History of Gardening

Gardening is an integral part of the history of landscape architecture. Without the knowledge of gardening, plants would easily die out and there will be nothing for people to admire in lawns and parks everywhere in the world.

This article takes a peek at the history of gardening beginning from the ancient times to today’s society.

People have appreciated having vast lawns and gardens in their households for a long time. Even in ancient Egyptian tombs, there are illustrations that show ponds surrounded by different types of trees which are evidences of how gardening flourished even at that time.

Then there’s the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was said to have been built by the Persian king Darius the Great for his wife.

The civilizations that came after Egypt and Persia continued with this tradition of having a vast expanse of gardens. These include the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

But gardening isn’t an entirely Western activity. Even the ancient Chinese and Japanese have built landscapes in their temples.

Their designs are usually aimed at replicating natural landscapes such as mountains and rivers.

The Middle Ages brought about a revival of gardening practices in Europe. By the 16th to the 18th centuries, the development of such gardens was at an all time high.

And while gardening of the past was solely in the domain of houses and temples, it played an important role in urban planning by the time the 20th century came.

It has since then played a part in the creation not only of houses but also of buildings throughout the world.

Best Landscaping Practices

In order to make a great landscape, there are certain tried-and-tested practices that you can follow. Not only do these practices help you create a beautiful landscape, they also ensure that you do not waste any money and that you are not harming the environment in any way.

Here are some of the best landscaping practices that you can do in your own home garden.

1. Design your landscape in a way where water is retained well. This doesn’t only go for water that comes from your sprinklers but also storm runoffs.

By having this kind of set-up, you do not spend a lot on watering your plants and you also help keep your community’s water supply at bay.

2. Use fertilizers responsibly. Some people become trigger-happy when it comes to using fertilizers on their landscapes.

While putting in too much fertilizer can be detrimental to the environment, using organic fertilizers or choosing plants that are well-accustomed to the local environment will help in curbing the problem.

3. Take it easy on pesticides and weed killers – just like fertilizers, pesticides and weed killers can do more harm than good if used irresponsibly.

4. Schedule watering of the plants. Watering the plants early in the morning help in retaining the water much longer than doing it at noon for example.

While considering the time for watering the plants may seem like a small thing, it translates to something big when the water supply is put into the equation.

Tips on Choosing Plants for Landscaping

Choosing the right plants for your landscaping project is one of the most important aspects of landscaping. First of all, the plants are the ones which people will see immediately so their impression of your lawn will depend much on how you choose your plants.

Below is a list of some tips on choosing the right kind of plants for your lawn.

1. Know thy plants

- being familiar with the plants that you are planning to grow in your lawn is important because it will immediately tell you whether or not they will grow in your area.

Aside from that, it also tells you how large it will grow (which is important when you have a small lawn) and how much care you would give to it.

2. Choose your color combination

- ugly lawns are those with terrible color combinations. You should therefore be mindful of the plants or the flowers’ colors before you even buy them. Otherwise, you’d be in for a disaster.

3. How well can you maintain them?

- this is another important consideration when choosing a plant for your lawn. There are plants that need extra care and attention while others can grow with little maintenance.

If you’re the busy type, you might want to opt for the low-maintenance plants. On the other hand, if you have extra time or are considering getting the services of a gardener, then opt for those that require a little more effort from you. What’s important is that you have a plant that you can maintain.

Why is Landscaping Important

If you haven’t thought of landscaping your lawn yet, you probably might not grasp the reason why others do it to their own homes.

Well, there are a number of reasons why some homeowners have their lawns landscaped and we have listed some of them in this article.

1. Aesthetics

- there are some homeowners who want to improve their house’s appearance by having their lawns landscaped. After all, who wants to have a dull-looking yard, much less an unkempt one?

2. To make the property look unique

- a well-landscaped lawn is one that attracts the neighbors’ attention. In this aspect, landscaping one’s lawn is important in giving a particular household an identity, something that will set them apart from their neighbors.

3. To increase the property’s value

- while landscaping can have aesthetic benefits on the lawn, it can also help in increasing the value of the property. This is especially important for those who wish to just improve the house and sell it later on.

4. Landscaping can cut energy costs

- it is a well-known fact that shade from trees can dramatically lower the temperature in a particular area. This spells a lot of savings in air-conditioning expenses in households who have trees on their yards.

As you see, there are a lot of reasons why people choose to landscape their lawns. While those mentioned above are only a few of them, there are others more that make landscaping such a good idea in any household.

How to Keep Your Soil Healthy and Fertile

A successful landscape is one that lasts a long time. But if you’re wondering what the secret is for a landscape’s longevity then the answer lies on the soil. If your soil is good, then you are almost always assured of growing healthy plants.

However, not every soil in the world is built for growing good plants. More often than not, there are several things you have to do first before you can even plant anything on particular plot of land. Here are some tips on how you can have a soil that is healthy and fertile.

1. Mix your soil with compost

- mixing your soil with compost makes it better in retaining air and water than ordinary soil can. Also, the compost introduces more nutrients to the soil which will help a lot in growing plants.

Creating compost can take a while, though. Active composting, wherein you take a systematic approach in creating compost, takes about a month.

Meanwhile, passive composting, the method where you let nature take its course in composting the organic materials, takes much longer.

2. Putting mulch on your soil

- mulch is any type of organic material that you put on top of your soil. It can range from cut grass to bark. Putting mulch on the soil can help the soil retain water better and prevent it from eroding easily.

3. Take it easy on the fertilizer

- just because fertilizers help put nutrients on your soil doesn’t mean you have to overdo it. In fact, too much fertilizer can have adverse effects on your soil and the environment in general.

Landscape Design

A big part of the decision on whether or not a landscape is good is its design. A well-thought out design is one that is pleasing to the eye.

But if you’re planning to have your lawn landscaped but are not sure on how to design it, this article will help you get started with a few tips.

1. Get a contractor

- getting a contractor is the easiest way to go about landscaping your lawn. They will provide you with the information and the man-power so that you can have a great looking lawn in no time.

2. Draw your design

- whether you get the services of a contractor or wish to do the landscaping yourself, it is important that you put the design of your intended landscape on paper.

It makes things so much easier instead of merely trying to describe things as the latter method can make for subpar results.

3. Organize your area

- regardless the size of your lawn, it is important that you organize the different areas of it well. A landscaped lawn isn’t only a vast tract of land with grass, trees and bushes.

You should also consider areas such as the tool sheds, your private area where you can relax and the likes.

4. What plants do you want to have?

- the plants that you choose to have on your lawn will also determine the overall look of your landscape. Consider them carefully, because majority of what others will see are the plants that you have on your lawn.

Welcome to Beautiful Landscaping Ideas!

Welcome to Beautiful Landscaping Ideas!

For those of you that have a garden, you would like to have a magnificent view of nature in your back yard, I believe. Some people like to DIY and fix up their garden, some prefer hiring a professional. Whether or not you are a hands on person, you can design how your garden will look like.

Beautiful Landscaping Ideas will give you wonderful landscaping ideas on how to beautify your garden yourself, or even if you hire a landscaper.

Start today to have the prettiest view in the neighbourhood!