More people are becoming interested in the ways that the use of landscaping and rocks can improve open spaces. Landscape gardening is a catch all term that can be applied just as well to your back yard as it can to extensive parks and estates.

If you plan to start landscape gardening, then there are a few basics that you should be aware of first. Location is all important and swampy land should be avoided if possible. The best ground for landscaping is rising land that has good drainage which sloughs off the surface water. Landscaped gardens do better where there is a breeze circulating the site, there should also be exposure to plenty of sunlight.

If you do plan on getting involved with landscaping and rocks, then once you`ve established what type of land you have, you need to assess its size and shape. It`s no good coming up with some great landscaping ideas and then finding they`re too ambitious for the size of the land you are working on. Use rocks wherever the land is not good for plants and shrubs. There are plants that survive in rock gardens but they must be in a sunny space.

If the rocky part of your garden is on a slope and shady then there are numbers of woodland perennials and ferns that would be great. You can be quite clever in using landscaping and rocks because if you put your rocks on a slope then you won`t have to mow it.

Landscaping and rocks is a lot more successful when you take care over choosing your rocks and stones, as well as your plants. The stone that is native to your area may look the best because that is its natural habitat it will also be inexpensive and easy to obtain. Look for rocks and stones in different shapes and sizes, use a combination of shiny, matte, and pitted surfaces.

Start with the larger rocks in a variety of shapes, look for some that have natural dips or depressions in them, as you will be able to fill them with soil and plant moss or sedum (a ground cover plant with pink or yellow flowers). Whenever you go to get new stone and rocks, take a photograph of what`s already been done, that way you will know the type of rock or stone that will fit in your landscape and what won`t.

When you landscape a garden, you must let the natural conditions of the land guide you. It is no use putting sun loving plants in a shady spot and your rocks and fern in the sunshine. Take care when arranging your stones. If you have stones that are covered in moss then make sure that they are all facing the same way. Whatever characteristics your stones may have make sure that they are all together and facing the same direction. This gives your garden the look of the surrounding landscape it looks as though it belongs there, rather than it looking like a piece of ground where someone has dumped a load of rocks and stones.

If your garden is on a slope, fill in behind each rock as you work your way up the slope. Make sure that the pockets of soil are deeper round the larger stones. Then you can put small shrubs in between. After all the rocks are in place, then let them settle for a few days. Then stand back and take a look around just to make sure that you are happy with the layout before adding any plants. Above all, have fun with landscaping and rocks.

Jimmy Cox
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/who-else-wants-to-learn-how-landscaping-with-rocks-can-make-your-garden-look-wonderful-78735.html

Technorati Tags: Back Yard, Depressions, Different Shapes, Dips, Ferns, Ground Cover, Landscape Gardening, Landscaped Gardens, Landscaping Ideas, Landscaping Rocks, Landscaping With Rocks, Natural Habitat, Open Spaces, Perennials, Plants And Shrubs, Rock Gardens, Rocks And Stones, Shapes And Sizes, Sunny Space, Swampy Land

You can add a lot of interest to your landscaping project by adding a bridge to your design. If you have the room for it a bridge will be an exciting focal point.

Using A Bridge In Your Backyard Design
You may want to consider building a bridge in your garden if you have enough space for it. It can really add a rather original and attractive angle to your design scheme. Overall adding a bridge would a fairly quick process, and there are quite a few ways to go about it.

Add a pond and a bridge to your landscape
Ponds are a great focal point in any garden and also add a very chilled and relaxed feel to your overall design. For instance you could locate the pond close to your patio or decking, then add a path and bridge so you can easily cross the expanse of water. It is guaranteed to add quite of bit of pizzazz to your décor!

Doing It Yourself vs. Hiring A Specialist
If you’re planning to add a bridge to your back garden, you can either decide to do all the work yourself, or get a professional in to get the job done. This last option may work out to be rather costly so you may want to consider building the bridge on your own – this would also give you greater satisfaction showing off your handiwork!

How To Go About Building A Bridge In Your Yard
In addition to some creativity you will need basic materials such as timber and nails to build a footbridge to go over an existing water feature like a pond. Then, before you get started in earnest you will need to consider the particulars of your backyard such as whether there will be a path going from the patio to the bridge, how long the bridge needs to be and what shape would best fit with the rest of your scheme.

How to Get Started
Before you get digging you should plot out the area where the pond will be using paint. Once this is done you can get your spade out, remembering to dig a few inches deeper that the intended depth of the finished water feature, say about 15 to 20″.

Cleaning Up The Rubble
As you need you will unearth pointed rocks and hard roots that could pierce through the lining of the pond: you therefore need to remove all debris that can get in the way, leaving the surface even. If this is not done properly then you run the risk of the overall result looking off once the pond is filled with water.

Using a Layer Of Sand
In order to help keeping the pond liner firmly where you need it to stay you can use a layer of sand underneath. You can always cut any additional material that is not required but you should keep enough liner to put over the edges of your pond. A useful trick to make the liner more flexible and help it stretch is to leave it to warm up in a sunny spot first.

Putting The Bridge In
When you are finally ready to install your footbridge in its intended location you should position stones all around the edges of your pond. You can be quite creative there and add even more interest to the feature by choosing rocks of particular shapes or color. As you put your bridge in place ensure that it is completely stable and is properly anchored, so you can enjoy its great decorative effect straight away.

