Landscaping

2010-07-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

Front Yard Landscaping To Restore Curb Appeal

Adding new life to an existing front yard that has no curb appeal is often worth a whole lot more than the time and effort spent on it. If you have plans to refurbish your own front yard landscape, you should use the same rules as designing and landscaping a new front yard. Parking areas and access areas should be figured so that the rest of the landscaping could be a simple task of designing some border beds around them. Still, even with a basic plan like this, a little thought will help to make the landscape look balanced and appealing.

First thing is to assess any problems areas. To get a whole different perspective of the landscaping and entryway, take pictures from several different angles. Now take a look at how your property really looks and write down the problem areas that need changing. Make note of even the smallest details. Are any concrete walks broken or cracked? Are any lawn areas overgrown with weeds? Is the front entryway no longer appealing and inviting?

Get rid of any dead and unwanted shrubs. New ones can be put in their place. Or instead of shrubs, use ornamental grasses to create an entirely different atmosphere in your front yard landscaping ideas. Pruning shrubs and trees will help keep their beauty. When these are allowed to grow unchecked they can make your yard look unkempt and uncared for.

To add a little color and interest, place some large planting containers on either side of your front steps or your walkway. Fill the pots with a combination of ornamentals plants, vines, and colorful flowers. This will brighten your entryway and make it look very welcoming. Planters are also great for changing out different plants at different times of the year.

Something to keep in mind when planting your front landscape is that sometimes less can be more. Rather than using a large variety of plants in your front yard landscaping ideas, create a simple planting plan. Repeat two or three colors and maybe a few evergreens throughout the landscaping and front entry. Doing so will add balance to the design.

To make the entire yard look clean and manicured, edge all walkways, driveways, and sidewalks. See that any entry steps, driveways, or walks are clean and in good shape. Fix any breaks, stains or cracks. Concrete or rock walkways that are cracked and seriously damaged should be repaired or taken out and replaced.

If landscaping styles are too restricted and uninteresting, a few curved planting beds will help add a softer tone. An island bed is also a great addition to add interest to a front yard.

You may want to consider putting in some accent walkway and foundation landscape lighting. Installation is generally easy enough to be a do it yourself job or you can hire a pro do it. As well as the safety factor they provide, they also add elegance to the house and landscaping at night.

One final thought. Take a look at what shape the house is in. A new coat of paint and basic needed repairs can make a hugely possitive change for the home and the landscaping. It doesn't matter how beautiful the landscape is, people won't be able to see it past a home that is in bad shape.

2010-07-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

Landscaping for changing weather patterns

Designing a landscape or garden that will look and function great for years to come will consider every possible factor before any plans are drawn. A very important and often overlooked factor is climate and weather patterns. Regardless of design style, your landscaping should work with the weather and climate that you live in. In parts of the world that experience the changes of all four seasons, gardens and landscapes will also feel the effects of these seasonal changes. Here are a few ideas that may be helpful in any climate for designing landscapes or gardens.

Plant choices in any design in any area will be determined by what works and what's available in your area. Used quite common in Desert and Southwest landscape design ideas, planting adaptive and native plants is a good way to ensure that the plants thrive in any climate. Designing natives into your landscaping will help make it more colorful and maintenance free all year long. Native plants are already adapted to local soils so there's no problem from different soil. Also, because they grow and propagate locally, natives will already be climatized and adapted to your climate. Regardless of where you are, it's a good possibility that there are lots of native plants in your area that you can use.

Another way to brighten up your landscape, no matter what kind of climate you have, is by the use of tropical or Mediterranean landscape design plants. A lot of tropical plant varieties will actually do well in colder climates. Do a little research on tropical plants and you may find a few that will thrive in your area. Some of the tropical plants that often work well in non tropical climates are Bougainvillea, Agapanthus, and Hibiscus. Lantana, which blooms all the time and comes in several different colors, from light lavender to vibrant shades of yellow, is also a prime choice. Mandevillas, which have beautiful trumpet shaped flowers on long vines are also a great choice. If you choose, there are probably enough tropical plant varieties that will work in your area and possibly give your landscaping some interest all year long.

Seasonal diversity is also an important element for landscaping or gardens with different climates. For example, you can use plants in the landscaping with different bloom times and patterns. In this way, when one type of plant finishes its season, you'll still have something blooming in your landscaping or garden. The key here is a little research and planning for the different bloom schedules of your different plant choices. Know which ones are at bloom for each season and choose one or two for each season that you would like to include in your design.

And of course, along with the plants, you can also use other decor and ornaments in your landscape design to add even more visual interest. Ornaments and garden decor generally make good placements since they aren't really effected by changes in the climate or weather. You can also use elements like statues, stone pathways, and other hardscapes to make your design more interesting.

2010-07-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Creative Front Yard Landscaping Ideas
Landscaping ideas for front yards generally follow an entirely different set of needs than those for the back. The front yard design will almost always have to address the need for accessibility and entry into the home. Also, being the first thing that folks see when they visit or pass by your house, the front yard landscape usually gives them a first impression of your home as well as your landscaping. Not generaly an area designed to spend a lot of time in, front yards basically serve as the entry, access, and exit of the home. Basically, a front yard landscape design can get a good start by designing the necessary walkways or driveways and then the rest of the design can often be created around that.

Planting ideas and schemes in front yards often place a lot of focus on the house and how it sits on the property. The same as the rest of the landscaping elements like fences, walkways, and driveways, it's important that the plants placed around the home also complement it. Trees and shrubs have the ability to create unity between the house and its surrounding by helping the building seem more a natural part of the landscape and softening the hard lines.

The corners of the house and the entryway door are two areas that need special consideration when you're creating your landscaping ideas and plans. Basically, the door is the focal point of the house and it often good practice to place short plantings on either side of it. For the corners however, tall plants are a great choice since they help soften the corners as well as lead the eye toward the front door and the plants surrounding it.

Trees are a wonderful addition to front yard landscaping also because they can frame the home. They can be used to place visual interest on the home making it the most outstanding feature in the landscape. Generally, you should grow trees that have a mature size that is close to the same scale of the house. Take care when planting shade trees that they're tall enough to create shade and keep the home cool but not so tall that they dwarf the house. On the other side of the coin, planting shorter trees can make the house appear taller and possibly out of proportion as well.

Consider the different shapes of different trees and then select those with a shape that will best fit the style of the home. A house with a steeply angled roof line and dormer windows normally call for pyramidal trees, like birch and spruces. For dwellings that have the low lines of the ranch style, the horizontal or round shape of maples and dogwoods works very well.

Aside from the plants and trees, the open lawn is also important in many landscape design styles since it can provide an excellent setting for the house. A front yard with a patch of lawn surrounded by clean flower beds, shrubs, and ornamental plants can add the illusion of a bigger space than there is. Be mindful when planting shrubs as they can appear to be out of place and floating on their own if not planted in designated planting beds or groups.

Creating beautiful and successful front yard landscaping ideas always starts with a complete and finished plan. Even if you plan to do the project in steps over time, a complete plan is important to keep the project on track. Without it, you'll end up with a patch work landscape that was obviously pieced together.Take the time to consider all we've learned in this article and create a finished plan first.

Front yard landscapes often place the main focus on creating an inviting entry while also accenting the view of the home. And coming up with a great design can really be as simple as designating the necessary walkways and entries and then designing around them.

2010-04-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

A few new additions to the site worth mentioning. Along with all the pictures on the site, there are even more pictures now. Along with all the specific categories, there is outdoor fireplace ideas which has become quite popular in the last few years. And as if there aren't enough pictures directories on the site already, see landscaping pictures for even more ideas and photos.

2009-08-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

Outdoor Christmas Yard Decorations

Computerized outdoor Christmas yard decorations are taking on in a big way all over the country. With the help of electronic and computerized decorations and local communities, a lot of cities are becoming large tourist attractions just like Christmas On The Pecos in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

When decorating for Christmas or any other holiday, having close access to plenty of electricity is a welcome convenience. At the same time, not having enough can also be a setback of not being able to decorate the way you want to. While most modern houses have plenty of outlets on the walls of the home, very few have electricity in the yard. Some Christmas yard decorations and displays can use a lot of electricity and outlets. Having access right where you need it is so much better than having extension cords stretched out all over the yard. So having electrical outlets installed throughout the landscaping is a great idea.

The amount of power you’ll need will obviously depend on the extent of your decorating displays. Over planning for too much is always better than not enough. Have your electricians create the right size power supply and network for your decorations. And then have them place outlets where you know you’ll have Christmas yard decorations.

Nothing is worse to a landscaping project than the visibility of utilities. Along with other utilities like transformers and meters, outlets can’t be avoided and so we have to find some creative ways of hiding them or blending them with the landscaping. One of the easiest ways to hide outlets is to place them in planting beds nearest to the areas where you’ll have outdoor Christmas decorations. There are also weatherproof outlet boxes that can be set directly into lawns and flowerbeds as well as fake rocks.

Christmas lights and outdoor decorations have been around and used for quite a long time. It’s interesting and entertaining to see how far they’ve come. Click here to read about the history and origin of using christmas lights and outdoor decorations.

