Rain Shadow Gardens

One thing that can make or break the exterior of a home is the landscaping. Although a home with a few trees and a nice green lawn in front looks fine, there’s a lot to be said for a house that has an immaculate front yard landscape design. If you aren’t a designer and you can’t afford a professional gardener, there is still a lot you can do, on your own, to make your front yard come to life.

A great place to begin looking for ideas is near your own backyard. Actually the yards of your neighbors can give you some great hints of what looks good in a front yard landscape design. Obviously you don’t want to replicate it completely although imitation is said to be a form of flattery. Seeing what kinds of trees complement certain bushes, helps to give you some insight into what works well together.

If you inspire to surpass the design of any of your neighbors you may need to look beyond their yards and at some professional ideas. There are many magazines and websites that have color images of beautiful front yard landscape designs. Depending on the climate that you live in you will most likely be able to incorporate some of the ideas into your own front yard landscape plan.

Garden Sculptures are excellent front yard accents.

Another way to get a sense of which plants thrive in your area is a visit to the local gardening store. Here you’ll not only find all types of plants, flowering bushes and shrubs, but you’ll also be able to talk to individuals who are experienced in landscaping. Many of the people who work at gardening stores have knowledge about front yard landscape designs. They can offer suggestions as to what plants would work well together to create the look that you desire.

It may seem that you’ll need to spend a lot of money to spruce up the exterior of your home. This need not be the case as you can still create a beautiful front yard landscape design on a budget. The key is finding plants, shrubs and trees that are affordable and then using them to their full advantage. A good example is purchasing some flowering trees that will bloom each spring. You can buy these when they are seedlings, which cost much less than a mature tree does. Each year it will fill out more, eventually creating a wonderful shady corner to the yard.

Always bear in mind that any project like this should be viewed as a work in progress. You can add a new element to your front yard landscape design each season. This helps to spread the cost over time and also allows you the chance to enjoy gardening as a hobby.

Try Garden Arbors and Trellises for beautiful focal points.

It’s that time of year again, and you’ve been thinking about changing the landscape of your backyard, to make it into that relaxing retreat you’ve always wanted. Backyard landscape design doesn’t have to be hard work, and it doesn’t have to empty out your bank account either. Many ideas for a low maintenance, private, multipurpose backyard landscape design can be found from diverse sources like the internet, at the library, or at a local home and garden store. Not that you have to use someone else’s landscaping design ideas, in fact, it’s probably a better idea in the long run to come up with your own design. You’ve undoubtedly been keeping mental notes on what you would like do with your backyard, which is a great place to start. Get exactly what you want and within your predetermined budget.

No two yards are alike, which is why you’ll want to take into consideration all the different purposes your new area will serve. All or part of the backyard can be private from the neighbors and the outside world. Vine filled lattices or a private garden within the backyard could set off a concealed area for meditation, reached by a stone path that travels in a circular direction toward another garden filled with cool colored flowers that fill your senses with fragrant blooms. Backyard landscape designs can include rock gardens, bird or butterfly gardens, activity areas, walking paths, and boundaries for privacy and animal control (like deer) without traditional fencing. Privacy and safety concerns can also be resolved by giving a swimming pool area a great deal of privacy with a fully functional landscape design that prevents the neighbors and strangers from constantly looking in.

Bird Baths are a great way to encourage birds in your backyard landscape.

Backyard landscape design doesn’t have to be complicated, but there are basic elements that need to be considered. Your backyard is your blank canvas waiting for you to apply an artful touch, which will determine the beauty of the resulting picture to the viewer’s eye. Form, texture, line, rhythm and proportion all come together to draw the viewer’s eyes smoothly across the landscape. You don’t have to be an artist either, but a bit of creativity wouldn’t hurt! Go to Home and Garden TV’s website at www.hgtv.com or www.buzzle.com for lots of great do-it-yourself backyard landscape designs and tips on how to create a balanced consistent arrangement suitable for your part of the country and your tastes. Also, don’t forget the abundance of styles of backyard patio furniture to blend in with your new backyard landscape design!

Backyard garden water fountains can transform a plain outdoor space into a relaxing retreat. There are many different forms of this outdoor water feature and choosing one that is right for your space may take a little time. This will be time well spent considering how significant a change a backyard garden fountain actually makes.

One thing to consider is size. You can opt for a very modest little water feature that helps you create a tranquil setting or you can choose a formidable structure designed to wow visitors. Of course, your backyard garden fountain should reflect your personal tastes as well as your personality.

The backyard garden fountain should also be appropriate for your space. You may be really interested in a larger water feature for your outdoor space but your yard might not be able to adequately house such a large item. Basically, a small yard should have a smaller backyard garden fountain.