Mr.Andrew Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/landscaping-features-135610.html

Technorati Tags: Backyard Design, Basic Materials, Building A Bridge, Building The Bridge, Cor, Creativity, Design Scheme, Expanse, Finished Water, Focal Point, Footbridge, Handiwork, Last Option, Nails, Particulars, Pizzazz, ponds, Rubble, Spade, Water Feature

Gardening Magazine – Centerpoint Classic Gardening Landscape Is An Amazing Tool!
If you are looking for some serious tips on gardening, Centerpoint classic gardening landscape should not be missed. One of the issues suggests that the bulb gardens are the easiest to take care and are also the most attractive. Bulbs can be classified into various bulb families and further categorized into several varieties within those bulb families. For example, the tulip, that is one of the kinds of bulbs, also has different exotic varieties. The Centerpoint classic gardening landscape offers a comprehensive guide to famous bulb flowers and the appropriate conditions required to grow them. For example, the Gladiolus needs proper sunlight and constant watering while in its blooming and growth phases.

Centerpoint classic gardening landscape is also a good resource for information on checking pests. Pest control is an extremely important task as it prevents the pests from taking over your garden. As soon as you get the indications that your garden has got infected with pest, you must act with no delay. Many people use chemicals to kill pests, however, with rising awareness about environmental concerns, gardeners are slowly shifting to organic remedies. There are also few plants that are naturally pet resistant. Whereas, some plants like Marigold attract specific insects like aphids that eat away the pests.

Is your garden located in a place with hot and dry weather. Centerpoint classic gardening landscape has ample advice on different kinds of annuals that can be grown in hot and dry climatic conditions. The African Daisy, the dust miller, the gold medallion and the creeping zinnia are the kind of annuals that if once establish their roots firmly can sustain even in hot and dry weather conditions. Some other types like the Cypress vine, the hyacinth bean vine, the blue daze and the fan flower can also put up with hot weather, but need extra watering to survive.

If you are an ardent rose fan, the Centerpoint classic gardening landscape has loads of suggestions to help you get that prized photogenic look for your roses. Few of them are as follows:

- It’s very important to choose a sun lit location for your roses
- Treat the soil with few inches of organic mulch mixed with highly rich organic compost
- It is recommended that the bushes of your rose plants must be at least 18-24 inches apart
- The holes that the bushes are planted in must be deep enough to facilitate free and unrestricted growth for the roots
- Bushes must be placed in the holes in a very gentle manner and the holes should then be filled with some loose soil. Once through, you should press down the loose soil with firm hands
- Adding bone meal into the soil can be very beneficial
- Each rose plant must be watered properly for the first two weeks. Thereafter, watering even once in a week is enough.

Working with roses can be quite a scratchy affair. Thus you need all the right tools to avoid those pricky thorns. A pair of leather gloves with folded-down cuffs will be a good investment. Make use of bypass pruners to avoid crushing the rose plants’ canes and stems. In case your rose garden is very old, you’ll have to employ loppers since the old canes would be too thick to be pruned with normal shears. Other essential tools you will require are a shovel with a long padded handle, a short digging fork, a tough wheelbarrow, kneeling pads, a watering wand, a leaf rake and a garden rake.

Refer your copy of Centerpoint classic gardening landscape, there may be many other tips that you can benefit from.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/center-point-classic-gardening-landscape-read-your-way-to-the-perfect-garden-753666.html

Technorati Tags: African Daisy, Ample Advice, Annuals, Aphids, Blue Daze, Bulb Flowers, Climatic Conditions, Comprehensive Guide, Creeping Zinnia, Cypress Vine, Different Kinds, Dry Weather Conditions, Gardeners, Gardening Magazine, Gladiolus, Gold Medallion, Hot Weather, Hyacinth Bean Vine, Perfect Garden, Pests

There are many ways we can use our human energy to lighten the
load on natural resources and tread lightly on our home planet.
Check how many of these you do already:

1. Recycle and re-use Wherever possible, separate waste into
compost material, bottles, tins, paper, clothing etc and make
sure that these get recycled. See if your local council has a
policy for recycling, food reclamation to fuel or even methane
extraction from waste. If they don’t – start one. Ask your
neighbours to contribute to a local composting station.

“The UK has one of the worst recycling records in Europe (12.4%)
compared with 64% in Austria, 52% in Belgium, 50% in Germany and
47% in the Netherlands. In the UK we bury 80% of our rubbish in
landfills, compared to the Swiss who only landfill 7% of their
rubbish.” (The Observer 2004)

2. Shop locally or order a veg box Give your local farmers a
boost by buying direct – either by visiting farms, farmer’s
markets or through vegetable box schemes – which are usually
organic. This saves transport costs in ‘food miles’ and
guarantees, fresh, local, un-polluted and healthy, in-season
food. Try and avoid supermarkets and shop locally when possible
to enhance your own local micro-economy.

