Amazing Landscaping Ideas - Turn Your Yard Into an Oasis

If you have an interest in the landscaping that surrounds your house but you are at somewhat at a loss for not knowing exactly where to begin, then you can quite easily discover many different inspiring examples. It might be simply driving around your neighborhood and stopping the vehicle to take a picture of a landscape design that is appealing to you. You may even knock on one of the doors and see if the homeowner will give you some advice on whether they use a professional or if they did it themselves.
Resources of Inspiration
Another good place to get many different ideas for your landscaping projects would be the numerous magazines and books that are published on the topic of design landscapes. Also, nowadays there are numerous different resources that are available online for designing and embellishing the landscape that's around your house. Quite a few of these websites even offer sample landscape design plans, numerous pictures of various ideas, as well as tips from experts for do-it-yourselfers, and contact information for professional landscape design that are around your area.
Some of the most common features in landscaping for homes are patios and decks. Patios and decks not only provide beauty and are a type of centerpiece to overall landscape design, but they can also add a functionality to your house and furnished outdoor living space as well.
Decks and patios provide you with an excellent place to host family gatherings as well as other types of entertainment. While at the same time, a small patio can be added to a special garden area to make a place for you to get away to relax and be refreshed by the beauty of your natural surroundings. Adding patios and decks, or making different improvements to existing ones, is also an excellent way to add more value to your home as well as increase your equity.
Fountains and Rock Gardens
Nowadays, more frequently, fountains are steadily becoming features of home and garden landscaping. There are the more traditional types, multi-tiered fountains that are reminiscent of European villas and country estates which can add an old world charm to your surroundings.
There are also more modern types of fountains that use specific types of rocks and stones or large ceramic pots which are steadily becoming very popular in different types of landscape architecture. Naturally, there are numerous other creative and beautiful styles that are available on the market today to meet any style and taste.
Rock gardens are also becoming quite popular. These type of gardens have the benefit of being highly attractive, however they generally integrate very few, if any, types of plants. The end result of this is that they are very low maintenance as they need either no watering, or very little, and virtually no weeding, and generally speaking need almost no attention, except to simply sit back and admire how your rock garden adds to the beauty of your overall landscape design.
English Cottage Gardens and Lawns
Emulating an English cottage landscaping garden is an additional home and garden inspiration. These type of gardens are notable for their overall lack of a formal plan. There is very little rigidity in their design with English cottage gardens since the whole idea behind them is to let the plants themselves "just grow" and to let them develop in a more natural, or organic method. These type of gardens have a specific charm to them and very often make individuals feel more relaxed as well is embraced by nature.
Lush green lawns are, in all probability, the most common and largest component of most of the landscaping design plans. A beautiful lawn is very popular since it provides for homeowners with an area where the family can enjoy numerous different types of activities. Lawns are also one of the simplest of the landscape components to maintain as well as staying beautiful for many years afterwards with basic maintenance routines.

Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as a avid writer in the field of gardening and home. If you would like to learn more go to Building Koi Ponds [http://www.uniquepondspro.com] advice and at Garden Ponds Designs [http://uniquepondspro.com/garden-ponds-designs-are-open-to-imagination] tips.

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The Contemporary Cottage Garden

