Category: Landscaping

Plants around Pools

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping, Pools

Once you have your pool installed you will want to make the landscape design around it attractive and this usually means a garden somewhere in the vicinity. Not only will living plants soften the look of all that concrete, they will work with other components to create an area that is relaxing and beautiful. However, you do need to plan it all carefully and take care in choosing the plants. Here are some tips that will help you.

Protect Your Pool

Most plants drop debris as they go through their cycle of growing, blooming, seeding and dying. A sudden gust of wind is likely to sweep all this debris into your pool, changing the PH of the water. Leaves and other debris from nearby flowers or trees can clog up the filter and even become a slipping hazard if they are not removed promptly. But many plants have minimal leaf loss and they last for years. These are the kind of plants that you need to choose for your pool garden, especially if it is really close to the pool.

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5 Landscape Design Tips That Help To Increase Property Values In Sydney

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

If you own a property in Sydney, it should be no secret to you that house prices in that fine city are not just the highest in New South Wales but in the whole of Australia; even so, there are still means of increasing the value of your property even higher, with landscaping being one of the most effective.

For those that are not familiar with landscaping or landscape design, it is the means of transforming a garden from what might be just four fences and a lawn into a stunningly beautiful outdoor space with native plants, fixed features such as ornaments, outdoor living areas, and many other landscaping features.

The point we wish to focus on and explore further is how the landscaping is not just beneficial for you and your family while you continue to live at your current property. Still, the price quoted or realised will be higher due to it being there at the time to value it or sell it. Here are some of the most influential landscape design tips that can make those property value increases in Sydney a reality.

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The Unexpected Place of Truck Trailers in Home and Garden Design

By missalis | | No Comments | Design, Landscaping

If you’ve ever passed a truck trailer on the highway and found yourself imagining the potential it holds beyond the realm of transportation, you’re not alone. Increasingly, homeowners and garden enthusiasts are tapping into the creative possibilities these unconventional structures provide.

From dolly trailers to flat top and drop deck trailers, this article will explore the novel ways truck trailers are being integrated into home and garden designs. If you’re curious about how you might leverage these unique, industrious structures in your own home and garden, read on.

Truck Trailers: A Brief Introduction

Truck trailers are usually associated with heavy-duty transport. They’re designed to handle massive weights, tackle challenging terrains, and protect cargo from the elements. However, the same attributes that make these trailers perfect for transport also make them ripe for repurposing.

There are several types of truck trailers. Dolly trailers, for instance, are commonly used for heavy haulage and have a low bed height for stability. They’re rugged, durable, and can stand up to harsh conditions. Flat top trailers, on the other hand, are characterized by their open flat platform, without sides or a roof, making them perfect for carrying oversized loads. Lastly, drop deck trailers, also known as step deck trailers, are essentially flatbeds with a raised and lowered section, used for carrying taller items.

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5 Mistakes To Avoid When Weeding Your Landscaped Garden

5 Mistakes To Avoid When Weeding Your Landscaped Garden

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

As much as everyone who owns a garden wishes it to be the case, unfortunately, landscape designers have not yet created a garden that requires zero maintenance. If you ask the seasoned professionals at Intreeg Landscapes, even landscaping without any plants or foliage will need cleaning regularly. In other landscaped gardens with shrubs, trees, flowers, and a lawn, then, of course, there is maintenance and care required to keep it healthy and looking great.

One task within that maintenance regime will be weeding. Weeds are every gardener’s nemesis, given that they take away moisture, nutrients, and sunlight from the other plants they wish to grow. Weeds also spoil a garden’s appearance. If weeds are left to thrive, especially the aggressive ones, they will soon overrun a garden and eradicate the plants and flowers meant to grow there.

As you are probably aware the solution to the problems we have just described is removing any weeds which you see growing. However, many well-meaning people make mistakes when weeding and as such do not get rid of the weeds as well as they should. Here are five of those weeding mistakes to avoid.