“The average household [in UK] spends £470 a year (or one sixth
of its total food budget) on packaging. In a typical Asda or
Tesco shopping basket only 26% of the cost is accounted for by
food; the rest is packaging, processing, transport, store
overheads, advertising and the mark-up of supermarkets which is
sometimes as high as 45%.” (National Farmers’ Union)

3. Make more of your own food from fresh Stop buying ready-meals
and throw away your microwave. Take the time to make healthy,
balanced and delicious meals and condiments from wholesome raw
ingredients. Be like the French and live to eat – rather than
eat to live ! Eating food is the only activity apart from sex
that involves all of our senses.

4. Promote community exchange If you can exchange skills, items
or energy direct with other people without the use of money -
this makes your activities more efficient. If you can share
resources with people around you – then you don’t have to earn
so much to buy things and you don’t have to work as much.

5. Improve local diversity of nature See what you can do to
provide the right ecosystems to promote local biodiversity.
Bring butterflies, moths, birds, wild flowers and so on into
your local environment by providing the resources they need.

6. Review domestic energy use Check whether you can save energy
by cutting down consumption or being more efficient. There are
government schemes in the UK to help with heating efficiency and
insulation. Even switching off at the plug at night saves power
-those little red ‘power on’ lights add up to over £4 million of
electricity used in the UK each year ! Look at how your home
uses energy and where it can be saved, even if it means putting
a jumper on occasionally.

7. Start a local investment scheme If you want to save for a
future – doesn’t it make sense to invest in something you can
see and touch – like a local investment system that brings a
return on your money and improves your own locality ? Invest
money where you can see what it is doing – and where you can
lend a hand if needs be. Community companies, local
co-operatives and credit unions are a growing resource for
sustainable local investment. What better way is there than to
invest your energy directly into your local micro-economy where
you can cherish it ?

8. Use an ethical banking system Just what does your money do
when you invest it a bank? Do you invest in the land mines that
blow off children’s legs ? Do you support armaments
manufacturing, the over-exploitation of rainforests, globalised
cartels intent on raping the planet ? Does your default
investment in a bank endorse child slavery and prostitution,
international drug running and money laundering ? Check the
investment policies of your bank to see just where they are
putting your energy as an investment. If you don’t like what you
see, at least consider using an ethical bank that might invest
in things you want in the world. Even better – reach for a
lifestyle that doesn’t include a bank account at all.

Did you invest in this ? “Japanese physicist Professor Yagasaki
calculated that the 500+ metric tonnes of depleted uranium (DU)
that the US unleashed on Afghanistan was the radioactive
equivalent of 51,875 atomic bombs of the size dropped on the
Japanese city of Nagasaki. During the 2003 Gulf War the amount
of DU used was the equivalent of 103,750 atomic bombs the size
of that dropped on Nagasaki. DU fallout will travel from the
Middle East to the UK, US and parts of Asia.” (International
Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War)

9. Review car use and petrol consumption The real price of
petrol, if you apply economic principles to its production -
that includes the time the earth has taken to make it – comes in
at over £1 million per gallon. Its use produces awful chemical
pollution and extreme noise. Most internal combustion engines
run at an incredibly low efficiency (usually about 20%). The
logic of having something that weighs over a ton to transport a
single person defeats me. Yes, I know they’re incredibly
convenient compared to the alternatives and that many motors
have cult status but – come on – there has to be a better way
than this ! Boy am I looking forward to hydrogen / oxygen fuel
cells. Cycling is great!

10. Start a local energy collective Your roofs are a resource !
Take a look at some of the rooftop energy panels available
today. Chat with your neighbours about a collective approach to
local energy needs. Sell your excess energy back to the grid !
Intermediate technology combined with modern technology in wind,
solar or water power has come of age so start your own power
supply.

11. Learn more about the nature in your local environment Which
wild animals and plants live in your environment? Share some
time with them and see what they can teach you. Become a direct
‘friend of nature’ and explore how other species see the world
we share. You could even adopt some wild nature near you and
‘look out’ for it.

12. Make things from found or recycled materials Do you remember
the fun you had whittling wood when you were younger? Keep an
eye out for interesting wood you can prepare to make useful
things. So much stuff is just thrown away or destroyed that
could be useful again given a little T.L.C. Wild wood can make
attractive coat hangers, boxes, shelves, even furniture. Waste
skips often have objects that can easily be given a ‘new life’.
Working with your hands to make things ‘new’ can be a deeply
satisfying experience.

13. Make your own Christmas and birthday presents Take time out
to make things that you enjoy and give them away to people you
love. These have a value way over anything you can buy. If you
have a creative hobby – use it to make gifts instead of buying
them. If you don’t – find a hobby or activity that puts you in
touch with natural things.

14. Stop using pharmaceutical drugs and chemicals and go natural
We are in a culture where medical consumerism is the norm.
Explore some of the alternatives like using your food as
preventative and curative medicine, or learn about the herbs and
spices that have traditionally boosted mankind’s health for
millennia. There are many gentle ways to find, promote and
maintain health and you will find some excellent examples at the
StarFields Network.

15. Join an environmental group Express your energy in a
collective way by joining a group that voices your concerns. Put
your energy into changing the situation for the better by
directly sponsoring a specific environmental cause.

16. Use natural materials from a sustainable source over
synthetic materials The more natural a product is – the less
pollution is usually incurred in its production. Support your
environment by valuing natural materials over synthetic, for
example (organic) cotton over polyester. Think about where
building materials or other resources have come from and the
processes it takes to make them.

