Tag Archives: Yard

A Yard and Garden Design Can Set Your Home Apart

The design and implementation of a plan for a beautiful yard and garden can set your home apart.  It can also have other important advantages, including increasing the value of your home, reducing the cost of creating and increasing satisfaction while reducing the time required to keep it beautiful and personal.  

There are many ways to create a design plan for a yard and garden including hiring a custom designer, purchasing and using design software, or by doing your own research through the many magazines and do-it-yourself books.  The goal is to upgrade a yard or garden from poor or average to good or excellent.  It has been researched and proven that the monetary return can be anywhere from 7 to 14% when a home is sold.  It may be the attraction that sets your home above the competition when you decide to sell your home. 

There are many ideas to consider when creating a yard and garden design.  The most obvious is cost and time.  You will also need to consider the size of the area, your personal style and environment you live in.  It has been common practice to have a lawn mainly of grass and a garden of green plants.  Alternatives can include choosing to use natural elements, planning for maintenance efficiency, adding a variety of height and size, and choosing décor to highlight the natural plantings of your yard and garden.  In this economy, another option is to consider ways to add a vegetable garden to the décor of your yard and garden, either by area planting or container gardening.     

A well designed yard and garden should include color.  When choosing plants for your design, remember to give serious consideration to their life span and their space requirements.  You need to evaluate the amount of sun, shade and water your areas provide and what plants work well in those environments.  You also need to consider the variety of color and color compliments.  Ask a garden specialist or a university extension agent if you need help.

Gardens can also provide décor to attract birds.  Many people are bird enthusiasts, but even those of us who know little about birds can enjoy their playful antics and enthusiasm for life.  There is a wide variety of garden décor items that entice our feathered friends to make your yard and garden home-such as bird feeders, bird houses and bird baths. 

These are not the only garden décor items that add to the eye appeal of a garden.  You should also consider figurines, statues, arbors, trellises, stepping stones, lights, planters and more.  Browsing through a garden store or website will provide your with many ideas and options.   Each should be chosen according to your style and design.   

With your special touch, your yard and garden will be an extension of your home where you and your family will enjoy time together.  If done correctly, your yard and garden design planning will reduce having to re-plan and replant at a later time.  It will add to the curb appeal of your home and provide a place of comfort and joy. 

 

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The Many Types Of Gazebos For Home

Exterior space outside a home require outdoor shades to be truly useful. No guest or homeowner wants to spend much time baking under a potentially health-threatening sun. The gazebo is one such outdoor shade structure found in homes. Its most basic elements are a circular shape, a series of posts, and a roof combined into a freestanding structure. Gazebos are somewhat large so fit best into big back or front yards.

Most people who own a home will have come across the lightweight, portable gazebo. It is easy to set up as the supporting frame structure is made of rigid plastic or hollowed metal tubes. The shelter walls and roof are fabric to keep the entire structure very light. The great advantage is that these structures can be set up quickly and with minimal effort. The great disadvantage is that these structures are not robust and need to be taken down for the winter.

The roof and wall fabric can be made of many materials, with canvas being the classic selection. However, nowadays canvas is rare due to its propensity to get dirty and contaminated with microbial growth. Modern synthetics resist the color-fading sun light as well as microbial growth much better. They are also lighter, waterproof, and can be woven tightly to reduce light transmittance.

In addition to portables, the other kind of gazebos is the fixed structure that is often constructed out of wood, metal (iron or steel), and possibly brick. Wood gazebos must be treated in order to fight erosion by the elements. Iron and steel are much more durable as long as rust is managed. Such large structures demand a solid foundation entailing the sinking of concrete footings to hold the beams and platform. The work is arduous and is best done with the help of professionals.

For any of these permanent, heavy structures, it is important to ensure that sufficient open space exists around the final structure so it is easy to move around, in and out of the gazebo. The ground also needs to be level otherwise it is hard to ensure that the final structure is free of tilt. Clearing the dirt to make level ground followed by laying a surface can help improve the surface.

Many of these problems are discussed in gazebo kits which can be purchased online or at a home improvement store. Complete schematics and hardware are included with the kits. Raw materials such as wood must be purchased separately. After the gazebo is completed it can be supplemented with add-on improvements. For hot climates a mosquito netting will make the evening more bearable by keeping out small bugs and insects. For very sunny areas a hanging shade can add to the shade power of the gazebo.

You can locate more ideas on home outdoor shade. This and other topics on shades for the window exterior are available to everyone.

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