It’s an alarming thought, but illness can result not only from the improper use of pesticides, but also from the so-called proper use of these chemicals.

In addition to our health, another benefit of organic gardening can also be felt in the wallet. By making use of the resources that you already have on hand, you can save money with do-it-yourself organic landscaping, rather than paying money for chemicals to unnaturally enhance your plants.

Native Plants

One of the best ways to practice organic landscape is to make use of native plants. Bringing in exotic plants or non-native plants from areas with very different conditions only results in frustration and the possible reliance on chemicals to help you take care of them.

It is so much easier to naturally promote the health of your landscape when the plants you use thrive in your area. They thrive because they have built up defenses over time against their local enemies. If you want to keep a landscape that works with the natural setting, native plants, or plants from areas with similar conditions, can help you accomplish this.

Healthy Lawns

The most obvious part of a landscape is usually the lawn. Many people seem to think it is necessary to use a great deal of chemicals to keep pests from ruining the lawn or to help the lawn grow well. However, the truth of the matter is that by actively caring for the soil under your grass, you can create a healthier lawn. A beautiful lawn can be achieved in many ways that do not involve harmful chemicals.

Organic Fertilizers

The composition of organic fertilizer is made entirely of organic materials. Although initially more expensive, if used regularly, the long-term costs will be reduced because organics decrease the need for later expensive chemicals. Over-all the costs even out because synthetic fertilizers need to be applied more frequently.

Aeration

The use of aeration is another way to take care of the lawn that promotes healthy soil and better grass roots. Aerating your lawn relieves soil compaction by punching holes in the ground and helps make the soil easier for grass roots to penetrate.

This allows the roots have more room to go deeper, and organisms, like earthworms, that actually help the health of your lawn, have more room to move about and make their homes. This will result in a naturally healthy lawn ecosystem that can withstand pests and keep weeds out on its own.

Over Seeding And Top Dressing

Other organic practices that improve the health of the lawn are over seeding and top dressing. Over seeding makes use of more than the recommended amount of grass seed – about one and a half times more than the recommended amount.

Over seeding promotes quicker germination and that results in a thicker lawn that really fights the weeds!

Top dressing is the act of taking composted organic matter and mixing it with sand 50-50. A thin layer is then spread over the lawn. This improves the lawn rooting, creating healthier, hardier grass, without fertilizer.

Common Sense Gardening

If you practice common sense in using gardening techniques, fertilizer (organic or otherwise) may not even be necessary. Create your own compost and mulch by using grass clippings from the lawn mower and leftovers from the garden. Also add in raked leaves, pine needles and (parradoxically) weeds.

Left to decompose, this creates nutrient-rich organic matter that can be used to improve the health of all the plants in your landscape, not just grass.

When you do it yourself, organic gardening can be a very rewarding and money saving effort.

Professional landscaping projects can be pricey, but you can take steps to reduce the cost. The best place is at the start — the landscape design.

Left to themselves, professional landscapers will likely produce an outrageously expensive plan, filled with exotic plants and wonderous features. Nice, but do you want to pay for all that?

Set Goals

What it is you really need? A place to barbeque? Solitude? Family activities?

Which area of the property would you like to work on? Knowing and defining your desired outcome is a major part in the money saving process.

Do Not Over-Do It

Don’t contradict the style of your house. Can you imagine a sky scraper in the middle of the city with a big barbeque lawn? If your house has a simple design, don’t go with a landscaping design that will overwhelm the flow.

Know Your Style

Formal style uses perfect, straight, geometrical shapes. The plants and bushes are pruned neatly and arranged closely.

Informal style goes against the straight line geometry. There are other styles that can be found on the web and in your neighborhood bookstore.

Hiring A Professional Landscaper

Sometimes a highly respected landscaper is a must, especially if you have a goal that is very complicated. Other times a new, less established landscaper, can produce the desired result for less money. Talented people are not necessary the successful ones.

For now, just do your research in a relaxed environment. Make this project fun. After all, you are just doing the planning part. The professional landscaper gets to provide the back breaking work.

Remember that the initial costs of creating a landscape often create ongoing budget items. Maintenance and other related and recurring costs that are a part of the landscape experience must be factored into your budget.

You need to take everything into account when you plan your budget. Although annoying and tedious, in the end it will help you out immensely. You won’t be surprised at how much everything costs if you have estimates on costs and if you stay within your budget parameters.