17. Feed your neighbour A quick story based on Dante’s Inferno:
Dante (or someone like him) visits Hell and finds a room of
‘food torture’. The inhabitants are glued to chairs round a
large table covered with food, but they all have their arms
replaced by 10 foot chopsticks. They lift bits of food high over
their heads and drop it down onto their faces in a pathetic
attempt to feed themselves. Later, our hero visits heaven and
finds exactly the same situation except for one thing. The
people in heaven are feeding each other across the table !

18. Dance, sing and laugh. Look after yourself and have fun If
you are happy, fulfilled, in good humour, enjoying life’s
journey and so on – the chances are that others around you will
be able to feel that way too. This moves us all along.

19. Don’t fly in airplanes If possible, take a ship or train for
long hauls or holidays. Aircraft are extremely expensive in
pollution terms. Enjoy the sensation of travelling more slowly.
Accept the journey as part of the trip.

20. Take an action holiday Why not donate your energy to a cause
like helping indigenous people set up sustainable economies ?
There are many companies offering the experience of useful
voluntary work overseas. This is a most direct way to contribute
to a sustainable world and gives you face-to-face contact with
other cultures.

21. Grow more plants indoors Enhance your pact with nature by
turning your home into a plant haven. Even simple spider plants
can improve your space by bringing nature in and cleaning the
air. Plants are pretty undemanding compared to pets and they
bring life in and produce air. Go the whole hog and grow some
trees.

22. Consider changing your employment What does your ‘means of
income’ do in energy terms ? If the ‘ethics’ of your employment
is distant from your own values then you have essentially sold
your soul for money. Think carefully about the consequences of
your employment. Consider finding employment that is near to
your core values and you will find a more fulfilled ‘you’.

23. Review how you are investing in your own future Concerned
about pensions ? It is certainly looking like someone has pulled
the plug on that one. Anyone under 45 should be looking to
exactly what they want in older years and finding ways to
achieve it that may not involve money. There are serious flaws
in our investment systems that are becoming more and more
evident. Co-operative or communal solutions to support in older
years will be an increasing solution to lack of money.

24. Review your usage of water If you have metered water, review
how much you use and where savings might be made. For example
bath water (without chemicals) can be used to water plants, a
brick in the water cistern saves flush water. Can you use the
water that lands on your roof that you pay for the privilege of
having removed ? Water butts are cheaper than ever and some
local councils offer price reductions to residents. There are
many water filters on the market that improve the quality of
tap-water and water is a key issue in health, we are mostly made
of it ! Water is a key issue on planet earth in the 21st
century.

” Nearly 97% of the world’s water is sea water or otherwise
undrinkable. Another 2% is locked up in ice caps and glaciers.
This leaves 1% to meet all of humanities growing needs,
including agriculture, manufacturing, community and personal
household needs. Of that 1%, one quarter of the world’s fresh
water is found in Canada’s lakes, rivers and streams.” (CPS June
2004)

25. Cut down on noise and light pollution Many birds in cities
sing at night as it’s the only way they can make themselves
heard. Generally birds in cities have to sing louder and the
stress this causes gives them shortened life spans. Listen for a
moment now – what can you hear beyond the hum of computer fan?
How much of this noise is really needed? Wouldn’t just some
‘quiet times’ be nice? Get together with your neighbours and see
if you can negotiate a local ‘quiet time’, like a Sunday
morning. Unnecessary light also interferes with wildlife and
even worse – it blocks out the stars – a source of wonder till
the end of time.

26. Start your own herb garden Grow your own medicinal and
culinary herbs. Many of these are easy to grow on a windowsill,
in a window box or tub somewhere. The direct growing and use of
plants ties you into natural cycles and rhythms – you could even
learn about ‘moon gardening’ cycles and biodynamics !

27. Grow your own food Even simple growing such as mustard cress
or delicious sprouting seeds contributes to a good diet. A
surprising amount of your own food can be grown in a little
space by using ‘potato stacks’ or climbing fruits. There is no
better feeling than harvesting your own crop and eating it with
friends. There are many dwarf bush varieties of fruit, some even
have more than one fruit type on the same bush.

28. Downsize Think about how you can work less and keep a good
quality of life. Balance quality of life with standard of
living. Contribute less to GDP and the national/global economy
and more to a wholesome local and global ecology. Think global
and act local.

29. Go organic Whatever you consume, source it from a place that
values natural processes over industrial ones. There are many
enterprises providing organic food, drink, clothing or materials
from sustainable sources. Take pride in tracking these down and
using them in preference to more exploitative practices.

30. Spend time with nature Take the time to visit nature and
spend time relating with it. Find and adopt special places where
you can go to feel the cycles and forces of nature and know that
it is an aspect of you, and you of it. Many people are forming
‘collectives’ to protect or improve special places they value

Simon Mitchell
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/thirty-positive-actions-for-a-sustainable-earth-1283.html

Technorati Tags: Asda, Community Exchange, Compost Material, Delicious Meals, Food Budget, Food Miles, Fresh Stop, Home Planet, Human Energy, Landfills, Local Council, Micro Economy, National Farmers Union, Neighbours, Raw Ingredients, Ready Meals, Season Food, Shopping Basket, Sustainable Earth, Transport Costs

North Carolina’s Outer Banks are a popular tourist destination due to the rich historical attractions, the miles of pristine beaches, and the abundant natural areas that are ripe for exploration. The string of narrow barrier islands that comprise the Outer Banks are the perfect place for your next vacation if you want to take in America’s early history or spread out on a sandy beach while letting any stress you brought with you melt away. Make your way to the Outer Banks for your next vacation and experience a true coastal getaway.

