you should have a positive attitude because winter has advantages too.