2009-07-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

Xeriscaping Ideas

As part of the movement for green living, the principles of xeriscaping are finally being considered for most design styles and not just for desert southwest landscapes. While a lot of folks still think that xeriscape is a design style confined to desert and southwest landscaping, many more are starting to understand that it is a method that can be applied to all design styles rather than a style itself. Still, chances are if you're searching for xeric information, you're probably looking for landscaping ideas of a Santa Fe, Arizona, Southwest, or desert nature.

Xeriscape Design Ideas

Before I point you in the direction of some great xeriscaping ideas resources, skim over xeriscaping principles to get an understanding of the methods and benefits of drought tolerant and low water use landscaping. You'll find that most of it is just plain common sense.

As I said before, chances are that you're looking for something of a Santa Fe or Arizona style. Ans seeing how these are some of the most common styles in our area, we have some good ideas resources to share with you.

Dry Riverbed Xeriscaping Ideas is an informative post with pictures of fake dry riverbeds used for design and drainage purposes in drought tolerant landscaping.

Xeriscaping Pictures And Plans is a new directory of links, pictures, and plans for low water use landscape design. Many of the links and resources are from very talented designers all over the country.

Xeriscape Design Ideas is a list of some of my own design and plans.

Southwest Landscaping Ideas is a collection of design ideas and links to some beautiful desert Southwest Santa Fe style designs, plans, and pictures that I could find.

Also see Xeriscaping for an updated and more detailed version of this post along with some other important xeriscape design resources.

While you may be tempted to overlook the principles and go directly to all the pictures and ideas, just take a moment to skim over them. It will help you understand Xeriscaping better so you can apply it to any design style and idea you choose.

2009-06-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

Landscaping Videos

Videos are the present and future of tutorials and ideas. Being able to see a project or idea created is so much better for comprehension than someone trying to tell you or explain the steps or theory of the project.

There are videos available that will teach you how to do practically anything. And how to do your own landscaping projects and garden design are no exception. You can find video tutorials on landscaping all over the internet. The only problem is that in order to find the good ones, you have to wade through hundreds of useless videos.

So in order to help the do it yourselfer find good tutorial videos on landscaping and garden design, the landscape design site created Landscaping Videos.com . Currently there are over 100 video landscaping ideas organized in categories to help you find specific project details related to landscaping and garden design.

For even more, see landscaping ideas for the latest blog post that will show you several resources for gathering landscaping ideas and how to use them in your own yard and property.

2009-04-13T04:53:00.000-07:00

Patios, Courtyards, And Small Gardens

Designing patios, courtyards, and small gardens is just the same as most any other landscaping except for scale and materials. If you don't have a vision, you'll need pictures and ideas to help you come up with your own plans. Once again, we've got you covered.

We just added a whole new section to our landscaping pictures directory. To start, see patio designs and ideas for a complete collection of patio pictures and ideas that are sure to inspire you.

While there's a fine line between patios and courtyards designs, we felt a need to create two separate directories to do them both justice. See courtyard ideas for a collection of enclosed courtyard pictures and ideas.

Our site has always been big on small garden design ideas. And while any of the other directories mentioned here would be considered as small gardens, there still needs to be some individual principles and guidelines to follow. See small garden design ideas for principles, theory, and ideas for creating small gardens.

2009-02-24T07:56:00.000-08:00

Pre Planned Gardens Design Plans

While I can't quite put my finger on the recent popularity of the professionally designed ready made garden plans and landscaping designs, I would have to lean more toward the state of the economy and the fact that more folks are finding it necessary to do their landscaping and gardens design themselves.

And in response to the new popularity of these plans and designs, there are more of them available and in much better quality. And in response to this, I have begun to prescribe pre designed garden planting plans to some of my consulting clients as a way to create planting schemes without having to do a lot of research or paying a landscape designer like myself to come up with design ideas for them. If you're planning on doing your landscaping yourself, it's another option worth looking into.

Patio Design Ideas

There are over 750 new pictures added to the landscaping pictures gallery on the landscape design site. And one of the most popular new directories is the patio design ideas directory. However, I'm not really surprised as folks are finding more refuge in outdoor rooms, patios, and small gardens that are extensions of the home. If you're planning to build a new patio, you'll find some great ideas there.

Landscaping Videos And Ideas

I'm very proud of the new videos site. I believe it is to become a very useful asset to the do it yourself landscaping and gardening community. See landscaping ideas and videos to check out all the videos, pictures, and plans that are there to get ideas from all for free.

2008-09-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

Finding Landscaping Contractors With Good Character

As a follow up to the announcement of the new free contractors directory, I wanted to add some thoughts on finding and hiring a good landscaper or designer. See the post at Landscaping Designers And Contractors Of Character. It's a good read and will give you something to think about if you are planning to use a landscaping contractor or company.

2008-09-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Landscaping Contractors Free Directory Of Landscape Designers

We've just added a new directory to the site. After all, it should live up to its name and offer everything that one would be looking for related to landscape and garden design.

I am surprised that we have the #1 spot for the search term landscape designer. I've never tried to have that spot. Still, it's a good indication that we needed to create a resource for locating landscape design contractors.

So we created a free landscaping contractors directory that also displays portfolios and finished landscape designs created by the contractors and designers. This way, you as a home owner can view the quality and design style of each contractor before you contact them. And there's no cost to contact as many designers as you like.

As a contractor or designer, there's also no cost to add your information, portfolio, contact information, and even an active link back to your site. Advertise for free on The Landscape Design Site.com.

2008-07-27T00:49:00.000-07:00

Landscaping Fabric - How To Install Landscape Fabrics

I wrote a great article on my main blog titled How To Install Landscaping Fabric. Instead of repeating it here, just follow the link. It's very informative and detailed.

2008-07-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

Landscaping Ideas And Design Styles

After a recent server change, The landscape design site was offline for several days which caused a few pages to get lost. The landscape design idea gallery has been moved out of place. Also, the garden styles gallery was moved as well. We'll see about getting them back.

2008-07-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

How To Fertilize A Lawn - Tips For Fertilizing Lawns

Properly fertilizing your lawn should be one of the simpler and less time consuming processes in your lawn care program. While you could get very technical about it, the basics you need to know are not as complicated as they might appear to be. Listening to some lawn care professionals and gurus explain detailed processes and equations might leave you a bit confused about the whole deal. However, you don't need to know all the details to have a beautiful lawn.

How much to fertilize, how often, when, and what formula to use are all the right questions. However, because of all the different variables ranging from soil type to location to hundreds of grass varieties and types, it’s impossible to give an exact lawn care program that would fit every lawn.

Testing the soil isn’t usually necessary for determining lawn fertilizer needs. If you’re having trouble growing a lawn, testing may be helpful to figure Ph and to see if a nutrient level is extremely high or low. Otherwise, they don’t give a good indication of the amount of nutrients your lawn needs.

You generally only need to be concerned with the three basic nutrients of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Other minor nutrients such as iron and zinc are usually plentiful in the soil. However, in some instances such as my own yard, I do apply one application of fruit and nut tree food to the entire lawn every few years. I have several trees that take these nutrients from the soil. Still it’s not common practice and isn’t necessary in most yards, landscaping ideas, and lawns.

The right formula? I can’t give an exact. Just a guideline. The three numbers on the label (0-0-0) represent the product percentage of the three nutrients in order, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. A good mixture would be high in Nitrogen, low in Phosphorus, and medium in Potassium. An example might be 10-2-5. This is one of those areas that can get technical. However, if you're not inclined to study up in this area, just keep applications low and safe. Keep Nitrogen, the first number, at 20 or below.

As my own rule for staying on the safe side, and in my opinion is a better way to feed a lawn, cut the amount in half and apply it twice as often or even less often. For some nutrients, plants will absorb all that is in the soil until it’s gone, grow very quickly, and deplete the soil before it’s time to fertilize again. A continuous feed is much better for the health of the lawn, reduces the risk of burning, and is easier to get an idea of what feeding program your specific lawn needs.

Again, all of this can’t be placed in a given formula for all lawn types. When to fertilize, of course, depends on your area, time of year, weather. Your soil type (clay, sand, etc) will influence many factors including how often and how much to fertilize. So it’s best to follow the steps of starting with less and working your way up. It also helps to keep a journal to keep track of your results.

2008-05-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

landscaping on a slope

As a follow up to my last main blog post on sloped and hillside landscaping - Landscaping On a Slope, you can now see the design plan for thos ideas and several pictures. See - Circular Driveway Landscaping On A Slope.

2008-05-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

Landscaping On A Slope

Hillsides and slopes can be a challenge for landscaping projects. Coming up with ideas for usable space and drainage can be difficult.

We just added a video on our site of one of our designs of a circular driveway on a slight slope. See Landscaping On A Slope to see the video and hopefully get some ideas you can use to landscape a sloped area if you have one.

And don't forget our original directory of hillside and sloping design ideas. See Landscaping On A Slope Or Hillside for several more ideas from various professional designers and landscaping contractors.

2008-04-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Courtyard Garden Design

I'm very excited to finally start publishing one of our Mediterranean landscaping projects that we've created. Besides an amazing Enclosed Tuscan courtyard, there will be videos on creating waterfalls, walkways, curbing, sprinkler systems, lawn, and much more.

So far there are two videos out with the last one being courtyard gardens drainage which covers some preparation considerations and drainage issues.

All the videos and lessons in this series will be archived at Mediterranean Garden Design. I hope you enjoy and get something out of the series.

2008-04-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Landscaping On A Budget.