The Outer Banks represent the first area that England tried to settle in America and are the perfect place to learn more about the history of the early settlements. The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island was in the Outer Banks and you can enjoy daily programs aboard the Elizabeth II, a design of a 16th century sailing vessel, at the Roanoke Island Festival Park. In addition, there are year-round events to enjoy, an art gallery, a boardwalk, and performances down by the water.

Another excellent historical attraction is the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which commemorates the location where the first successful power flight occurred. There are museum exhibits available in addition to tours of the flight trail area for those who are intrigued by the miracle of flight. Other great attractions include the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, which recognizes the more than 1,000 ships that have been lost along the coast, and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which is the tallest in the country and allows visitors to climb its steps for an amazing view over the water.

Since the string of islands extends for over 100 miles, there are numerous sandy beaches that are perfect for strolling along the shores or spreading out and catching some sun. However, some of the best beaches in the area can be found on Ocracoke Island, which can be accessed via ferry from Hatteras Island. Here you can pursue a variety of water activities such as swimming, windsurfing, and boating or simply roam the shore in search of the perfect shell or the most breathtaking view.

Another great spot for water activities is the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Stretching from Nags Head to Ocracoke Inlet, visitors can often be found surfing in the waves or fishing off the coast in search of trout, flounder, stripers, and numerous other species. Fishing is available in the sand, in the sound, and off the piers, so bring your pole and tackle box, or rent one from a nearby store, and get ready for a relaxing day listening to the sounds of the waves as you reel in a few beauties.

For those who want to get back to nature and catch sight of some gorgeous flora and fauna, there are numerous parks in the Outer Banks to accommodate your needs. The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is located in a remote region and allows for numerous outdoor pursuits, such as canoeing, kayaking, fishing, birdwatching, and hiking, on its 150,000 acres of wetland habitats. If you are interested in seeing an even more diverse selection of birds, the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge features over 360 species of migratory, wading, shore, and upland birds that can be seen from the wildlife trails.

No matter what your interests, your Outer Banks vacation can be filled with an abundance of outdoor activities that will allow you to explore the exquisite nature of this amazing stretch of islands. To get the most out of your free-spirited adventure, consider Outer Banks vacation rentals for your lodging needs so you can stay on the island of your choice, surrounded by the primitive beauty of the islands. Whether you want to stay in a secluded cottage or a waterside house, there is a rental that will make it easy to enjoy everything you love about the Outer Banks and allow you to experience everything you want to see.

Jen W.
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/outer-banks-north-carolina-57906.html

Technorati Tags: Banks North Carolina, Barrier Islands, Best Beaches, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Coastal Getaway, Festival Park, Graveyard Of The Atlantic, Graveyard Of The Atlantic Museum, Hatteras Island, Miracle Of Flight, Museum Exhibits, Natural Areas, Outer Banks North Carolina, Pristine Beaches, Roanoke Island Festival Park, Sailing Vessel, Sandy Beaches, Water Activities, Wright Brothers, Wright Brothers National Memorial

Most Japanese gardens require little maintenance because the components that are used are things like gravel, pebbles, stones, wood, water and occasional, carefully-chosen and well-positioned shrubs or small trees.

The Garden Design
It is important to create a sense of tranquillity and if possible provide areas for contemplation in the garden. The design should be kept quite simple and uncluttered, focusing on outline, shape and contrasting textures, the use of plants is restrained, resulting in a garden that satisfies the senses but requires minimum aftercare or maintenance.

Creating Focal Points
Features like rocks and stones have an important role in many Japanese gardens. They can be set in an area covered with fine pebbles, which are an ideal labour-saving ground cover. When wet, they change colour and catch the light beautifully.

Pick some special stones of varying size, colour and character, and arrange asymmetrically in one or two areas in uneven numbers. Traditionally, the pebbles are raked into variations of parallel lines and snaking spirals centralised on the main rock features. Gravel can be substituted for pebbles as a cheaper option. You can inset a walkway of large paving slabs or sawn tree-trunk pieces in the gravel.

Minimalist Planting Methods
In an authentic Japanese stone garden, the only plants might be mounds of green moss providing a softening contrast with the stones and rocks, but other types of Japanese-inspired garden include a few more plants, chosen for their interesting form or grace. These can be planted in between the pebbles or in large containers. Mosses thrive in moist conditions out of direct sun, but if they cannot be encouraged to grow, try moss like plants as an alternative, such as Sagina Subulata, S. Procumbens, or, in mild areas, the ground-hugging carpeter Soleirolia Soleirii.

Water Feature
Water, the essence of life, should always be present in a real Japanese garden, normally it would be fresh running water, but for the low maintenance approach even a simple bowl filled with water would be calming in a garden and offers birds the opportunity to drink. A bubble fountain washing over pebbles or a running stream effect would be an ideal feature.