To begin, let's explain a bit about the history of cottage gardens. The cottage garden has its roots in 18th century England. At that time it was very practical with folks relying on their gardens to supply them with their family's needs. It included not only a variety of plants but animals too. The cottage garden's purpose was to supply food, medicine, and dyes. The cottager's small plot allowed for no wasted space. This ended up in packed abundant garden growth which was well maintained also preventing waste. An integral part of a cottage garden is a fence or compact hedge growth. The original purpose of this was to keep the livestock separate and away from eating the produce. Cottagers planted what they knew would work, often using plants passed along by their neighbors.
The modern interpretation of this old style is the contemporary cottage garden and it takes on many forms. There are no hard and fast rules, but a few general principles remain from the old purposes of the garden. There is a variety of different plants offering different resources. Many times the variety factor makes a pleasant display of many colors when in bloom. The plants might be used for decorating, eating, or medicinal. Whether or not the present day gardener uses the plants for all these purposes is questionable. There is also abundance evident and continual growth. The modern cottage gardener still is concerned about the look of packed yet healthy growth. And lastly, there is a delightful informality about the cottage garden present always.
As do all gardens, the contemporary cottage garden needs plenty of water. The 18th century English cottage garden most likely was watered by hand with a watering can that was filled by the well or rain storage bin. The modern-day cottage garden is more likely to be watered with a hose that is stored with a garden hose reel.
Some might argue that it's not a cottage garden without a fence or a hedge. But this style of gardening is open for plenty of interpretation. One must keep in mind and allow for the gardener's climate, surroundings, and personal preference. Also because of the informality of it, as was noted above, there are no hard and fast rules.
Remembering this, the cottage garden can contain the plants its owner likes growing and knows work best on the site. It is a casual style of gardening allowing for individual freedom preferred by many current day gardeners. Among the plants commonly found in the cottage garden, with substitutions made for different climates, are the following: rose, lavender, cottage pink, delphinium, foxglove, lavatera, cornflower, love-in-a-mist, poppy, salvia, sweet pea, morning glory, moonflower, iris, lily, zinnia, black-eyed Susan, sunflower, Queen Anne's lace, coneflower, nicotiana, mignonette, heliotrope, cosmos, cleome, bee balm, butterflyweed, aster, goldenrod, nasturtium, flax, daisies, hollyhock, bachelor's button, marigold, forget-me-not, pansy, larkspur. snapdragon, canterbury bells, cockscomb, hydrangea, phlox, and lamb's ear.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

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Planning Your Landscape Garden

One of the most important aspects of planning a landscape garden is preparation. Pay close attention to the size of the garden, the types of flowers (bulbs, annuals, perennials, etc.), the color of the plants and flowers, and the size and height of any shrubs. Gardens normally take on the personality of their designer.

Determine the purpose for planting the garden. The garden may be used for growing beautiful flowers to cut and make bouquets for the home or given as gifts. Some gardens are created to grow herbs and vegetables. Alternatively, the purpose may be to cover an area that will not grow grass or possibly to create privacy from neighbors.
Another important factor to consider when designing the garden is the size of the budget. Many people may be working with a limited budget when it comes to this type of project. The amount of time and money needed to maintain the garden is another factor to consider when planning a garden. The design may include a walkway, patio, or retaining wall. Adequate drainage with the drain path running away from the house is another thing to consider.
Researching the different types of flowers and shrubs is important. When designing a landscape garden, consider where it will be located on your property. How much sun or shade plants get is a very important factor. Certain plants need a lot of sun to grow, while other plants thrive better in a shaded area. Certain gardeners may desire the use of flowers that bloom during the different seasons. Whether the flowers will be planted in a straight line or particular pattern is another important component to consider.
For first-time designers, it is important to keep things simple. As more is learned about plants and shrubs, these can be added to the existing garden. Close your eyes and envision what the landscape garden will look like when it is complete. Look through magazines and cut out pictures of flowers or shrubs that you would like to have in your garden...

Click here for more information about landscape gardens.

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English Cottage Gardens

When we plant our cottage garden we can use an English cottage garden theme of old or we can create our own with numerous ideas. Most English cottage gardens are small and in a confined space and every inch of space has something planted on it, this is the best way to keep away the weeds.

Some of these gardens can be vegetable gardens with flowers planted here and there. We can plant tall flowers in the back of the garden with the vegetables growing in the middle and the shorter flowers in the front of the garden. Some cottage gardens are made up of flowers and flowering evergreen plants, this way when the regular flowers die out we still have a garden of evergreen plants or shrubs.
Maybe we can even try a succulent garden as part of our cottage garden. This way we would be water wise at the same time, as these plants retain their own water and don't require much maintenance. This garden is probably best suited in a very dry climate, but could also be planted in the sunniest part of any garden.
An unusual cottage garden could be an island garden with stepping stones, or small pebbles going completely around it. This garden has the tall flowers or even tall vegetables in the center of the garden and the smaller ones encircling the perimeter. This island cottage garden can be round, square or rectangle; if it were a diamond or triangle shape it would be difficult to maintain the corners.
In the days of old, in Europe, many people did not have the money to purchase the plants that they wanted to grow in their gardens. Most people had family, friends and neighbors who were willing to share the crops and clippings from their gardens for the well being of others. Most of the clippings and seeds from fruits and vegetables were acquired in this manner. Hence, the name cottage garden came about, the sharing of one cottage plantings to another. In this way many of the plants, fruits and vegetables lived for many centuries and were enjoyed by many people.
Many English cottage gardens were grown in very small plots of land and many plants and vegetables need room to spread. Since there wasn't very much room, some were planted and trained to grow on fences and up homemade trellises, this left more room for them to spread out. The gardens that we have today have a lot more room, but we can still train our plants and vegetables to grow up trellises, even an arch to provide a beautiful entrance to our garden. Growing vegetables up on a trellis will give us more room in the garden to plant and enjoy more vegetables.
Another area of your cottage garden can be with trees, either deciduous or evergreen, fruit or non-fruit bearing, with a small sitting area in the middle for relaxing, just enjoying your garden or reading a book. These are only just a few the ideas that can we can incorporate into an English cottage garden.