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5 Key Benefits Of Hiring A Professional Landscape Designer Over Doing it Yourself

5 Key Benefits Of Hiring A Professional Landscape Architect Over Doing it Yourself

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

When the point is reached when you have decided the time is right to take on a home renovation, including developing your garden and transforming it with a landscape design, then there are a huge number of choices that you need to make. The primary one is who is going to create the design and implement it through to its completion.

One thought that may have crossed your mind is to do it all yourself. Let us say that if you feel you have the necessary skills, enthusiasm, time, and resources to do so then it is certainly a laudable intention. However, we would also add a huge note of caution in that if you have never undertaken this sort of project before, trying to do it yourself, especially the first time around, is not the wisest choice.

The full-scale landscaping design of a garden is a significant undertaking, and even the most enthusiastic often soon realise that enthusiasm, whilst welcome, is not enough when comes to making decisions about the necessary equipment, materials, plants, furniture, and features, and that is before we even talk about how you turn that design into a reality. What we recommend is that you employ landscapers, and here are some of the benefits of doing so.

Landscape Designers Are The Experts At Landscaping Design

It might seem a blatantly obvious point, but it is one that so many people ignore in all sorts of situations. Instead of employing the person with the skills and experience to do the job in question, they try it themselves or worse, get an amateur who ends up wasting their time and their money. Your new garden is going to be with you for years so why would you not want a professional who has the expertise and knowledge to make it the best it can be?

Landscape Designers Will Take The Project From Initial Consult Through To Completion

There are many larger-scale jobs where you will have to deal with multiple people throughout the entire process. With a landscape design company that is not the case. From your first meeting when you discuss your ideas until the final lightbulb is screwed into one of your lighting features they will oversee all of it. This means nothing is left to chance, and for you, it means you only ever need to contact one company.

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5 Ways An Adaptive Garden Is Helpful If Included Within A Landscaping Design

5 Ways An Adaptive Garden Is Helpful If Included Within A Landscaping Design

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

Whenever they undertake a garden service, landscaping designers will follow several tried and trusted landscaping design principles that have proven time and again to produce the most effective results, aka stunning landscaped gardens. However, on occasion, a landscaping designer will be asked to adhere to additional garden design principles within a landscaping design, and one example of this is when an adaptive garden is required.

Before we go any further, we imagine many of you will not be familiar with the term adaptive gardening so we will explain it. An adaptive garden is created with the needs of those who have mobility problems in mind, which includes those who are wheelchair-bound, those with walking difficulties, those with joint pains, and the like. Often adaptive gardening is recommended for the elderly to reduce the risk of injuries when they are gardening.

In addition to an adaptive garden being created with the needs we have just outlined, it is also designed with potential future needs in the future in mind. This means they are designed specifically with a view to changes being possible within the garden and them being straightforward, rather than requiring a complete redesign. To paint a fuller picture of the benefits of adaptive gardening here are five ways in which it is helpful.

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How To Maintain Your Concrete Pool

How To Maintain Your Concrete Pool

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

One of the biggest benefits of concrete pools as opposed to pools made from other materials such as fibre glass, is their longevity. Pool builders advise that the lifespan of a concrete pool can be decades, however, that will only be the case if the pool is maintained properly. This is something which you can do for yourself, although there are companies you can hire to do the maintenance for you.

Regardless of whether you pay someone to do it for you, or you do it yourself, you certainly need to know what maintenance is required to keep a concrete pool in good condition so here are some of the main ways it should be done.

Skim The Surface

Inevitably the surface of your pool is going to have leaves, dead insects and other debris floating on top of the water. These can all cause algae to start growing if they are not removed therefore you should use a long-handled skimmer or net to remove anything that is floating on the surface of the pool as often as you can.

Brush The Floor And Walls

As well as the aforementioned algae, bacteria is also something which you do not want to linger in your concrete pool. The prime areas for algae and bacteria are the walls and the floor of the pool therefore these should be brushed at least once a week. Ideally use a brush with hard bristles, and if necessary attach a longer pole so you can reach the floor.