Traditional Japanese Ornaments
In far eastern philosophy, the traditional garden features have their own significance within the strict rules and special meanings of the garden design. Bamboo wind chimes create soothing sounds, while a rounded lantern and a linear bridge are pretty, and useful for introducing contrasting shapes. You could introduce different ornaments to suit your own taste and garden size.

Try some of the low maintenance tips above and see if you can create your own slice of Japan, but without giving up your free time!

Andrew Lawrence
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/create-a-low-maintenance-japanese-garden-86791.html

Technorati Tags: Essence Of Life, Feature Water, Green Moss, Ground Cover, Japanese Garden, Japanese Gardens, Japanese Stone Garden, Large Paving Slabs, Low Maintenance, Mild Areas, Moist Conditions, Outline Shape, Parallel Lines, Pebbles Stones, Rock Features, Rocks And Stones, Sagina Subulata, Uneven Numbers, Wate, Water Feature

In my last article on front yard landscaping I discussed laying out driveways and sidewalks as your starting point and how it could possibly help create the entire framework for your front yard design. So assuming that you’re to that point, we’ll move on to a few considerations of a major secondary element. Plants.

When choosing and setting out plants in the front yard or any landscaping for that matter, you need to consider more than just how things will look. You should also consider other factors such as sun or shade, duration of sun or shade, soil type, purpose, the elements, and what specific plants will require or do in the future. There are also a other considerations such as how close to plant to the home and its foundation.

When setting out plants in the front yard, place small shrubs and bushes 4 to 6 feet away from the home. If set closer than this, they could be deprived of sunlight or rain because of a wide overhang from the roof. They could also get fried from intense heat reflecting off of the wall. Placed away from the home in a wider staggered row rather than a narrow row, they also add a 3d effect to the landscape that makes the home seem more substantial.

Another consideration that most folks don’t think of is the long term effects of planting around the foundation of the home.

Keep in mind the space that plants and their roots will occupy at maturity. Roots are a powerful force that can find their way through rock. They also don’t seem to have much trouble with foundations.

Most plants, of course, require water. Watering, and especially flooding plants and beds around foundations creates a potential for a damaged foundation. This doesn’t always happen but it does happen. If you’re going to have plants close to the home, spot watering individual plants, a drip system, or even a low profile spray is safer than flooding the entire area.

Lime leach from concrete is a problem that I see quite often. It’s such a common problem because it takes a long time to show up. Over time, lime leaches out of the concrete into the soil causing the soil to become alkaline. If the ph of the soil gets too high, plants will start to look sick and yellow. Usually, keeping the beds tilled with a lot of organic matter will buffer and prevent this problem. Adding sulfur and organics to beds that are already affected will help turn the problem around.

The main thing to keep in mind when setting out landscaping plants, along with how they’ll look, is what they will do in the future. Whether it’s front yard landscaping, backyard landscaping, or any other part of your landscape, keeping these main points in mind could possibly save you a lot of frustration and money in the future.

Steve Boulden
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/ideas-for-front-yard-landscaping-foundation-planting-82818.html

Technorati Tags: 3d Effect, Beds, Concrete, Drip System, Driveways And Sidewalks, Duration, Foundations, Front Yard Landscaping, Intense Heat, Leach, Lime, Low Profile, Maturity, Overhang, plants, Roots, Shrubs And Bushes, Soil Type, Suc, Sunlight

Classified ads and display ads are not used much anymore to advertise nursery plants in newspapers, although 15 to 20 years ago, plant ads were commonly seen in newsprint publications and farm magazines. Several reasons are responsible for the nursery plant businesses abandoning this form of media advertising. The main reason has been the emergence of other competitive, lower priced media forms, the most significant being the Internet, followed by free advertising offers in a regional area, all-ad papers containing only local classified ads. The advertising costs are sponsored by full page car or real estate advertisers on the front page and the back page covers. These Internet and the free ad papers will be discussed more fully later in this article.

Twenty years ago the nursery operators advertised commonly listed shrubs, trees, perennials and annuals in classified ads that were placed at the back pages of the paper. Certain plants were advertised that could be grown to reach a marketable size for sale by the nursery growers. For instance in the spring; annuals, perennials, flowering trees and shrubs began to bud and flower, and the nursery growers would list plants like petunia, azalea bushes, flowering redbud trees and crape myrtle shrubs for sale, often with a posted low-sale prices on each plant available. During the summer season various shrubs were grown and containerized for sale, along with fruiting grapevine plants or blueberry bushes loaded with highly colored, ready to eat berries or grape clusters. Lists of shrubs such as fast growing holly, juniper, boxwood or ligustrum bushes were priced for quick sale to be used as privacy hedges for landscape borders. During the fall chrysanthemums and pansy plants were available to buy for fall color and buyers were encouraged to plant nut trees, fruit trees and berry plants, while trees were in the inactive dormant state during fall and winter for best results. Larger nurseries often used larger display ads with a photo of a featured plant image, followed by a list of plants, trees or shrubs for sale.