I just posted a detailed article on the site on how to save money in your landscaping projects.

Most articles related to landscaping on a budget only touch on one or two specific areas of design. The article landscaping on a budget details money saving ideas involved in the entire landscaping design process.

You should find it very interesting as it will give you some details for saving money in your landscaping that you probably haven't thought of.

Landscaping On A Budget.

2008-03-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Landscaping and garden planting ideas.

I just got finished with an extensive blog post about plant selection that goes beyond the normal scope of choosing the right landscaping and garden plant.

The post goes into basic principles of garden and landscaping planting ideas as well as additional considerations in placement.

Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping (low water use landscaping) is getting a lot of attention due to an increased awareness in natural resources. Read xeriscaping principles and methods

More to come in a few days.

2008-03-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

Social bookmarking and community for landscaping, do it yourself, gardening, home improvement, other diy information.

After spending a lot of time searching for a social bookmark sites specific to the do it yourself niches and finding very few, I decided to create one. www.diwire.net is free for everyone wanting to share or bookmark favorites or their own sites.

Do it yourself social bookmarking - landscaping - garden - gardening - home improvement

2008-02-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note.

The Landscape Design Site looks a bit odd as we're changing templates. We've also added a video section to the site at Landscaping Videos. Of course, the videos there are our own as well as landscaping lessons and ideas from some of the better producers.

2008-02-05T20:48:00.000-08:00

Soil Ph, The Taste of Dirt, and Organic Gardening

My Grandfather was an old world dirt farmer who depended on his crops for his living. That old man knew more about soil and dirt than anyone I've ever known.

On his farm there was never a need for chemical fertilizers and insecticides as his crops were healthy and produced incredible yields. He was completely organic, returned everything to the soil, and rotated his crops. And in return, his soil had a perfect ph balance. Or at least that's what he said.

Back then, there were no soil test kits or probes so folks tasted the soil to test its ph. If it was sweet, it was acid. If it was sour, it was alkaline. And I guess bittersweet was a perfect 7. I don't know. To me, most dirt just tastes like...dirt.

Anyway, the importance of proper ph has been known for a long time. Nutrient uptake as well as many other factors are regulated by ph balance. And plants are always healthiest, produce more, are more nutritious, and have fewer pests and diseases when ph is perfect.

Anyway, the point of this blurb.....

I was reminded of my Grandfather the other day as I consulted with a client about his yellowing Hollies, Nandina, and other Evergreens. He had already been to the nursery where they had given him the cure to his problem in the form of a sack of iron supplement.

Since I live here and have dealt with this same problem many times, I knew the problem wasn't a lack of iron. There's plenty of iron in our soil. However, the plants can't pick it up. It's locked in the soil because of improper soil ph. We live on a huge limestone shelf and so the soil is extremely alkaline.

So rather than drown the soil in toxic levels of manufactured iron supplement, we began a slow systematic increase in soil acidity with simple garden sulfer. Within a few months the soil ph will become more acid, the iron will become available, the tree will get healthy and green, and I'll get paid.

So, while you won't have to eat dirt because there are modern test kits and probes, there's no excuse for not knowing the ph of your soil. And actually, at the first sign of plant problems, you should look for visible signs of insects or disease and check the ph of the soil.

Ultimately and the biggest lesson learned from my Grandfather is organics. Before the extensive use of chemicals, folks did just fine and even better with rich organic soil. And while organics may not be practical in some of our modern applications, using it when and where you can will produce growing benefits to your gardening experience. Naturally balanced soil ph being one of them.

2008-01-26T12:33:00.000-08:00

winter houseplant care - caring for houseplants

I don't know a lot about caring for houseplants. I could tell you a lot about outdoor landscaping plants but I couldn't tell you a thing about houseplant care. Well...except for my Ficus tree.

I have one plant in my entire home. A 7 foot Ficus tree. However, since it appears to be quite a happy little tree, I'd say I'm doing something right with it. Really, it just seems that taking care of houseplants is common sense.....for the most part.

Just like in landscaping, plants can add so much beauty and structure to the interior landscape. That sounds a little strange to me. Interior "landscape". Anyway, I've seen it done wonderfully but never really thought about it in my own house. My arguement has always been that it's just something more to take care of. And you're always having to get someone to take care of your plants when you go out of town.

However, being interior design challenged, this seems to be the simplest no-brainer way to add a little something to my home. I don't think I would go all out to the extent of landscaping the interior of my house but maybe you would. You may be interested to read Interior Landscaping and Indoor Plants for a more extreme approach to interiorscaping.

Indoor Gardens And Terrariums are more my speed as they seem to be easy to take care of. Especially terrariums. I've always liked the way they're more like a showpiece than a plant. And being self contained, means less mess.

Anyway, as I started looking into this, I came across a few good articles that I wanted to share with you. I didn't mean to ramble on and get sidetracked. Anyway, if houseplants is your thing, you might find some fresh ideas in these stories.

5 Ways To A Greener Indoors
Taking Care Of Indoor Plants In Winter
Proper Care Of Some Houseplants

Off the subject. I also published another article this week as a list of what little Free Landscape Design Software I could find available. There's not much to speak of but it might be useful if you're planning any landscaping, designing, or or drawing.

2008-01-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

Winter Gardening - Springtime Planting Ideas

I guess I must be ready for Spring. I was geared up to write a bit on Springtime planting and spring gardening. However, as I skim the headlines I am reminded that it's still Winter in most parts of the Country.

Caring For Plants In The Cold

I never really gave it much thought. Around here, once things (including my yard and garden) are put up for the Winter, I don't give them much thought until I dig them out in the Spring. However, I stumbled on a nice piece of information that reminded me that there are some considerations to keep in mind for your plants in the dead cold of Winter.

I'll use the word "considerations" here just to keep us safe from actually having to get out and do any of this. So check out Caring For Plants In The Cold if you might like to "consider" some tasks you can do pre-spring to keep your garden and landscaping in order.

Fluctuating temperatures harm your landscaping

I thought this was an interesting piece of news. While this may be something I'm aware of as a professional, I bet most folks never give it much thought. While it's generally not a problem for established gardens and landscaping, newly planted landscapes can suffer due to extreme fluctuation of temperatures in early Spring and Late Winter.

Even if your landscape or garden is well established, it's a good read for a few tips on protecting your plants in Winter. See Fluctuating temperatures harm your landscaping

A winter checklist for your home and garden

Here we go. I like checklists. You usually get at least one good thing you never thought of even if it's completely obvious. As well as a few gardening tips for Early Spring, this article looks mostly at indoor home issues such as energy savings and weatherproofing.

Actually, this is something you probably would already have done at this point - before it was freezing cold outside. It's still good info you can use next year. Read A winter checklist for your home and garden.

Planning A Springtime Landscaping Project?

O.K., one more thing. This is a piece I just created on planning your own landscaping. And since it's almost Springtime and I know lots of folks are "planning" to do some landscaping as soon as it warms up, I figured it would be worth mentioning here. The article Landscaping Ideas - Creating Do It Yourself Landscaping Ideas is based on a method we use to help consultees and clients come up with their own design ideas. It's a good exercize that will give you a few things to think about if you're planning to do your own landscaping projects.

I hope you get some good stuff from this. We'll talk soon.

Video Landscaping Ideas

Garden and Landscape Design

2007-11-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Video landscaping ideas, plans, pictures, videos

If you've ever visited a major video sharing site looking for specific information on gardening, landscaping, or home improvement, you're already aware that most of the videos are useless for your purpose.

Because of this, I decided to create a list of the best do it yourself landscaping and garden design videos I could find. The site is in the same format of the major video sites except it is focused on your specific needs and searches.

LandscapingVideos.com is brand new but growing daily. View how to landscaping - garden design Ideas videos without having to wade through endless movies just to find one with some good information.

I do hope you find the new resource useful.
Landscaping Videos.com

2007-07-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Free lawn care and turf grass information.

So what about the stuff that comes after the landscaping project is finished? To address part of that we're expanding the site to include a lawn care information resource.

As we build it we will include information on common turfgrass types, mowing tips, fertilizing, pests, diseases, sprinklers, etc.

The directory eill also include information on planting with seed and how to install a sod lawn.

Feel free to take a look at the new directory and check back as it will be growing daily. See it at: Yard, Grass, and Lawn Care.

2007-07-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

Landscaping for curb appeal

In all honesty, most front yard projects we consult on could improve curb appeal simply by cleaning up and mowing the yard. However, some do require a serious landscaping makeover.

While most clients and visitors can never get on our list for a consultation, we haven't just left everyone out in the cold. We have created several free picture resources for you to get ideas from.

For pictures that deals specifically with front yards and curb appeal, see the gallery at Landscaping For Curb Appeal.

For thousands more pictures that cover many design styles including front yards, see the galleries at Landscaping Ideas Pictures and Landscaping Pictures.

Another good front yard ideas source that's not my own is an ebook from Kevin Wood. 197 Ways To Create Curb Appeal. For those of you who have never heard of him, Kevins business is in helping people sell their homes so he has a lot of simple and quick and simple ideas for landscaping the front of your home.

You can get your copy along with some free landscaping software by Clicking Here.

One more design on our site worth looking into is Curb Appeal Landscaping. It's a cool design where we use our hardscape materials to create all season interest.

