Garden Design

You’ve got a mature garden, one you’ve tended lovingly for many years. Every available space is used. You’ve got beds of flowers which provide three seasons of color, maybe even four. Your trees and shrubs are mature, you have lovely pathways accented with benches for a relaxing moment, a ’secret’ garden for the kids and a well established vegetable garden, producing a healthy bounty every year. You’ve even got your garden to the point of requiring very little maintenance. How can you possibly improve on this picture? Garden figurines can be your icing on the cake, lending that final gourmet touch to your beautiful garden.

photo credit: breekp

Maybe your garden is still in the work-in-progress stage. You’re still adding and refining. You’ve just completed a pathway, leading to your secret garden, a place to relax or for kid’s play. Garden figurines should figure into your design of this area of the garden. Garden figurines and statuary can be as simple as a small, whimsical bronzed frog, seated at the edge of the bench, atop a small pedestal, ready to greet you as you sit down with a book and a tall glass of lemonade. Larger garden figurines, reminiscent of the lion statues flanking the steps of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum can add an elegant statement to your secret garden’s official entry. Religious garden statuary can create a soothing environment, placed next to a bench, or serving as a point for contemplation along a garden pathway.

Garden globes and sundials are other forms of garden figurines which can create a dramatic effect, given the right placement. Both of these are usually used as ‘centerpieces’, placed at the center of a circular brick or paving stone feature, or at the center of a formal herb garden. Garden globes come in a variety of colors, which you can use to coordinate with the colors of a surrounding bed of flowers. A yellow garden globe contrasts nicely with a bed of flowers in shades of blues and purples, providing a focal point which showcases the flower bed. Sundials, the first timekeepers, are fascinating garden additions, giving pleasure to both kids and adults.

When considering the placement of a particular garden statue or figurine, allow enough free space around the piece to be sure garden visitors can easily view it ” don’t hide it in a dense patch of ground cover! If the piece is small, ensure that there’s at least 6-12 inches of ground around it. Installing edging ensures that your figurine won’t become overgrown. Alternatively, set the figurine on a pedestal.

Nurseries and home improvement centers carry large assortments of garden figurines from which to choose, in a variety of sizes suited to every garden situation. There are also stores which specialize in garden figurines and statuary. You’ll find selections in stone, finished cement, as well as wood, bronze and other metals.

Garden figurines are a great way to add refinement and elegance to your garden. Go take a look at what’s available. One thing leads to another. You may end up with a collection!

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Winter Landscaping - What You Need To Know

photo credit: Kyknoord

by Andrew Caxton

While winter landscaping is not something that most people think about, it is an important part of taking care of your landscaping. Consider the benefits in reducing your costs.

While you may not have thought of winter landscaping, there are plenty of bnefits to doing it. One is to reduce fuel costs which are high enough today! The fact is, you can cut your cost by some 40 percent if you plan do take action. One way is to plan windbreaks around your property (on the west, east and north) to avoid wind blowing at the house. As these plants grow, they insulate your home enough to reduce your fuel costs!

What To Use

The best windbreaks available to you are trees and shrubs that have a low crown. To move the wind over the house instead of at it, plant an evergreen, along with a natural berm. Avoid planting on the south side of your home, though. You want the sun to be able to heat up your home whenever possible. You should also consider how tall the plants will grow. Plant them at least a foot from your home. In addition, plant them at between two and five times the grown height against the house.

Add Beauty, Too

Winter lawn care or john deere snowblowers can also add benefit to your home in looks. To make your winter landscaping look beautiful and even graceful, be sure that you take steps to make this happen. It can add interest and appeal to the landscape. Be sure that you manage your landscaping too. Taking the time to add a beautiful evergreen also means keeping the snow mounds off it.

You can also place specific plants and trees that will attract specific birds during the wintertime. Use those that produce brightly colored berries, for example. Choose a plant that has a unique color, style or shape. You may want a plant that has a unique bark texture to it to add even more interest. Consider a cranberry bush viburnum, which will have plenty of berries on them. It also has a beautiful flower in the middle of May and June. It will definitely add interest to your winter landscaping and provides something unique in the otherwise boring winter wonderland!

Alternatively, consider other bushes that work. For example, the Japanese barberry is a good choice. It will grow to four or six feet and will have amazingly colored red purple leaves during autumn. It also produces berries to bring the birds in.

Choosing the right plants for your landscaping will add character and plenty of fuel savings to your home!

Andrew Caxton is the copywriter of http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com . Find more publications about john deere snowblowers at his website.

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