First of all, there are both softscape and hardscape features to landscape designs. The softscape would be the things like the plants and shrubs. Really, anything that needs water to grow could be considered in this category. This category is the more popular one; when using the term landscape, this is what people think about. However, just as importantly are the hardscape features. Many times, the hardscape itself can set the right backdrop to allow the other live features to pop and really make a statement.

Hardscape refers to all the other elements that do not rely on water to grow but may still contribute greatly to the overall design of your landscape elements. For example, you may need some landscape edging, outdoor lighting, or have a water feature in mind – perhaps a waterfall or pond. Then, there are planters and pool fences to consider. All of these could be considered part of the landscape, but do not grow.

Each aspect plays a role in giving you the ultimate design you are after. So, where does one get started figuring out what their pool landscaping plans are? Well, this is an individual choice. You need to determine what type of look you are after. Do you want that grand luxury resort type of feel to your pool area or you interested in more of a tropical paradise? Depending upon your climate and other factors, you may be more limited in your choices. Before you commit to any landscaping contracts or design elements, make sure that you have considered this and any other city or HOA ordinances.

Mulch - Mulch can come in a variety of different types including bark, wood chips, cocoa shells and even recycled rubber.  The idea is that the mulch protects the soil from the heat of the sun and therefore prevents water evaporation.  The mulch also helps stop weeds from growing which also good because weeds can use up nutrients from the soil that is really needed by the tree.

Watering - Watering is particularly important for newly planted tree because the roots are very thirsty for water.  There’s actually a product that you can buy that you fill with water and it gradually releases the water into the roots.  Watering is also very important when the weather is dry and there is leaf and shoot development.

Fertilization - If your tree is starting to look a little sorry for itself then you should consider applying a fertilizer to the soil.  However it can be a little complicated because you need to take into consideration the type of soil.  This why soil testing is important because you can then see what nutrients are missing from your soil.  Also, be aware that the roots of trees can spread out far and wide, which means you shouldn’t just fertilize around the base of the tree.

You also need to be very careful about what products you use on your lawn or other surrounding plants.  Some of these products might be harmful to your tree, such as weed killers.  Don’t do anything like this before you really know what you’re doing and whether it will have a helpful or detrimental effect on your tree.

You can find both travertine tiles and travertine pavers at your local building supply store or stone supply store and you want to be sure to not get them mixed up.  Pavers are usually about 2” thick and of a large enough diameter to allow for easy walking.  Tiles, on the other hand, are about ¾”thick and can be found in a variety of sizes from one foot square down.  Travertine tiles are excellent for inside the home for floors, shower cubicles and bathrooms etc. and for exterior use on patios etc.

See more Travertine Tiles at Amazon

If you were to try to use tiles in a walkway they would quickly break apart because they are not thick enough.  You want to have something with good mass which will take the weight and spread it out. When ever you are building a walkway be sure to concentrate most of your effort on the base.  If you just take some pavers, no matter what material they are constructed of, and place them on wet soil they will quickly sink out of sight.  Instead, you must excavate the top layer of soil and vegetation and then lay a level amount of crushed rock in the shape of the proposed walkway.  This rock layer needs to be tamped down with large board in order to make a good surface.  Next you can lay out the pavers being sure to not get them so far apart that they make walking difficult.  Finally, take some more of the crushed stone and fill in the gaps between the walking stones.  This will allow for a very nice experience when walking through your garden.

Four Types of Outdoor Lighting Used For Gardens And Landscaping

There are many types of outdoor lighting that can be used, but for the sake of space, we will focus on only four of them. One type is the deck light. Deck lights are used to light up railings and stairs so that your guests won’t trip over parts of your deck and so that they can actually see the deck they are partying on.

Another type of lighting used is the flood light. Flood lights are used to provide security for your home by providing light over a wide area. Another use of flood lights is to bathe sculptures and other things in light so as to highlight them.

But what if all you want to do is outline the subject? Then rope lighting (or track lighting) will do the trick. It helps you outline the porches or pathways in your yard.

One way to reduce the hit on your wallet is to eschew the type of garden lights which require you to pay to operate it. The only type of outdoor lighting that allows you to do this is solar lighting. Solar lighting is typically employed in a place that receives at least 8 hours of full sun each day. The solar panel collects the sun’s energy and stores it in the solar light’s battery. When the sun goes down, the light source draws power from the stored energy and runs all night. The benefit is that the lights can be placed anywhere. And another benefit (the biggest one), is that these solar garden lights cost you exactly nothing to operate on a daily basis.

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Solar lighting are maintenance free.

Solar lights require no maintenance, apart from an infrequently wiping any dirt from the solar panel, and are available in dozens of styles at extremely low prices. You don’t even have to think about about timers, or switching the lights on. During daylight hours solar lights switch off and then charges the batteries, when it get dark, they turn on automatically. Most come with an off switch so you do not have to have the lights turned on. Solar lights incur zero ongoing costs, no wiring to buy and no timers.

Solar lights are very versatile.

Because solar lights do not require wiring, it means you can try different effects, highlight one plant or tree in the summer, and use the same solar light to highlight a different plant or tree in the winter.

Solar lighting can be installed in places it would be hard to fit wired lights such as on wood structures. Because there are no wires, no heat generated, solar lighting is safe and convenient to fix anywhere. The lack of wires also means you don’t need to plan your lighting scheme in advance. What about a barbecue with a gas grill and solar lighting for evening entertainment outdoors with ultimate portability. Or what about placing solar lights around your patio furniture and sit outside after dark

Solar lighting is safe.

