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Important Factors You Should Know About Landscaping Services

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There are endless benefits to using landscaping in your yard.
Landscaping can make dull and solid areas pleasing to the eyes. It is
responsible for making ordinary homes into spectacular ones and office
buildings into warm, livable spaces. Beautiful landscaping in your yard
can increase the property value of your home. It is recommended by The
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) that you put about 10
percent of the homes value in landscaping. This investment in your
property’s appearance can add up to 20 percent to your homes estimated
value. This is certainly an area you do not want to neglect! The first
decision you must make is whether you will want to do this project
yourself or hire a professional landscaping company to do the work for
you. There are a few questions you should ask yourself before making
such a decision.

If you are more hands on and desire to do a project
on your own, be sure to do research in advance on what types of plants
will be best suited for your needs. There are many websites and articles
that can help you. If you would prefer to have a human interaction,
coming into the store to get advice is your best bet. You can then get
an idea of the size and color of the plants you want to place in your
yard. If you’ve been weighing the advantage of employing a professional
landscaping service at your home in Portland you may be wondering
whether the pros outweigh the cons, and whether the cost will be worth
the value added to your home.

To make your decision to hire a
professional landscaping service in Portland, or elsewhere, a little
easier, here are just a few of the benefits that you will gain from
using a landscaping Portland service. A professional landscaping service
can help put your unique style stamp on your garden, as well as your
home. Remember, what’s outside your home is as much of a reflection of
your style and personality as what is inside. In some states, and
certainly in Portland, water restrictions play a role in garden design. A
professional landscaping service will know exactly how you can save on
water, time and money, by designing your garden carefully.

The
truth is, you won’t know the value of employing a professional
landscaping service at your orange county home until the day you would
like to think of selling. Or, if you’ve recently visited someone who has
a fabulous home, but a less than marvelous garden, you might have
realized that what’s going on outside your home is as important as
what’s happening inside. Professional landscaping services are a little
like hiring a decorator for your home, they can help you achieve a
garden that looks great, is easy to maintain, and enhances your home’s
aesthetic.

Your garden needs to meet your lifestyle needs,
whether you live in Portland or elsewhere. If you’re a busy
professional, you probably won’t have time for watering and caring for
lots of delicate plants. On the other hand, if you love gardening, but
want a specific look and feel, without having to do all the heavy
lifting, digging and so on, a professional landscaping service may be
just the ticket.

Landscape Lighting Ideas – Bring Out The Best In Your Landscaping

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Many Design Options To Consider

When it comes to illuminating your landscape at night, there are so many different options available that it can be difficult to focus on just the most basic landscape lighting ideas. Indeed, with so many different things that can be lit in the landscape, you may not want to stop with only a few. Here are some landscape lighting ideas that will help you get started on your way towards a beautifully lit landscape.

Don’t Think Two Dimensionally

Most people that are looking to illuminate their landscape are really only thinking in two dimensional directions. You can throw light in any direction in order to enhance the landscaping and to really bring out a lot of dramatic effects in the outdoor environment.

Downlighting

Throwing the light onto the ground from low-voltage landscape lighting is an excellent way to dress up an area, but it is not the only thing that you should really be considering.

Up Lighting

Shining light up onto feature objects in the landscape is an excellent way to really make an impression. For example, arbors, trees or anything else that stands above the general landscaping can usually benefit from a little bit of lighting.

Wall Lighting

Along with that, you might try throwing a splash of light against any architectural features that are in the garden area, including the side of the house. Keep in mind, it is not always necessary for you to stick with white lighting although this is preferred by many people. Various colored light filters can bring out hidden characteristics of lighted object that may not be seen with white light.

Submersible Lighting

Do you have a pool or pond in your landscape area? You should try using some submersible lighting in order to add an interesting feature to this area as well. This is a good place for you to try out different colors and lights, and you can even get rotating lights that will continuously change the look of the underwater environment. It is important for you to make sure that these are installed by a qualified electrician however, and that you have everything hooked up properly to avoid shock hazard.

Focus Your Light

Finally, keep in mind that whenever you are looking for landscape lighting ideas that you do not focus on the source of the light but rather, on what it is illuminating. It is far better if you hide the source of the lighting and do not make it a feature in itself. Simply use it to make the outdoor environment more inviting and to create some dramatic effects by spreading the light around and illuminating feature points within the landscape area. Keep light focused on the areas you want to highlight and you will be pleasantly surprised at the result, and at how many other landscape lighting ideas will come to mind.

Water-conscious Landscaping

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By Savitha Hira Photography: Courtesy Ar. Kakoli Sikder

The Water Habitat Retreat at Jodhpur is a laudable exercise in traditional rainwater harvesting, and landscaping this heritage property has effectively brought it into the limelight-

Socially responsible architecture is quietly being practiced by many an architect in various pockets of the globe. Thanks to socially responsive patrons, who make an unwavering commitment in tandem with the architects. Ar. Kakoli Sikder is a landscape architect from Delhi, who has creditably been a significant team member of the Bijolai Palace conservation at Jodhpur.

Water Habitat Retreat was once the famous Bijolai Palace at Jodhpur. It was conserved and restored to house a boutique hospitality venture under the aegis of the Jal Bhagirathi Foundation. It is said that the scenic, sprawling summer palace built in the early 19th century is nestled between the Aravalli Hills surrounded by lakes as an oasis in the desert. With the civil work being completed as far back as 2008, Ar. Kakoli Sikder stepped in to make her valuable contribution to the expansive landscape.

