Fresh Look at New Home Design Ideas

Home is where the heart is. The home means the place where we can unwind and be ourselves. So if one wants to redo their home, it needs taking a fresh look at the various home design ideas.

A house is made of many rooms. Each of these rooms has a role to play to make it a part of the home. While deciding on the home design ideas it is important to remember that individual tastes of the people living in the house have to be taken into consideration.

The house can be given a completely new look by just changing the color of the paint on the walls. You can decide to go in for more modern use of different colors for different rooms or walls. Or maybe even use wall paper or tiles to add more variety.

In case constructing a new house, you can decide on the theme – like a modern house with neat lines or a farm house or just a simple country house. The theme can help decide how to do up the rest of the house.

Home design ideas can help plan for the most important room in the house, the kitchen. The size and shape of the kitchen need to be given adequate thought. The counter-top, the pantry, the types of electrical appliances that would be used all need to be accommodated and planned for. Also the type of kitchen sinks that have to be fitted.

The bedrooms should be well planned well. The rooms should get proper ventilation. There must be ample cupboard space and storage areas. The lights should be well placed.

The plumbing in the bathrooms has to be well thought of. The number of sinks, the type of tap fittings, whether to fit a tub or a shower closet. All the plans have to be made keeping in mind the number of people using it and their specific requirements.

Would you prefer a well laid out lawn or a backyard where the children can play? Using the new home design ideas, plan well to use the open spaces to avoid hassles in future.

Small Garden Design Ideas - Landscaping and Home Garden Plans

A garden owner can themselves design and can create layout plans for planting of landscapes and garden. You as an amateur gardener can attain a good level of experience by working for many hours in your garden. This will give you many ideas. Landscaping can be enhanced with a vegetable home garden as part of the small garden design. There has been an increased interest in small garden design since the twentieth century.

Who so ever be the designer of the garden, be it an amateur or a professional, be sure your home garden plans include a vegetable garden planting. Ask your friends for their ideas. Landscaping should follow certain rules and principles to meet the desires and need of the owners or the users of gardens. The layout of the gardens must include walls, sitting areas, paths, as well as plants themselves. I know someone who has placed numerous yard gnomes throughout their garden. That is some odd home garden decorating.

Maintenance at regular intervals of time is needed. Keeping in mind the innovation in keeping the garden stylish is one thing that shall not be missed and how the whole landscape should be used effectively. Follow a basic and simple small garden design to ensure that the garden is manageable.

The first thing that should be done is to choose n appropriate location for the garden. A location that is topographically correct must be considered. There should be a well organized connection with water. The area must have rich layers of soil. Besides a well constructed and designed garden can weigh a lot above the location.

The quality of the soil in the garden is the most important aspect as it has a significance impact on the success of garden. There are many types of fertilizers that can help the garden grow. There are many soil organisms that help gardener in improving the soil quality. Planting nitrogen fixing plants such as those from the family of peas can provide a boost in the fertility of soil. The excavated soil of the landscape should be mixed with peat, mineral dust, compost, sand and manure. These are examples of organic garden fertilizer.

Lastly, the boundary impinges can provide a great finishing look to the garden. Your very own place looks beautiful and organized. It can be marked with fencing or slanting bricks or a raised pedestal or shrubs. A proper fencing is necessary to keep away the animals from destroying your garden as well as to enhance the beauty of your garden. All this prepares you for a fantastic setting for your next home garden party. And don’t forget the yard gnomes!

Happy Gardening!

Small Garden Design Ideas - Introduction

One of the challenges of small garden design is of course space Unlike large gardens, you must be much more disciplined in your approach. While experimentation is easier in the smaller garden, you will want to spend some time planning. You will need to be satisfied with fewer types of plants. Instead of buying a new plant spur of the moment, you will want to spend a little more time thinking about the potential new plant’s fit in terms of spread, height, color and texture.

With the smaller garden, it is not as easy to do things like hidden turns and garden rooms. But this does not mean you need to throw away the elements of contemporary garden design. You have opportunities to do similar things on a smaller scale. Imagine you have a small garden space towards the back of your yard. It is on your right as you walk towards it. You can start with a low boxwood-type hedge, or in my case a rock about 12″ high with a sharpish edge on the top. My rock is about 3 feet long. I laid the rock perpendicular to and touching my garage wall, forming a border shaped like a mountain range. As you walk further back, the area at first obscured by the rock reveals itself. I tried to make this more dramatic by using multicolored peonies planted very tightly against the side of the rock near the garage wall. This way, you see a small explosion of color that remains hidden until you have come completely to the level of the rock. This is my version of the hidden turn.

While large hardscapes such as boulders and walls may be out of the question, you can still create the illusion of separation by using hedges, rocks as in my example, gravel rivers as in Japanese gardening, etc. For myself, instead of trying to create rooms or separation within a single garden area, I have several small garden areas which are for the most part separated by lawn. In some cases I try to treat each of these tiny areas as separate gardens or rooms.

This gives me the ability to try new things fairly quickly in a small garden area. If it doesn’t work, or if I want to try something new, I may buy some additional plants, or I might move plants from one of the other little gardens. I can add my “mini hardscapes” like rock, and move plants around in a matter of minutes. I think experimentation is one of my favorite things about this type of gardening. While on the one hand, you need to plan for the appropriate plants, on the other hand you can swap different plants in and out of a particular spot to see which works best, or just to try out a new idea.

As always, you will need to take note of your growing zone, especially the hours of sun vs. shade in the area you are planting. We do site analysis in the first place to know which plants will thrive in our garden. I read once that a poorly chosen plant becomes an annual, so don’t let that happen to you! Make sure to select your plant for the appropriate size, texture, color, and durability for your planting area. Some of my areas get sun for 6 hours, some are always in shade.

Unlike a larger garden, you will be able to see your entire garden as one entity. Even though you can have some separation into tiny rooms if you want, remember to look at each small garden as a complete composition. The way the plants work together to form the whole can be much more important in the small garden.

Everything I have read indicates that you should be somewhat monochromatic with your small garden. Use different variations and subtleties of the dominant color. Show differences with height, texture, etc. On the other hand, I have always been a little bit of a contrarian, so you can always try explosions of different colors, especially if you have an object to anchor the explosion, like a rock, small bird bath, sundial, bench, etc. For myself, I will never tire of red and green against a whitish rock.

And again, here is the versatility of the small garden. You can still have some of the traditional elements of the larger garden, like a separated sitting area or playing area. But here are some options. First, instead of one garden area with a play area, have 2 different garden areas separated by the playing area. If you want a bench, or sitting area, try the same – 2 separate gardens divided by the sitting area.

If you decide to try some of these small garden design ideas, I’d love to know how it worked out for you!

Wonderful Garden Design Ideas

Okay, let’s get one thing straight; your back yard’s is not going to look any better on its own! You need to get out there and give it a hand. Whether you have $50 to spend, or $500, there are so many ways of improving your back yard that you will be stunned at how simple most of them are. Have a good, hard look at your hard and make a note of the areas that you know need improving. Look at the ground as well as the fences or furniture.

Some of the simplest jobs make the biggest improvements. Put sod down over patches of dirt and you will soon have a lush, green lawn. It’s quite a hard job physically, depending how much you have to put down, but is quite cheap and not a difficult job. Once the sod is in place, a few flowers or bushes will complete the effect.

You get the most stunning display from Roses, and they aren’t difficult to look after either. Any local greenhouse will show you the varieties and colors that are on offer and give you advice about planting and maintenance. Some are really hardy and take hardly any looking after.

If you really want to go all out to create a garden of beauty, why not have a pond in your front yard? The sunken ones made of plastic need to be right down in the ground so some digging is required. When you have your pond in place the fun starts. Choosing your plants or fish can be really exciting, or maybe you have decided to have a fountain pond. This is a big decision that needs careful consideration.

My last suggestion today is for a garden canopy. These are both attractive and functional. They are ideal if you want to sit in the garden to read and want some protection from the sun. You can get then in all sizes and very easy to put up and take down again.

Garden Design Ideas For a Low Maintenance Garden

Many people either don’t have the time to garden or simply wish to create a low maintenance garden for themselves. This article will look at the issues you need to consider when planning a garden.

The first thing to look at is the depth and quality of the soil in your existing garden. Horticulturalists generally recommend a depth of soil of at least 300 millimetres. Without good quality soil you cannot generate a good quality garden. A reasonable depth of soil is necessary for the purpose of holding water in the soil after irrigation of the garden.

In order to have a good balance of soil quality, you need to minimise clay, shale and sand content and replace it with better quality soil. Excavating up to 150 millimetres of these poor quality soils and replacing them with loam should be adequate to greatly improve the standard of the soil.

Next, if you want your garden to be low maintenance – design has to play a role. You need to minimise the amount of lawn and high growth trees you have while not needing to concrete over everything at the same time. It is important to remember that large areas of concreted patio or paved brick patio are very expensive to build.

