Adding a Water Feature to Your Yard
If you feel that your backyard is lacking a certain something, a water feature might be just the thing to bring new life to your outdoors. There are many different types of water features to consider, such as a pond or a waterfall. Flowing or still water has a peaceful relaxing quality to it, and water features allow you to bring this natural beauty right into your own yard. You may be thinking that the care and upkeep of a water feature may not be worth the hassle, but they are much less labor intensive as you may think. By following a few simple guidelines and understanding how your water feature lives and breathes, you can enjoy this natural work of art for as long as you own your home.
Water fountains are considerably easier to deal with then a water garden. Fountains must be regularly cleaned, but really require little upkeep. If you want a successful water garden you will probably need to invest a little more time, especially when you’re first trying to get it established. When creating a water garden, it is vital that you understand the relationships between the plants and animals coexisting in this environment. If you want your water garden to thrive, you’ll need to take special care to choose the right fauna and flora.
Many new pond owners have problem with algae. If you don’t want to be cleaning out your pond every few weeks, adding a few fish can greatly help as can floating plants which help to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the algae. Ensure you don’t have an excessive amount of chlorine in your water, especially if you have fish. You may want to install a pump and/or a filter along with regularly checking the pH level of water (should be between six and eight).
If you’re having your pond installed for you, ask the professionals for advice on getting started. If you are still unsure about where to start you can also buy one of several books which can guide you step-by-step through the process of creating your own water garden. Once your pond is established you will likely find the upkeep to be quite minimal.
Many people find that adding a water feature to their yard can literally transform their entire surroundings. Ponds, fountains, and waterfalls add a natural beauty and serenity to any outdoor area, no matter how small or modest.
A Mini Landscaping Lesson
Landscaping has often been likened to the painting of a picture. Your art-work teacher has doubtless told you that a good picture should have a point of chief interest, and the rest of the points simply go to make more beautiful the central idea, or to form a fine setting for it. So in landscaping there must be in the gardener’s mind a picture of what he desires the whole to be when he completes his landscaping project.
Should you include lots of bare open lawn in your landscaping theme? A large extent of open lusious green lawn space is always beautiful. It is restful.
This type of open landscaping adds a feeling of space to even small grounds. If you cover your lawn space with many trees, with little flower beds here and there, the general effect is choppy and fussy. A bit like an over-dressed person. Not the most visual appealing result from your landscaping efforts.
When landscaping, a single tree or a small group is not a bad arrangement on the lawn. Do not centre the tree or trees. Let them drop a bit into the background. Make a pleasing side feature of them. In choosing trees for your landscaping project, keep in mind a number of things. You should not choose an overpowering tree. The tree should have a good shape, with something interesting about its bark, leaves, flowers or fruit.
For the beauty of landscaping, the catalpa is quite lovely by itself. Its leaves are broad, its flowers attractive, the seed pods which cling to the tree until way into the winter, add a bit of picturesqueness. The bright berries of the ash, the brilliant foliage of the sugar maple, the blossoms of the tulip tree, the bark of the white birch, and the leaves of the copper beech all these are beauty points to consider when planning your overall landscaping arrangement.
Landscaping may follow along very formal lines or along informal lines. The first would have straight paths, straight rows in stiff beds, everything, as the name tells, perfectly formal. The other method is, of course, the exact opposite. You should consider the advantages and danger points in each.
In conclusion, plan for open lawn spaces in your overall landscaping design and keep a visually appealing tree to blend in the background. Think balance and you will come up with a beautiful landscaping design for your yard.
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