All season interest is something that most folks overlook. And of course this can also be created by adding some evergreen and semi-evergreen plants. But you're sure to get some neat ideas from this one design. Go and check it out.

2007-06-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

Landscaping A Culdesac.

It's been a while. I know. However, I, like most landscaping professionals, am so busy this time of year that there is hardly time for anything else.

I have managed to squezze a little time out to get our popular newsletter out which has a great cul de sac landscaping idea as the main landscape design lesson. Lots of other great stuff as well.

I also got up to speed by creating a few of my own free landscaping ideas pages at squidoo.com. It's pretty cool as anyone, including yourself, can create pages on anything you like.

Not much time but I'll try to post more soon.

2007-03-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Home Landscaping Ideas

As a part of my individual regular landscaping study, I regularly make the time to visit landscaping and gardens designed by do it yourselfers and homeowners. There are always a lot of individual touches for each yard that differ in degree of design, budget, and creativity. However, the main deciding factor that I've seen between fantastic landscaping ideas and not so great is the amount of planning that goes into each yard or landscape.

It's clear that planning everything and getting a vision may be hard and confusing for beginner do it yourselfers. However, no matter how long it takes, you should never leave out this part out. It is essential to the final constant growth, effectiveness, functionality, and appearance of your garden design. Take the time to plan. Remember the following hints. They could be helpful for getting your vision on paper and finally to your yard.

In the first part of the design process you might find it helpful to think in the abstract rather than specifics. A lot of professional landscapers design in this way. As opposed to getting hung up on specific flowers and plants that you would like to grow in your landscaping plans, think in terms of size, colors, texture, shape, and function of the plants and flowers needed in different areas. Specific plant types can be picked and researched after the plan is finished.

A common design block is not being able to look past what's already there. Even though it's great to include existing elements and views that are pleasing, your landscaping ideas should not be restricted by a lot more than resourcefulness, location, and budget. It's very valuable to see beyond what you already have and start with a fresh design in mind.

Try outlining or copying your dream landscape into your space as though you have a blank flat dirt lot to start on. Look at landscaping pictures and use the whole design in your yard if you want to. Change it, adapt it, or use another. The point is to plan without restriction and then change it and work with what you've got.

Try not to fill your head with each aspect of the landscaping plan. Focus on accessibility, purpose, shape, etc. Rather than thinking of exact materials for patios, fences, decks, pathways, walls, and other hardscapes, focus on the shape, size, function, convenience, access, and necessity.

A final hint is to keep it simplistic by keeping elements to only a few and then repeating them. You could also try making a focus in each main area. This could simply be a lamp post, entry door or gate, or even a bed of roses. Keep focal points to no more than one as too many will compete for focus and confuse the view.

2007-02-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

Landscaping Contractors - Designers - Hiring a skillful and reputable landscaping contractor needs to be addressed in the same way as any other type of construction project. Acquiring several different quotes for your design and project is a good idea. Hiring a landscaping designer and contractor based completely on the lowest bid price isn't generally the smartest way to go. In all areas of construction, credibility and reputation matters and really should be given the same regard and weight as the quoted price.

Finding a design build company with a perfect reputation may not be as simple as you may think. Nevertheless, a contractor that finishes landscape and garden design projects on time, has good service following the sale, quality, and original design ideas should really be considered as a prospect.

Any extremely low bid should be looked at with some reservation. But even still, reputation should still come into question. If the landscape designer in question has a radiant reputation and design, you might just have the right designer. But usually, with any quote that's way below the others, there's a chance of some cutting of corners if the landscape project does not go as planned. Just be aware of that.

Always ask for references from every one of the landscape designers you prospect. In my own company I display a list of past designs, pictures of past landscaping designs, and the opportunity of a
personal tour of my finished landscape design projects.

Once you've narrowed down your prospects, you'll be set to make an informed decision that's based on far more than only price. Your decision is going to be based on your gut feeling, the most appealing landscape design, the company's reputation, and of course, price.

Realistic and reasonable estimates usually will be in the same or similar price range. I believe we should spend slightly more for ingenuity and credibility but I do not think anyone has to get burned.

The most popular landscape companies in my area aren't those that regularly bid the lowest. Typically, they're the ones that have long-established themselves because of high quality, impressive landscaping design plans, and reputation. And yes, they regularly do cost more. But, of course, the price is relative when you factor in follow up and service after the sale into the cost. Credibility and reputation really does pay for itself.

2007-02-14T05:24:00.000-08:00

Landscaping Ideas And Planning Do It Yourself

As Springtime approaches, the landscaping and outdoor projects that were put to sleep for the Winter start to return to our thoughts. And for first time do it yourselfers, the almost frustrating task of putting a landscaping plan on paper begins.

In a few cases, a creative garden design can be as easy as drawing a few circles and placing a few groups plants to the idea. However, it's usually not that easy. For most first timers, creating practical and delightful landscaping ideas can be quite difficult.

Creating functional good looking landscape designs requires a focus on purpose, vision, applying a few basic principles of art, and a little bit of knowledge about plants. The first of these focuses is the purposes and functions of specific areas. Knowing every function your garden will perform can actually make the design process much easier.

Focus on function of the overall design will help to determine different areas of your landscaping which are simpler to achieve and envision. Whether your purpose is only to cover an area with rocks or mulch, the end result should be clear in your head.

Different areas require different purposes. Front yards typically have a different purpose than a backyard would. Designing and making good front yard landscaping ideas will often focus on getting access to the front of the house. Walkways and driveways generally take up most of the space in the front yard. After these major areas are designated, it can make the rest of the design process much easier.

The backyard, on the other hand, is where most folks will spend most of their time. So backyard landscaping ideas normally will be focused on entertaining, privacy, and areas for children to play in. While creating a backyard design will generally be more detailed, deciding the purpose of the major design areas will help lay out the major groundwork for the entire design.

Having a clear focus of what you want your finished landscape to do needs to be on your mind from the time you start creating a landscaping plan to the time you're finished with the project.

It is not always easy for a do it yourselfer to realize the many functions that landscapes perform. There are several galleries on our site containing landscaping pictures to aid you in coming up with ideas. Looking at other peoples designs will not just help you create ideas but will also show function and objective which can be applied in your own landscaping projects.

2007-01-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

About Desert Southwest Landscaping Ideas

As the popularity of desert southwest style homes increase so does the style of landscaping that fits the homes. And while the design style is expected to have somewhat of a dry desert landscaping atmosphere, it can be so much more colorful and alive than most people imagine.

There are a few different aspects of thought that go into designing a desert landscape. While Southwest is generally the style of design, planned xeriscaping (zee-ri-scaping)is more of the method, principles, planning, and maintenance of a water wise landscape.

When most folks first start to look into this style of design, they generally have a dull vision of cactus, rocks, and a fake dry riverbed in their yard. But as you can see in our design at Desert Southwest Landscaping Ideas, the design can be very colorful and beautiful. Plant selection is almost endless with the types of native and adaptive plants available in most areas.

Native plants right from your own backyard can give you a list of plants that you know will grow well in your area. And in most cases they look great and tie the landscape to the surrounding area. See the native plants database for a list of ideas, pictures, and examples of plants native to your area.

Since this design style is becoming popular, I've added several related resources to the site. Along with the few mentioned above, there is also the Southwest Landscaping Ideas And Pictures Gallery which is a collection of designs from assorted professional designers.

There are also several of my own Southwest desert ideas at the Xeriscaping Ideas Gallery. There are also more explainations and guidelines behind the creation of each design.

Take a look at the design example I mentioned earlier at Desert Landscaping Ideas. It's a great example of the simplicity and beauty of Southwest Landscape Design.

For a list of several of my articles on design and designing see Landscaping And Garden Design Articles.

2006-12-31T13:21:00.000-08:00

Free Landscaping Plans, Ideas, and articles

As the landscape design site continues to grow in popularity, I find it necessary to add new content and information almost daily. Don't want it to get stale.

Since I'm adding so much landscaping information so fast, a lot of first time visitors miss it. Like the free landscaping plans directory. It's been up for a while but I still get a lot of emails wanting to know where to find free plans and designs. So I know folks aren't finding it.

There's even a new picture gallery up that features hundreds of landscaping ideas for the front yard. But since I don't have a home page link up to it yet, nobody is finding it either.

I've also added several new categories to the original landscaping pictures gallery. I'll try to keep things posted but just keep your eyes open when you're at the site. You're bound to find something new.

Oh ya. And some cool news. Three of my articles are getting published in a national gardening magazine in February. Cool huh? Go to Landscaping And Gardening Articles if you'd like to read some of the latest landscaping articles from my collection.

We'll talk soon.
Steve

2006-12-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Creating A Landscaping Plan

Creating a landscape design plan from scratch can be a difficult task for a lot of people. Measuring, drawing, and coming up with good landscaping ideas can be very intimidating.

So I've created a few pages and directories to help you plan, design, and get ideas for your landscaping.

The first page is a simplified and complete guideline for creating a landscaping plan from a plat map or from scratch.

The second resource is a very nice collection of designs and plans which has over 120 free landscaping plans from several of the best designers online and off.

These resources are in addition to the large directory of landscaping pictures from various designers that I've put together and the directory of my own landscaping ideas and designs. I do hope you find these resources useful.

2006-12-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

Landscaping Videos And Ideas

Howdy folks. I just wanted to announce a new landscaping ideas project that I'm working on. I'm going to be uploading how to videos of the landscape projects and plans that we create here at S&S Designed Landscaping.

