South Eastern Connecticut Landscaping

When you put a pool in your back yard, it already looks nice. The truth is, you don’t have to do very much to it to make it look nice. As long as you keep it clean, having a pool makes your backyard look great! However, you can do much more to make it look even better so that when people come over, their jaws drop. The best thing that you can do to better spruce up your pool is to add some swimming pool landscaping.
Swimming pool landscaping makes your backyard look like a spot straight out of paradise. Whenever you have a pool party or just have a few guests over for drinks, they will undoubtedly remark on your swimming-pool landscaping. That’s because not only does your backyard look great because you have a pool, the landscaping makes it look so much better.
Swimming-pool landscaping doesn’t just have to mean putting a bunch of flowers in the ground. Swimming pool landscaping can include a deck, trees, flowers and much more. You can find a pool landscaping business to do the landscaping for you or you can do it yourself. You’ll definitely save money doing your swimming pool landscaping yourself, all that money in labor can quickly add up, and many gardening stores will sell you everything you need to make your backyard and pool look great.

Plan Your Landscaping Before You Break Ground
If you are going to do the pool landscaping yourself, you should first do your homework and know what you’re doing. You can’t just plant a bunch of flowers and tell everyone it’s landscaping. Your landscaping should be planned out so that you don’t get overcrowding, too much spacing or, worse, you don’t want an ugly yard.
Ask plenty of questions from those in the know or do an internet search to educate yourself as much as possible in the correct way to apply pool landscaping. You can make patters and get complicated with it or you can go simple, it all depends on what you want to do and how much you can afford. Ask around, shop around for the best deals and you can get the best looking backyard in the neighborhood.
Swimming pool landscaping will truly make a difference in how your backyard and your pool looks.
A wealth of information about this type of landscaping can be found through a number of locations:

• 1) The Internet – A favorite search engine
• 2) The Library – Don’t forget about free books!
• 3) A Bookstore – Again, books are full of useful information.
• 4) A Home And Garden Shop – Ask the workers, look at the supplies, read their books
• 5) Ask your people in your neighborhood

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10 time-saving tips to give your backyard a head start on spring

(ARA) – Aaaah, autumn. The kids are headed back to school, the leaves are turning, and a chill is in the air. If you’re like most homeowners, fall also means an opportunity to spruce up your yard and cut down on the work you’ll need to do when the weather turns warm again.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned landscape professional or somebody who just wants their yard to look as good as it can with as little work as possible, everyone can benefit from backyard fall cleanup, says Michael Miller, president of Minnesota-based backyard tool manufacturer Hound Dog Products. “A little bit of work in the fall will really pay off when spring rolls around,” he says.

Miller offers 10 tips that the professionals use to ensure a successful backyard fall cleanup effort – and to get a head start on next year’s growing season.

• Rake those leaves. Once the snow flies, an unraked layer of leaves can get matted down over the turf and smother it all winter long. Raking or using a mulching mower in the fall helps avoid dead patches in the spring. But don’t worry about getting every last leaf, especially in the garden. They help insulate plants, and as they decompose, they provide valuable nutrients.
• Feed the grass. Fertilizing in the fall is like a day at the spa for your lawn. Using a slow-release fertilizer allows the grass to soak up nutrients and – just as important – spend the cool days and nights of autumn recovering from summer heat and stress. And building a healthy, rejuvenated lawn is one of the best ways to protect against heat, cold, drought, insects and other stresses.
• Weed all about it. Weeding in the fall is probably the most valuable thing you can do to prepare for spring, and it’s one that many people overlook. The good news: Pulling weeds used to be a backbreaking chore, but tools like the Weed Hound have come a long way from the tiny weeding forks of “the good old days.” There’s no reason to get down on your hands and knees and gouge at the turf. All you do is place the tool over the weed, step lightly on the footrest, and pull.
• Pick up the poop. When the snow melts next spring, the last thing you want to see on your lawn is pet waste. Fall is the perfect time to get out there and clean up Rover’s little leftovers. Don’t look forward to getting on your hands and knees? Hire a neighborhood kid to do the dirty work, or invest in a long-handled pooper scooper.
• Remove thatch build-up. A build-up of aboveground roots called thatch prevents sunlight, oxygen and moisture from getting to the nutrient-hungry soil below. But it’s easy to remove, especially if you don’t wait until it overwhelms the yard. Just go at the yard with a dethatching rake in early fall, or for an easier – but more expensive – option, rent a power dethatcher.
• Aerate. Heavy use throughout the summer can cause soil to become compacted. Perforating your lawn with small holes helps reduce compaction and lets water, air and fertilizer get down to the soil, which strengthens the grass plant’s root structure. For smaller yards, a manual aerating tool that removes plugs from the turf while you step should be just fine. If you’ve got a larger yard, consider renting a power aerator.
• Water trees and shrubs. Dehydration during the colder months is an all-too-common cause of tree damage, but it’s easily preventable. To sustain them over the long winter, it’s important to give trees a drink before putting them to bed. After they go fully dormant – but before the ground freezes – use a soaker hose or root irrigator to water them thoroughly.
• Clean out your garden. Fruits and vegetables left in the garden can rot all winter long, and provide a comfy home for insect eggs. Gross? Not as gross as they’ll be in the spring. Now’s the time to get rid of diseased plants, too, but keep them out of the compost pile so the problem doesn’t spread to the rest of your garden next year.
• Plant spring bulbs. Fall is not all about closing up shop. It’s also the perfect time to plant spring flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips. But pay attention to the weather in your area; planting too early can cause bulbs to sprout before winter, and planting them too late can mean their roots don’t have enough time to develop before the ground freezes.
• Give your tools a tune-up. When it comes time to put away the backyard tools for the season, don’t just shove them into the garage or shed. Spend a few minutes wiping them down and removing debris and dirt, then apply a light layer of oil to keep them from rusting over the winter. That way they’ll be all set to go again come spring.

Old Man Winter may be on his way, but with a little work now, you can lay the groundwork for a happy, healthy backyard that’s ready to thrive next season. For more backyard tips, visit www.hound-dog.com .

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A home backyard is a personnel and private space. The landscaping solution that will finally dwell in this space greatly depends on many factors.

Let’s see these factors one by one. I am not giving you an exact blueprint here but the information mentioned here will be a great starting point if you are planning to go for landscaping of your home backyard.

Gardening in the home backyard can be fun if you consider these few factors before starting out.

1) North direction..

One of the major factors in landscaping. Why? because the direction will decide how much direct sunlight the plants in the garden will receive. To illustrate this point have a look at the two images below.

This is cross section of home building which also shows the backyard area. Because of the sunlight coming from front side of the home, more than 50% of the backyard remains in shade that the building structure casts on the floor area.

On the other hand this building receives sunlight from behind so almost all the backyard area receives direct sunlight throughout the day.

So in both these cases the selection of plants and their maintenance will greatly differ from each other.

2) Nature of soil

This is very crucial for plant growth. It is a good idea to study the nature of soil before planting even a single tree or bush in your garden

3) Area of backyard as compared to area of the home building.

It is very important to note that any landscaping space when associated with your home is largely dependant of the architectural structure. What exactly do I mean here? Let’s see an example.

The area of the backyard will differ depending upon the function of the backyard. While designing the backyard look for following points.

What’s the use of this area? Is it a play area for children? if yes will it have a baby swimming pool (if the area permits), will it have a semi-open tent like structure, how many people will occupy this space at a maximum?

So human activity will greatly affect the landscaping design.

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