Now you need to plan the planting of the garden and choose trees and other shrubs carefully. It is wise to select as many evergreen or non-deciduous plants as possible to remove the need for cleaning up large amounts of leaves. If you live in a dry climate, avoid planting European shrubs and trees because they are high water consumption as well as generally deciduous.

Preferably omit planting garden borders with flowering plants as they require a good degree of care to look their best. Use the most effective methods of controlling garden problems such as weeds. While people have traditionally used chemical sprays to kill and control weeds, it’s better not to go down that path. There are safer (for you and the environment) alternative means of weed control like various types of mulches and plants that are effective in ground covering.

Finally, the size of garden and style of garden you have built, or build yourself, needs to be determined on how much time you have to maintain it. If you are a busy person with an exhausting schedule, obviously you ideally want a relatively small block and accompanying garden.

A Quick Garden Design Idea That is Cheap and Cheerful - Required - 15 Minutes of Creativity

You have 15 minutes to liven up a drab garden. Friends are coming over for a BBQ, the garden looks depressing and you get a burst of creative energy. What should you do?

1. A very quick but effective idea is to explore two design principals ‘repetition’ and ‘context’ with whatever is lying around the home.

2. What do you mean?

3. First, let me explain ‘repetition’.

Grab some household items that have the same shape and colour. Arrange these items and shapes in various ways, over and over again to create a pattern. The pattern is created via the repetition of similar looking items. Patterns can create visual harmony and when done well can provide candy for the eye.

4. Now lets make the repetition even more interesting by playing around with ‘context’.

Take the items out of their normal setting and use them for a purpose for which they are not usually used or locate them in a setting where they are not normally found.

5. Help – I need an example please?

6. Ok, choose a colour like red.

7. Go to the kitchen and select only red items that are either round or a semi-circles like apples, cups, bowls and tomatoes.

8. Go outside and arrange all your red items in a line or some type of recognisable shape in the middle of the garden or maybe off to one side.

9. Then repeat your red garden accessory arrangements throughout your outdoor space. Consider hanging some red cups from a tree or the clothes line. Through careful use of repetition the eye will pick up on some fun patterns.

10. It is also unusual to see red fruit, vegetables, cups and bowls used in this context. Often this ‘unusualness’ can create visual intrigue.

Fun patterns and visual intrigue can turn a drab garden into an inspiring outdoors. And an inspiring outdoors may result in a memorable BBQ.

Garden Design Ideas For Awkward Shaped Gardens

The temptation with an awkwardly shaped garden is either to do as little as possible to it — maybe a lawn surrounded with flowerbeds — or to add too many hidden corners and details, which might work well in an enormous plot, but won’t make the best of an average-sized garden. The ideal is to come up with a layout that’s simple but uses design tricks to correct the shape of the garden. Better still, a clever layout can make the awkward shape an advantage, using odd corners for hidden storage or raised levels to define areas of the garden.

We asked Katrina Wells of Earth Designs to come up with three solutions for three classic problems: a sloping site, an L-shaped garden and a tapering plot. Our advice is to simplify the look of the garden, where possible, by using similar shades to unify the different elements such as decking, paving and walls. As for budget, we’ve suggested where you can make savings. Now all you have to do is pick the plan that’s best for you.

Designs For A Sloping Garden

Make the most of a sloping garden by creating different levels, each with its own purpose. This design has an area right next to the house for outdoor dining and a barbecue. Then, wide steps lead down (or up, depending on which way your garden slopes) to an area with built-in seats (with lift-up lids for extra storage) and a water feature, or sandpit if you have children. The last level includes a play area and lawn, plus a shed and compost heap. Hardy plants that don’t need lots of water, such as osteospermum, are great for a low-maintenance garden. Will it take much looking after? The lawn will need cutting up to once a week in high summer, but if you choose raised borders planted with hardy perennials, such as hosta and astilbe, they won’t need much care or constant maintenance. Add splashes of colour with drought-resistant osteospermum and gazania. How can I cut costs? Shifting earth and shoring up the terraces can be quite costly. In a gently sloping garden, save money by just decking over the top of the old surface, and swap raised planters for pots (which you could always add later when you’ve saved up).

Designs For An L Shaped Garden

The trouble with L-shaped gardens is that the slimmest part of the ?L’ is often wasted space. Try and use it to tuck away things you don’t want to see from the patio, such as the bins and shed or a play area. Keep the rest of the garden simple and break up the straight lines with a curved patio, borders and lawn to make the most of the space and give it a relaxed feel.

Will it take much looking after? The lawn will need cutting in summer, but if you use bark chippings the kids’ play area will be maintenance-free. For borders, choose long-flowering, care-free perennials, such as yarrow, bleeding heart and black-eyed Susan. How can I cut costs? This garden shouldn’t be expensive to create or maintain, as long as you keep the borders quite narrow. You can make them seem deeper, though, by planting evergreen climbers, such as Clematis armandii.

Design For A Tapering Garden

The best design for a tapering garden uses strong diagonals to trick the eye. The main border comes into the middle of the garden, while the lawn widens as the garden narrows, balancing the tapered shape. The shed hides behind a water feature at the far end, making the narrowest part of the garden a useful spot.

Will it take much looking after? In the summer the lawn will need cutting once a week and the plants in the borders will need regular watering. Put down a weed-suppressing membrane (from garden centres) to cut down on the amount of weeding, then plant the border with ground cover plants, such as geraniums or catmint. Geraniums, in particular, provide good ground cover and colour through the summer. Use tall pots planted with grasses for an eye-catching display. How can I cut costs? Replace the pots with tall plants set into the ground — bamboo would be a good choice because it’s evergreen and makes a good screening plant. Making the lawn area larger and the border narrower will also save money.

Garden Design Ideas for Winter Interest

During the English winter most people used to just close the curtains on the damp, soggy mass of vegetation that constituted their garden. These days’ people expect so much more from their outdoor space and gardens really have to work for their money, especially urban gardens where private space comes at such a premium. They want something to look out at and even glean inspiration from on a crisp, cold but sunny winter’s day. Here are some tips on how to create interest in your garden in winter.

The most important element in a garden design is structure but in many gardens this is precisely what is missing. Structure is like the back bone of the garden, providing support for the plants through the year and providing form through winter when the herbaceous plants die back. Without structure, the garden is just a bare space during the winter months. When designing gardens themselves people tend to overlook structure for colourful fillers. Also people associate structure with large, drab evergreen shrubs so ubiquitous in suburban gardens. However there are plenty more interesting ways to add structure. Mahonia ‘Charity’ has interesting spiky evergreen leaves and also has yellow flowers in winter. Blackbirds also love the large black berries. The hardy palm, Trachycarpus fortunei will add a sculptural element to your garden with a tropical flavour. Structure doesn’t need to be evergreen either. I think there is something profoundly beautiful about a garden dying back. It makes spring all the more exciting and it doesn’t mean your garden has to be empty. The bare branches of Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariessii’, with its wedding cake form, look great in winter.

Structure can also come in the form of clipped hedges. These work especially well in geometric gardens, dividing the space with their neat forms. On a grand scale these were used in famous gardens such as Sissinghurst but more recently they have been used to great effect with the crisp lines of contemporary, urban garden rooms. Nowadays many people are turning their gardens into outdoor rooms which tend to be ultra low maintenance. Structure in these gardens is provided by both hard and soft landscaping. Low walls or raised beds and bench seating built with contemporary materials, provide interest in winter as well as summer. Try capping walls with the same stone as used on the ground. Creating links allows features to work together as a unified whole but when choosing materials, always remember the old adage, ‘less in more’.

If you don’t want to completely redesign your garden there are plenty of plants to add winter interest and many of these also provide much needed food for birds in winter. Berries add a splash of colour and range from shades of yellow through orange to red. The native hawthorn and honeysuckle are good for berries, as are many Cotoneaster species. Rosehips also add colour in winter and are loved by birds. Rosa rugosa varieties are easy to grow and provide plenty of hips. Seed heads look great when covered in frost, like the stately grass, Miscanthus sinensis with its delicate, silvery flower heads and the seed heads of Rudbeckia species are a favourite with finches. The globe thistle (Echinops ritro) also has very interesting seed heads that hold their shape in winter. All these plants are easy to buy so why not go ahead and give it a go!

Vegetable Garden Design Ideas - Raised Bed Gardening

Raised beds are a gardening favorite for many reasons. They have long been a favorite of apartment dwellers since beds can be constructed in any shape to take advantage of small or odd spaces and are easily disassembled for moving.

Raised garden beds also allow those who can no longer kneel to the ground or stand again from a kneeling position to continue gardening. They can even be constructed for wheelchair accessibility. Constructed so the gardener can reach across the bed, they are usually less than 4 feet across when accessible from all sides and less than 30 inches when accessible from one side only.

