Each year we get one more thing done that makes our backyard our backyard. It’s a lot of hard work for us but worth the aching muscles. This year I will tackle the mess in the south-east corner of our yard so that we can put a nice flower bed there. Here’s what it looks like right now.

South-East Corner of Our Backyard Yard

Last year I cleaned up a section of our property fence that had suffered ice kill from a couple of rain storms that turned to ice. The ice was thick and then the snow turned back to heavy snow and the weight was just too much for most of the bushes.

It was a painful job as there are so many thorny bushes. Getting bundled up so no open skin shows helped but then the thorns grab your clothing as if they were trying to drag you into to some freaky alternate world.

We didn’t buy a chainsaw like I was going to, instead I will borrow Geoff’s chainsaw as he told me all I have to do is ask. It will make the job much easier and faster.

We are not sure what we will put there so I think for this year we will do a bit of container gardening in that spot just to try some plants to see what pleases us.

Almost all of us would prefer a natural look for our gardens.  Then also, we would like to give a touch of designing with the help of edging etc.  The fact is that edging can change the appearance of the garden.  Though various materials are available for constructing garden edges, you should make sure that they are neatly made with as much simplicity as possible.

You can create garden edges by utilizing rocks of varied sizes picked up from the premises of your house.  Another option is to avail the service of a mason who would create them with bricks.  The overriding factor that has to be remembered is that the appearance of the edge should go well with the final ambience of your garden.  If this factor isn’t looked after, garden edging would end in reducing the classy beauty of your garden.

In fact, edges contour the overall design scheme, being the outer perimeter of the garden.  You can buy fences, artificial rocks etc, but the genuine look of hedges and original stones would not be found in them.  Walls which are made of decorative concrete and stone mix add to the beauty along with improved resilience.  But the beauty which is provided by edging which is created from hedges is matchless.  Various other advantages are also there apart from giving a natural look.  Many friendly creatures like squirrels, sparrows, butterflies etc find a place of shelter in them.  At the same time you have to remember that their strength cannot be compared with edging done with stone and masonry walls.

The original shape of your garden can be saved with assistance from garden edging.  It’s correct that it may affect the fluidity of structure, appearance and beauty.  You can make your garden more attractive by making walkways, open spaces, lawns and using foliage to cover up the perimeters.

There is difference of opinion regarding the advantages and disadvantages of edging around the garden.  But its utility is unquestionable.  The sense of security it brings is unparalleled.  It provides a safe place for your kids to play without disturbance from outside.  So it is advisable to have one around your garden though you may not like it.  Wooden trellis, small fences etc with vegetation can also serve the purpose of a good garden edge.

I remember back when my mom told me about the birds and the bees, now it’s 50 years later and I’m looking at learning about the birds and bees again, just not in the same way.

Organic gardens involve the use of all-natural compost, garden tools and pest deterrents. When you’re flower gardening, you may want to consider creating an ecosystem where wildlife and other animals can thrive. Perhaps you enjoy the wonderment of walking through the garden and seeing ladybugs, praying mantises, dragonflies, hummingbirds and butterflies enjoying your natural creation as much as you do. Here are some gardening tips to create an enduring, wildlife-friendly garden.

If you are considering creating a garden that will catch the attention of song birds, then you can include a few special shrubs, annuals, perennials, cultivated and native vegetation to lure them to your backyard. By cultivating plants from each classification, you can supply fruits and seeds for every season to keep your feathered friends singing all year long. Make sure to provide a bird bath and throw seeds around in the winter to keep your bird clan happy.

Also, think about the fact that, in addition to your blooms, birds like trees for nesting, protection and shelter from the weather. Often the trees even supply food like berries, sap and seeds. You can choose leaf bearing trees such as black walnut, red mulberry, dogwood, sassafras, American mountain ash, chestnut, and hazelnut, as well as evergreen trees such as blue spruce, American holly, red cedar Douglas fir, white cedar, ponderosa pine and California juniper.

You may want to also consider flower gardening to attract red ladybugs and dragonflies too. These carnivores will eat the unsightly aphids, beetles, flies, mosquitoes and other pesky creatures that are doing damage to your garden. Favorite ladybug dinners include cilantro, dill, fennel, chamomile, cosmos, geraniums, penstemon, yarrow and coreopsis. Water gardens that are generally shallow but two feet deep in the center are the best way to lure dragonflies, who enjoy a cool swim and places to hide beneath garden plants. They also like pond lilies, buttonbush, seedbox and horsetail rush, as these provide the sort of cover dragonflies like.

Naturally, flower gardening to attract both hummingbirds and butterflies is ideal. Gardening tips suggest incorporating bee balm, California fuschia, salvia, columbines, daisies, sunflowers, marigolds, zinnias, peas, clover, mint, milkweed, parsley, violets and pansiesthe to increase your odds of keeping these creatures nearby. Nature stores also sell very effective red and yellow hummingbird feeders that these little winged beauties just love. Since hummingbirds can be pretty territorial, you might want to set up more than one in different locations around the yard if you notice the birds are coming to your home.

Everyone wants their property to look its best and one of the ways to do that is to enhance your landscaping. For some great suggestions on garden plants and how to get the backyard of your dreams, check out more landscaping gardening ideas here.

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Flower gardening can be simple but it can also be quite an art. I’m no artist but I do enjoy a great looking garden layout.