Vacuum Your Pool

In addition to weekly brushing, you can use a vacuum which can remove items of debris that have sunk to the floor such as leaves. Many home vacuums that are used for wet vacuuming can do the job. Alternatively there are special vacuums designed specifically for vacuuming pools.

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Why a Sod Lawn Might be Right for You

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

There’s something quite satisfying about growing a lawn from scratch. You sow the seeds, protect it from the hungry birds, and then it grows into something magnificent. Every time you look at it, you’re reminded that you’re the master of lawn care.

However, growing the perfect lawn is not something that everyone can achieve. It doesn’t mean you’re a terrible gardener, but not everyone has the same growing conditions, soil, or climate. Sometimes, a pre-grown sod lawn can be a better answer. So, in what situations would sod grass be better?

When You Don’t Have Time to Wait

Of course, growing grass from seed is satisfying, but instant gratification can be hard to pass up if it’s on the table. Sod lawn is instantly beautiful. There is no wading through mud while you wait for the grass to grow. There is no frustration at dirty carpets from muddy pawprints. There is no hassle or fuss. When you need a lawn, you buy one that’s already grown, and you have an instantly attractive yard.

It Can Cost Less

If you factor in the cost of fertiliser, seeds, weed control, and general nurturing, a sod lawn can often be more affordable than one you grow yourself. Many variables come into play, but if you are after a quick fix and would prefer one upfront cost instead of several over time, then sod could be for you.

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Concrete Pool

Dive into a Concrete Pool

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

Have you ever wondered why some swimming pools look, sort of okay, nothing special, whilst others are simply stunning as part of a garden landscape, enhancing both the home and the outdoor area? If you’ve used professional pool builders, chances are that the superior beauty is because it’s a concrete pool. There’s no doubt that the swimming pool looks great because there has been a flexibility of design.

Cоnсrеtе swimming pools have a distinct difference to standard shaped fibreglass models. They tend to stand out from the average ready-made shapes and sizes for the following reasons:

Able to be сuѕtоm dеѕіgnеd – if you want a specific design because of the space available, or the shape of your yard, then the choice has to be concrete. If you order a custom pool, for example, then you will confer with the pool contractor / builder directly to create that unique, singular design. Thіѕ ѕtуlе оf ѕwіmmіng pool саn bе crafted tо іnсludе a variety оf ѕресіаl features, аѕ wеll. These саn be added durіng the design phase.

Individually Built and Hand Shaped – The creation and design of an inground concrete swimming pool requires the touch of an expert. Pool builders, working within the required specifications, take the time while working out and shaping the best pool design. This is the reason that regardless of the space available, the concrete pool can be designed to fit.

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Designing Your Garden

Designing Your Garden

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

Does being a nature lover make you a better gardener? Well, not necessarily. However, it might determine the style of garden you finally design. Do you like a lot of turf? Lots of plants? Paved areas? Structures like gazebos or patios?

When you make up your mind to take on the gardening project you can hire a professional landscaper and discuss your requirements with them or just start with some drawings on a piece of paper to determine just how much room you have available. It always helps to have an image of what you want to do. The other advantage of doing a more detailed design plan is that you will avoid mistakes, which will cost money when buying materials and plants.

Here are some handy steps to consider:

Step 1 – Tools you might need

Let’s start with pencil and paper to draw your gardening plan. But in this tech age, you will find software available on the internet. Whichever you choose, getting the design down on paper or on your computer gives you something to follow.

Step 2 – What do you have already in place?

You know what you want in your design but what you want and what you have available might not always match. For example, if you want a large vegetable patch, and you have only a small garden space, it’s not going to happen. Be realistic about your space. Also, if you already have a nice garden feature such as a fishpond, you may want to keep that in your design.

Step 3 – Your Garden Boundaries

Measure the outskirts and plot them on paper or computer. The more accurate the better. Consider this part of your design as the canvas on which you will be working. Doing this by drawing in scale would be a great idea.