On e major advantage of raised bed gardening is ease of soil control. The raised gardener is not limited to their areas native soil. Since different vegetables thrive in different soil conditions, purchasing premixed soil can be a cost effective way to assure the perfect soil balance for each type of plant.

Soil depth can be as shallow as 6 inches for herbs and many other plants so a few bags of potting soil goes a long way in raised bed gardening. Making a separate bed for vegetables like carrots that need a depth of 10 inches to 12 inches saves on soil cost when using premixed, purchased soil.

The perfectly balanced, premixed soil can even be bagged and taken with the apartment dweller when moving. The raised beds, made of rot resistant lumber, snap together plastic fencing, cement blocks, or bricks can be constructed in decorative shapes and, like the soil can be moved when the garden moves.

Proper drainage is easy to achieve with raised bed gardens and watering could not be simpler. A soaker hose, a hose with many small holes for water to drip through or hand watering are ideal for raised bed gardening.

Weeding, tending to the plants and harvesting natures bounty all become a joy when the garden is an easily accessible height. And, a mini-greenhouse or bird resistant cover is easy to add.

This is my favorite of all the vegetable design ideas I have used due to its simplicity, attractiveness, and all around access.

How to - Landscape Garden Design Ideas

How to design a beautiful garden for year round pleasure. Designing your garden to be beautiful not just in spring and summer but also in winter in the key to a successful year round garden. People love to use their garden and be outdoors as much as possible, so it makes sense to design your garden for year round use.

There are many factors involved when designing and building a garden, but the two main factors should be functionality and aesthetics. A garden should be designed to be used at all times of the year including winter. By creating spaces that revolve around the house and its uses, and using the sun’s winter and summer patterns to your advantage, this can be achieved.

A fully functional winter garden should make maximum use of the winter sun. This can be done by simply placing the garden in full sun, or more carefully and creatively with the use of deciduous trees such as Japanese Maples or Magnolias. Deciduous trees will help to define a space and create an intimate garden by framing the area, while allowing maximum sun to permeate. Paving a winter garden space also adds a reflective element to the garden, adding much needed solar warmth to the space. By creating a more enclosed space with the use of fencing or a green wall along the back of a garden, one can effectively eliminating any wind and ‘catching’ the sun, this creates a micro climate where the sun is ‘trapped’ in the space.

Despite popular opinion there are actually a plethora of plants, shrubs and trees that will flower during winter. Some examples of flowering trees include Magnolias, ornamental cherries and apples. The most impressive winter flowering shrubs are of course the Camellias. Include shrubs such as Daphne, Helleborus, Osmanthus (which incidentally are all scented) and the multitude of flowering bulbs and there you have a bright colourful winter garden.

Winter colour, and indeed year round colour, can also be achieve with the use of coloured foliage plants. For a more tropical style garden Cordylines, Ctenanthe, Gingers and Bromeliads can be used to get a colourful effect.

All these factors should be considered when accessing your garden design along with site analysis, structural needs and functionality of the landscape. Consider what you want from your garden and how you want to use to, this will help with the design process and getting the most out of your landscaped garden.

Garden Design - Garden Design Ideas

Selecting plants:

Take a look at as many pictures as you can, so you can have best ideas of what type of garden design you need for yourself. Few trees have a strong rooting system and could harm the underground drain water system and the basis of the house. Trees should be planted at a perfect distance from the home. As long as domestic gardens are concerned, they need to be planned well. Be aware of selecting plants instead of randomly picking these up and regretting latter.

Depending upon the length of the backyard garden you can choose the type of trees and plants of different shapes and heights as they only help in developing the look of the garden. Your garden is one space where you relax and seek peace, so make sure to plan it appropriately.

L Shaped Garden

The problem with L-shaped gardens is that the slimmest a part the ‘L’ can usually be wasted space. Use and try it to tuck away things you do not want to view from the patio, such as the shed and bins or a play area. Keep the remaining of the garden easy and divided the straight lines with a curved patio, lawn and borders to make the most of the area and give it a relaxed feel.

Tapering Garden

The good design for the tapering garden uses strong slops to trick the eye. The primary border comes in to the center of the garden, while the lawn widens as the garden limits, balancing the tapered shape. The shed hides behind a water characteristic at the far end, creating the narrowest part of the garden a good spot.

Tuscan Garden

Iron wrought benches can also help you get a Tuscan garden design, as well as terra cotta planters. From inexpensive and good ways to get Tuscan garden design is to try terra cotta plant containers instead of containers created from other materials. If the pattern is like old vases, then that is still better.

Garden Design Ideas for Newbies

A house is made more aesthetically pleasing though its design. For a house, one of the areas where design is really important is the garden.

Basically, a garden in a home is a place designed to promote leisure and relaxation through natural elements. A lot of gardens are created with elements from nature such as plants, trees and grasses. Some want to put a little extra and use lights and other artificial installations that will definitely improve the look of the garden both in daytime and night time.

For first timers, designing a garden may be a little challenging. There are several factors that must be looked at before working out on the design.

First, the space allotted for the garden must be looked at. If the garden is spacious, more elements can be used in the design. There are a lot of plants, trees and installations that can make the garden more exciting. As for smaller spaces, there is a need to choose the elements carefully in order to maximize the small space and to make it look bigger.

Second, there must be a theme. The theme dictates the feel of the garden. For example, European themed garden can consist of bulky and grandiose elements. It’s all about the rich taste when it comes to selection of plants and trees. Shaped bushes can be apparent as well as colorful palate of flowers. Roses in different colors are common with a theme like this. Grand fountains are also common. In the same note, because of the bulky items found in this theme, the space required is bigger.

For smaller spaces, a Japanese inspired garden would be an ideal choice. It is mostly minimalist when it comes to its pieces, and when it comes to its maintenance. The small items and elements usually found in these gardens can make a small courtyard look bigger, still maintaining to create a relaxing environment.

Choosing the items that go in the garden is important. Aside from the theme, the budget allotted is important when making the choice. A good example is with the choice of flowers. Choose the ones that are readily available in local stores and provide cost savings when purchased in bulk.

Finally, the maintenance that will be required once the garden is finished must be considered when creating the design. The maintenance of the garden is based on the elements that go in it. The flowers and the trees, as much as possible, must be the ones that are used to the available conditions. Locally-grown plants and trees can grow on their own without requiring much attention. This is in contrast with the imported ones that will require stricter maintenance regimens.

Before starting a gardening design, make sure to take a look at a couple of things that will make the gardening design more efficient in the long run. It’s not just about the aesthetic value. It’s also about the maintenance and the cost of the entire gardening project.

The Best Garden Design Ideas for Any Budget

Good garden design starts with making a list of all the factors that you need to consider before spending any money. The main features and factors to take into consideration include the size of your garden, the location and the access that the land has to both direct sunlight as well as natural shade. Then you also need to take a look at the natural gradients of the land, drainage, entrances and exits as well as such elements as stair, steps and walkways.

The best garden designs offer different vantage points around the location and take you on a journey of discovery through light and dark, from open spaces to foliage filled areas. You need to think about the most advantageous vantage points such as kitchen windows, patios or decks as well as entrances. Each of these areas should incorporate a specific focal point, but it is important to remember that less is often more when it comes to landscaping your garden. Look at the size of the area you want to design and understand that a large fountain is not going to work in a small courtyard, yet a small koi pond may lend itself well to a leafy, shaded space.

Garden design is not only about making your garden more attractive, but is also important in making it more functional. When you decide to design your garden, think about the different types of areas that you want to incorporate and who will be using those areas most. If you have young children, then patios or decks could be ideal in keeping them safe, but railings will be required. Water features need to be kept to a minimum and little areas with grass for exploration may be important too.

Having access to software that will help you with your visualization of the area could save you a lot of money. This also helps to scale the garden correctly and will also assist in budgeting your garden through the best selection of plants and pavings. As with indoor decorating, you want to have a theme that carries through your garden. Choosing wooden sleepers and complementing them with rattan furniture is made a lot easier when you can actually see the end result in a 3D format. You should at all times try to keep a particular style in your mind so that it all works seamlessly with each other.

Finally, the choice of plants will ensure that you have a decent amount of foliage both through the summer and the winter. Incorporating vegetable plants in between your flowering plants means that you´ll not only have a great looking garden, but that you can save on your grocery bills too.

Garden Design Ideas

Formal Garden Design

Formal gardens rely on geometrical shapes for their impact; they have straight hedges and walls, paths with perfect right angles at every bend, and geometric shaped beds. Think of formal herb gardens, which are laid out on a square or circular theme with paths bisecting them into equal-sized segments, and traditional double borders – two parallel borders planted with herbaceous flowers and a straight path between them. Walled gardens, pergolas, terraces and carpet bedding are also formal features.

A formal garden looks good in a geometrical space, such as a rectangle, ideally enclosed by hedges or walls. But it does not have to be designed to a traditional plan. Modern formal gardens can be based on shapes that overlap and may even be asymmetrical.