Think of each portion of the landscape as a separate project and create a budget for each one. Then total it up to see what you can or cannot afford now. You can make adjustments to various landscaping elements if you need to bring the cost down a bit, or perhaps you can postpone a feature for the time being. Or even forego it entirely.

Figure out which plants you want, and whether or not they will look good in your complete landscape design. Investigate the cost of a variety of plants, so that you have some choices. Create a budget for the type of fencing you would like. Learn what materials are needed to build an arbor, deck, or patio. Then check out the cost of the materials, and how they will fit into your budget.

Keep in mind the landscape you want when creating a budget. Do you desire special fixtures? What can you live without? Create a vision of your landscape and then alter it as needed to match your budget.

Landscape design software can help in this, as you can easily adjust your plan and your ideas to fit within your budget. Figure out the approximate costs of your landscape needs by talking to professionals or by going online to find what is needed for similar projects. If something is too expensive, or it is not in your budget at all, now is the time to make adjustments.

The main elements of most landscapes are plants. When choosing plants, consider their size and growth rate. Even though a plant may be initially cheap and fast growing, future maintenance costs may be a problem. Typically, fast growing plants cost more in maintenance because they get bigger faster. Slower growing plants may force you to adjust your initial views of spending, but they will probably save you money over the long run.

One major decision you will need to make is how much of the work you are going to do yourself. Many landscape projects can be done without professionals, and turn out very well. Remember to consider the cost of labor versus doing the labor yourself.

Look for cost cutting landscaping ideas, because you are sure at some point to start to go over budget. For example, you can construct your walkways out of flat rocks if you can’t afford to have concrete poured.

There is a lot to keep in mind when creating a landscape budget. Make a detailed list of how much money you want to spend for each project before beginning the actual work.

For each of your landscape projects, try to come in at or below budget. If something is costing more than what you’ve budgeted for, you’ll need to quickly make adjustments. Look upon your budget and your landscape design as partners in an on-going creative dance. If either misteps, disaster may result.

Side Yard Problems

It can be difficult to deal with a side yard. They are usually narrow, making them hard to maintain. In such cases, they are best for passage than other uses. Keep the junk out of these areas and create a cottage garden landscape there.

Some plants that work well include perennials and ornamental grasses, which come in many colors. You can use a variety of your favorite flowers that are available in a wild garden style. Or add in a pathway made from stone to offer a simple, but beautiful look to it.

Too Much Mulch

Not only does excessive mulch look bad, but it is not good for the health of your plants.  This happens many times near driveways and along the edges of lawns. If mulch is falling out of the flower beds, it looks messy.

You should have only 2 – 4 inches of mulch on a flower bed. To help prevent this problem, put ground cover plants along the borders of the flowerbeds. This looks great and will help keep the mulch where it should be. Lowering your soil level slightly can help even out the area so that the mulch is level with the rest of the plantings.

Hide The Air Conditioner

If you have exposed air conditioners, they can be very ugly on the landscape. Exposed appliances are heated by the sun which causes them to have to work harder and therefore use more energy.

You can fix this by planting a small tree or a hedge. The appliance is screened from view and the shade helps keep the unit cooler. This can be done even where there isn’t much room. You can plant a narrow hedge of nandina or you can add a trellis with a colorful vine or climbing roses.

Weird Areas

Sometimes, there are areas in your yard that are not right for grass. For example, near an entrance, near walkways, or at the edge of a patio or deck. No matter where they are, these areas are hard to maintain.

Making use of plants in containers is a solution. One large container can be used, or make a small container garden with a variety of plants in containers of various sizes, shapes, and colors. These are also ideal locations for accent objects such as an obelisk, a stature or even topiary bushes. You can even use water features that add cooling effects to your landscape.

Think outside of the box to handle some of the harder areas of your yard when it comes to landscaping designs. When you take full advantage of all the room that you have, and let your creativity go wild, you can add even more beauty to your garden.

Current Landscape Design

The first step in planning your landscape is to look at what you already have. A critical eye is needed here in determining what you like and dislike about the current design. Be sure to take into account how your home looks during different seasons. Make a list of all the good points of your current landscape, what changes you’d like to make, and what additions you want.

You should really do this planning process over an entire year, so that you can see precisely what you have during each season. Remember, taking your time will help you develop a better plan.