Step 4 – Your Theme

This is a fairly critical step because there are so many themes available. You don’t want a hodge podge of different themes. Here’s a few ideas:

  • Modern Style. Throw in some stainless steel and sensational paving using limestone or slate. The minimalistic look.
  • Traditional. Not really a theme because there are no standout features. Lawn, flower borders and a few trees.
  • Creative. Use existing structures already within the garden area. Maybe that old shed can be turned into a kid’s play area. Perhaps add a waterfall feature to the old fishpond.

Step 5 – Your garden features

This is the fun part and also the step that can cost the most. What gardening features do you want? The shape of the lawn, the style of paving, install some decking, create the plant and flower beds, build a patio. Work on ‘exciting’ and ‘beautiful’ for the features.

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Landscape Architect

Steps for Hiring A Qualified Landscape Architect

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

Quality landscape design along with proper backyard care can increase the worth of your home by almost 15 percent, as stated by NALP – the National Association of Landscape Professionals. The landscape design of a house is the first and foremost thing that grabs the attention of the visitors as well as the prospective buyers. Curb appeal plays a vital role in deciding the evaluation of a house. Such a scenario emphasizes the importance of hiring a qualified landscape architect.

A qualified landscape professional can help you with the designing, installation, as well as the maintenance of your spaces as per your specific requirements. Vocational and experienced landscape architects can assist in creating and orchestrating the complete design, installation, as well as maintenance of even the most complex landscapes. But with so many companies offering landscape services, it’s hard to decide whom to hire.

If you are also willing to hire the best landscape architect, following steps will serve as a guideline:

  1. Precisely define the details of your project

Landscape professionals can provide a whole spectrum of services. They can design landscapes, patios, decks. They can plan irrigation systems, swimming pools, and retaining walls. They can even create gazebos, living rooms, and outdoor kitchens. When you precisely define the scope and preferences of your project, the landscape professional will do the job right for your project.

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Recycled Fencing Ideas

9 Unusual Recycled Fencing Ideas

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

If you are the kind of person who loves the whimsical or quirky ornament in the lawn, you may also be interested in having a whole fence that is also unusual. Because the following fences use materials that would usually end up in landfill, they make the ideal sustainable fencing. Fencing contractors may not have heard of them, but most would be willing to erect the kind of framework needed to make use of them.

Not all councils would allow these kinds of fence, but if you are lucky enough to have few rules and regulations, you can often get these materials for free or almost free.

  • Surfboards make the ultimate picket fence with their pointed ends. They are colourful, offer privacy due to their height and don’t rust or rot. Add a strong timber framework to fix them in an upright position.
  • Tin tiles from old ceilings make a beautiful fence due to the ornamentation on them. You can paint them different colours or the same. These too, need to have a framework to hold them.

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Buying Outdoor Furniture

Some Things to Think About When Buying Outdoor Furniture

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

If you have a terrific outdoor entertaining area, you can make a real statement with some classy outdoor furniture. You can make your place look like a setting from Better Homes and Gardens, or look something like Davo’s Hang Out. You need оutdооr furniture fоr соmfоrtаblе seating and dіnіng. It’s not always an easy decision when choosing that garden furniture because not all outdoor furniture is made the same. We’ve put a few tips together to help you make that decision.

Before you pull that credit card from your wallet, make a small checklist to make sure your patio furniture has these key fеаturеѕ:

Stуlе

Your choice of furniture, whether it’s a single piece or an entire set, is a rather personal decision. Don’t opt for the common, boring, plastic chairs. Be a little creative, stylish, daring and choose some outdoor furniture that reflects the real you. The importance of great patio furniture in Australia cannot be underrated.

Comfort

The most important feature? Comfort – plain and simple. If you’re not going to enjoy relaxing by the pool with a cold beer, what’s the point? These days furniture can be purchased which is ergonomically correct as well as comfy to sit or lounge in. That’s personal added value.

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How the Right Irrigation and Reticulation can Save Water

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping, Maintenance

While ever the rains pour down and storms abound, we never think of saving water. But once the clouds disappear for a few weeks or months and water in the dams or tanks we use starts to get rather more scarce we expect water restrictions. However, saving water all the time makes sense because it not only costs less, but helps to save our water supply. Installing reticulation may seem as if it will enable you to use more water rather than save it, but if it is the right kind it will actually save water.