Beginning from the entrance paths – there were two distinct ones – both over a culvert; one towards private quarters and the other towards the admin and hospitality facilities; Kakoli worked on a well-manicured garden, arched jharokhas to frame panoramic views, square paved plazas, lush green palms, circular planters with shade-giving trees and diligently selected native species of -Jaal Peelu’ , -Rohina’ and -Babool’ as the focal planting among other things. Largely, there are three courtyards within the living quarters, which have been designed tastefully as trellised spaces for outdoor seating and occasional dining. As in any landscaping project, the material palette and the selection of flora and fauna have been methodically determined. With the project tabling water as an exemplary rainwater oasis, where it is not only supposed to be entirely self-sufficient of its water needs, but is also said to use 100% recycled rainwater and provide water for the drinking-water needs of severely water-distressed local communities, care has been taken to use plants that require less water, absorbent soil, and loosely laid Jodhpur stone pavers that together aid in recharging the natural water table. The walls, toe walls, retaining walls, etc. are all made of locally available Jodhpur dark stone in random masonry. The paths are made of loose stone chips. The planter coping, plazas, steps, amphitheatre seats and stage are made of polished Jodhpur stone. And as far as the lighting is concerned – wall lights, tree up-lighters and bollards have been strategically used to enhance the mood of this place.

As Kakoli sums up, -The challenge lay in accomplishing heightened aesthetics within a contextual vocabulary, staying grounded in terms of giving back to the project and doing all of this within the limitations of cost-effectiveness.-

to view images click on inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com

Garden Privacy Screens – Backyard Landscaping Ideas

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No matter where you live, there’s nothing better than relaxing outdoors on a warm summer night watching your backyard landscaping ideas come to life.

Unfortunately, re-landscaping your whole backyard throughout the course of one growing season could be back breaking, costly and requires major planning.

Even though you are landscaping simply one section of the lawn at a time, you still need an overall plan. Utilizing graph paper, sketch out the permanent structures on your property such as the house, out buildings, deck and trees.

Here are some suggestions you’ll dig:

Screening with Plants

If your lawn does not have a fence, you might want to think about planting a row of hawthorn, juniper, arborvitae, or a combination of these bushes to create privacy and offer a backdrop for future flower beds. A smartly placed evergreen screen will also give a windbreak from winter winds and drifting snow.

Planning a Border Flower Bed

The most difficult part of designing a border is choosing flowers that complement one another, both in color and height. The list of perennials I advise here is for a six foot wide bed in a primarily sunny situation. Wide, in this case, means outward from the plant screen or fence, not the length of the bed.

Use 3 or 5 plants for every kind of flower and allow 16″-18″ in between every plant. Allow 20″-22″ between the different plant groups. Planting an odd number of plants is much more visually appealing than an even number.

Permit sufficient space at the rear of the bed for access. This will also prevent choking off essential air and light from the plants in back.

Island Bed

An island bed, as the name suggests, is planted in the middle of the lawn surrounded by a sea of grass. It can differ in shape and size in accordance to your imagination and available space. Scale the plants from tallest in the center to shortest at the edges.

Preplanned Gardens

I understand all of this Latin mumbo jumbo can be challenging for first time gardeners, it was for me. If you want a ready made solution, Direct Gardening provides a wide assortment of preplanned gardens designed to take all the guess work out of plant selection and placement.

Water Feature

Imagine the reflective beauty of a pond or the soft splashing of a man made waterfall. How about a 100 foot high waterslide? Maybe next year.

Do Your Lawn a Favor

Before you buy any vegetation, visit a real garden center for advice on drainage and soil preparation. Also, bring a copy of your plan; a soil sample and an extra credit card just in case you can’t wait years to make your backyard landscaping ideas come true.

Landscaping Companies How To Choose The Best Online The Fast And Easy Way!

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Do you want to landscape your yard? Are you searching for the best landscaping company online? There is nothing to fret and frown as there are many companies that provide a plethora of landscaping and ground maintenance services. Maintaining a proper garden/yard is quite difficult as it requires proper climatic conditions and regular care. Since most of the people are office goers, it becomes a challenge for them to maintain a garden properly. There are many companies that offer excellent services for individual and corporate use. Some of the services provided include landscaping, weed control & gritting, grounds maintenance, pest control, and more.

If your home is infested by pests, then you must choose the right pest control service provider and put an end to the problem. Some of the common pests that cause problems include cockroaches, wasps, mosquitoes, ants, flies, and more. Removing these troublemakers cannot be handled by someone without experience. Professionals on the other hand have years of experience in the field and they can handle any problem at the blink of an eye. They offer value-added services that include 24 hours call out service, rapid response service, protection services, and more.

Nowadays, many people love to choose artificial lawns as they are not expensive and at the same time beautiful to look at. Installing these lawns is not a cumbersome task as it can be done quickly and easily. When choosing a landscaping company, make sure that the company provides cost-effective services. You can also get quotes from various companies and then choose the one that you want. Genuine landscaping companies provide excellent services that will not only help you save time, but also money. You can also enquire your friends about the company that you are going to choose. Apart from landscaping, many companies provide commercial ground maintenance services at pocket-friendly rates.

Whether it is landscaping or ground maintenance, you can get it done right away by choosing the best company online. If you want to have a synthetic lawn, you can seek the help of artificial lawn installers. Nowadays people choose artificial lawns as they are easy to maintain and easy to clean. Landscaping companies in the UK provide grounds maintenance services and a host of other services for corporates and individuals. They serve all the major areas in the UK that include Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Berkshire, among others. You can also contact the customer care professionals and clarify your doubts regarding landscaping and ground maintenance services. So what more do you need? Choose the best company online right away without wasting a minute!