There are ways to get around this, though, at least when it comes to design. If you are very attracted to larger outdoor water features then you may want to look at something that has a large presence without taking up a lot of space. There are some things to look for in these smaller, but impressive backyard garden fountains.

Look for items that offer the most visual impact in the least amount of space. I chose a corner style backyard garden fountain for my small outdoor area. This design is ideal for smaller spaces but it also has a very pronounced presence. This water feature has different tiers that offer different levels for the water.

The tiered designs are wonderful because they offer height and they appear quite large. However, they don’t take up too much space in spite of their great height. You don’t have to choose a very tall backyard water fountain to fill a small space. This isn’t the only approach to making a bold statement in a little area.

You may want to consider a backyard garden fountain that offers movement. What this outdoor water feature lacks in stature it will make up for in interest. Adding motion to the tranquil sounds of the water is the perfect way to make a great impression. There are plenty of different models that offer charming mechanical accessories.

There is a big consideration to make with this kind of backyard water fountain. Many of these items require at least one electrical outlet. This can pose a significant problem for many outdoor spaces.

If you’re looking for ways to make your gardening gifts really unique, try wrapping them in love and show your loved one you really care. You can gift wrap gardening gifts the traditional way, or you can get just a little more creative with your gift wrapping. Here are some ideas to give your gift-wrap a personal touch.

Garden Statues and Other Large Gardening Gift Items
For large gardening gifts such as full-size garden statues, birdbaths, arbors and garden trellis, garden fountains, or patio furniture, use creative party decorations instead of gift wrap. You can tie big bows and balloons along with a card attached to decorate the gift.

Or, decorate the garden statue or fountain in plant or vegetable seed packs. To do this, use a hole-puncher to punch small holes in the very corner of each seed pack. Be sure not to puncture the pack where the seeds can spill. Then, thread ribbon through each of the holes and tie them around the statue, birdbath, or patio furniture with excess curly ribbon hanging for extra decoration.

Gift Wrap for Bird Houses or Bird Feeders
Bird houses and bird feeders are smaller items so you can easily place them in a gardening gift basket along with other gardening items such as bird seeds, vegetable or flower seed packs, unique garden tools, and other small garden decoration items. Fill the empty spaces in the basket with colorful cut shreds and fillers. Wrap the basket in a clear or colored shrink dome bag, and finish with a beautiful bow assortment and gift card.

Small Garden Sculptures and Other Lawn Decorations
Gift wrapping small garden sculptures and other lawn decorations is a cinch with themed gift boxes. There are garden-themed gift boxes that give your loved one just a “hint” of what’s inside. Fill the box with several of their favorite gardening decor items - a small garden sculpture, a wind chime, a sun catcher, along with some seeds, a small bag of soil, and a decorative planter. It’s sure to fill their heart as well!

Other Gift-Wrap Ideas
Gardening gifts can also be complemented by other items that are not particularly for gardening or lawn decoration. These might be a new coffee mug with a special-blend coffee, gourmet chocolate treats, baking mixes, or pampering products for women such as lotions and bath oils. The male gardener might enjoy some new household tools, tickets to a ball game, or some new work shoes. Items such as these make great “extras” along with gardening gifts during the holidays or for any occasion.

You can use decorative garden-themed gift bags instead of wrapping paper for a quick, easy gift-wrap alternative. There are also tie-up gift bags that are colored or decorated for convenience. Wood crate baskets are also popular for gardening gifts. These are small, decorative crates made of wood that are great for giving jars of jams or preserves, small potted plants or flowers, and other small gardening items.

Use these gardening gift wrapping techniques to make a great first impression when you present gifts to your friends and loved ones!

Why care for your lawn naturally? Because it is safe for your family and pets, it performs better than chemicals and pesticides, and if done correctly is less expensive than chemical treatments. Natural lawn care requires a new way of looking at your lawn. It does not provide instant results. And like any lawn care program, it is not perfect and it does take time. Natural lawn care is not just about using natural products or organic fertilizers. It begins with understanding what your grass needs in order to thrive. Get a soil test to determine your soil’s PH and nutrient levels. Natural lawn care also calls for regular watering. Do not give more than an inch of water at a time even if you missed a watering, because any more than an inch will not be used by your grass. Leave your grass clippings on your lawn for natural protection and mulching.

A healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds. Natural lawn care is about learning to tolerate some weeds, and removing the rest using hand tools. Some “weeds,” like clover, actually improve the soil. Hand-pull or spot-treat the ugly weeds, or those that are likely to spread quickly, and leave the others alone. Seed heavily in the spring as grass begins to grow since good coverage discourages most weeds. Most grasses don’t do well if mowed shorter and sickly grass is an open invitation for dandelions and other opportunistic weeds.