See: Video Landscaping Ideas

As you'll see in the videos, I'm no actor. Being in front of the camera makes me forget a lot of what I want to say. Hopefully, it will get easier.

Anyway.....

Even though I'm just getting started with the project, I wanted to go ahead and announce it. As of this writing, there is one video on the site. And by the end of the day there should be more. I'll do my best to add more every week.

Also, as of right now, this site and the videos are free. If bandwidth doesn't get too much, I'll keep it that way. However, if the site gets way popular, I may have to make it a paid membership site just to pay for the bandwidth of running the site.

Check it out. www.landscaping-videos.com

2006-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Front yard landscaping ideas. To what extent you can plan landscaping the front yard may be limited by some circumstances that you can’t control. The size of your lot, how your home faces the street, and property lines can all be limiting factors. However, with some careful landscape planning, you may be able to reach a medium of functionality and beauty in the front.

I know that this seems basic and obvious but many times folks simply just don’t know where to start or go with their design. So by first laying out your needed or desired access paths, you could possibly be laying out the framework of your entire design. Not only will it take up a lot of space, but will also create shape, areas to design around, and a visual direction for your landscaping ideas and thoughts.

In creating a convenient, inviting, and attractive entryway to your home and property, you should first think about functionality and then plants and materials later. With the main function of front yard landscaping generally being access, our first design focus would be how and where we enter and exit our homes.

Generally, the most predominant access use is for vehicles and parking. So our first focus should be where we and our guests are going to park and drive in the front. Also, walkway access from these areas to the front door, side door, or any other entry points of the home needs to be considered.

Most folks need a driveway that not only leads to the home but also allows room for offstreet guest parking. So if this is a needed or desired landscaping element, we should start designing with that in mind.

The driveway entrance should be wide enough to comfortably move in and out of. It’s not required but a lot of times it is desirable to also have a way to turn around inside the driveway. This is an added safety factor to keep from having to blindly back out onto busy streets.

If you have room, a circular driveway design usually provides the best access to entries along with the safety factor of drive through. It also provides some shape and an opportunity for landscaping inside of the outer circle of the driveway.

Many times when a complete semi-circle drive isn’t possible, there may be room for a simple cutout addition. This area can also be used as additional parking when needed. It doesn’t necessarily need to be paved as it won’t receive the same amount of use and traffic as the rest of the drive.

Simply widening the driveway in an area can provide additional parking as well as enough room to turn around. Again, this area doesn’t have to be paved or totally improved. It just has to drain well and support the weight of a car.

By first addressing your vehicle access to your home, you’ll have one necessary element taken care of and less area to have to have to plan for. Then by adding foot access from driveway areas to the home, you’ll possibly have the entire framework of your front yard landscaping created.

2006-12-02T11:56:00.000-08:00

free Landscaping Ideas And Pictures

Since the first time I saw one of those fancy online picture and Ideas galleries, I wanted one on my site. What a cool deal. So now I have one. So far and at the time of this writing, it's only two pages and needs a lot of work to look right.

Landscaping Ideas And Pictures

Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

After thinking about it and getting past the temptation, I've decided to keep the gallery free. I've kept all the information on the site free from the very beginning. It just doesn't feel right at this point to go commercial.

Still, dont forget my old galleries as they're just as good if not better than this new one.

Old Landscaping Pictures Gallery
Landscaping Ideas Gallery

Check back often. I'll be adding to all directories and galleries daily.

Steve

The Landscape Design Site

2006-11-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

Using landscape fabric is dependant on the type of landscape or garden you wish to create.

If I had my way and if it was practical, I would eliminate the use of landscape fabric altogether in all of my designs. Not only would this make creating the designs much easier, but would also be a substantial savings for my clients.

The need for weed barrier in a design is actually related to the type of landscape a client wants me to create. If a client wishes for a low maintenance landscape that they’ll rarely have to deal with, them most likely the design will include fabric.

On the other hand, if a client asks for original landscaping ideas with beds and borders that I refer to as "living beds and borders", then it’s possible that we’ll eliminate their use altogether. For reference, a "living bed" is one generally created with mulch and compost where the client actually works, weeds, replants, and replenishes the soil. In this case, landscape fabrics would only get in the way.

However, most of the designs we create are for low maintenance landscapes that require very little weeding and upkeep. And therefore weed cloth is pretty much a necessity.

Landscape fabrics can serve different purposes in landscaping. One is, of course, to keep unwanted weeds and grasses from taking over the landscaped areas. The source of weeds and grasses are either already present in the soil or are from blown in seed. If you use a good quality fabric, you’ll win the battle with that which is already present. However, blown in seed is out of everyones control and will require some attention regardless of the quality of barrier used.

Another purpose is for ground and groundcover separation. When using groundcover such as decorative rock, it’s important to lay down a layer of weed cloth between the soil and groundcover. Otherwise, the two elements will eventually become mixed and your groundcover rock will work its way into the soil.

And still another purpose is as an underlayment for pavers, patios, and walkways. This helps to stabilize and contain the leveling material as well as prevent weeds and grasses that are already present in the soil.

So whether or not you actually need the added expense of landscaping fabric in your project is dependant on the type of landscape or garden you want to create. Or in the amount of maintenance and upkeep you want to put into it. It’s not always a necessity.

If you find that you design requires weed barrier then buy the best professional landscaping fabric on the market at this link.

2006-11-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

I know that it's far from spring and most thoughts of spring planting. However, this is actually the best time to start planning your garden and landscaping ideas. You can think about your ideas all Winter and before you know it, it will be time for prepping the soil for the spring garden.

Moving ahead to early spring, most of us will head to the nurseries and garden centers like kids to the candy store.

Here's a little tip that can save you lots of money when that time comes:

Plants generally come in containers of 2, 4, 6 inch, 1 gallon, 5 gallon, etc. sizes. Plant price increases proportionately with the size of pot. And planting in our gardens and landscaping can add up in price very quickly.

What most people don't know is that the plants in the small containers will reach almost, if not the same size as the plants in the 1's and even some 5 gallon containers by mid season.

With this in mind, you can save lots of money at the nursery and still have a beautiful landscape or garden by Summer even if you choose plants in smaller pots.

Of course, most of us want a full looking landscape right now and if your budget allows for larger pots and price, I say go for it.

Just keep this in mind if you need to spread your landscaping budget out into different areas.

2006-11-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

Landscaping Resources Update

Howdy Folks,

It's been a while since I've posted to this blog. And even though I've neglected to post here I've still been hard at work adding a lot of new landscaping ideas the the main site. Let's not forget the main site because that's really where everything happens.

Most of the new ideas are picture, plans, and guidelines to designs my company has actually created for offline clients. It really is a great resource for those of you set on doing it yourself.

Those that have become friends of The Landscape Design Site already know it as the best free resource for do it yourself landscaping information. I've put a lot into it to make it that way.

While I've added a lot of my own designs, I've also added a lot more pictures to the landscaping pictures directory. This is probably one of my most favorite parts of the entire site as it showcases designs from a lot of designers better than myself.

So go and check out all the new resources to the site and if you have any questions feel free to post them to the new landscaping forum. I'll get around to answering them as quick as I can.

2006-04-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

Small Garden Design - Creating Illusions Of More Space

The efficient use of space is vital in small garden design. You only have so much to work with. And while increasing actual physical space generally isn’t an option, it is possible to make small gardens feel larger than they really are by creating illusions.

While designing small area gardens does have some of its own special challenges, the opportunity for creativity is multiplied within these small spaces. It is possible to create more atmosphere and impact with less.

And while most people do a great job of creating beautiful gardens within confined areas, balconies, rooftops, and courtyards, the greatest challenge is still in making small gardens feel larger than they really are.

Because most small gardens are surrounded by boundaries, vertical surfaces, and can generally be viewed in a single glance, they have a tendency to feel confined, boxed in, and...small. So some designers use a few techniques and “tricks” to create an illusion of more space. Try one or more of these ideas if you’re challenged by a confined area.

Screen unsightly boundaries and hard vertical surfaces with plants or structures. Not only does this hide the element, but can also create the illusion that there’s more beyond and not just your neighbors wall or yard. Try to hide obvious boundaries.

If your garden is confined by walls, the color of your walls can actually have some impact on how spacious your garden feels. Darker colors alone have more depth. When used behind planting schemes, they blend and help make the boundary seem invisible. Overall, darker color elements help create more depth in confined areas.

Adding curves to your walkways, flower beds, walls, etc. can give the illusion of more distance and travel. The human eye can detect that there actually is more distance involved and so the mind interprets the actual occupied space as being greater.

If you have unused hard corners, make good use of them. An arch or entryway into a corner that otherwise goes nowhere is a nice element and opportunity to frame a focal point in the corner. It also creates the illusion of something more beyond.

Creating levels can give the illusion of more space. It creates vertical surface and appears to create even more horizontal surface. If your floor area is limited, otherwise unused hard corners are a great place to add a second level flower bed or element.

A little creativity might even enlist the use of mirrors. Think about it. A mirror or two placed in the right spots could actually make a garden seem twice as large as it really is.

I hope this helps.

For more free information on small gardens, visit Small Gardens and Small Garden Ideas

2006-03-26T19:17:00.000-08:00

Members Picture Gallery

The new member project picture gallery is starting to get quite a few hits.