Landscape Space

When planning your landscape, keep in mind your space needs and what the space will be used for. Does the design interfere with your family’s activities and routines? Does that shrub block the walkway to the mailbox? Would the flowerbed in the middle of the lawn inhibit family games? Would the addition of a deck make family barbecue functions more convenient? Would a sandbox be a special addition for your grandchildren?

The best designs combine attractiveness with utility and are an essential part of the landscaping process.

Keep A Journal

Another way to help you plan your landscape is to keep a journal or folder of landscape ideas. Keep a list of things you currently like and dislike, as well as your plan for the use of your landscape space in this folder or journal. Gather ideas by looking at pictures in books, magazines, on the Internet, or by driving around the neighborhood and taking pictures. Next to the images you collect make sure you include the things that you think you will need to build a particular feature, or keep notes on things you would do to tweak a design to make it all your own.

Combine different design ideas into something that you like. The point is to look for new ideas that will help you accomplish your goals.

Building Codes And More

While planning your landscape design, don’t forget to check on local building codes and make sure of those tricky property lines. Find out from your utility companies where underground power, telephone, and cable wires are run. You do not want to hit one of these important things while digging around in your yard.

Figure all of this out before you finalize your landscape plans. This can help you adjust for possibly having to relocate a feature in your plan or for having to scale down the size of something.

Landscape Design Software

Another helpful tool in planning your landscape is the use of landscape design software. Much of this software can be used to figure out which plants may look nice in your yard, and which plants would go with your house. Some programs even allow you to scan in an image of your own house in order to better get an idea of the possibilities.

Most programs can be used as references to determine which plants are best suited to survive in your climate, and cost less than $70.

Careful Planning

It is possible with careful planning and the use of a few landscaping tips, to plan out your landscape in a way that will make use of your available space and allow your landscape dollars to be spent wisely.

I’m talking not just about the driveway itself, but also the design elements on either side of the driveway, as well as those at the top and bottom of it. You can make your driveway attractive by using all sorts of materials from softscape options to hardscape.

Make A Good Entrance

As the entrance to your home, the driveway should not be neglected. If so, it can be a blemish on the other landscaping around the home. If it is incorporated, it can add depth to the entire look for your home. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on the design elements for it either. You can be creative and choose features that are attractive, yet yield a very low cost landscape that is welcoming.

Make sure that you take everything into account before choosing your elements. For example, if you are looking for minimal work to be used in the driveway’s landscaping, do not plant a flower bush at the end of your driveway where the plants can be disheveled or ruined by those in your neighborhood. Instead, look to an attractive fence or a rock garden.

Another important aspect to pay attention to is the footpath to the home. Do not put any elements into the design that are in the way of normal foot traffic. You don’t want to make visitors go out of their way, or worse, trample your plants to reach your door.

Hardscape Choices

You have many options here, such as walls and fences. They can add distinction and accent your driveway. For example a large rock can be especially interesting, particularly when it has multiple colors.

You can plant grasses and small flowers in the cracks of stones to create an even more decorative look.

A small fence can add character to the landscape. Use fencing to add color and character to the driveway. Use hanging baskets or lanterns with the fence for more charm.

Softscape Choices

First, determine what you will landscape. For example, with a limited budget, just landscaping along the sides of the driveway is an excellent option. It will cost little, yet add lots of beauty to your landscape design.

As for softscape options that will work in driveway areas, a flower bed or groundcover along the driveway will create a border that is interesting and separates the lawn from the actually driveway.

Ornamental trees and shrubs can do the same thing for the border of the driveway. Shrubs can be cut to be topiary as well, which will add even more design elements to the look of the driveway landscape.

Another thing to consider for a curved driveway is to add a focal point — something to make a statement. For example, you can have a beautiful tree, a flower bed, or a rock garden there. Whatever it is it, should be beautiful because the curve element will serve as the main focal point of your driveway landscaping design.

You can use water gardens, landscape brides, a wishing well, as well as many other types of elements to enhance this area and have it look amazing.

Doing these things can completely transform the entrance of your home. In a simple, affordable way, you can add character and depth to your landscape design around your driveway.

The biggest mistake that people make is thinking that the Japanese garden is supposed to be full of exotic plants. This is not true.