With no electricity running through cables in the garden, solar lighting is extremely safe. You do not need to worry about children or pets finding a piece of cable with insulation eaten away by a rodent. With no wiring, you are able to dig your garden with no worry about cutting through a cable with your spade.

Solar lights are perfect for highlighting paths, especially when there is no other lighting and a path is hard to see. Solar lights will light up as soon as it gets dark, lighting the way, making it easy and safe to walk up the path.

Installing a Solar Garden Fountain

Solar fountains are uncomplicated to set up and the majority will require no difficult installation. Solar fountains may either have solar panels built into the body or separate panels that can be located at a distance. This allows the fountain to be placed in a sheltered spot while the panels are situated where they can gather the sunlight. The separate panels can be sited on a firm surface, attached to a wall or tree or on a wood pole planted securely in the ground.

Energy Storage

The majority solar panels aren’t able to store energy so they cannot be used at night. They will operate most efficiently on sunny days and during overcast days they will only pump water slowly or not at all. Through the winter it is advisable to disengage the solar panels as during very cold or sub-zero weather the pump may work when the sun is out and damage could arise. Some solar fountains have backup batteries to compensate for short overcast periods but most are really only intended to be used on sunlit days.

Convenience

Solar garden fountains are useful as they need no cables from a power source and can be positioned a long way from the home. With separate panels they might even be located in out of the sun or under arbors.

Solar Fountains for Ponds

Also many solar fountains are specially made for ponds and are also suitable as they don’t require cables from the mains supply. They can be set to float on the pond or set them in position with rocks or attached to anchor them.

Solar Garden Fountain Safety

Solar powered fountains are environmentally friendly without poisonous fuel emissions, hardly any noise and no materials that could leak and be a hazard. As there aren’t any cords they are safe for animals and children.

In Conclusion

Fountains powered by sunlight are cheap to run, very easy to look after and safer than fountains with wires. Although they have the shortcoming of running inadequately for the duration of the colder months they would be, nonetheless, an excellent addition to your garden.

Some Advantages of Solar Garden Lighting

Solar garden lighting do not need any wiring so there are no straggling wires that can be a hazard to kids and animals or that need extensive burying in the earth. They are incredibly straightforward to set up, simply plant the stake in the earth, or hang them from an appropriate tree or post. You can set them to come on automatically at nightfall, and they do not use any electricity so they are really economical to run once in place.

Disadvantages of Solar Lighting

The major disadvantage of solar garden lighting are the rechargeable batteries which tend not to be able to amass sufficient energy to continue through the night and need to be changed every couple of years. Also they have only a very minute area of solar panels that can only gather a small quantity of light. The power stored gives only a small number of hours of light which tends to reduce as the batteries age. However if all you really need is illumination for an evening they will doubtless be adequate. The benefit, that they need no wiring or detailed putting in place, turns into a shortcoming, as what is easily put in place can be just as easily detached. This makes them at risk of pilfering unless you fix them in position as you would a conventional wired light.

They draw on solar energy so they need a certain quantity of sunshine to recharge the batteries. They can’t consequently be used in shaded places, or on walls that are in the shade for part of the daytime. They only work really well when there’s a lot of sunlight so can work poorly during the winter.

Is Solar Lighting Environmentally Friendly?

In some ways! They don’t use any electricity, as a result there is no impact on the environment there. They do use rechargeable batteries which must be replaced and disposed of. However we can say that they are definitely more environmentally friendly than wired lights.

Conclusion

If you want illumination for just a few hours in the evening in an area that is in full sunlight throughout the daylight hours, solar garden lights would be suitable. Be prepared to replace the batteries every couple of years and if you consider your garden is open enough for theft to be an issue you may want to set them into the ground more firmly than usual.

Landscape lighting is not a luxury item for the average neighborhood it is necessary! lighting up the garden is probably best when employed in careful ways. When done sensibly it will be an continuance of your home design and can extend the use of the garden to your home whilst increasing security, ambience and use of space. Landscape lighting could as well be used for hiding unsightly features such as trash cans or compost bins. As well it is used to highlight shrubs or bird baths after sunset and extenuate other features in your garden that are not noticeable during the day time.

If used in the correct way low level lighting could be used to highlight steps and pathways for security. Also it can enable you to make the most of your patio and exterior comforts of your home even after the sun has set. It may be used a hindrance to burglars. The correct ratio of landscape lighting around, has been shown to stop crimes by at least as 50%. Landscape lighting has two great uses which aid in the security of your home. The lighting can alarm prospective prowlers to keep them away from trespassing on your property. Should this fail, the illuminated areas will also make it probable for you to spot any criminals as they trespass.

In most cases low voltage lighting arrangements are adopted for landscape lighting round homes. The usual light fittings used in landscape lighting are low voltage, weather resistant components. This lowers the chance of electrocution if live wiring are by chance touched.

As well if power transformers are used to scale down the voltage, then they also cut off the low voltage supply from the main supply mains which help to increase. When the landscaping has been installed correctly it should enhance the house properly during the day light hours. These easy strategies make pools of light and shadows which will convert a home that is not interesting in the daylight, and bring it to to life in the nigh time. Low voltage landscape lighting is very simple to set up even if you’ve hardly ever done any lighting installations in the past. All you have to do is put each lamp where required, connect the transformer to the main supply and turn it on. It is that easy!