While I'm hoping for more activity in the future, one gentleman has posted several wonderful waterfall, pond, and sculpture pictures for you to enjoy and get ideas from.

Go take a look and post some of your own stuff.

member project pictures gallery

2006-03-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

My offline company, S&S Designed Landscaping, will be going through some major changes this year.

Just this last year, two of my main competitors left the scene. And while this is a blessing, it can also be quite a burden at times. With 5 projects waiting at any one time and 12 designs to create sitting on my desk, I believe I've committed the ultimate contractor sin. Making more promises than I can keep.

So the first change is that we're not accepting any more large landscaping projects unless the client is willing to wait at least six months.

The second is that all design work will require an up front non-refundable deposit. Most of our work is referral and our clients want us specifically. These are no problem. However, no more free hours spent for bid getters and looky loos.

We will be focusing on small projects, sprinkler repairs, waterfalls, and the creation of our new nursery and retail outlet.

Here's to a better year and regaining my sanity.

2006-03-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

User Image Gallery

Here's where you can help me help you and all the other visitors to the site.

I've just created a new picture gallery at www.the-landscape-design-site.com/pictures where you can view and comment on other do it yourselfer projects.

However, even better than that, you can post your own project pictures, before pictures, or whatever and get advice and comments on them. It's basically a picture forum.

I'm very excited about this new addition and hope you'll take advantage of it. I'm still tweaking on it but it is totally functional. Go to www.the-landscape-design-site.com/pictures, create an account and let us see what you got going on.

2006-03-17T05:56:00.000-08:00

Pre Planned Gardens

So what about pre-planned gardens for do it yourself design?

It use to be that anything that didn't require some thought or hard work was somehow less than professional or truly creative.

However, as I get past my irrational artist syndrome ego, I guess it's o.k. to admit that these garden plans are as close to professional as paying a designer to come up with something for you. And cheaper. And Easier.

But just remember, that while they are a much cheaper way to go, there's also a trade off for economy. It will take part of the season to become a part of the landscape. A little patience is required.

Most folks do a pretty good job of choosing the right plants for a project or entire landscape. Even still, most people just feel more comfortable having someone tell them what kind and where to put them. Whether it's better than you could do yourself or not, it somehow just feels safer. And that's one of the reasons they've become so popular.

And while pre planned garden designs are already much cheaper than a designer, a wise homeowner can find ways to make them even more economical.

In the first place, I wouldn't recommend doing your entire landscape with them. Create some simple mature displays with local commercial stock. This will help to create some establishment. Then use the preplanned gardens as a very professional looking and planned filler. This can save you a lot of money for a professional look.

Next, keep in mind that most of these gardens are perennial plants. Most can be divided and propagated easily next season. However, for now, you can get a little more bang for the buck by spreading the garden a little further than recommended. Remember, they'll multiply.

Since pre-fab garden plans are becoming so popular, several design firms have come about that offer pre made gardens to the general public. We're even planning this for our own greenhouses in the near future. However, until then.....

I've tried several different design firms without any real bad experience. I can't say anything bad about any of them. However, I am a bit partial to the designs of White Flower Farm and Spring Hill Nurseries. Between the two of them I have enough selection to fit almost any application from shade to sun and everything in between. And so far they've consistently had far better quality of plants.

Don't be afraid to give this simple resource a try. And especially if you're horticulturally or color challenged. Try it in one area. If it works for you, you can get more to fit the different applications of your landscape design.

2006-02-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

Proper Placement Of Trees In Landscape Design

A properly planned landscape design requires a little vision and thought into the future. As a professional, it’s my job to also consider the mature landscape including any damage and inconvenience that improperly placed trees could create. There’s a little more to think about than you might think.

Landscaping and landscape design goes beyond just creating beautiful designs. As a professional designer, it’s not only my job to create designs but also to envision every possibility of the mature landscape in years to come.

And while most elements will remain what they are for years to come, the one thing that most do it yourselfers and some professionals overlook is the space that tiny little sprouts will occupy when they become mature plants and trees.

Trees serve a number of obvious purposes in the landscape. Creating shade, wind blocks, noise reduction, boundaries, and focal points are just a few. Once I have established where I’ll need trees for these purposes in a design, I have several other considerations before I can designate their permanent home.

Planting without considering the space that the mature full grown plants and trees will occupy can become more than just an inconvenience. It can be costly.

Things to consider.

Around Play Areas

A shaded canopy over play areas, sand boxes, etc. may be desired for shade from afternoon sun. However, you need to consider the mess that birds and other critters will drop right into your childs play area if the canopy extends over it.

The solution to this is to place large shade trees a distance from the area in line with the travel of the sun. If you know the trees you plant and how far the mature canopy will extend, you can still plant for shade without exposing your kids to unsanitary conditions.

Around Pools

Keeping a pool clean is hard enough without a mess of leaves and branches. And while most pool areas are sunny locations, it is sometimes desirable to have a space near the pool where one can escape the sun.

Unlike play areas though, you may not want to shade the entire pool landscape from the afternoon sun. Therefore you shouldn’t plant large shade trees in direct line with the travel of the sun. Design as to create a shady area to one side or the other. This is also another spot to eliminate top rooting trees around concrete. Evergreen types are usually your best bet for around pools.

Roots And Concrete Footings And Foundations

While infrequent deep watering as opposed to frequent shallow watering will help deter top rooting trees, some trees are still determined to seek out other sources of water which may be on the surface or moist areas under structures.

The seeking roots of large trees are a powerful force that can break sidewalks, foundations, and even lift walls out of place. This is the biggest and most costly mistake I see. Know your landscaping trees before you plant them next to your home.

Under Power Lines
Know what’s overhead.

Property Lines And Easements
This one can make enemies out of neighbors.

Underground Utilities, Sewers, And Septic Tanks

Besides the roots being able to break pipes and lines, you don’t want to have to move or destroy a mature tree to fix a leak. Locate lines and plant away from them. Some trees can spread out much further underground than they do up top. Know what’s underground.

Perspective

You need to keep in mind the mature size of trees in proportion to the size of your home and other landscaping elements. Large trees can dwarf a small home and small trees can look like shrubs placed around a very large home. Know the mature size of trees and keep them in perspective.

Hiding or framing a home

Consider the view from the street and other areas and consider the purpose of your trees. If you wish to seclude your home, you don’t need much thought for that. However, if you only wish to frame or accent your home, you’ll again need to consider the mature size and placement of your plantings.

Parking Areas

Here’s another opportunity for birds and critters to make a mess of things. If possible, plant in accordance with the travel of the sun. And once again, know the mature canopy of your trees.

Usefulness And Cost Effectiveness

If you’re going to make an investment in landscaping, look for ways to make it work for you. Placed properly, large trees can shade your home and reduce your cooling costs and vise versa. You can intentionally create shade for your shady garden, screen and divide areas, reduce noise, and a world of other applications if you just give it some thought.

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers free professional landscaping advice, tips, plans, and ideas to do it yourselfers and homeowners. For more free information on landscaping and garden plants, visit his site at http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com

2006-02-14T21:34:00.000-08:00

Cottage Design Ideas

I found the following article that got submitted to the DIY Article Directory to be a very enjoyable read. And while it geared more towards interior design, it does have some good tips that might help you in designing a cottage garden. I believe you'll find it very enjoyable as well.

Cottage Style Home Decorating: A-Z "QuikTips" for Instant Cottage Style

By: Kathryn Bechen

Arrange your living room furniture in a “U” shape for great conversations.

Birdhouses painted to match your home are wonderful.

Cats in a windowsill are “very cottage.”

Dogs curled up in front of the fireplace say “cottage cozy.”

Entertain your friends around a round table with good food and wine.

French touches in furniture say “sophisticated cottage.”

Gates with clever signs hung on them say “instant cottage.”

Hatboxes covered with vintage wallpaper are great for storage.

Ingenious cottage touches are a claw-foot bathtub and thick fluffy towels.

Junk from flea markets can be repurposed into creative plant containers.

Knickknacks from family or collected from your travels add personality.

Lattice lining patio walls creates charm.

Mementos framed in shadow boxes add personality to your cottage.

Nurture yourself with a four poster bed and sumptuous linens.

Ottomans can be used in place of a coffee table or at the end of a bed.

Pictures of florals, botanicals, or your travels say “instant cottage.”

Quilts on the end of a bed or draped over a chair are pure cottage style.

Rugs in sisal, jute, or colorful cotton add a cottage touch.

Sink-down-in-and-rest-awhile white slipcovered sofas are very cottage.

Texture in rugs, fabrics, and pillows creates interesting dimension.

Upholster your furniture in coordinated florals, plaids, and stripes.

Vintage trunks make great coffee tables and linens storage.

Welcome signs are charming near your front door.

Xtraordinary touches include floral painted mailboxes and fountains.

Yellow in a bright canary shade is a great color for a cottage front door.

Zest for living always accompanies the cottage style spirit!

c2006 Kathryn Bechen and Kathryn Bechen Designs.

All rights reserved.

Visit Kathryn Bechen Designs for more free ideas and tips for decorating your cottage style home on a dollarwise budget, to view Kathryn's blog, and to sign up for Kathryn's free e-newsletter of decorating tips and resources. Kathryn is an interior decorating consultant and author who specializes in Cottage Style, Non-Toxic, and Dollarwise decorating.

