Gardening 101 - Why Install a Landscape Edging?

Gardens and landscaping provide aesthetic value to your home. Placing different kinds of plants and flowers in front, around or even in your backyard give a refreshing and cozy feel to your house. Gardens take out the harshness and coldness associated with modern urbanity and instead bringing a splash of color to the surroundings. But many shy away from keeping a garden because they fear that they don't have time or the patience for maintaining it. But these problems can easily be solved because there are ways to make maintenance of gardens easier. Installing a landscape edging is one such move. Installing this accessory make it easier for owners to cultivate and enjoy their gardens.
A garden could be first fixed by a landscape artist but when the owner's left on his own for the garden's maintenance, problems arise. One of the difficulties associated with gardens is the problems with delineating spaces and grass. There are certain areas where grasses and plants grow out of place, and so they tend to cross over walk ways and other spaces in the garden. This problem can be solved by installing a landscape edging around areas in the garden where plants and grasses are concentrated and arranged. Landscape edgings can either be simple trenches or pieces of tile, brick, plaster or plastic embedded into the soil around the landscape arrangements. They help define the spaces in your garden.

Because landscape edgings help define and differentiate spaces in your garden, you can now take care of it with ease. Landscape edgings help you determine the areas where grasses and other weeds are not supposed to grow and you can now make moves to take control. There are edgings designed to conform to the edges of conventional lawn mowers. They are designed so that the mower can use them as "tracks" making it easy to mow hard to reach grasses near the edgings. They also ensure the health of your plants because edgings prevent the spread of weeds if placed around plant beds. If they are deep enough (in the case of trench-type edgings) or deeply embedded (in the case of tile or plaster edgings), the long roots of weeds called stolons cannot reach the soil in your plant bed. These stolons, if uncontrolled, would grow into new grass blades. Therefore, placing landscape edgings would spare you from the hassles of spraying herbicide often or worse, getting down on your knees and pulling them out.
Besides these benefits, landscape edgings also provide aesthetic value to your garden. Trenches could be otherwise plain, but choosing bricks, tile or even plastic edgings with different designs and shapes will give your garden a good aesthetic boost. There are many kinds available in the market and so you can surely find the one that's right for your budget and needs.

Getting a landscape edging set for your garden will surely make your garden experience easier and more pleasurable. Keeping your garden healthy and well maintained has never been this easier. For more tips and tricks on landscape edging, be sure to visit http://www.landscapeedgingart.com/

Why You Should Choose Steel Landscape Edging

steel landscape edging

Are you looking into doing some landscaping renovations in your yard? There are many materials and options out there for you to choose from to add the finishing touches to your project. In this article I am going to discuss one of those options; steel landscape edging. There are many reasons why you should choose this material over others for edging your gardens, flowerbeds, or any other areas. The biggest advantage of using the steel edging is the durability. There are five different strengths that you choose from with this material. However, if you are planning on using this border at your home, residential strength will be more than enough. The residential strength steel is strong enough to endure the routine maintenance associated with lawn care such as mowing the grass. Also, this steel will not become brittle and break in cold weather as many other edging products do. Another advantage of this product is that because of its strength and uniform weight, it will not shift with the movement of the ground. Many products become easily un-aligned when you take on other products but this steel edging will stand up to the test. This alone will save you money and time in the long run. With other products you would have to go back and basically redo the edging each time you enhanced your yard. But with this steel edging, you won't have to go through the hassles of doing all of that additional work. Another major reason that you choose steel landscape edging over other products is the ease of installation. You can easily install this type of edging without having to consult landscaping companies or any other type of service. The way that installation works with this product is simple. Your edging has two sides; one that will face outward towards your yard (the one that will be seen) and one that face the inside of your garden or any other area that you are edging. The side that faces the inside of your garden has slits along its length at various points. All you must do to install this edging is place a stake that is provided into these slits and drive them into the ground where you wish for the edging to go. The stake system is especially designed to make the installation as easy as possible while providing you maximum strength in your edging. Of course looks have a major influence on deciding which edging you will pick for your yard. Steel landscape edging provides you with a very sophisticated look throughout your yard. The edges are very sleek and straight and provide clean lines for the edge of your project. Overall, this product is perfect for providing the finishing touch to any of your landscape projects in your yard. For lots more landscape edging ideas please be sure to visit http://www.landscapeedgingart.com

garden edging blocks Images

Reclaimed cobblestones used as walkway border

The use of reclaimed granite materials in landscape rehab. Cobblestone edging with antique granite block as bench.