Weed pullers are great tools for removing your weeds by hand, safely and efficiently. Other terms often used for weed pullers are weeding tools, weed tools, weed diggers, weed knives, weed uprooter tools, weed pluck tools, weed cutter tools, weed pulling tools, weed puller tools, weed removing tools, weed remover tools, weed extracting tools, weed removing devices, weed clearing hand tools, garden weed pullers, manual weed pullers, weed twist, twist weed, garden twister tools, weed twisters, cork screw weeders, weed removal claws, weed shovels, tree pullers, root pullers, uproot tools, grass weed pullers, dandelion pullers, dandelion diggers, dandelion knives, dandelion poppers, dandelion tools, dandelion extractor tools, dandelion removing devices, crabgrass removal tools, crabgrass tools and various combinations of these and similar terms.

A number of people with relatively little strength and/or flexibility, but have a need to remove weeds. Unfortunately, many of the early weed pullers were hand tools with short handles, requiring the gardener sit on the ground or bend over in order to use the weed puller. Long-handled weed pullers are great tools. Some of the weed pullers are also designed specifically to remove deeper and larger roots than others. Some weed pullers are unsuitable for extracting long-rooted weeds from lawns without unsightly or unhealthy disruption or removal of grass near the weed. Pincer-type weed pullers are good tools for removing dandelions and other weeds. Special long handled diggers and weed pullers are available that make the tedious weeding job much easier.

It is best to remove problem weeds by hand in the spring and fall. Weeds keep on coming back in the same places. The weeds’ roots are deep and most tools only reach 4-6 inches deep. Most weeders are too large and can’t get at small weeds in narrow spaces. Some weeders are heavy and hard to use in my raised beds and planters. My back is sore from too much stooping with short handled weeders. And my knees are sore from kneeling to use short handled weeders and knives. Weeds are in my lawn and many weeders’ tines are too wide. Weeds are under bushes and can’t be reached with my tools. I’m still using some of the same old tools my family has used for many years. My tools have been around as long as I have. The good news is that there are several mechanical solutions to removing dandelions from lawns and removing other types of weeds with very little stress on your back.

Match your tools with the weeds in your garden or state. We think you will be pleasantly surprised by several really cool tools that may be new to you and to many others who haven’t yet ventured beyond the traditional hoe and dandelion digger for defending against weeds. Chances are you are beset with weeds of a variety of different types, sizes and shapes. By choosing the right tools, you will be more successful in matching up with your most stubborn weeds. In a sense, weed pullers are designed to surpass the limitations of hand cultivators by removing weeds more precisely or with deeper penetration for larger roots, or both.

Several varieties of weed pullers and weed poppers also compete for the back-saving market, with brands including Grampa’s Weeder, Clint’s Dandy Digger, and Dandelion Terminator. Most hand cultivators, like hoes for example, and a number of weed pullers provide long-handle convenience. Having a well-chosen set of cultivators and weed pullers over a range of precision and penetration in your weeding tool arsenal enables a better match of tools for the job at hand.

Grampa’s Weeder is an ingenious long-handled weed puller invented in 1913. Grampa’s Weeder is rapidly becoming known in Australia as the best and easiest way to rid your garden of the serious weeds. With its simple lever design and durable construction, this tried & true tool allows gardeners young and old to pull out weeds (along with their roots) without bending, pulling, kneeling or using harmful chemicals. This is a weed removal tool capable of removing deeply rooted weeds without appreciable disruption of surrounding soil and turf. A fulcrum block attached to the side of one of the poles near the tines provides further mechanical advantage to assist the extraction of weeds upon tilting of the tool in the direction of the fulcrum block, forcing the block against the ground to dislodge the weed. This invention is an improved device for pulling weeds, plants, small trees and the like.

The Dandelion Terminator is a tool for plucking dandelions and other low growing weeds using your drill for the muscles. The Dandelion Terminator destroys dandelions and other broad leaf weeds. It offers a new fast and easy lawn weeding method. And with the 12 inch extension, you don’t have to stoop over very far to use it. This tool is easy to use and gets the roots out as well.

The “Ripper” Garden Tool is simply an amazing tool. The steel tines slide under the roots of weeds or grass just below the surface. You will be pleasantly surprised at how easily it removes stubborn weeds & grass by the roots, including Bahia and St. Augustine, two of the toughest in the south, and Zoysia, one of the toughest in the north.

These are just a few of the amazing garden weeding tools offered at Rain Shadow Gardens.