These classified and display ads began to disappear from newspapers with the appearance in the 1990s of regional area papers offering monotonous pages of classified free-ads, that included backyard, mom and pop sellers who grew a few easily rooted plants to advertise at below cost prices to compete with licensed nursery growers. Free classified ads were also offered to local, private, used car sellers and for home flea market items. The regional, free classified ads were sponsored by full pages ads from automobile dealerships and real estate companies, because they were willing to pay for a large local circulation exposure potential. Stacks of these printed papers were left to distribute in key locations for local circulation and later were dropped off at home driveways or sent out by bulk mail to post office box holders. For several years these papers boomed in circulation and greatly damaged the circulation advertising markets of local newspapers. After several years the financial sponsors of the free, classified, ad papers began to drop out, mainly, because the automobile dealerships began to realize that the free, used-car, local ads in the papers were competing with their own potential sales, and most of those free papers have now gone out of business in the year, 2006.

Newspapers were able to recover much of their lost revenue that resulted from the advertising of several types of free papers to be replaced with the advertisements that began with the advent of the box stores. Box stores are large chains of merchandising giants such as Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot and K-mart………..They are called box stores, because most of their buildings are shaped like huge boxes. Most of these stores carry extensive lines of hardware, school supplies, building materials, plant nursery and many other items. These stores often hire newspaper companies to print a distinctive publication, a sales paper that resembles an over-sized mail order catalog with color photos of various featured product offerings. These publications are distributed by the local newspaper circulation departments, as an additional enclosure or supplement to be found as a separate advertising unit inside the newspaper. Often the box store publications will be printed in color on high quality newsprint, appearing better in quality than the newspaper itself. Most of these box store advertising papers are printed and inserted into the Sunday Edition (Highest Circulation), although they may appear at anytime on any day. Nursery plants often cover the entire front page of these papers in the spring with interesting 4 color photos of annuals, to draw customers in to buy shrubs, perennials or shade trees offered for sale. Sometimes fruit trees, berry plants or grapevines will be featured, full of fruit to entice a shopper to drive over to the store to buy on impulse, a plant on sale. During the Christmas Season lighted Christmas trees are photographed for sale with gifts packages placed underneath the entire tree. Many store items are shown unpackaged, as suggested gifts that a shopper can buy. Potted mums or poinsettia color photos are scattered throughout the box store paper. The nursery plant advertising campaigns in the box store papers have decreased over the years, yielding ad space for the higher priced TV’s, appliances and many other more expensive products than plants. The box store publications have become more sophisticated each year moving far ahead in printed quality, surpassing the newspaper pages that surround it.

Many newspapers are facing a crisis in circulation drop, due to televising advertising placement and the Internet, pay-per-click advertising. These box stores are wealthy enough to open their own publishing printing presses, and when the decision is made to change their distribution patterns, once an in-house mailing list has been developed from credit card sales and newspaper referrals from the past. It can be expected that the box stores will eventually quit the newspaper publishers to independently mail out their own printed papers using bulk mail services at the U.S. post offices. This separation of the box stores with their substantial financial support to the newspapers will withdraw extensive monetized resources away from the struggling newspaper circulation. Newspapers may end up on that same fateful path taken by the pony express.

There is no question that the box stores have surged forward toward the domination in the retail sales of nursery plants in the United States as garden marketers of plants. Their success in cornering the sale of annual and perennial plants has been benefited much by their sales papers that were distributed by newspaper inserts. That success may continue for many years into the future, or it may end this year. The brilliant ideas that worked for many years past, may fail in 2006. No industry, business or individual is secure or invincible in a fast changing economy, and all matters of business are vulnerable to uncontrollable world events that may threaten to unfold before us tomorrow.

Even a subtle appearance of fungus or bacteria can cause a quick death to plants, or infestations may cause a “stop sale” or quarantine of plant material imposed by agricultural inspectors. The imposition of a quarantine of plant material by USDA officials can not only disqualify current plant sales, but rumors of such an action can influence plant buyers to avoid buying from a nursery for extended months or years because of a notice of quarantine. No gardener wants to buy plants from a diseased nursery inventory. The same “stop sale” quarantine notice can result from an insect infestation or the presence of a noxious weed in a store stocked with shade trees, fruit trees, grapevines or berry plants. The risk taken by box stores in handling live, perishable plants in quite different from selling non-perishable hammers, nails or house paint, that last incorruptibly for years; requiring no maintenance such as plants need, like watering fertilizing, light and oxygen exposure or free replacement of plants that may have been returned by customers as dead plants. Can box stores continue to operate a nursery operation as a profitable business on a long term basis?

Pat Malcolm
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/advertising-nursery-plants-and-trees-in-newspapers-56429.html

Technorati Tags: Azalea Bushes, Berry Plants, Blueberry Bushes, Dormant State, Fall Chrysanthemums, Farm Magazines, Flowering Trees, Grape Clusters, Landscape Borders, Marketable Size, Nursery Growers, Nursery Operators, Nursery Plant, Nursery Plants, Nut Trees, Plants And Trees, Privacy Hedges, Redbud Trees, Spring Annuals, Trees And Shrubs

A garden is the reflection of ones choice for the outdoors and landscaping. Building a garden is a labor of joy but it is not easy to maintain a garden in its perfect state. Most people prefer smaller gardens for their home as it need less maintenance as well as less time, energy and money. Whatever the size, every garden needs special care to make it bloom and blossom round the year. Gardening tips from experts or professionals guide us through this onerous process. Gardening tips are meant to give the gardener all the guidance he needs to make the garden perfect. The tips differ from garden to garden.