Paving Your Landscape

Think of paving as the floor for your outdoor rooms and hallways. The term paving describes any surface that is not planted and is suitable for walking or driving. Driveways, parking areas, walkways, sport courts, and patios are just a few examples of hardscape paving. Paving materials vary greatly and can be broadly categorized as impermeable and permeable. Impermeable surface asphalt, concrete and brick or stone mortared to concrete slabs are firm enough to shed storm water. These surfaces lend an air of permanence and formality. Carefully plan and design the areas that will paved with impermeable surfaces since this materials are usually used in permanent hardscapes. You'll be looking at these areas for a long time, so have a solid plan in place that will provide you with many years of use and satisfaction. You will usually need to hire a contracting to pave areas with impermeable materials, since the subsurface requires preparation to prevent cracking. First of all the area need to be carefully graded to prevent water from pooling in areas especially near the foundation of the house. Poured in place concrete also requires forms to hold it in place until it had cured and a contractor can set and remove the forms properly. Precast concrete pieces such as stepping stones are already hardened and ready for placement, but the area still needs to be graded correctly to keep the material from shifting permeable surface provide firmer surface than the ground alone but still allow water to penetrate. They give your landscape a more informal tone than an impermeable surface. Gravel and mulch are common example of permeable materials. If you're looking for a way to create a different look to this hardscapes the size and color or gravel stone can make the difference. Larger stones are less formal while the smaller the stone the dressier the appearance. Dark stones tend to make the prettiest pathways but a light color is a nice contrast to the surroundings. If you are interested in a "middle ground" consider stone, brick or pavers set in a sand of gravel course.they have a stronger presence than gravel or mulch alone. Sand set bricks tend to shift over the years, making a surface uneven so they may be reset over time. Moss and plants may grow in pocket that occur between the stones, creating a whole different look to the hardscape as the time passes. Impermeable paving materials in sand or gravel beds need to be contained with steel,stone,brick or wood edging the to keep the materials out of plantings and create a definitive border to the hardscape. Paving is a great way to transition from one space to another. Example irregularly shaped stones set in a loose gravel path my lead to a patio made of the same stone mortared to a slab. A rectangular inset of cut stones centered in the patio act acts much like and exterior area rug, lending subtle identity and a touch of formality to a sitting area. Different shapes of interlocking cement blocks, cut stone or patterns made with bricks can create different effects that will highlight the hardscape. Examine you plan for areas that will be paved and consider different materials to achieve the look you want. Its important to know what you can do yourself and when it's time to call a contractor. A brick on sand patio project or a gravel path lined with brick or stone is within the skill of many home owners. Its best to hire a contractor for larger jobs such as paved driveways or patios to be sure the job is done right. If you're going to do it your self, projects with straight line are easier than those with curves, Also project with dimensions that are divide into an even number of bricks or blocks are easier than those that require anything to be cut to fit. Always work out the pattern on paper before you begin to be sure you've got the right amount of materials and can handle the job yourself. Albert Thomas is a experienced landscaper and would like to give ideas and tips on how to start working on your own front yards and backyards and creating your own ideas and putting it to plan. Visit his site http://www.landscapingway.com to learn more about landscaping tips and designs.

Easy Landscape Lighting Ideas

Good use of outdoor or landscape lighting is often one of the easier improvements you can make to the exterior portion of your home that can make a big difference. Not only can this upgrade improve the look of your home at night, but it is also very functional making your yard more user-friendly at night. The most common places to add accenting light is to a walkway or path, patio or deck or the garden.