Barbara Volkov and her husband are happily retired and enjoying a lot of gardening in a small backyard. I have several articles pertaining to the garden and its many accessories. Come and visit us at http://www.gardenersgardensupplies.com/ for more interesting ideas and ways to plant.

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Cottage Garden Plants and Companion Herbs, What Are They?

When we think of romantic country gardens, a garden full of Cottage Garden Plants comes to mind. Many do not realize that many of these plants are also herbs and help each other grow and thrive. Cottage Garden Plants and companion herbs are synonymous.
The different properties of companion herbs turns the garden into an organic garden; one that doesn't require toxic pesticides.
What is a Cottage Garden?

• These were the gardens of the commoners or poor in England and contained everything the family needed for food and medicinal use.
• Informal garden of a rambling nature that is interplanted with flowers, herbs, vegetables, berries, etc.
• All space is used and plants are crowed in together to form a living mulch and conserve moisture and cut down on weeding
• The beds are wide and paths are narrow

What are Cottage Garden Plants? (The flowers are also herbs)

• Flowers: Asters, Baby's Breath, Bachelor's Buttons, Clematis, Cosmos, Dame's Rocket, Delphinium,Cranesbill Geranium, Hydrangea, Hollyhocks, Iris, Lady's Mantle, Lavateria, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Pansies, Peony, Petunias, Phlox, Poppies, Roses, Sweet William, Violet, Wisteria, Zinnias
• Herbs: Artemisia, Artichokes, Basil, Bee Balm, Calendula, Catnip, Chamomile, Chives, Coral Bells, Cornflowers, Costmary, Daisy, Dandelions, Dianthus, Dill, Echinacea, Evening Primrose, Feverfew, Foxglove, Garlic, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Oregano, Onions, Parsley, Peppers, Plantain, Rosemary, Sage, Sedum, Sunflowers,Thyme
• Fruit: Blueberries, Strawberries, Apple Trees, Peach Trees Cherry Trees
• Vegetables: Beans, Beets, Carrots, Eggplant, Loose leaf lettuce, Peas

What is a companion herb or plant?

• Plants which release chemicals and help other plants grow and increase their productivity.
• Plants which help enrich the soil by providing nutrients and organic matter or pulling up nutrients from deep within the soil.
• Plants which provide shade or mulch for shorter plants and protect bare soil.
• Plants which prevent pest problems by repelling unwanted bugs
• Plants and herbs with the ability to attract beneficial insects, repel pest insects, and can even ward off weeds.
• Companion plantings combine more than one crop in a given area, so garden space is used efficiently.

How to create a Cottage Garden?

• Create a bed that is wider than regular beds. No need for a designer. Create the bed to your liking.
• Plant Cottage Garden Plants and Companion Herbs closer together using all available space to help conserve moisture and cut down on weeding.
• Any paths should be narrow.
• Mix annuals in with perennials.
• Use lots of color.
• It should be brimming full of flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
• Add a bird bath and bird feeders.
• Place a bench where you can sit and enjoy its beauty.
• It should be inviting and bring pleasure and memories to everyone that looks at it.

Planting companion herbs takes a little know how, but it really isn't that hard to do if you plan out your garden, and know which herbs to use for what. You'll want to plant these in the spring, at the same time you would plant your vegetables and flowers. Knowing which ones to plant can eliminate the need to use toxic pesticides.
Please visit Cottage Garden Plants for a list of Companion Herbs and the pests they repel.
The main thing is be creative, do some experimenting and most of all have fun in creating your Cottage Garden. Enjoy!