If you understand the principles, Japanese gardens can be quite a wonderful choice for your home.

Be Natural

Take into account what nature provides for you. For example, a pond should not be a perfect circle nor should it be square. Rounded edges compliment the feelings of nature and peace.

Space is quite important in Japanese gardening. Leaving some areas empty and open is natural and positions the landscaping effectively.

Size is also important. If you put something large in a small space, it will not work right. It is out of balance with the surroundings. You should compliment the space that you have and you should allow each space and landscaping element to compliment each other.

Enclosures

The enclosure is one of the main design elements in the Japanese garden. Such as fences and gates that allow you to feel secluded. There should be an entrance and an exit to allow for moving in and moving out. This provides a protective barrier from the outside world. This allows for the garden to be fully enjoyed without worry about what is outside the gates.

Elements Of The Garden

You will find many elements used in the Japanese garden. These will range from rocks, water, plants, borrowed scenery and ornaments. Each item has a specific purpose. You can use them in a variety of ways.

• Rock is the foundation of the garden. Once you establish this foundation, the rest of the garden practically builds itself. Tall and short vertical stones, horizontal stones, reclining stones, as well as arched stones are used. Stepping stones offer a path to move across. Rocks have meaning and are quite important. You can place them to express this meaning or you can place them to be aesthetically pleasing.
• Water is necessary. It an be a built in water feature or one that is simulatted, such as raked gravel or sand. The sound of water is calming and soothing. It adds beauty and serenity to the garden. In Japanese culture, it is a symbol of the passage of time.
• Plantings are also important. The way that you place the plants is important to the harmony of the landscape design. Use materials you enjoy such as evergreens, ornamental grasses and various trees.
• Ornaments are those things that will enhance the garden. They shouldn’t be the main focus though. They are merely accents to the garden. These include sculptures, basins, lanterns and many other objects.
• Borrowed scenery consists of element that can be seen from within the garden, but that are not actually located inside the confines of the garden. Different elements can be placed to accent a distant mountain or to reveal a beautiful tree on someone else’s property.

All these things together produce what the Japanese garden should be in its more authentic version. If you are looking to add this beautiful element to your landscaping, make sure to focus on those things that are important — not as just aesthetically appealing, but ideally mind appealing in nature.

Evergreens range from broad-leaved shrubs such as laurel and rhododendron to cone-bearing pines and stately spruces.

Most effective as windscreens, the giant spruces and firs are widely used not only because for their attractiveness, but also because of their shape. Furthermore, they do well in the shade, which makes them excellent for foundation planting.

Here are some popular evergreens to consider (in alphabetical order):

Cedar

The ornamental Arbor vitae, such as cedar, produces the flat evergreen branch found in flower arrangements at Christmas. It is best in moist, protected places. Although it can be cut to any size or shape, untrimmed it forms a broad 35 to 50 feet tall pyramid.

Fir

Hardy, healthy, and drought-resistant, the Douglas fir grows quickly and compactly. The best fir for windbreaks and screening, its lofty pyramid makes a good lawn element. White fir has an attractive silvery color while balsam fir, the Christmas tree, is noted for its fragrance and lustrous foliage.

Hemlock

The hemlock, with feathery foliage, is most effective when planted in a grove with others. The Canadian hemlock can be sheared for symmetrical effect.

Juniper

The tall species of juniper, such as the formal columnar juniper and the upright juniper, are very useful in planting. As a spreading evergreen, the Pfitzer juniper is best used for banks, edgings and ground cover. Its green feathery foliage grows rapidly, can withstand crowding and its height at maturity is 8 feet, and width up to 12feet. Ground-covering junipers include creeping, prostrate, Sargent, and Waukegan.

Pine

The most widely known evergreen is the pine. Noted for its long, soft, light silvery-green needles, the white pine can reach 60 to 80 feet at maturity. In addition to the white pine, the red pine is splendid for backgrounds and windbreaks. A broad, compact tree, the ponderosa pine is used for protection and ornamental screens.

The Austrian pine (black pine), popular in the Midwest, has a rich, green color and spreading branches.

Spruce

Short and thick, with light blue-green needles, the white spruce reaches 70 feet and is good for landscaping and screens. Although it suffers in drought and heat, the Colorado blue spruce is a hardy tree. Because it withstands dry weather and the thick green foliage has a bronze in winter, red cedar is a fine ornamental evergreen for hedges and windbreaks.