Walkway Lighting

Walkway lights provide a clear and attractive distinction of the paths in your yard. They illuminate the paths so they are safer to use at night while also providing a warm glow in your yard.

It is important to determine the right spacing for this as you don't want too many or too few lights. They should be about 8 to 10 feet apart. Instead of lining them equally on either side consider alternating them on either side to create a better look.

Remember there are different light colors available. Find one that best accents your home and yard. Maybe soft white is best, but maybe an amber or blue tone would be better.

Patio Lighting

The choice of deck and patio lights is pretty diverse so you can really get creative here if you choose, but don't overdo it. Too much of a good thing isn't necessarily a good thing anymore.

For a deck consider things like post lights, bollard or step lights for any stairs or maybe string lights. You may also want some decorative wall lights.

For a patio some of the same will work well like wall or string lights. You can use things like rock, bollard or patio umbrella lights to add light to the patio and accent your landscaping or potted plants.

You can use different lights for different purposes; they don't all need to be used at the same time. Alternate based on what you need and the look you want for different times.

Garden Lighting

To highlight specific garden or landscaped areas you can use in ground or bullet lights to illuminate trees or other plants. There are some very attractive full size or compact bollards that work well for this use, some that fit well with specific themes like a Zen or English garden. Or you can simply find some easy to install solar lights to accent any gardens or landscaped area of the yard.

Learn more about how to effectively use bollard landscape lighting whether you want to use full size or compact bollard light fixtures.

Outdoor Landscape Lighting

Turn your yard into your own high end resort after a long day at the office or during a warm summer night and enjoy your outdoor space more with outdoor lighting.

Outdoor is a cost effective way to emphasize the exterior beauty of your home and the yard surrounding your property. In addition to decorating our outdoor environments with furniture, colorful plants and flowers, we utilize outdoor to bring it all together. Professionally installed outdoor makes homes more appealing and more inviting. Your can enhance the details of the architecture and your hardscape and allows you to enjoy your exterior world even after the sun sets.

Outdoor is widely used for private homes and commercial environment for many reasons. The most important reason is to enhance the aesthetics of the property. It also increases the safety of the property. It is important to contact a professional to select the right type of outdoor fixture for your home. A professional will help you select the right fixture and the best possible locations for your fixtures. The wrong types of fixtures can create additional expenses and undesirable results. In addition, the wrong fixtures might produce glare and other undesired effects.

For example, objects in the environment can bend in a way that glare and shadows are more problematic. Consult an outdoor professional about which illumination fixture is best for your job and find out valuable information on where the best location may be to set up your new fixture to avoid any undesired results. Outdoor projects can be complex and tedious without consulting a professional.

For many of us, our garden is more often seen at night not only because of our ever-increasing working hours but also because of our long, dark winter. It important to use so that the garden 'shows' all year round and is useable at any time. Another benefit is that, lit properly, a garden can look beautiful, throughout the year regardless of the season.

Outdoor is beautiful, but avoid light pollution by making sure that none of your outdoor lights shine directly into a neighbor's home or garden or are left on while there's nobody at home to appreciate them.

There are many ways your can benefit from outdoor fixtures. Security spotlights and motion detectors can increase safety around your property. Path lights can highlight hidden color and accent surrounding foliage. Outdoor increases home owner appreciation of outdoor living. Professionally planned and installed low-voltage along walkways and near hazards increases home owner and guest safety.

More and more home owners realize the importance of outdoor. Used the right way, outdoor can transform your garden into a magical world of lights and shadows. It not only increases your enjoyment of your property but it also safety and security. With outdoor you have the power to turn a dull dark space into an outdoor entertainment area.

The author of this article has expertise in outdoor led lighting. The articles on outdoor landscape lighting reveals the author's knowledge on the same. The author has written many articles on led landscape light as well.