Choose the Right Irrigation System

Much depends on how large your garden and lawn area is and what you grow. For the most part, annuals and vegetables take more water than perennials and permanent shrubs. However, even the thirstiest plant can grow well when you use a drip system that delivers water right to the roots where it can be used more efficiently.  When water is sprayed over a wide area some of it will evaporate, some will run off and some will land in the wrong spot, such as on the pathway. A drip system avoids all this waste.

Drip Irrigation Design Guidelines

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Four Reasons to Make Your Garden Low Maintenance

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping, Maintenance

Nothing sets off a home more than a beautiful garden surrounding it. You can add interest and colour, create shade, create a place for the children to play, entertain guests or just relax by yourself in a beautiful space when you have the kind of garden that gives you pleasure. Unless you want to hire a landscape gardener on a permanent basis, much can be said for ensuring that the garden you create is low maintenance.

Why? Here are 4 reasons to consider when deciding what kind of garden you should have.

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6 Tips for Growing Plants on the Balcony

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

So many people love to dabble with growing things. It seems to be an innate need to reduce our stress levels and get more enjoyment from life. Watching plants grow and bloom is a joy, but if you live in a high-rise apartment, where can you grow them? The balcony many provide the answer. Growing plants on the balcony is not difficult if you take certain factors into consideration.

Here are 6 tips that will help you create a haven in the form of an attractive, plant-strewn balcony where you can relax and enjoy yourself.

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Pros and Cons of Above Ground Gardens

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

Above ground gardens seem to be the in thing these days. You can see many different shapes, sizes and materials used in most nurseries or retail garden outlets, but are they all that they are touted to be?

Sometimes, people rush in to buy up something that looks wonderful in the shop or catalogue, but are then disappointed because they found a few things going wrong with it that they had not expected. Here are some pros and cons of raised bed gardens.

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7 Reasons Why Trees In Your Backyard are Not Always a Good Idea

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

When you think about your home’s future landscape design plans, do you envisage making your back or front yard a leafy haven with the addition of trees? There are many beautiful trees in the world; they offer shade, flowers, a place for the birds to congregate or nest and sometimes even fruit to eat. Many people love to grow trees but not all trees are suitable for the suburban back yard.

Here are 7 reasons why it is not always a good idea to grow trees in the backyard – see guidelines.

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How to Surround Your Pool – 3 Pool Paving Treatments

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping, Pools

No pool will look attractive unless the surrounding area is treated in some way. Most pools are surrounded by tiles, natural stone or concrete that are treated in some way to make them look more attractive. Unless there is some kind of hard surface, the surrounding area will end up getting muddy and this will be trodden into the pool itself, ruining the PH of the water. Even a grassed area can become muddy when it is constantly saturated with pool water.

There are usually pros and cons to each kind of treatment and sometimes which one is suitable  depends on the location of the pool and to some extent on your lifestyle. A pool that has only occasional use by adults with less splashing of the surrounding area could have a different treatment than one that gets lots of use. Here are 3 different pool paving treatments to consider.

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4 Ways to Make the Most of Your Balcony

By missalis | | No Comments | Landscaping

If you live in a high-rise apartment, the balcony is the only space where you can enjoy the outdoors, get some sun and take advantage of a cool breeze in the evening, yet many people don’t even use their balcony at all, which seems a shame. After all, it offers that bit of extra space and can be set up to enhance your lifestyle without too much trouble.

Here are 4 ways to make the most of your balcony.

    • Have comfortable seating on the balcony. Without comfy chairs, you won’t be encouraged to spend much time on the balcony. But with the addition of a chair or two you can sit out there with your morning coffee, take a lunch sandwich out or relax with your loved one in the cool of the evening, when the approaching darkness gives you more privacy. Make sure the chairs are truly comfortable, but keep them away from the outside edge if you have children who might want to climb up and look over. Add a small table so you have somewhere to put your coffee mug, iPad or book. A table will also encourage you to spend time out there for a meal or a snack.

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