Informal

Informal gardens are exactly the opposite. The essence of this sort of garden is that there isn’t a straight line in the place. Lawn edges curve gently, beds are cut into natural contours in the land and paths meander round bends with plants spilling over the edges.

Think of island beds, cottage gardens and woodland walks. You can have hedges with peepholes cut in them, seats under climber-clad structures, irregularly shaped areas of paving and teardrop-shaped flower beds.

Informal gardens are getting even more informal. Now, wild gardens, old-fashioned hay meadows and prairie-style borders are the last word in fashionable informal gardens, where the effect is positively untamed.

Traditional

My idea of a traditional garden is a sort of scaled-down version of a country house garden with a lawn, shrubberies and a herbaceous border, and the fruit: and vegetable plot out of sight down at the end. This is the sort you could happily put a ‘bit of everything’ into and that could include things like a rockery and fishpond, bulbs growing in grass under trees, and a work area with greenhouse, cold frames and compost heaps.

Nowadays you’ll find a traditional sort of garden has only a few items from down in size. But the color scheme is tasteful – probably pastel, or a sort of random mixture of colors diluted with plenty of green foliage to prevent clashing. Any furniture is subtle (real wood like teak, or cast-aluminum repro). Planting is based on the tried-and-tested principles of Vita SackviIle-West, Gertrude Jekyll and other such icons.

Modern

Young, trendy designers may be like red rags to traditional gardeners, but a lot of their output (seen at famous flower shows) gives a new slant on garden layout. Modern garden designs tend to follow the trends of interior decoration – so paint-effect pots, trompe l’oeil and murals on walls, colorful sheds and seats and loud, subtropical-look plants all have their place.

A state-of-the-art design can look just right around a contemporary house. But unless you are the sort of person who likes to follow fashion and doesn’t mind updating their garden every few years, be warned. A very modern style is likely to go out of fashion quite quickly. Choose an avant-garde design that suits the style of your house rather than slavishly following the latest trends, if you want a garden you can live with for some time.

Bespoke Garden Design Ideas for Outdoor Living

Home and commercial properties and events can benefit from bespoke garden design landscapes. Not only will they create an attractive space, but also promote a calm and relaxing atmosphere where you can feel closer to nature and the outdoors.

Outdoor landscapes will also add value to your property and can be designed according to your individual needs and budget. Here are some more of the benefits to having a customised and attractive outdoor area;

• Depending on the design you choose you can have different areas of the garden or landscaped area interconnecting with each other to create an interesting and varied outdoor space.

• Bespoke landscape planning will ensure that the different areas of your garden fit the space well and not leave any space unused. You may also want certain areas more confined in order to protect certain water features, plants or vegetation growing there.

• Gardens can be landscaped to exude a relaxing, stress free atmosphere that incorporates things like scented plants and flowing water.

• By creating a user friendly outdoor space you will create an alfresco area that can be used for entertaining guests or a safe place for your children to play and experience the outdoors. Incorporating an outdoor covering will offer further usage benefits and enable you to use the space all year round.

• Depending on your property you may want your landscaped area to highlight certain features or be used in such a way that they contribute towards protecting or preserving them.

• Environmentally friendly bespoke garden design ideas can also be incorporated using various conservation principles and techniques to help with things like water preservation.

If you’re an avid gardener you may want to do a lot of the work yourself. Gardening can be relaxing and very rewarding and is a good form of exercise. It will also give you a good excuse to spend some time outside as well as be a more affordable way to get the work done.

Commercial gardens on the other hand will require a professional touch, however, homeowners can also benefit from getting it done professionally as it will allow more time to enjoy it and less time maintaining it. Bespoke garden design is an ideal way to showcase your home or business.

Whether you do it yourself or hire an expert, it’s always good to have an idea of what you’d like to do with your outdoor space and how functional you need it to be.

A Few Basic Garden Design Ideas

Designing a beautiful back garden is something that can provide you and your family with a great deal of enjoyment. You can let your creative juices flow and can really do whatever you want to make your garden unique in your area. Regardless of whether you want to spend $100 or $1000, there are all sorts of things that you can do in your back garden that will make a big difference. As such, here are some thoughts on some very basic garden design ideas.

When it comes down to it, some of the simplest jobs will make the biggest improvements to the overall look of your garden. If you put down sod over patches of dirt then soon this will become a very lush and green lawn. Physically it may be somewhat of a demanding job, but the result of something very simple really would make it worthwhile.

Of course, once the grass has begun to grow and the sod is in place, then you can add some bushes and flowers in order to bring some colour and beauty into the garden. With so many different options for flowers and plants, you can create a completely unique setting.

If you want to create a setting of utter beauty then you might want to consider some rosebushes. While it is fairly expensive to buy red roses on Valentine’s Day, actually purchasing a rose bush isn’t really that pricey. There are all sorts of different types of bushes and colours of roses that you can get, and they generally require very little maintenance.

You might also consider the option of adding a small pond into your garden as well. The sunken ones that you can get that are made out of plastic will certainly require a bit of effort and digging, but once the pond is in place then the fun can really start. You can add any type of plants and flowers around the pond to accessorize it, and can add in some suitable fish as well.

These are just a few ideas that should help you to spruce up your garden and make it a place of relaxation and beauty.

Perennial Flower Gardening and Garden Design Ideas

Successful flower garden design is a combination of different factors. One is the design aspect, and the other involves proper plant selection. Among the most important components that make up a garden are flowers. In fact, many suggest that a garden with only a lawn, fountain, or trees will look incomplete until flowering plants are added. Flowers generally enhance the aesthetic appeal of any garden and provide a touch of class to any landscape.

For many gardeners, there is nothing more rewarding than the bloom of perennials each year. Perennial flowers, as opposed to annuals, bloom year after year. The word “perennial,” in fact, is the Latin term for perpetual. Most perennials disappear during the winter months only to bloom again in the spring. Some even remain green and bloom in winter. There are variety of these flowers that such that perennial flower garden design ideas become all the more important.

Color, time of bloom, and height are all important considerations when designing your own perennial garden. For instance, you can try to play with the color scheme of the flowers to try and see which ones will go together. Furthermore, pay attention to the height of the plants as you won’t want a tall perennial growing in front of the flower bed, and perennials that grow closer to the ground often get lost at the back.

When implementing perennial flower garden design ideas, the layout largely depends on the size of the flower garden. You should first plan the total area to be occupied by the flower beds. The plant and flower types and their respective location in the garden can be considered later. This is where the bloom time of the flowers become essential because their flowering time affects the color scheme of the entire landscape.

The correct flower choices and placement will ensure that your garden has color possibly throughout the year, or at least for an extended period of time. There are multiple combinations you can try for certain times of the year. One good practice is to plant like-timed flowers which bloom at certain seasons. As nice as foliage in the spring is, it’d be wonderful to see plants in the late summer and throughout fall.

All these can seem very complicated at first. However, as your gardening and perennial knowledge expands and you gain further understanding about color schemes and landscape environments, the choices and the process will become easier. Different people have different styles. Find yours and stick to it. However, always look out for new developments and recent trends on perennial container gardening ideas as well.

Fun Garden Design Ideas - Patio Garden

Don’t let living in an apartment keep you from enjoying a beautiful garden. If you would love to have a peaceful garden to relax in, but all you have is an apartment patio or balcony, you can still enjoy the benefits of a garden.

Turn your small patio into a beautiful mini-garden with our garden design ideas. Get started right away using these great tips.

1. Since you can’t work with width very much, work with height. Hang some beautiful flowers from an overhang or place a hook in any spot you can find. There are some incredibly beautiful ivys and flowers that are meant for hanging baskets. They will hang down and fill the space with peaceful greenery.

2. Stick a cool chair in the corner or the patio and place a flowerpot on it. Since you probably will not have room for a larger swing or seating arrangement, just find a small and simple place for you to enjoy your new garden.

You can’t go wrong with wrought iron in your garden design, this is a great choice. You can put a couple of small wrought iron chairs with a couple of small cushions and maybe a small round table with a pot on top.

3. Purchase some tall plant holders and place them at the back of the patio. These will look great filled with bright flowers and greenery. Have several in different heights, then tier them giving a full floral effect.

4. Since most great garden design ideas include a water feature, purchase a small outdoors fountain. It can be a tiny battery operated one, it doesn’t matter.It doesn’t matter if it is one you plug in or just runs on batteries. You just need one that you can place in your beautiful greenery and hear the peaceful sound of trickling water.

Creating a garden for a small space is perfectly simple. You can have a beautiful garden like the person with the beautiful ranch.

Garden Design Ideas to Help You Create a French Country Garden in Your Space

With all the garden design ideas there are out there for you to bring home to your yard, have you ever considered going with the French country garden style with its mix of beautiful herbs, flowers, divine fragrances and plants that you can actually use in the kitchen? Among garden design ideas today, the French country garden style is among the top choices that people pick to try out for themselves. Let’s take a look at how exactly a French country garden comes about.