Jaylyn Huson is an herbalist and has grown and used herbs for culinary and medicinal purposes, along with making herbal wines for the last 30 years. Through trial and error she has found what works and what doesn't when it comes to making her herb and cottage gardens thrive. Please visit my website for tips on growing and using herbs, along with a free mini-course on growing and using herbs.
http://www.homeherbgardenanswers.com

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Designing the Country Cottage Garden

Are you tired of your usual chores? Want to dabble in something related to architectural and landscaping? People often try landscaping not only to escape boredom, but to find other means of expressing themselves. After all, peppering a scene with plants and statues is enough to interest anyone passing by.

People love to go to gardens mainly for two reasons: to observe the plants being grown there, and to bask in the ambience of nature. There is something about being immersed in greenery that soothes and refreshes the viewer. Gardens can be constructed near one own home in order to implement cost-effectiveness. Home gardens are constructed not only for aesthetic purposes, but also to foster plants which the owner can later harvest. Examples of such gardens include herb, fruit, and vegetable gardens.

These gardens are easy to cultivate and maintain. There are also gardens which are more luxurious, and which usually serve as the backdrop for hotels, restaurants, and other event places. These gardens are usually made up of varieties of palms, and painstakingly maintained to aesthetic perfection. Then there are gardens which showcase an object or dwelling. Statues are a common prop in such gardens. The garden serves to enhance the appeal of the object that is showcasing.

A country cottage garden consists of a cottage house surrounded by a fruit or vegetable garden. Constructing one such garden brings into mind images of the feudal age, when farmers lived in humble cottages and kept gardens in order to supply their family with fruits and vegetables. A lot of planning and effort is required in order to construct the perfect country cottage garden. First, you will have to build or choose an existing cottage house. This will serve as the foundation of your garden. If you are going to build a house from scratch, you have to be prepared to shell out money for construction materials and labor. If you are building the garden around an existing cottage house, you may have to buy the house, or the whole property itself. After all, the cottage house is an essential feature of the country cottage garden.

Next, you will have to decide what your garden will consist of. If you have limited budget, you can settle for vegetables and fruits, which are easy to maintain. If you want your country cottage garden to be a bit more luxurious, you can integrate palms into your garden, or an array of flowers. There are many possible combinations when it comes to the layout of your country cottage garden. You can search the internet for popular landscape layouts, you can take a garden design courses, or you can opt to break away from the trend and think up of a brand-new take on the country cottage garden design. Whatever design you choose, always keep in mind that keeping a certain balance is essential in landscaping. Moderate yourself whenever you are tempted to showcase too many types of plants, or when you want to focus on one plant only. Variety is a good feature of a successful country cottage garden, but do not overdo it.

Kevin Payne is gardener enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby. The newest eBook, "Herb Garden Kits," teaches gardening and everything you need to know about Garden Design Courses.

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Holiday Cottages In Bude

Book a five bed luxury holiday cottage in Bude and show your relatives the precise meaning of luxury. Relish the excellent nearby amenities with a wonderful range of food shops and cafes at hand. You may take your spouse out and patronize the local nightlife and if you have kids you can leave them back at your vacation rental with a baby sitter.
Though scores of the holiday cottages in Bude may look traditional on the outside, on the inside you will learn that countless have the internet and many have excellent gadgets. If you decide to take a day off and unwind in your superb self catering holiday accommodation in Bude you possibly could like to see a funny picture on sky TV.