Kids today often don’t realize how fun and rewarding gardening can be. But with a few fun gardening gifts, you can spark an interest in gardening for your own children, your grandchildren, or students with just a few simple gardening gifts. Children love to try something new. Every time they receive a gardening gift such as a new planter, a garden decoration, or even their own patio furniture, they can “try it out” in a garden they designed all on their own.

Lessons of Planting - Sowing and Reaping
Children need to be taught the principle of sowing and reaping at a young age. They need to realize that every decision they make and every action they take in life brings some type of results, whether good or bad. What better way to teach sowing and reaping than with planting a garden? It doesn’t have to be a large garden necessarily. Just a few short rows of plants, vegetables, or flowers will do.

The child will be able to see results of their efforts as the plants grow. They can care for them and learn responsibility. For vegetable gardens, harvest time is always an exciting time for children. They can even help prepare and cook meals using their newly grown foods.

Gardening Gifts for Starters
To get your child or students started with gardening, give them a gift that includes some unique garden tools (just for them), a few planters that they can decorate on their own, and some packages of seeds. Try an assortment of seeds that can all be planted during the same time of the year so the plants will grow simultaneously.

Garden Decor Gifts for Kids
Once your child or students have located a proper area in the yard for their garden and begin to plant, start giving gifts along the way to help them decorate their garden. Garden sculptures, garden fountains, and garden statues come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They also come in different themes such as animal themes so you can easily find items that your child will love. There are also wind chimes, flags, stepping stones, garden stakes, thermostats, and path lights, which make great gardening gifts for garden or lawn decoration. The garden can be finished off with a beautiful arbor or garden trellis decorated with flowers to their liking.

Teach them about Birds
Another way to enhance your child’s interest in gardening is to give them items that will attract birds to their garden. They can watch for different types of birds, discover nests in the trees or hanging plants, and enjoy the birds’ singing. Gifts for attracting birds might include bird feeders, birdhouses, and birdbaths along with some packs of birdseed.

Children usually enjoy creating something big that they can call their own. Creating their own garden will be rewarding and will teach them some valuable lessons about life. To find an assortment of themed gardening gifts, go online today and explore all the great gardening items that are available.

To learn more about subjects like gardening gifts please visit the web site at: http://www.rainshadowgardens.com

For the friend or loved one who is an avid bird watcher, choosing gardening gifts that attract birds or gifts that can enhance your loved one’s bird-themed garden is a great way to show you care. Gardening gifts come in an assortment of designs, materials, and colors so you can easily find useful items for your loved ones. They make great gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, “thank you” presents, co-worker gift exchanges, Chinese auctions, or the Christmas season.

Birds are attracted to flower gardens, especially those packed with all the plants, foods, and accessories they love. For your bird-watcher friend, look for gifts that will complement their garden decoration as well as provide an easy place for bird seeds and accessories that attract an assortment of birds. Here are some gardening gift ideas to get you started.

Hanging or Statue Bird Feeders
Bird feeders attract hummingbirds, cardinals, wrens, and many other types of amazing birds. Bird feeders can be decorative or practical, or both. You can choose a plain bird feeder, which is basically a plastic see-through tube filled with birdseed with a dispenser at the bottom. These are great for hanging in trees or on the patio. They are simple and effective. Or, for the bird watcher who also loves lawn decorations, you can choose from a variety of styles and themes of statue bird feeders such as the garden fairy bird feeder, cherub bird feeders, flower bird feeders, and animal-themed bird feeders.

One particular company that makes excellent bird feeders is Droll Yankees. They make quality bird feeders that last and also guarantee their products.

Stone Bird Baths
Your loved one can accent their yard with a stone bird bath and watch as beautiful birds play in the water on those steamy hot summer days. Birdbaths are decorative and great for attracting an assortment of birds throughout the year. Stone birdbaths are exceptionally durable and can last for years and years. They come in various designs such as prairie, koi pond, flower designs, and English. There are even animal-themed birdbaths and brass birdbaths to suit every gardener’s taste.

Cedar Bird Houses
Birdhouses also attract many types of birds. They enjoy playing in them and peeping through the holes. Cedar is an excellent choice because it will not warp or rot, it stays cool in the summer, and it gives off an alluring cedar wood aroma. The good news is that pesky insects and moths hate the smell of cedar! Birdhouses are lovely additions to any yard or garden, and bird watchers often love receiving them as gifts.

Other Complementing Gardening Gifts
Bird watchers who love decorating their yard or garden will also appreciate other gardening gifts such as an:

• arbor or garden trellis
• garden sculptures
• garden fountains
• patio furniture
• unique garden tools

You can find these items and many other gardening gifts online, which enables you to shop from home any time of the year for holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions.

To learn more about subjects like gardening gifts please visit the web site at: http://www.rainshadowgardens.com