What kinds of plants exactly make up a French country garden? This is a garden style that allows you a certain amount of latitude in what you choose. But French country gardens basically are big on herbs that can be used in the kitchen and around the house. And they love wildflowers – poppies, violets and so on – flowers that are popular in the South of France. Flowers that are not wild – lavenders and sunflowers are pretty popular too. Gardens all over Provence in the south of France are never without lavenders, sunflowers and potted geraniums. Geraniums live in little potted plants close to the ground, and sunflowers tower above them. The fragrance of lavenders waft all over in the air and violets and poppies crowd all the areas left over. This creates a great wildflower appearance that tries to look unplanned. French garden design ideas basically revolve around bringing an appearance of wildness into your home garden. Round out your French garden with the functional herbs of rosemary and thyme and you should have a great appearance to your garden. There’s nothing to beat the natural wild look that nature prefers, the philosophy goes.

While these garden design ideas can produce some pretty great effects, they aren’t for every part of the country. All of these are plants that need lots of sunlight to thrive. Not only do you need to live in a part of the country that receives a lot of sunlight reliably through the year, you need to pick a spot in your yard that can actually receive sunlight through the day. With the exception of sunflowers, you can probably even apply most parts of French garden design ideas to growing out flowers and herbs in little pots on the balcony if you live in an apartment. All you need is some light and an appreciation for the wildness of the French country gardening philosophy. What that philosophy basically sums up to is this: there is to be no overly-planned geometrical order anywhere, a garden needs to be functional as well as pretty, and there has to be use made of every inch of space.

Best Garden Design Ideas and Tips

Garden Design Ideas

You get the most beautiful display from roses, and they are not hard to look after either. Any local plant-house will tell you the types and colours that are being available and give you tips about maintenance and planting.

The designer is one who completely understands how a garden works. They will know the type of plants that thrive well in the region they work in. They will also know which flowers and plants do not work effective in your area. This can save you few money and time.

There is little expertise a designer wants to have that a gardener normally does not want to have. The designer should be a respectful listener. When you hire one you need these to convert your garden in to the dream ideas that you have. If they can listen to what you want and temper it with what can happen, discussing the good way forward at every stage, then the designer is doing a perfect job.

Water Garden Design Ideas: The act of water in garden design has a magical and long history, both in the Western and East gardens. During time of Plato, public fountains temple groves and adorned parks, while shrines to Pan and sacred fountains, the muses nestled, and nymphs in private garden sanctuaries. Homers Odyssey explains the Sanctuary of Nymphs, where streams tumbled over boulders and rocks to a shrine recognized as a Nymphaeum, loyal to the nymphs and complete with fountains created to characterize a natural grotto.

My last opinion is for the garden canopy. They both are functional and beautiful. They are perfect if you want to sit in the garden to read and need some safety from the sun. You can get then in many sizes and easy to put up and take down again.

Garden Design - Small Garden Design Ideas

Small garden design ideas are not simple to find. The small garden design is unique from other garden designs. Space plays an essential role in small garden design ideas. The garden should not seem very populated but at the same time it should give a complete whole to the home.

Only trees and the length of the garden are not enough. Textures can also play a big role in increasing the length of a small garden. However you can select your texture, you may also use brick for the patio area, natural stone for the walking space and a crushed rock that differentiate with the environments for the remaining of the area.

Herb garden

Suffering from small space does not mean you should do with out a herb garden. Delight in the truth that herbs need not take up a lot of space. Usually garden design concentrates on huge borders, flower beds and lawns and there is little instruction available about herb garden design in a small space. The challenges of designing a small herb garden can really be summarised in to these thoughts:

* The complete garden will be on look as a whole. There is no room for hidden paths or even division in to individual rooms.

* Small space means you must make choices. You can not develop every plant you love. You can not on impulse see a plant and purchase it just hoping there will be space for it.

* You have to limit your selection of colour of blooms. Do not create the plot too busy with shiny colour, stick to pastels as that will create your plot look bigger than to it is.

Gardening in a Small Space

Break up the current soil in your garden and add bagged or compost garden soil. The earlier you start, the better, so you can get to work on this part the assignment in the winter or fall.

Still in the outlining stages, get a walk around your surrounding and look in to what other folks have done with their small garden. Go to a historic space of row houses and see what types of gardens those folk have built. You do not have to be a copycat but beautiful gardens in other small spaces can be an inspiration.

Look down the gardens along your row of homes. How that would produce the look and experience of your complete neighborhood. If there are not a many gardens, maybe you can give inspiration to your neighbors and change your complete neighborhood in to a wonderful botanical paradise.

Small Garden Design Ideas

Small garden design ideas are not easy to find. A small garden design is different from other garden designs. Space plays an important role in small garden design ideas. The garden should not seem very populated but at the same time it should provide a complete whole to the home.

It should not be a separate entity but act as a complete unit with the house. Garden design ideas for small area generally aim to dress up the house more than formally plant trees. It can also be a peaceful area where you can rest during the evenings.

Since space is a constraint, you can make the use of curves to make the area look bigger. Curves made in a series of networks make the small space garden look bigger. All you need to do is connect those curves. Parallel curves can also be used and they help to give the impression that the space of the garden is larger than it actually is.

You can use Blue Salvia to connect three planting regions. Once you have made the garden you can shade it form the main street. For this purpose you can use a variety of plants including the Yaupon Holly. This provides a bit of privacy to your small garden.

But only trees and the size of the garden are not enough. Textures can also play a big part in expanding the size of a small garden. Though you can choose your own texture, you may also use brick for the patio area, natural stone for the walking area and a crushed rock that contrasts with the surroundings for the rest of the area.

But what if weeds strike? To combat this, you have to make use of a professional weed barrier. This ensures that weeds do not come near to your happy protected place.

These are some of the garden design ideas. The ideas above can be used to create the ideal environment for a small garden but that does not mean why you should not use your own ideas. You can also seek professional help for better small garden design ideas to help you out with the setting of your garden.

Garden Design Ideas For a Beginner

If you haven’t got green fingers, don’t really have a clue about DIY and need some help planning your new garden, here are some garden design ideas to consider.

The most important part of any garden design is the initial planning. Get this right and everything else becomes far easier. Get it wrong and you’re left facing an uphill struggle, having to solve all kinds of problems along the way.

Start by wandering around your garden and jotting down the things you like about it and the things you’re not so sure about. What do you want to change? Are your changes realistic? Are they easy to do? Do you have the time and money to invest? All of these questions need to be considered and answered before you do anything else.

Once you’ve got passed the initial review, list all of the essential items you want or need in your garden design. Then start sketching out a rough outline of where you want everything to be positioned. Once you’ve planned somewhere for all the essentials, you can start adding the other more luxurious or personal items to your design. However, don’t fill your garden with all kinds of things to start of with as you’ll end up with a cluttered and busy design. Unlike interior design, it is a good idea to the skeleton of your garden designed and built and then add to it gradually over time.

To move your sketch up a level, use garden design software which can be downloaded from the web for free. This will give you far more in-depth ideas about what you can achieve with your garden and what the finished product will look like.

Once you think you’ve got your design worked out, stay online and use the internet to get prices on all the new things you need for your garden design. You’ll probably find the choice available to be far wider. Even if you prefer to visit high street shops, the web is a great place to look for ideas and get inspiration.

Hopefully these one or two garden design ideas will give you a starting point to build on and help you plan the garden of your dreams.

Garden Design Ideas To Give Yourself Some Quiet Time

Feeling too much stress? Do you need a place to unwind and gather your thoughts? This is one of the absolute best garden design ideas and it has the power to change your life.

Meditation Garden:

It does not matter where you live or how big your yard is. You can still reap all of the great benefits of a meditation garden. There are a variety of different meditation garden design ideas that you can use to bring peace to your day.

Here is a great design idea for a small back yard that will work anywhere. Of course the reason for having a meditation garden in the first place is to give yourself a place to sit down and meditate, or at least to think quietly and enjoy the surrounding environment. Everything that goes into your meditation garden should be connected to those ideas.

The first thing you want to think about is a nice sitting chair, bench, or swing. Maybe get in touch with your inner child by hanging a swing from an outstretched tree limb. You can also get a beautifully designed bench. Just go with whatever makes you feel best.

You can use your own personal garden design ideas to choose what you want. The next thing you want for your meditation garden is a water feature. This is great for relaxation, and it will attract peaceful little critters and flying friends to share in the beauty of your garden.

Consider a small pond or maybe even a fountain or bird bath. Another fun thing to add to your mediation garden is a Koi Pond. Any of these would be a great addition to your meditation garden. Place your water feature in an area where you can see it from your ‘sitting’ area.

Then, you will want to surround the water feature with smaller, beautiful plants of your choice. To add even more to your meditation garden, consider adding some stepping stones from your sitting area leading to your water element. That makes it much easier to walk around barefoot.