Several of these picturesque houses come with satellite TV making your holiday that little bit more pleasurable. Browse the internet and discover an enormous choice of good value Bude holiday houses. When you find one that you like you can then rent it online to acquire the cheapest possible bargain on your family holiday home in Cornwall.
Bude is a brilliant location for a romantic break and has a great selection of snug small 2 bed holiday apartments perfect for a romantic getaway. If you want a romantic getaway you need have a look at the excellent range of picturesque self catering apartment rentals in the middle of Bude. Pamper that exceptional individual with an intimate dinner in a local French restaurant for that great romantic occasion.
If the kids love the beach why not rent a large private cottage with outstanding sea views. Savor the sea air and admire the pretty coastal views. A lot of rental homes have en-suite bathrooms, attractive master bedrooms and are equipped to an impressive standard. A cottage rental in Bude is considered as one of the most unbelievable in the U.K. with countless having modern appliances including tumbler dryers and flat screen TV's.
If you are lucky you may find a traditional or modern luxury holiday property that has a heated swimming pool. If you go away on vacation to Cornwall you may have to decide if you wish to go angling, play a number of the great local public golf courses or become skilled at how to play tennis. That's the good fact about modern holiday lettings in Bude - there can be just so many different things to keep you occupied.
Don't fret about your dog or cat because a lot of these secluded cottages in Bude are ranked as pet friendly and these properties can be found located with some great deals on the internet. Pamper your best-loved four legged buddy and hire a great value dog friendly coastal cottage. Take long romantic walks in the countryside and comeback to your cottage rental to relax by the log fire each night.
If you take your own automobile you might need private parking and you might come across some brilliant three bedroom traditional cottages in Bude. They could have gorgeous gardens that assist the charm and character of the rental property. If your family can not to hang around for a week you can book midweek or stay for a weekend break in a holiday house letting in Bude.
Lease traditional farmhouses in the beautiful Bude countryside and teach your offspring the true meaning of a restful vacation. Imagine taking your family and leasing a Bude farmhouse for five weeks in the winter on a long term rental. There are also holiday parks near to Bude and your most difficult decision will be if you lease a fantastic value log cabin or a big static caravan. Pay a visit to Cornwall and discover why so many families care to experience caravan holidays in Bude.

Discover why thousands of families spend their summer vacations each year renting holiday cottages in Bude. It is one of the most popular places in the south of England for a family holiday staying in holiday cottages in Cornwall.

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Ideas For Cottage House Plans

Small cottage house plans are ideal in the present economic and climatic situation since they are inexpensive to build, heat, and maintain. In an era in which frugality and wise use of resources is replacing boastful strutting and ostentatious display, the cottage lifestyle is coming more and more into its own. Here are some ideas which you can incorporate into your own cottage house plan, or improve your existing cottage home.

The essence of cottage interiors is the blending of the familiar with the fresh - with matching your grandmother's heritage silverware with your contemporary style plate or an antique chiffonier with up-to-date casements. Mixing the old with the new adds patina and personality to a cottage home and makes a unique statement about the owner. It says "home" instead of "look how rich I am!" In the same way, bold wallpaper and paint styles can be used to create a feeling of open space in smallish rooms, especially when the walls reflect decorative patterns repeated on rugs and furnishings. Again, the idea is not to create a mishmash but rather a blending of disparate elements. Bookshelves, knick-knacks, small decorative elements - even children's artwork - can be brought together to make cottage living feel as comfortable and familiar as wearing an old favorite jacket or hat. Old style pictures in old style frames, collectible plates, even quilts can be hung on walls. Dried flower arrangements in vases or folk art sculptures can be used to decorate table tops.
The small spaces inherent in cottage house plans can be offset in part by using light, bright colors on walls to give the illusion of extra space. Using light, gauzy materials to cover window areas which allow maximum light to flood the room, and which flutter in the breeze, also help to create a sense of airiness and space. A feeling of increased height can be obtained by tasteful choice of beaded board wall coverings, vertical design wallpaper, and tall bookshelves and furnishings. The sense of the cottage lifestyle is laid-back, inviting you to slouch on the sofa, put up your feet, and rest a spell. Furnishings are unpretentious, casual, and cozy rather than stiff. You can choose a sofa for its relaxed, overstuffed attitude. The coffee table should invite people to put their feet up on it. You can just cut down a kitchen table to size, or add a glass top to a chicken coop. Wicker settees, like those used on porches, also give a feeling of relaxation and naturalness. Easy chairs should generally follow the style of the sofa, but not be exactly matching. Keep the style relaxed, eclectic, and inexpensive-looking rather than formal and intended to impress. Use casual table lamps with fabric shades in floral prints or gingham. Lamp bases can be terra-cotta, wicker, or ceramic and nothing need match anything else, as long as there is a sense of blending. The essence of cottage home plans is ease, relaxation, and feeling good about who and where you are.

Small cottage house plans are the wave of the future as the garish, ostentatious, and wasteful lifestyle recedes in popularity. There are lots of cottage house plans and decorative ideas to tailor cottage home plans living to your own taste and needs.

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