With each seasonal garden, you will come up with more ideas on how to enhance your backyard ecosystem. Many people enjoy reading about gardening tips on how to attract wildlife to their gardens. As a child, you may recall chasing yellow, orange and white butterflies, but perhaps you seldom see them anymore. Most of us remember our first glimpse of a tiny, delicate hummingbird or the first time a dragonfly touched our skin while we were floating on a raft at the lake. Certain plants are dynamos for luring these wonderful creatures to our back doorsteps. While you are free to incorporate whatever flowers you’d like into your garden, adding a few carefully chosen wildlife favorites will give you much more to gaze upon.

If you’re interested in creating a garden that will appeal to song birds, then you can incorporate a few special shrubs, perennials, annuals, cultivated and native foliage to draw them to your yard. By growing plants from each group, you can offer fruits and seeds for every time of the year to keep your feathered friends singing year round. Make sure to include a bird bath and toss seeds around in the wintertime to keep your bird family satisfied.

Furthermore, think about the fact that, in addition to your blooms, birds like trees for safety, nesting and refuge from the elements. Frequently the trees even supply food such as sap, seeds and berries. You can consider deciduous trees such as black walnut, red mulberry, dogwood, sassafras, American mountain ash, chestnut, and hazelnut, as well as coniferous trees including blue spruce, American holly, red cedar California juniper, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and white cedar.

Flower gardening is an important source of food for sparrows, finches and other songbirds. You can try perennials like penstemon, tickseed, bee balm, goldenrod, cosmos, purple coneflower and four o’ clocks, or you may try annuals like sunflowers, asters, bachelor’s button, spider flower, snapdragons and cockscomb. Garden guides also recommend planting shrubs and vines where birds can hide from predators and seek out food. Some tasty plants (like cherries and raspberries) are preferable to our flying friends, but they’re picked clean in a hurry. On the other hand, birds can be seen feasting all year long on elderberries, blackberries, huckleberries, chokecherries, bayberries, Oregon grapes, beauty-berries, silver-berries, blueberries, crab apples, cranberries and currants all year long.

Naturally, flower gardening to attract both hummingbirds and butterflies is ideal. Gardening tips suggest incorporating bee balm, California fuschia, salvia, columbines, daisies, sunflowers, marigolds, zinnias, peas, clover, mint, milkweed, parsley, violets and pansiesthe to increase your odds of keeping these creatures nearby. Nature stores also sell very effective red and yellow hummingbird feeders that these little winged beauties just love. Since hummingbirds can be pretty territorial, you might want to set up more than one in different locations around the yard if you notice the birds are coming to your home.

Your house may be beautiful, but if the surrounding area isn’t well maintained, it ruins the whole effect. Home gardening can make a tremendous difference in the appearance of your property. Visit the Landscaping Ideas site for some fabulous ideas to add class and style to your property.

When landscaping your yard you want to find things that will complement each other. Hedges along with flowers and trees can make for a dramatic enterance to your home. Planting hedges to ensure some privacy is an ideal way to incorporate them into your overall design.

Hedges are plants that are placed in the form of a wall and are available either in deciduous or evergreen varieties. Evergreen include both broad leaf and standard needle types and deciduous shrubs include lilac, rose of Sharon, azaleas and forsythias, just to name a few. Your choices when it comes to such shrubs will be strongly affected by your choice to have flowers in the warm months, or continued privacy in the cold months. Evergreen is a stand out choice for year round privacy.

Think about using evergreen broadleaf for privacy, holly is a good example. Their prickly leaves discourage both people and animals from entering your yard, potentially protecting your vegetation. In cold, windy climates where you are required to put up a snow fence each winter, many municipalities will accept a proper hedge in lieu of fencing. When it comes to beauty, a hedge is by far the winner over a fence. Your local landscaping expert will have many ideas to help you decide.

Many hedges will add flowering beauty to your yard along with privacy. Forsythia is often the first of the spring bloomers. As soon as the winter snows start to melt, forsythia shrubs send out busts of yellow, cheerful flowers that will make you smile in anticipation of the returning warmth of spring. Azaleas, a much shorter shrub, can be used to make moderate hedges, and produces beautiful blooms in dozens of colors. While flowering shrubs can make beautiful hedges and give you some privacy during the warm months, come winter they lose their leaves and they spent the cold weather bare and see through.

For taller hedges you might want to consider adding some arborvitae trees to your landscaping. These Cyprus relations grow more like shrubs and don’t tend to reach the heights of traditional Cyprus trees. If your yard is large, the hedge may be just what you are looking for to add a border or privacy. Growing well in climate zones two through seven make them ideal for most of the USA.

If you grow a hedge, especially if you want a formal look, you are going to have to do some trimming. A hedge is, after all, composed of various plants placed closely together, and each will grow in its own way and at its own pace. The result is disharmonious. Properly pruned hedges will be wider on the bottom than on top. This allows adequate light to reach the bottom of the plant. Invest in a light but effective hedge trimmer and use stakes, string and guides, placed before you start, to create an even line and appropriate look for your landscaping. If you try to shape a hedge by eye, you will end up with an uneven mess.

A hedge can become a wonderful maze with a little work. The hedge can add more then beauty to your landscaped yard, it can add elegance as well. Well worth the effort of planting and maintaining, hedges have been with us for centuries, and will be here for a long time to come.