You can then use taller plants and flowers behind the smaller ones. Use your imagination and creativity when it comes to your garden design ideas. You will love having your very own place that is peaceful, beautiful and calm.

A Few Tips About Garden Design Ideas and Plans

The way that the costs are going today it’s no surprise that we are constantly worrying about what’s in our food. From toxins, to additives, to chemicals. It’s not too hard to get the hang of it, and when you finally come up with some garden design ideas, you will find that the whole process is actually quite rewarding.

First off, when you are doing your garden design plans is to create a list. This list will contain the names of the herbs that you use most often. When you are just starting out you might want to go with simple herbs such as parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, and peppermint. If you wish to grow indoors, then rose geranium and lemon verbena will do the trick.

The next step in your garden design plans is to visit a nursery near you. Here you can buy herb plants. While you are here, make sure that you ask plenty of questions. For example, ask how much water and light they’re going to need, as well as the soil variant required. Another thing that you will really need to check is whether or not the plants you have chosen are pet friendly. You can read books on this, or call your county to ask.

Big City Herbarium

There is always a way to grow your own herbs, even if you happen to reside in a small apartment. All you need to do is obtain the right potting soil and some fertilizer, making sure that the fertilizer is organic. In addition to this you will need some containers, preferably eight inches by eight inches. Make sure that the trays can drain properly, and to accomplish this you will want to make sure there is a layer of gravel in the trays.

To encourage growth and survival, your indoor herbs need to be watered twice every week. There are some herbs that will need to be replaced each year, and then there are some that will reseed, which are known as perennials. Remember to keep your plants well groomed, as doing this will keep your herbarium looking great.

When making your garden design plans, try to remember that herbs require anywhere between five and eight hours of sunlight. If you can, put your plants near a southern or western window. Of course not everyone will have the right window for this, and if that is the case, then an energy efficient grow light is necessary. Yes, these lights are expensive, but they will pay for themselves in the long run. You can also purchase indoor greenhouse kits which will retain heat and humidity.

Gardens in the Great Outdoors

Designing an outdoor herb garden will require some precise measurements. Take a look at the space you have to work with. What kind of space do each of your herbs require? Keep in mind that culinary herbs must have five hours of sunlight in order to thrive.

Next you need to work on your garden design plans. Using graph paper you can make a diagram of the overall garden space. Remember that there are some herbs which will be extremely tall while others will not grow tall at all. Make sure that the tall plants are placed in the rear so that smaller plants will obtain the right amount of sunlight. These are a few things that you will need to do with your garden design ideas to make sure that the garden turns out well. If you need more hints and tips you can always turn to the internet or other gardeners!

One of the greatest garden design ideas is to put the plants in a crescent shape, putting the smallest of plants out on the tips. The closer you get to the center the larger the plants would be. If you want to get really creative, you can put a fountain within the crescent.

One of the better garden design ideas is to put the herb garden next to your kitchen door. Having the ability to just walk out and get what you need from the garden is great.

Growing Innovative Garden Design Ideas

A garden is medicine to the sore eyes and with proper planning the garden design ideas can help create a paradise. An awkward shaped garden can be converted into a most beautifully laid out garden.

Garden design ideas help to hide the weak points by covering them up with ingenuity. The awkward shape can be made to look like its been made that way by cleverly planning the spaces. Some amount of physical labor is needed, but that’s the price one has to pay to create something so beautiful and wonderful.

A sloping garden is a perfect example of how to use garden design ideas. Using the garden design ideas broad stone steps can be carved out making it look like its part of the scenery. The steps could lead into a small sit out with a bench or maybe even a play area for the children with a sand pit in one corner.

A lawn can be laid out on the slope to avoid soil erosion. The lawn needs no additional maintenance other than the routine mowing and watering. Some flowering plants can be planted along the steps like a boundary. In case you feel you cannot devout so much time for nurturing flowering plants, then low maintenance green ferns and other such plants can be planted.

The garden design ideas can help give some ideas as to how to place lights to create maximum effect. Such sloping gardens are the perfect place for parties and family gatherings.

Another awkward shape for a garden is the L-shaped garden. This type of garden needs proper planning for optimum utilization of the space available. Using the garden design ideas, the garden can be created.

One side of the L-shape can be used for creating a play area for the children. Maybe even a shed can be made there to store the garden tools and other items. Or the area can even be used to create a small green house. While on the other side of the L-shape, plants can be planted along the boundary. This will give it a neat appearance. A small lawn can also be developed.

For a tapering garden, the garden design ideas have ingenious ideas like using diagonal patterns for creating a flower bed. Towards the narrower side, make the flower bed so that this defect in the shape gets covered up. Or use up the narrow side to make a shed.

Tools For the Timid Decorator

Are you the type that can't envision something until you see it right before your eyes? This can be a problem when you're designing a room - it's hard to be inspired by those tiny paint samples. Thanks to the wonders of technology, you can hop onto the web, and using some of the many online tools available, decorate a fantasy room, right down to the furniture placement, color of the walls and accessories.

There are a lot of sites out there providing decorating assistance, but here are two I've found helpful.

1. Better Homes and Gardens:

This tried and true magazine has a variety of user-friendly tools for painting a room, the exterior of a house, choosing drapes, designing a closet, a deck or planning a garden.

Color-a-Room

Choose from a variety of rooms with different themes such as Escape from Beige land, Bungalow Living Room, Bookshelf Nook, or Updated Casual Living Room. Next, choose colors for the walls, furniture, throw pillows, and fireplace. Add corresponding stripe or check patterns to your sofa and accessories, or create a leather look. You can even add a stone or tile finish to the fireplace. Click on each room feature and then click on the color or pattern tab below to see what choices are available for each item.

Try-a-Window-Treatment

This allows you to view different window treatments before you go out and spend the cash. Start by selecting a window, then choose your wall color, drapery rod, or curtains. If you select a style with sheers and tiebacks, you can color those as well with a variety of shades and patterns.

Color-a-Home

This is where you plan the design treatment for the exterior of your home. Begin by selecting the desired house style, including Elegant One-Story, Wrap-Around Porch, Dormered Cottage, Covered Entryway, Bungalow, etc. Choose from the roof, trim, siding, trim, shutters, and door, and paint to your heart's content.

Once you're done, you have the option of saving your room, printing it off, or emailing it. This is a great way to play with new design trends, and experiment with colors outside your safety zone.

Design-a-closet

Take the first step toward creating your dream closet by playing with an online design. Begin by setting your wall size and choosing your closet style. Keep in mind when selecting a walk-in with 2 or more walls, you have to choose which wall you are working on to apply your design ideas. Next, pick your rod, shelf, divider panel, door, cabinetry, wire shelving, drawers and even shoe shelves. Each of these can be re-sized accordingly. I found this part of the tool a little awkward and it was difficult to get a sense of how the furniture would fit properly.

Next, choose from the types of clothing and actually fill your closet to see if your choices make sense. The final tab "List Contents" gives you a summary of your choices.

Arrange-a-Deck

Imagine your deck built with the click of a mouse, including furniture, accessories, stairs, trees and flowers. Start by selecting a new deck and indicate your desired yard size measurements. Go to Structures and choose from among deck shapes, posts and railings, walls, doors, stairs and windows. Drag each item onto your screen and click info to view the dimensions, or select one of the surrounding boxes to drag the desired shape. Add privacy walls, screens, benches, tables and chairs, plants and even a hot tub. This was an easy tool to use and provides a very good rendering of the final product.

2. Home Sense (homesense.ca) - Fall Trend Guide:

This is a slick, online flash tool, designed to use Home Sense Fall inventory to create a designer room. Begin by choosing from the Safari or Bohemian Style and suddenly, your room opens up. Curtains drop down, and bare bones furniture items are laid out to expose a room badly in need of enhancements.

View items from various categories and drag and drop into your room. As a user, you don't have to think to hard - once selected, each accessory is automatically placed in a strategic position in the room.

Upon completion, you have the option of printing the design and creating an instant shopping list. This is ultimately a catalogue that attempts to pass itself off as a design tool. It does an excellent job, however of demonstrating how to use various accessories effectively and may give you some good ideas.

Learn all about Florida's Emerald Coast, and the Destin real estate market, at EdKirkland. This site has everything you need to get started in the market, whether you're buying, selling, or investing. Our users enjoy a free home search and extensive information on local communities, such as the Seagrove Beach real estate area.

Email Marketing Tips: How Do I Avoid SPAM Filters?

When any business is writing its email marketing campaign, part of its goals are to ensure that the emails you send are received and read by the intended recipients. As we all know in this digital age, every inbox is inundated with email messages from both people we want to hear from and those that we don't.

In order to cut down on receiving email that we don't want we set up SPAM lists of users, words, phrases and other key factors on our desktops and laptops not only do we as individuals do this but also our Internet Service Providers (ISP) have their own master lists, so Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo and AOL pre filter our email before it reaches our inbox.