Probably the most widely planted windbreak evergreen, the Norway spruce is hardy and quick growing. A slow grower, it has short needles of dark green and is compact and pyramidal in shape. The Black Hills variety grows to 40 feet in time, and is hardy and drought-resistant.

Yew

With its thick, glossy needles and dense, upward-reaching branches, the yew is useful as both a shrub and tree. Although it grows well in sun and shade, it’s best used as a single feature against a wall of the garden rather than as foundation planting. The low-spreading bushy dwarf yew can be clipped, while other varieties such as the upright yew and Japanese yew are tapering or conical plants best used for hedges.

Protection

Since evergreens tend to be adversely affected by dry, hot summer weather, they should be watered every 10 to 14 days during this time of year. Be sure the water reaches at least 6 inches deep.

A good way to protect the tree from loss of water in dry weather is with a mulch of grass clippings or peat moss. To help an evergreen thrive, pruning in the late spring is recommended, making sure that the inner branches will develop.

Formal trees should be kept trimmed with no ragged branches sticking out; badly-shaped or deformed trees can be corrected through shaping. When exposed to too much wind and winter sun, evergreens may dry up and their branches will crack under the weight of snow or the force of wind. To prevent this, water them deeply before the ground freezes in the late fall.

Another way to protect evergreens is to use screens of burlap mats. They only need to be shielded on the sunny side, unless the wind and winter sun is too strong. Be sure that burlap covers are well-ventilated.

To prevent breakage under heavy snow or ice, prop up the heavy limbs of old trees with boards. So that smaller branches won’t crack, you can tie cloth strips to tall shrubs or small evergreens.

Types

First you should gather information on the many different types of climbing roses. Not only do they range in color, look and texture, they also vary in hardiness, which determines what you are able to grow in your area. In addition to knowing their hardiness level, you’ll need to know what type of soil to use and the amount of sunshine in your prospective planting area.

Selection

Although there are many varieties of climbing roses to choose from, don’t get discouraged, as you will surely find something that meets your particular needs with a little research. Check out your local discount department stores, hardware stores, and/or gardening shops, but the best selection is found on the Internet. You can request a catalog be sent to you, or buy your selection immediately online. When shopping online for climbing roses, not only will you find just what you are looking for, you’ll probably find something you never imagined. And at a better price.

Care

To find the type of care your climbing rose requires, grab a book or do a little research online. Taking the time to do these things will give you the best climbing rose you can get, perfect for your location, and which adds a lot to your landscape design.

However, even if you live in the desert, you don’t have to sacrifice beauty. Using a minimum amount of water, dry landscaping is an excellent way to make a landscape both unusual and eye-catching.
 
Natural Rocks And Stone
 
One way to make your landscape blend into the native environment is through the use of natural rocks and stone. Natural rocks can be obtained in many different colors, shapes and sizes enabling you to bring out the beauty and diversity of nature in your own yard. Whether you choose black lava rock, gray granite or white limestone, it will be an asset to your property.
 
Natural rocks always stay bright and vibrant. And, one of the wonderful things about enhancing your landscape with natural rocks is that since they are real stones and absolutely solid, they never fade or wither like plants. When done right, rock gardens really can be breathtaking.
 
Crushed Rock
 
Interested in cost-effectiveness? One way to save money is to spread a layer of decorative crushed rock over an area which makes it look finished and maintained. Some ornamental gravel types display mixed colors of purple, red, white and yellow and can be very beautiful.
 
Drought-Resistant Plants
 
In addition to natural rocks and stone, drought-resistant plants compliment a landscape well. Generally sun-loving and water-wise, southwestern plants are typically low maintenance. Because of their low water use, drought-resistant plants are perfect for this type of landscape. You can choose from one of the many cactus varieties such as juniper, lamb’s ear, and other perennial plants that will withstand the hot and dry weather with very little water.
 
Grass
 
Although large areas of turf aren’t very practical for water conservation, there are certain varieties of drought-tolerant grass species. Most grass varieties need large quantities of water to survive in heat, so be sure you do your research before deciding to install a lawn.
 
Summary

The bottom line is that just because you live in a hot and dry climate, doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful yard. Landscapes in hot and dry desert-like areas can be designed to be attractive and can even have more charm and creativity than a lush garden.