2006-02-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

So What Is A Landscaping Berm Anyway?

An easy method to adding interest to landscaping is simply by adding some height to the landscape. Height is often overlooked or created without any thought to its role in the artistic value of the design. However, it can and should be given some thought as a design element in landscapes and especially in dull flat yards.

There are several ways to create height in a landscape. Generally, height is created by retaining walls, walls, arbors and other hardscapes, plants, and berms.

So what is a berm anyway?

Berms in landscaping are small sweeping hills that are usually created for the purpose of creating height and interest. They work well in landscape areas that don't necessarily call for damming or retaining walls. A good example would be in the middle of a large lawn area. Berms can help add height, levels, and interest to yards and landscapes that would otherwise be dull and flat.

I've never given much thought to how I create a berm or have I been asked how to make a berm correctly until recently. I all of a sudden got a slew of emails requesting information on how to build a berm correctly.

While there's no trick, special art, or rules to creating berms, I guess there is some method and a way to keep them from looking like odd bumps in your yard. These are just the simple "rules" that I can think of. They're not written in rock.

A berm should be at least 5 to 6 times as long as it is high and should gradually "feather" into the yard. If you create a two foot high berm, make it "feather" 12 or so feet long into the yard.

Depth is, I think, is just a matter of feel for what looks natural and good. A 2 foot high, one foot wide hill would have too much of a slope to hold ground cover and would look very unnatural. The width should also "feather" into the yard.

Oftentimes, berms occupy and fill corner areas and a lot of times have a crescent shape open toward the yard. However, shape can be anything that fits, is creative, or follows the flow of the yard. Berms in lawns can be continual, connecting, and flow throughout the yard.

In bed areas, boulders or larger rocks can be placed into the berm to give it a more natural look, places to plant around, and aid in holding smaller ground cover in place.

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the owner and chief designer for S&S Designed Landscaping in Carlsbad, NM. He is also the creator of The Landscape Design Site.com which offers free professional landscaping advice, tips, plans, and ideas to do it yourselfers and homeowners. For more free information on landscape and garden planning, Visit his site at http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com

2006-02-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

Starting A New Landscape Design

Reply to email question:

QUESTION

You've probably heard this question more than just a few times, but in creating a landscape design,where's the best place to start? I feel so overwhelmed.

We bought a new house this summer.The traditional 2300 sq. ft home sits on a wooded 2 acre lot cleared of brush. A crushed gravel circle drive comes right up to the front door. Mostly shaded, with the area around the south and western sides of the home in full sun.

I guess the purpose of the design would to be a beautiful eden of a yard with "rooms" for childrens play area, water features, and meditation.

how would I go about creating cottage style borders to complement the white siding and black shutter traditional home?

I know your time is of the upmost value,but I would appreciate any advice or direction. Would it be a sound investment to pay $528 for a landscape architect to create the design I'm looking for?

Thank you so much-

ANSWER

While that's not a bad price for a good designer and design, I believe you'll feel better about spending it if you're absolutely sure it was the only way to go.

I wrote an article not too long ago about one way to start a design. You can see it at: Do It Yourself Landscape Design-Where To Begin.

I also have a very large picture gallery which inludes a cottage and meditation garden category. See it at Landscaping And Garden Design Pictures.

Getting started is always the hardest part. I know it is for me if I don't have a vision to begin with.

Brainstorm. Look at the pictures. Don't try to get your idea from one photo but take pieces from different pictures and try to make them fit together.

With the picture ideas in your head, scribble out the different areas using a bubble graph. Draw several versions but don't discard the old ones just yet. See: Using A Bubble Graph In Landscape Design

Also see the landscape planning page.

Once you have shape, you can create unity and continuity with elements like groundcover, decor, rocks, plants, and all hardscapes.

Once you go through these steps and still don't like what you come up with, you can justify spending the money for an architect.

I hope this helps.

2006-02-08T05:27:00.000-08:00

Meditation Gardens Added To The Site This Week

I had noticed a few folks searching the site for info on meditation gardens. I managed to put together two full pages of meditation garden pictures and links.

Here's the link:
Pictures Of Meditation Gardens

2006-02-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

Landscape Design - Well Balanced Home Landscaping

Balance is a principle of all art forms, design, and even landscape design. It implies a sense of equality. And while there may be just a little more to it, this is how I best explain it to make it easier for first timers and do it yourselfers to understand.

A garden, landscape, or any form of equal proportions would naturally feel and look balanced. However, most gardens and landscapes are not exact or symmetrical in shape and form. They’re asymmetrical and abstract in form and are often without any natural balance of their own. So landscaping often relies on other elements to create balance and harmony through unity.

Many times, a lack of balance is directly related to a lack of repetition. Repeating alike elements such as plants or rocks throughout the landscape will help unify different areas to each other. As little as one repeated matching plant group, color, piece of decor, or hardscape can accomplish this.

A lack of balance is also created by placing too many or all non matching elements throughout a landscape design. This can sometimes seem cluttered and unkept when it grows in. In the beginning of your design, plan for less, place just a few matching plant groups throughout the garden, and keep decor matching and to a minimum. You can add more later.

So many of the questions that I receive about landscape design deal with the shape of a design . Shape is unique to each design and will ultimately follow all necessary paths and your visions. However, any shape or form can be filled with elements and still be either dull, void, loud, cluttered, and unbalanced. Balance isn’t necessarily dependant on shape. It can be but generally it’s not. So don’t get too hung up on trying to even things out entirely by shape.

Landscape design is an art form and so it deals with "all" the same principles that other art forms use. Repetition, unity, and balance are all principles of art that go hand in hand with each other.

Architects use repetition in design by making doors, windows, fixtures, trims, etc. the same sizes, shapes, and styles. Imagine how your home would feel if every door, door frame, window, and fixture were of different sizes, shapes, colors, and types. It would be uncomfortable and chaotic.

And so it’s the same with landscape design.

In order to create balance, appeal, and even comfort in a landscape that is lacking, we need to create some form of consistent repetition. As little as one matching element placed on opposites can create a sense of unity and consistency.

It's easiest and most often created in the softscape (plants, ornaments, lawn, decor, etc.). However, it should be considered in the hardscape (walks, driveways, necessities, fences, walls, raised beds, boundaries, etc.) of your drawn design plan.

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site.com which offers free professional landscaping advice, tips, plans, and ideas to do it yourselfers and homeowners. To discover more about the principles of landscape design, visit his site at: http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com

2006-02-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Professional Landscape Fabric For Landscaping

A lot of folks are having trouble finding the purchase link for our landscape fabric.

Here's the link: Buy Landscaping Fabric

For information on correctly using it see:

The Do's and Don'ts of Landscape Fabric

Is Landscape Fabric Even Necessary In Landscaping?

2006-02-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

The Secret To Healthier Plants

Farmers and gardeners of a few decades ago knew a thing or two about healthier plants and soils. This is what I learned from one of them.

My Grandfather was an old school farmer from way back who depended on his crops for his living. He, like farmers then and now, knew that the secret to optimum yield and plant health begins in the soil. If the soil was just right and other conditions were favorable, his yields were higher and he could make a descent living that would get his family through the rest of the year.

My grandfather also knew that the condition and health of the soil directly influenced the plants ability to resist disease and insects. Having to use any type of insecticide on his farm was virtually unheard of. And yet, he had no insect problem.

So the question of what is the secret to healthier and more beautiful plants should really begin with the question of what is the secret to healthy soil.

Many factors will influence the quality and condition of your soil. And at the top of the list is the ph (acidity or alkalinity) of soil. Most folks have heard about soil ph but very few know how important it is and the difference it makes in color, yield, flavor, heath, etc.

If the ph of soil is incorrect, nutrient uptake is limited or restricted altogether. It doesn’t matter how much fertilizer you add, the plants won’t be able to use it efficiently. Iron, for instance, becomes locked into soil that is too alkaline. It won’t matter how much iron you add, the plant won’t be able to pick it up and use it.

If growing is not optimal, plants start to yellow or look sickly, and there is no obvious signs of insects, the first place to start is by testing the soil. In granddads day, folks would actually taste the soil to test the ph. If it was sweet, it was acid. If it was sour, it was alkaline. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to go out to our gardens and eat dirt. Modern test kits are available at garden centers, they’re inexpensive and easy to use.

Most plants prefer a slightly acid to neutral soil. Neutral is a 7 on the scale while slightly acid is a 6 on the scale. And I did say most plants. Some plants do prefer more acid soil and some do like alkaline. It’s a good idea to know a little bit about what you’re growing.

Now, my grandfather had a magic ingredient that he continually added to the soil. This magic ingredient would actually create healthy soil, buffer perfect ph, and facilitate proper nutrient uptake. It also made plants not so tasty to insects.

A magic ingredient? Not hardly. A lost art and science. Definitely. His magic ingredient was that he dutifully returned everything back into the soil. Everything from plant wastes to manure to kitchen scraps. His magic ingredient was nothing more than pure natural organics. If a soil was found to be out of balance, it was a matter of a simple adjustment. A little bit of sulfur to buffer alkalinity or a little bit of lime to buffer acid and also tilling in more bulk organics.