This is a list of some of the not so obvious words and phrases that won't pass through the standard SPAM filters:

• Free!
• Special
• Golf
• Airport
• Opportunity
• Tennis
• Football
• Team
• Hire
• Complimentary
• Adventure
• Restaurant
• Debt Free
• Celebration
• Garden
• TV
• Holiday
•...and of course the list of course goes on and on!

So how do you avoid your carefully planned and executed email marketing campaign ending up in the junk or SPAM folder?

Spend some time planning your goals for each email marketing campaign; a sales email will have a different set of results to a newsletter, as your readership will expect to see different things. Think carefully about how you word your subject line as this is what will initially make the difference between a read and not read email.

For instance don't say "Fantastic not to be missed once in a lifetime free offer"

You could say "Dear (insert their first name) we have a special offer available for you"

Spend time on wording your email marketing content, be careful to make sure that your content matches your readers expectation, a newsletter is generally meant to be informative not a sales message.

When you have prepared your email, get it professionally checked against known SPAM filters (commonly known as pre-send SPAM testing), and should it fail, spend some time looking at why it failed and how you can best improve this and future email campaigns.

Below are some useful tips and hints that could start to make a difference to the results of your email marketing campaigns.

Use professionally designed HTML emails with well written content and code.
Don't forget to title your email.
Spelling and grammar are very important when writing to clients whether digitally or not.
Don't just send images; make sure to add some text.
If you are using HTML code when sending your email makes sure that you always send a plain text version.

I Need Business Now! 5 Marketing Strategies With Immediate Payoff For Landscape Designers

It seems like the worse the economy is, the more marketing advice I hear thrown around. I'll spare you the long winded lecture explaining that you should have been marketing your landscape design business just as much when times were good as when they are bad.

Instead, I'll focus on five marketing strategies that landscape designers can implement that meet two specific criteria: First, these strategies can generate more business immediately, and second, each can be implemented at very little cost. I understand that no one wants to hear about long term marketing strategies that come with a large investment up front. Here we go...

Seek Free Publicity

Getting free publicity is easier than you may think. Our local press and media are hungry for positive stories right now. Chances are you are sitting on a unique story right now that someone would like to write about. The mistake that most landscape designers make is that they wait for the media to contact them. Now is not the time to wait around, you need to approach the media with your story first. Here are some potential story ideas:

· Unique landscape design projects you have recently completed.

· A unique design feature you have implemented such as a system to re-use storm water on site.

· Problem/Solution-how did you solve a difficult problem on site with a creative solution?

· Landscape design awards and certifications you and your employees have earned

I have found the best way to get publicity is by sending well written press releases. Sending a press release via fax is most appropriate. If you need to include photos, then postal mail is the best way to send a release, not via broadcast email unless you have permission. I have also had success posting press releases online using free services such as PitchEngine.com.

The benefits of free publicity are many, but most importantly you will be positioned as an expert in the eyes of homeowners, local business leaders and your peers.

Networking

For me personally, networking is one of those "ugly" words that conjures up thoughts of traditional salesmen in lousy suits and fake smiles. That said, you can not minimize the powerful effect that networking can have on your landscape design business. Not only can strategic networking bring about immediate results, it also leads to long term business success in the form of collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships.

There is no better time than right now to develop a comprehensive networking strategy. Take a look around you, are there other landscape industry professionals you can collaborate with? I know of many landscape designers who partner with landscape contractors, and vice versa. Do you know of other allied professionals you could refer, and receive referrals from? Remember, we're all in this same economic situation together.

I also highly recommend joining networking groups such as your local chamber of commerce and referral groups such as BNI (Business Networking International). Less work means more time for networking right? So get out and meet some new people. This almost always leads to immediate business.

E-Newsletters

Most of you by now are probably familiar with e-newsletters, or e-zines. You have probably had many delivered to your inbox, with or without your permission. Permission-based email marketing is an easy and inexpensive way to stay in contact with past clients and your other business contacts. If you have done a good job of collecting contact information from past clients and others, now is the time to develop an e-newsletter.

Monthly newsletters are the most succesfull, but if you cannot consistently produce a monthly newsletter then consider a quarterly mailing. In my experience cost typically ranges from $15 to $30 per month for a service that enables you to design your newsletter, maintain your email list, send the newsletter and give you detailed reports. I have used and recommend ConstantContact.com as well as AWeber.com.

The key to producing a quality e-newsletter is to provide valuable content to your readers. Sure, you can write about current landscape design projects and the latest happenings in your business, but make sure you are providing helpful and useful information as well.

Pay Per Click Advertising

If you hesitate to spend big bucks on traditional print advertising, then consider advertising online in the form of "Pay Per Click" advertising. Google is the predominant player in PPC advertising, but Yahoo also offers a service. With PPC, you have direct control over how much you want to spend. And unlike traditional print advertising, there is no time lapse between when your ads run like with monthly magazines.

A somewhat new player in the game of pay per click advertising is the social networking site Facebook. When advertising on Facebook, you actually have the option to select very specific demographic groups you want your ad to appear in front of. Because ppc on Facebook is relatively new, there will be less competition if you get in the game now. Like with anything new, I suggest doing your research before jumping into pay per click advertising.

Co-op Marketing

Finally, think about ways you could collaborate with your landscape industry peers and other allied professionals. Co-op marketing and advertising is less expensive when two parties split the costs. Not only that, but you can build credibility when you link your landscape design company with another successful company.

I know of landscape designers and landscape contractors who have advertised together, splitting the cost and the leads generated. The best example of co-op marketing that I have seen in our industry is when like-minded companies put on workshops together. Garden centers and nurseries can host workshops in which they invite landscape designers and contractors to present their expertise. This is a win-win for each.

Gardening Business - How to Make Money From a Gardening Business

Do you know that you can actually turn your garden into a money maker? Yes, you can. Do you enjoy designing garden beds? Do you receive lot of appreciation for your garden beds? Then it is the right time for you to start garden business. This articles explains about how to start and run a gardening business.

a. Start telling people that you can design their gardens for a fee.

b. If you do not have a degree in landscape architecture, check out the state's regulations before doing any structural garden design. You may have to work with a landscape architect to create and implement structural garden beds.

c. If all this looks a tedious work, you can work on maintaining others garden beds. Many people need advice in maintaining their gardens.

d. Many people grow plants to sell to plant nurseries. Some rent them out. Some, sell their plants in their backyard through online marketing and by displaying ads in local paper. Get a state grower's license before selling plants.

e. You can also prepare gift baskets and sell them to the people in your area. You can sell them using online marketing.To sell gift baskets, all you need is garden, baskets and flyers.

f. Create a blog and start blogging about gardening and offer tips to the readers. Post the images of your garden and gift baskets in your blog. Make videos and upload them in different sites.

Design flyers and distribute them in your area. Collect online subscribers using article marketing. Email them about your gardening business. You can write an eBook on gardening and sell them to your subscribers.

Small Garden Design Ideas

Small garden design ideas are not easy to find. A small garden design is different from other garden designs. Space plays an important role in small garden design ideas. The garden should not seem very populated but at the same time it should provide a complete whole to the home.

It should not be a separate entity but act as a complete unit with the house. Garden design ideas for small area generally aim to dress up the house more than formally plant trees. It can also be a peaceful area where you can rest during the evenings.

Since space is a constraint, you can make the use of curves to make the area look bigger. Curves made in a series of networks make the small space garden look bigger. All you need to do is connect those curves. Parallel curves can also be used and they help to give the impression that the space of the garden is larger than it actually is.

You can use Blue Salvia to connect three planting regions. Once you have made the garden you can shade it form the main street. For this purpose you can use a variety of plants including the Yaupon Holly. This provides a bit of privacy to your small garden.

But only trees and the size of the garden are not enough. Textures can also play a big part in expanding the size of a small garden. Though you can choose your own texture, you may also use brick for the patio area, natural stone for the walking area and a crushed rock that contrasts with the surroundings for the rest of the area.

But what if weeds strike? To combat this, you have to make use of a professional weed barrier. This ensures that weeds do not come near to your happy protected place.

These are some of the garden design ideas. The ideas above can be used to create the ideal environment for a small garden but that does not mean why you should not use your own ideas. You can also seek professional help for better small garden design ideas to help you out with the setting of your garden.

Garden Design Ideas For a Beginner

If you haven't got green fingers, don't really have a clue about DIY and need some help planning your new garden, here are some garden design ideas to consider.

The most important part of any garden design is the initial planning. Get this right and everything else becomes far easier. Get it wrong and you're left facing an uphill struggle, having to solve all kinds of problems along the way.

Start by wandering around your garden and jotting down the things you like about it and the things you're not so sure about. What do you want to change? Are your changes realistic? Are they easy to do? Do you have the time and money to invest? All of these questions need to be considered and answered before you do anything else.

