Front Yard Landscaping

When landscaping gardens, there is no element that is more important then the soil. Soil quality in landscape gardens tends to vary greatly not only from area to area, but even in the garden itself, so it is important to focus on the conditions in your specific landscaping garden.

Categories of Soil in Landscaping Gardens

In general, soils can be classified in three main categories; Sand, Silt and Clay.  The soil that is ideal for landscape gardening is made up of all three, and is often called loam or loamy soil.  There has to be the right mixture of each for the best quality garden soil.  Soils that have too much clay will not drain well and will stay too wet.  Soils that are too sandy will drain to quickly and will tend to dry out too quickly.  

All good landscaping garden soils are also held together by humus.  Humus is an organic material that acts as a binding agent in holding the soil together.  Humus helps the landscaping gardens soil in many ways including:  

- Holding in water

- Absorbing sunlight

- Freeing up compounds that are beneficial to plants

- Adds nutrients to the landscape garden soil

- Improves the landscaping gardens soil texture

 
Humus can be added to the soil in organic fertilizers like manure or compost.  These organic fertilizers provide the landscaping gardens soil with the three main elements that are necessary for good soil, namely: bacterial life, water and nutrients.  If you have these you will have the basis for good landscaping gardens

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Many features are involved in making your front yard landscape not only functional but attractive as well.  Included below are the primary features you will want to consider in your front yard landscape design.

For the most attractive and beneficial use of your front yard landscape, you will want to include most of the features outlined below. Essentials, such as a good lawn, thriving shade trees, paths and walks are often taken for granted, yet they are usually the most difficult to acquire, and may end up absorbing a major part of your initial effort, as well as your landscaping budget.

On the other hand, a project such as an outdoor living room, cooking and entertaining facilities, may have been overlooked in the past because it sounded too difficult to accomplish.  Yet these seemingly difficult features can add a great deal to your enjoyment and may, depending on what type you choose, be obtained with relatively little effort and cost!

Primary Front Yard Landscape Features

Trees – Perhaps if any one landscape feature can be singled out as basic to a successful front yard landscape, it is the presence of fine trees.  The unfortunate trend of developers cutting down trees in a wholesale manner, and the increased use of treeless fields for new building, has focused attention on the property owner who usually must begin with nothing when it comes to trees. Architects agree that a single shade tree, even of medium height, can make a tremendous difference in the comfort and livability of a house.

A Good Healthy Lawn – A basic requirement for attractive and enjoyable grounds is a good lawn. When planting a tree you do so realizing that you are planting for years to come, even for future generations.  Few people realize, however, that fine lawns must be planted in the same spirit.

Flowers – You will want flowers for cutting, as well as flowers for contributing cheerfulness and charm to your front landscape. The aim of the successful gardener is to have a regular succession of flowers from early spring to late fall.  You can plan from the start to have perennials which bloom at different seasons. 

Foundation Planting – The special planting which is set close to the house is called foundation planting and has great importance since it can improve and enhance the proportions of your house, as well as relate the house to the grounds.

Service Area – You may need a service area near the front of the home. Try to plan the service area out of sight yet close enough to the front so that it is convenient.

Paths and Walks – Planning your driveway and front yard walks, so that they take up a minimum amount of room and yet provide a strong enough surface for the traffic they will bear, calls for careful thinking.

Check out our other posts for more information on how to design a front yard landscape.

Technorati Tags: Front Landscaping, front yard landscape, Front Yard Landscaping

Steps you can take to Generate Ideas For Your Outdoor Landscaping Projects

1. Clearly Define the Outdoor Landscaping Problem

Take some draft paper and draw a plan of your property or the specific part of your outdoor landscaping you are trying to design.  Mentally divide each part of the  landscape into separate pieces that you can deal with one at a time.  Write down what you want to accomplish in each of these individual areas and how you intend to use them. (i.e. for color, borders, walkways, shade, etc.)

2. Brainstorm Outdoor Landscaping Ideas with Others

There is tremendous power in getting several brains together working on the same challenge.  Your outdoor landscaping is no exception.  Get your friends and family together and go over your list.  Write down as many different ideas as possible in relation to the objectives you outlined for each area.  Don’t worry about how you will do things or anything like that.  Just focus on idea generation without editing.   Encourage everyone to think creatively and avoid being critical of any ideas.  If someone becomes critical of any ideas it will stifle everyone else’s creativity.

3. Daydream!!!  Let Your Creative Subconscious Work For You

Whether awake or asleep, your sub-conscious mind continues to work for you around the clock.  While you are traveling, sleeping, or doing routine chores, feel free to let your mind wander.  Take a break and sleep on it. You may be surprised at how successful switching off your conscious brain can be.

4. Your Outdoor Landscaping Ideas Notebook

Carry a pen with a pocket size pad of paper everywhere you go and capture every idea that you think of.  Don’t tell yourself you’ll write it down later.  Chances are slim that you will remember to do it.  Many of your ideas will be great. Capture them, preserve them, and then apply them to your outdoor landscaping.

Here is another resource for generation Ideas for Outdoor Landscaping

Technorati Tags: Front Yard Landscaping, Outdoor Landscaping

There are many features involved in making your front landscaping not only functional but attractive as well.  Included below are the primary features you will want to consider in the planning and design of your front landscaping
 
For the most attractive and beneficial use of your front landscaping grounds, you will want to include most of the features outlined below in your plans. Such vital essentials as a good lawn, paths, walks and thriving shade trees, are often taken for granted, yet they are usually the most difficult to acquire, and may end up absorbing a major part of your initial effort, as well as your front landscaping
budget. 

On the other hand, a front landscaping project such as an outdoor living room, cooking and entertaining facilities, may have been overlooked in the past because it sounded too difficult to achieve.  And yet these seemingly difficult features can add  a great deal to your enjoyment and may, depending on what type you choose, be obtained with relatively little effort and cost!
 
Front Landscaping Essentials

Trees—For Shade and Beauty – Perhaps if any one feature can be singled out as basic to successful landscaping, it is the presence of fine trees.  The unfortunate trend of developers cutting down trees in a wholesale manner, and the increased use of treeless fields for new building, has focused attention on the property owner who usually must begin with nothing when it comes to trees. Architects agree that a single shade tree, even of medium height, can make a tremendous difference in the comfort and livability of your front landscaping.

A Good Lawn – A basic requirement for attractive and enjoyable front landscaping is a good lawn. When planting a tree you do so realizing that you are planting for years to come, even for future generations. Few realize, however, that fine lawns must be planted in the same spirit.

Flowers – You will want flowers for cutting, as well as flowers for contributing cheerfulness and charm to your front landscaping. The aim of the successful gardener is to have a regular succession of flowers from early spring to late fall.  You can plan from the start to have perennials which bloom at different seasons, (for example, iris, which reaches the peak of its bloom just as the peony season begins). 

Foundation Planting – The special planting which is set close to the house is called foundation planting and has great importance to front landscaping since it can improve and enhance the proportions of your house, as well as relate the house to the grounds.

Outdoor Living Room – One way to extend your house is to use your outdoor space to full advantage. And many homeowners make rooms look larger by visually extending them into the lawn or garden.

Service Area – Plan to have your service area out of sight of the front landscaping yet close enough so that it is convenient. 

Paths and Walks – Planning your front landscaping driveway and walks, so that they take up a minimum amount of room and yet provide a strong enough surface for the traffic they will bear, calls for careful thinking.

Garden Pools and Fountains – Water, in almost any form, enriches your front landscaping and delights the senses.

Check out some of our other posts to learn more about front landscaping.

Technorati Tags: Front Landscaping, Front Yard Landscaping