Farmers and gardeners back then couldn’t rely on a lot of chemical fertilizers because they were either unavailable or they simply couldn’t afford them. Oh I’m sure they would have liked to have had them since it would have made life much easier. However, what we didn’t use then that we do use now is why they had healthier plants, higher yields, better tasting food, more nutritional food, and even more colorful flowers. Again, the difference is organics.

Organically prepared soil eventually becomes stable and naturally balance in ph. All necessary plant nutrients become available and plants are able to use what they need and only when they need it. An excesses of individual nutrients in organic soil will actually be buffered and not do the plants any harm.

Plants grown in organic soils are naturally more resistant to insects and disease. They’re simply healthier and insects and disease generally attacks plants that are already unhealthy to begin with.

Chemical fertilizers are like a quick shot in the arm and plants will greedily take in more than they need. This weakens a plants ability to resist disease and insects. Then, of course, you’re going to need insecticides. However, healthy organic soil is also full of millions of beneficial bacteria and micro-organisms. Chemical fertilizers and insecticides will kill these very necessary elements and weaken plants immune systems even further. And so in using chemicals, we create a never ending no win cycle.

Creating organic soil will take a little effort and won’t happen overnight. It will take a few seasons. However, the rewards will far outweigh the effort. And eventually you’ll find that you spend less time taking care of your garden and more time enjoying it.

To begin with, start saving those leaves and grass clippings. This is a wonderful no cost resource. If you don’t have any of your own, I’m sure your neighbors will give you some of theirs. You can compost them or shred them as top dressing that will eventually break down into the soil.

I’ll also suggest two books to you. Rodales Complete Book Of Composting and Rodales Encyclopedia Of Organic Gardening. These two books alone will give you all the knowledge you need for composting and organic gardening.

Other secret ingredients are all around you, are usually free, and are often found right in your own trash can. Kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, and even some papers can be composted.

Have a friend with a stable? Some folks will let you clean out their stable just for doing it. This is a very inexpensive way to add a lot of bulk organics very quickly. Keep in mind though that manure is better composted as it is extremely alkaline due to a high content of urea.

On top of all of this there is an endless list of organic materials, mineral dusts, and rock fertilizers available through organic gardening stores and sites.

So there you have it. I did learn something from my grandfather. And so did you.

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers free landscaping advice, plans, and tips to do it yourselfers and homeowners. For more free information on landscaping and growing plants, visit his site at: http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com

2006-02-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

New Pages Added This Week

Garden Themes

I finally got a page together of rose garden pictures into the garden theme directory. It was difficult to find good pictures of entire rose gardens. However, I still managed to get together 52 links of some pretty good stuff.

Pictures Of Rose Gardens

Newsletter

The last issue of landscaping newsletter has been archived in the newsletter archives under:
Issue 03-03-05

2006-02-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

Landscaping Newsletter

After getting a second spam complaint against my domain, I thought it best to delete the remainder of unconfirmed subscribers from the landscaping newsletter list.

It wasn't easy to push that button since there were over 10,000 unconfirmed names left on the list of which many were old friends and followers. However, I suppose it is worth it to keep the site from getting banned.

From here on out, all subscriptions have to be confirmed. While this still isn't a guarantee against these spoof subscriptions, it will decrease the chances of it happening again.

Here's to starting over.

2006-02-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

Time To Hire A Landscape Contractor

If you plan to hire a landscape contractor in the Spring or Summer, now is the time to start looking into it. If you wait much longer, you may have to wait until the end of the Summer or even next year to get your project done.

Good luck

2006-02-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

How To Save Your Fruit Tree Blossoms From A Spring Freeze.

In most parts of the country it's still dead of Winter. However, in a few spots like here in the Desert Southwest, the warming weather starts to play tricks on Spring budding trees and plants. They think it's time to wake up when it's really not quite safe to.

In my own garden, I have an old Peach Tree that produces the most wonderful almost softball size peaches. And up until a few years ago, I rarely got the opportunity to see one make it past the blossom stage.

As sure as the first warm days would wake the old tree up in a display of absolute pink, so surely would a Springtime freeze bring it to an end.

But then one day a few Springs back..... I had a great idea.

It was a little overdue but still quite fortunate that I picked those first warm Spring days to take down and put up the Christmas lights. Because as I held those lights in my hands and looked over at that beautiful pink tree just coming into its glory, a light bulb turned on in my head.

Hmmm....., are you thinking what I’m thinking? I'm sure you are and it does work.

From then on I've been able to get the majority of my blossoms to the point of battling birds and June bugs. However, battling the birds and June bugs will be another article altogether.

While I am more comfortable to grow more fruit trees now, I find that this method still works well for me because I do only have a few trees. I'm not sure how practical, cost effective, or easy it would be to string Christmas lights through more than a few trees.

If you do ever use this method, use the old fashioned base type bulbs and not the little twinkling lights. They put off more heat. Also, if you live in an area where the climate is harsher than here in the desert, it may be helpful to place a sheet of plastic or tarp over the trees in addition to the lights.

While there are other ways of protecting your trees and plants from a freeze, I just thought I would share this little bit of garden wisdom with you.

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers free professional landscaping advice, tips, plans, and ideas to do it yourselfers and homeowners. For more on garden design and landscaping, visit his site at http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/

2006-02-01T22:42:00.000-08:00

Pictures Of Landscaping - Using Other Peoples Ideas To Design Your Landscape.

One of the most common searches on my site is for pictures of landscaping. So I know that a lot of folks rely on photos of other peoples designs to get ideas. But at the same time, while I do have a large picture directory of other peoples projects on my site, the most common questions I receive are still related to specific shapes and design ideas.

It would seem that with as many pictures of landscaping there are to look at online, just about everyone could find a close match to their own property that could be copied. It would seem so.....if every yard was square or rectangular. However, the fact is that most yards aren’t square or rectangular. So even with the endless landscaping ideas and examples out there, it’s still highly unlikely that you’ll find an exact match to the shape of your property.

Even as a professional, I still use pictures of other peoples landscaping as an educational tool and to get new ideas. However, I find it almost pointless to search for an exact idea to copy. I look for unique, creative, and new ideas and pieces of the puzzle.

Now here’s a piece of advice and the point to this entire article.
When looking at pictures of landscaping, pay attention to the details, ideas, and principles that are universal to most designs. Look for the things that are common and repeated often by different designers. These are the elements that look good because they are generally based on basic principles of art. These are the things that will probably incorporate well into your own design project regardless of shape.

Look at the way shapes are repeated, plants are placed, and colors are used. Take notice of little details like plants and rocks being grouped in odd numbers. Pay attention to the details of landscaping and not just the shape. You’ll discover more about the mechanics of landscape design and eventually it will materialize into your own ideas.

Other peoples landscaping pictures are a great design tool to help you get your project done. However, instead of hopelessly searching for your exact layout, borrow several ideas from several different designs. You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration and have a much better chance of creating something unique to your own property.

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers free landscaping ideas, pictures, and advice to do it yourselfers. Check out his gallery of free landscaping and garden pictures at http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/gardenstyles.

2005-12-27T18:48:00.000-08:00

Time to get back to work. Every year it's like clockwork. The first day after Christmas, the landscaping rush begins. It starts slowly, builds momentum through July, and then starts to taper back off again.

It's not surprising that folks around here start thinking landscaping in the dead of Winter. Christmas day I was in shorts, short sleeve shirt, and was washing my new Dodge Christmas present to myself.

The Landscape Design Site is always a good indicator of how the year is going to go. It too starts to pick up directly after Christmas. Subscribers to the newsletter go from 6 to 10 a day to 20 or 30 a day and will peak around 70 to 120 a day in July.

I'm looking foreward to another great year as we are planning to purchase a larger piece of property and install a second greenhouse.

2005-12-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

While the landscape design site has become quite popular and a fairly good source of free information, I realize that I simply am not able to cover all the different aspects involved in landscaping.

As I started to create several pages on building ponds and other garden structures, the list of needed information just kept getting bigger. So I decided to seek out the best information and create a directory of free structure designs, garden plans, and how to information.

The free directory has become quite popular with visitors. Web logs show that it receives a lot of bookmarks so folks can return for more information. It is a great resource but still only a fraction of what it will be.

Free Garden Plans And Structure Designs

Another directory that I created for the site is the free landscaping pictures directory. It's being categorized into different themes and styles of gardens.

Now, I know this is a great resource as I go there for ideas myself. While it also is a work in progress, there are still thousands of picture of landscaping and design ideas to look through.

All in all, I would like the landscape design site to become the only place folks would need to go for anything to do with doing it yourself for free.

We'll see how it goes.

Free Landscaping Pictures Directory

2005-12-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

As Winter finally sets in here in the desert I'm finally finding time to do a little work on the site. I don't think I've even sent a newsletter in 8 months as I've simply been too busy.

After creating five designs in four weeks, I couldn't seem to find a drop of creativity left in me. On my current design, I stared at the computer screen for two days with no ideas before deciding to take some time off. I'm planning to stay in this mode until after the first of the year.

One of the reasons we've been so busy is that two of our main competitors went out of business this last year. A lot of folks are commenting that the quality of our service has forced these guys out. However, the way I see it, I can't put anyone out of business. They do that to themselves.

Either way, I currently have twelve designs to create sitting right in front of me. At the moment, I find it easier to pretend they're not there. I'll get to them after the first of the year.

Look for a few changes in the site as well as a newsletter issue in the near future.