Once you've got passed the initial review, list all of the essential items you want or need in your garden design. Then start sketching out a rough outline of where you want everything to be positioned. Once you've planned somewhere for all the essentials, you can start adding the other more luxurious or personal items to your design. However, don't fill your garden with all kinds of things to start of with as you'll end up with a cluttered and busy design. Unlike interior design, it is a good idea to the skeleton of your garden designed and built and then add to it gradually over time.

To move your sketch up a level, use garden design software which can be downloaded from the web for free. This will give you far more in-depth ideas about what you can achieve with your garden and what the finished product will look like.

Once you think you've got your design worked out, stay online and use the internet to get prices on all the new things you need for your garden design. You'll probably find the choice available to be far wider. Even if you prefer to visit high street shops, the web is a great place to look for ideas and get inspiration.

Hopefully these one or two garden design ideas will give you a starting point to build on and help you plan the garden of your dreams.

Garden Design Ideas To Give Yourself Some Quiet Time

Feeling too much stress? Do you need a place to unwind and gather your thoughts? This is one of the absolute best garden design ideas and it has the power to change your life.

Meditation Garden:

It does not matter where you live or how big your yard is. You can still reap all of the great benefits of a meditation garden. There are a variety of different meditation garden design ideas that you can use to bring peace to your day.

Here is a great design idea for a small back yard that will work anywhere. Of course the reason for having a meditation garden in the first place is to give yourself a place to sit down and meditate, or at least to think quietly and enjoy the surrounding environment. Everything that goes into your meditation garden should be connected to those ideas.

The first thing you want to think about is a nice sitting chair, bench, or swing. Maybe get in touch with your inner child by hanging a swing from an outstretched tree limb. You can also get a beautifully designed bench. Just go with whatever makes you feel best.

You can use your own personal garden design ideas to choose what you want. The next thing you want for your meditation garden is a water feature. This is great for relaxation, and it will attract peaceful little critters and flying friends to share in the beauty of your garden.

Consider a small pond or maybe even a fountain or bird bath. Another fun thing to add to your mediation garden is a Koi Pond. Any of these would be a great addition to your meditation garden. Place your water feature in an area where you can see it from your 'sitting' area.

Then, you will want to surround the water feature with smaller, beautiful plants of your choice. To add even more to your meditation garden, consider adding some stepping stones from your sitting area leading to your water element. That makes it much easier to walk around barefoot.

You can then use taller plants and flowers behind the smaller ones. Use your imagination and creativity when it comes to your garden design ideas. You will love having your very own place that is peaceful, beautiful and calm.

Discover even more great design ideas at Garden Design Ideas. There you will also find fantastic deals on Garden Decor and Garden Tools to turn your ideas into reality.

A Few Tips About Garden Design Ideas and Plans

The way that the costs are going today it's no surprise that we are constantly worrying about what's in our food. From toxins, to additives, to chemicals. It's not too hard to get the hang of it, and when you finally come up with some garden design ideas, you will find that the whole process is actually quite rewarding.

First off, when you are doing your garden design plans is to create a list. This list will contain the names of the herbs that you use most often. When you are just starting out you might want to go with simple herbs such as parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, and peppermint. If you wish to grow indoors, then rose geranium and lemon verbena will do the trick.

The next step in your garden design plans is to visit a nursery near you. Here you can buy herb plants. While you are here, make sure that you ask plenty of questions. For example, ask how much water and light they're going to need, as well as the soil variant required. Another thing that you will really need to check is whether or not the plants you have chosen are pet friendly. You can read books on this, or call your county to ask.

Big City Herbarium

There is always a way to grow your own herbs, even if you happen to reside in a small apartment. All you need to do is obtain the right potting soil and some fertilizer, making sure that the fertilizer is organic. In addition to this you will need some containers, preferably eight inches by eight inches. Make sure that the trays can drain properly, and to accomplish this you will want to make sure there is a layer of gravel in the trays.

To encourage growth and survival, your indoor herbs need to be watered twice every week. There are some herbs that will need to be replaced each year, and then there are some that will reseed, which are known as perennials. Remember to keep your plants well groomed, as doing this will keep your herbarium looking great.

When making your garden design plans, try to remember that herbs require anywhere between five and eight hours of sunlight. If you can, put your plants near a southern or western window. Of course not everyone will have the right window for this, and if that is the case, then an energy efficient grow light is necessary. Yes, these lights are expensive, but they will pay for themselves in the long run. You can also purchase indoor greenhouse kits which will retain heat and humidity.

Gardens in the Great Outdoors

Designing an outdoor herb garden will require some precise measurements. Take a look at the space you have to work with. What kind of space do each of your herbs require? Keep in mind that culinary herbs must have five hours of sunlight in order to thrive.

Next you need to work on your garden design plans. Using graph paper you can make a diagram of the overall garden space. Remember that there are some herbs which will be extremely tall while others will not grow tall at all. Make sure that the tall plants are placed in the rear so that smaller plants will obtain the right amount of sunlight. These are a few things that you will need to do with your garden design ideas to make sure that the garden turns out well. If you need more hints and tips you can always turn to the internet or other gardeners!

One of the greatest garden design ideas is to put the plants in a crescent shape, putting the smallest of plants out on the tips. The closer you get to the center the larger the plants would be. If you want to get really creative, you can put a fountain within the crescent.

One of the better garden design ideas is to put the herb garden next to your kitchen door. Having the ability to just walk out and get what you need from the garden is great.

Growing Innovative Garden Design Ideas

A garden is medicine to the sore eyes and with proper planning the garden design ideas can help create a paradise. An awkward shaped garden can be converted into a most beautifully laid out garden.

Garden design ideas help to hide the weak points by covering them up with ingenuity. The awkward shape can be made to look like its been made that way by cleverly planning the spaces. Some amount of physical labor is needed, but that's the price one has to pay to create something so beautiful and wonderful.

A sloping garden is a perfect example of how to use garden design ideas. Using the garden design ideas broad stone steps can be carved out making it look like its part of the scenery. The steps could lead into a small sit out with a bench or maybe even a play area for the children with a sand pit in one corner.

A lawn can be laid out on the slope to avoid soil erosion. The lawn needs no additional maintenance other than the routine mowing and watering. Some flowering plants can be planted along the steps like a boundary. In case you feel you cannot devout so much time for nurturing flowering plants, then low maintenance green ferns and other such plants can be planted.

The garden design ideas can help give some ideas as to how to place lights to create maximum effect. Such sloping gardens are the perfect place for parties and family gatherings.

Another awkward shape for a garden is the L-shaped garden. This type of garden needs proper planning for optimum utilization of the space available. Using the garden design ideas, the garden can be created.

One side of the L-shape can be used for creating a play area for the children. Maybe even a shed can be made there to store the garden tools and other items. Or the area can even be used to create a small green house. While on the other side of the L-shape, plants can be planted along the boundary. This will give it a neat appearance. A small lawn can also be developed.

For a tapering garden, the garden design ideas have ingenious ideas like using diagonal patterns for creating a flower bed. Towards the narrower side, make the flower bed so that this defect in the shape gets covered up. Or use up the narrow side to make a shed.

Growing Innovative Garden Design Ideas

A garden is medicine to the sore eyes and with proper planning the garden design ideas can help create a paradise. An awkward shaped garden can be converted into a most beautifully laid out garden.

Garden design ideas help to hide the weak points by covering them up with ingenuity. The awkward shape can be made to look like its been made that way by cleverly planning the spaces. Some amount of physical labor is needed, but that's the price one has to pay to create something so beautiful and wonderful.

A sloping garden is a perfect example of how to use garden design ideas. Using the garden design ideas broad stone steps can be carved out making it look like its part of the scenery. The steps could lead into a small sit out with a bench or maybe even a play area for the children with a sand pit in one corner.

A lawn can be laid out on the slope to avoid soil erosion. The lawn needs no additional maintenance other than the routine mowing and watering. Some flowering plants can be planted along the steps like a boundary. In case you feel you cannot devout so much time for nurturing flowering plants, then low maintenance green ferns and other such plants can be planted.

The garden design ideas can help give some ideas as to how to place lights to create maximum effect. Such sloping gardens are the perfect place for parties and family gatherings.

Another awkward shape for a garden is the L-shaped garden. This type of garden needs proper planning for optimum utilization of the space available. Using the garden design ideas, the garden can be created.

One side of the L-shape can be used for creating a play area for the children. Maybe even a shed can be made there to store the garden tools and other items. Or the area can even be used to create a small green house. While on the other side of the L-shape, plants can be planted along the boundary. This will give it a neat appearance. A small lawn can also be developed.

For a tapering garden, the garden design ideas have ingenious ideas like using diagonal patterns for creating a flower bed. Towards the narrower side, make the flower bed so that this defect in the shape gets covered up. Or use up the narrow side to make a shed.

A beautiful garden is a labor of love. But even love sometimes needs able guidance and ideas. Using the garden design ideas has helped many such gardening enthusiasts to change the way their gardens look. Read about many more such innovative and inspiring ideas at Garden Design Ideas