Thursday 24 July 2014

How to Invite Wildlife into Your Landscape?

The landscape can be turned into a smorgasbord of delight for your wildlife friends provided you know the right tricks. There are homeowners who prefer a meticulous touch in order to attract natural world into their garden spaces while many don’t mind an unkempt touch but in an orderly manner.

Start by taking a closer look at your yard

Is your landscape having the right ingredients to attract nature? Does your yard have right kinds of plants that attract native birds and creatures? Are you supplying them with adequate water, food and protection? If the answer to all these questions is a yes, then don’t worry! Butterflies and birds won’t be able to stay away from your charming garden.

What your yard should have to attract wildlife?

Your garden will turn into a riot of colors with lovely butterflies flying all around, provided there are ample plantings of lavender, butterfly bush or cinquefoil. To invite hummingbirds you can try plants like hollyhock, coral bells and currant. Yarrow, veronica and asters are great options for butterfly larvae.

Apart from these, there are other varieties of perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees that can lure hummingbirds and butterflies towards your back/ front yard. Finally there is no problem designing your entire yard with plants available locally, in order to attract native wild species.

Prepare a year round food source

There might be migratory birds that fly over the locality and decide to stop in your yard to relax. Take for instance the San Francisco Bay Area. Being the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast, it is an ideal refuge for wide variety of winged creatures that include songbirds, shorebirds and raptors.

Make sure your garden has steady source of clean water to quench their thirsts, be it in the form of bird bath, dripper or misters. To prepare a bird-friendly landscape that assures year-round food supply, concentrate on assortment of plants. Fruiting plant can be great food source as it supplies birds and butterflies with seeds, saps, flowers and fruits almost throughout the year.

Give protection to wildlife

Birds and butterflies look for protection when they flock your landscape. So to make them feel secure, create a protective habitat. Some trees like pine or junipers help create dense habitat thus offering perfect cover for birds. Nature lovers also try out dense leafed deciduous shrubs and trees as well as weed and debris to design protective homes for their winged friends. Some even try out different types of decorative pieces or simple birdhouses to create that peaceful abode. Such garden decoration further renders an artistic touch to the overall ambiance.

To conclude

If it remains your dream to design that lively landscape where birds chirp and butterflies fly regally then you need to take proper care of it. Keep in mind that excessive spraying of chemicals might drive away birds and creatures from your backyard. So minimize chemical application as much as possible. Clean the place daily and weed out creepers or unwanted plants.

Finally, you can always consult professional landscapers to know how to accurately design a wildlife-centric yard.

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Landscape Makeover Tips for Older Homes

With time, your home ages and so does its surroundings. Often older homes acquire a deserted look with overgrown bushes, untrimmed plants and dry leaves strewn everywhere.

The trick lies in sprucing up the yard so as to render a fresh touch and eye-catching appeal to overall home appearance. Now the big question is how to correctly do landscape makeover so that your bland outdoor living space turns alluring and inviting!

Recreating home landscape is indeed an engaging mission more so when the outcome is so rewarding. A bright and contemporary garden style not only makes your abode more appealing but adds value and usability to it. When it comes to yard transformation of an aging home, certain measures prove to be quite fruitful.

Start with an outdoor remodel

Don’t initiate the project in an impulsive manner. Select the best style that you would like to portray in your front/back yard. You can even talk to any renowned landscaping company for precise visualization.  In case the home exterior needs remodeling too, then complete that project first, so that it doesn’t clash with your landscaping schedule.

Consider fire safety for your garden

This is one aspect which should be of primary concern while redesigning the yard. Many aging homes have junipers as foundation plants which are highly combustible. Then rubber mulch can easily catch fire too. While all plants burn, measures should be taken to reduce fire intensity as much as possible. You need to select plants even more carefully, if your home is located in a high wildfire zone.

Concentrate on water conservation

Think of installing well-designed and efficient irrigation system, if you want to conserve water and maintain plants in healthy condition. Some water features like ponds, cascades or waterfalls enhances your yard’s beauty, adds value to it and acts as a steady water source too. Make sure that the water feature is installed by a trained landscaper or irrigation specialist only. Do focus on proper cleaning and maintenance of the water body.

Think of a low maintenance landscape

Lifestyle has become hectic now. People don’t have time to take care of their gardens. However this shouldn’t deter your landscaping plan. The best way to come up with a low maintenance yard is by picking up native plants that match your region’s weather condition, e.g. if you are a California resident then beautify your garden with Hollyhock, Lilac, Fired-egg flower or California Poppy. This reduces maintenance time and cost.

To sum it up

You just can’t plan a totally maintenance free garden. However the entire process of remodeling, replanting and choosing new materials for your old garden can be fun indeed. Actually there is no problem doing all these on your own. The only problem is with an unorganized landscaping plan you might end up spending time and money but without satisfactory result. By opting for an expert guidance it becomes much easier to redesign your dream yard within budget.

Make sure to consult a licensed landscape professional who has expertise in handling gardening projects of older homes.