Easy gardening tips

Tip #1 – Gardens not only give a pictorial value to the property but also have other benefits like organic food growth if one loves a kitchen garden idea. For such multi-purpose gardens make sure that you do not have plants that attract too many pests and need pesticides which might have adverse effect on the kitchen garden.

Tip #2 -In a small garden or for house plants make sure they get regular attention to curb overgrowth and have regular pest and weed control.

Tip #3 -The water flow and air circulation in the garden should be adequate so that garden remains fresh.

Tip #4 -The garden grasses should be regularly mowed.

Tip #5 -The plants should be selected according to the climate of the place where the garden is situated.

Tip #6 -If the garden gives priority to the wildlife, attention should be given to their food and shelter.

Tip #7 -The vegetable garden needs proper fertilizers whereas the water garden needs proper water planning while a butterfly garden should have proper plants and climate.

Tip #8 -For the patios and the flooring one should also give proper attention to the quality of the bricks.

Tip #9 -The garden furniture for the garden should also be given a proper notice. Appropriate garden furniture gives an aesthetic value to the landscape.

Tip #10 -A garden is that part of a house full of children need to be safe and free from accident zones. Grasses hide uneven ground, and also give a cushion so that the children dont get hurt while playing. Paths and paved areas should also be smooth, level, and firm.

Even an experienced gardener needs to know the updated gardening tips and techniques in order to expand his knowledge. This knowledge combined with his experiences and observations on indoor or outdoor gardening strengthens the garden idea and maintenance plan. Plants are versatile creatures. They want to grow and will grow in simple soil, with very little sunlight, and little cultivation. All one really needs to do it is regularly water them and provide them with occasional shade and sun as required by their genetic design.

William McRea
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/some-great-gardening-tips-98783.html

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There are many golf courses in France, scattered in various regions, offering a great variety to choose from. Several developers have chosen those sites to build residences and offer the highest quality in New Build accommodation. Such properties are thus set right on the golf field!

In the Provence region, the Pont Royal Golf, near Salon de Provence (13), is niched in the charming hinterland called Guarrigue. It is surrounded by a nature full of fragrant herbs and local rocks, where walkers used to come to gather mushrooms and hunters to wait for their game… until 1989 when the golf was created. Nowadays, tourists and locals form the population of the area, which by the way offers all amenities from the post office to the tourist information office. This cohabitation gives its charm to Pont Royal, as tourists bring activity and fancy, and residents contribute to the durability of the region. Classified one of the best courses in Europe, the 18-course golf was designed by the Spanish champion Severiano Ballesteros. He perfectly integrated it into the surrounding nature. Every step in the course is a new challenge, as they are all different from one another. The course perfectly alternates technical difficulties and panoramic view points.

The Academic Golf Roquebrune, in Roquebrune sur Argens, on the Cote d’Azur (83), is ideally set in a Mediterranean and Provencal landscape… between the sea and the hinterland. It is a real heaven, as the course is all natural, enabling everyone to combine sport and relaxation. The estate comprises a restaurant, called the Restaurant du Club-House, where you will be able to taste a fine Mediterranean cuisine, as well as organise a seminar. The residence set here has the shape of a real village, which perfectly fits in the landscape. It comprises a swimming pool and New Build villas from 2 to 4 bedrooms.

Still on the Cote d’Azur, the Golf de l’Esterel, near Frejus is niched among pine trees, at the foot of the Esterel hill. The course was designed by Trent Jones Sr and offers great quality services all year long. The landscape as well as the course itself will please every player with different difficulty levels and fabulous views over the Cote d’Azur.

In the Paris Ile de France region, the Cely Golf & Country Club is also an 18-hole golf course, located near Fontainebleau (77) in Cely-en-Biere. It is set in the luxurious estate of the Chateau de Cely, at the foot of a lovely hill. A few years ago, the Woman World’s Championship chose Cely to set the competition. The course was designed by Marc Adam and Patrick Fromanger, who chose an American style with undulating and hilly curves… there again pleasing every player with different difficulty levels and fantastic view points.

The Odet Golf Course, in Brittany (29), is niched among oak and pine trees. With wide spaces, the course offers lots of possibilities: the greens are wider than they are deep and the bunkers are as long as the close beaches! The estate has all the possible assets, which are training courses, season tickets, pass, proshop, restaurant, swimming pool, equipment service, etc. What’s more, it is very close to the Benodet seaside resort and comprises 130 hectares of woodland and ponds. The leaseback development Les jardins d’Arvor is set on the golf course and offers New Build apartments from studio to 3 bedrooms.

Matthieu Cany
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/golf-properties-in-france-679979.html

Technorati Tags: Cohabitation, Cote D Azur, Course Golf, Esterel, Fragrant Herbs, Frejus, Golf Courses In France, Golf Field, Golf Properties, Golf Roquebrune, Hinterland, Mediterranean Cuisine, Pine Trees, Pont Royal Golf, Properties In France, Provencal Landscape, Provence Region, Roquebrune Sur Argens, Salon De Provence, Tourist Information Office