Ideas for Large Backyards With Small Budgets

July 3, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Today, I’m sharing gardening tips on ideas for large backyards.  Having a larger garden can be excellent. Not only will you be able to have a larger outdoor space to fully enjoy, you’ll have a chance to add animals, spend time with family, grow crops, and be more self-sufficient with your outdoor space. You can have fun with a large garden, though maintaining it may seem like the hardest thing that you could possibly do! 

A large garden gives you space to have a barbecue area, a patio, even a play area for your children.  You can even hire someone with AKRS Equipment to help keep it running smoothly if you have extensive acreage which is farmland.

 

 

  • ideas for large backyards

 

 

When you have a large backyard, you have lots of ways to use your space and and increase the value of your home. Maintaining a large backyard so that it stays looking good and healthy is important, and here’s how you can do it.

 

Ideas for Large Backyards: 

 

  • Use the right tools –  The larger your garden is, the more tools you’ll need to maintain it. You may need to look at things like tractors and large trailers.  You will need them to help you to clear some of the fields. The right equipment is a must.  For example, a riding mower will be a necessity too.  And, a wagon to haul compost and garden soil to various areas on your property should be added to your list.   
  • Establish a Routine – Your garden will constantly need upkeep.  You will need to mow the lawn, tend to plants and flowers, and clean up any mess at all times.  You will need to be able to maintain the interior of your home as well.  As a result, you won’t be able to get every single thing done in one day.  So, make sure that you get into a routine of keeping up with all of the clearing and keeping the place healthy. 

 

 

ideas for large backyards

 

 

  • Feature the Wild and Native Plants – If you have wildflowers or native bushes and plants growing on your property, make a beautiful garden where you can feature them. Keep large shrubs and trees trimmed and the area tidy.  They can become conversation pieces. 
  • Add Path Ways – A large garden is much easier to maintain when you add paving and paths to the space. It add way to stroll the property and admire the flowers and plants in the gardens and borders.  It also makes watering much easier.  
  • Weatherproof Benches and Seating – There will be some areas of the garden that require you to weatherproof it. For example, wooden benches, tables and chairs need to be protected from the weather.  

 

A large garden is going to take some time to install.  Call for assistance if you get too far behind in maintaining your property.  Solicit family, friends and other gardeners to help install and maintain your property if needed.  

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Lawn Repair Tips for Homeowners

June 26, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Today, I’m sharing gardening tips lawn repair tips for homeowners.  If you’re wondering how to create the perfect lawn, then you’re in the right place. In this post, we’re going to take a look at some lawn repair tips for homeowners that won’t break the bank, and will have your lawn looking good in not time.  

 

 

 

lawn repair tips

 

 

 

Lawn Repair Tips for Homeowners

 

Feed And Water Your Lawn Regularly 

While grass is hardy, it does better when you water and fertilizer it regularly.  Unfortunately, the underlying soil rarely contains all the nutrients that your soil needs.  Just like your flowers and vegetables need nutrients, so does your grass.  

You can pick up fertilizers from most garden centers and nurseries.  Be sure to read the packing.  It provides information on how to best use the product and when to combine it with watering.

Not only should provide food for your lawn, a lawn lacking sufficient water will turn yellow then brown. So if you want your grass to look verdant year-round, you’ll need to water it continuously. Look into a sprinkler system for a well maintained lawn.  

 

Only Remove A Third Of Your Grass’s Length When Mowing

Some gardeners can overdo their landscaping and lawn care. They adjust the blade on their mower so that they completely scalp the lawn, making it difficult for the grass to recover. So, think about it this way: you wouldn’t prune back a tree to the base of the trunk, right?  So you shouldn’t do the same with your lawn.

When mowing, set the blade so that it only removes a third of the length of the grass on your lawn. This way, you can keep the grass viable and healthy. During the height of summer when it is dry, you may wish to only remove a small fraction of the grass’s length.   

 

Start Over Seeding

If feeding your grass and regularly mowing it isn’t helping, then you can try over seeding. Over seeding involves scattering grass seed on your lawn.  This is a great way to fill in bald areas or areas that have lost thickness.  

Check out the varieties of grass seed available, and determine what areas in your lawn you want to overseed.  

Before you overseed, you’ll first need to mow, scarify (remove debris), aerate the lawn and provide a top dressing. Taking these steps will provide new seeds with the maximum chance of germinating.  Once you seed the lawn, you’ll need to keep it watered and do a top dressing.   

 

 

lawn repair tips

 

Remove Debris

So, you’ll want to remove any debris from your lawn. Things like leaves and twigs can prevent grass from accessing natural sunlight, leading to thinning patches, especially during the winter months. 

Use a lawn rake remove any clumps of grass, twigs and leaves.  Rake over as many areas as you can to keep your lawn looking healthy and beautiful. 

 

Top Dress Your Soil 

Next, top dressing is to improve the quality of existing soil, enhance draining, and build up your soil can it can help get rid of any imperfections. With regular top dressing, you can provide your grass with an optimal habitat in which to flourish and grow year-round. 

Before you buy any top dressing, however, you’ll need to check the soil type in your garden. Understanding your soil type, will ensure you add the appropriate nutrients for your lawn.  Your soil type can be loamy, sandy or clay.  You’ll need to match it to the top dressing to ensure that you can maintain your lawn sufficiently. 

 

Regular maintenance of your lawn will help keep it in good condition.  Mowing at the correct height, fertilizing, aerating, and regular watering should become a part of your lawn care routine.  

 

 

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The Top 5 Landscaping Trends of 2018

September 19, 2018 by 1 Comment

Every year, we see amazing new landscaping trends that inspire us to revitalize our outdoor living spaces.  A home is so much more than just the interior rooms.   It’s also the space outside your home, where you can enjoy time with friends and family.  I love gardening and just enjoying the nature and the beauty that surrounds me.  So, today I’m sharing gardening tips on landscaping trends.

 

landscaping ideas

 

 

2018 brings us landscaping trends that focus on turning the exterior of our homes into a true living space, for humans and wildlife. 2018 incorporated new plants and encouraged the integration of edibles and non-edible plants!

1.   Embracing Multipurpose Spaces

 

landscaping Ideas

Credit: Garden Design Magazine

 

Your backyard doesn’t have to be just for the kids to play or just where you grow veggies. Embrace multipurpose – everything in your backyard should have several uses.

A seat can also be a storage location for gardening tools or toys for your kids. A concrete fireplace can also serve as a planter or as a way to grill food by adding hooks for a grate. Garden Design Magazine shows us this beautiful fireplace that also serves as a place for family and friends to gather together. When you add elements to your landscape and yard, make sure they aren’t just a one purpose item.

Remember that your fence can be a place to hang flowering baskets or an area that a plant can grow upwards.

 

2.   Water Management

 

gardening ideas

Credit: Love Your Landscape

 

Sustainability is a popular word right now, and it no longer just means focusing on a sustainable lifestyle. A sustainable landscape influences how landscapes are created and maintained, especially when you focus on the years to come. One of the major trends in 2018 is focusing on eco-friendly watering practices

If you haven’t heard of xeriscaping, now is the time to learn about. Xeriscaping is about how to create a landscape that uses low-water plants and focusing on plants native to that particular region. It also uses trees and shade plants properly, as well as creating dry streams to utilize rainwater better.

Another trend that goes along with water management is incorporating succulents into the landscape. These plants come in exotic and fun shapes and forms. The benefit of using succulents in landscaping is that they are easy to maintain and create a fun statement. They are great for new gardeners!

 

3.   Colorful Plants

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gardening ideas

Credit: Love Your Landscape

 

Who wants a garden with just green or boring colored plants? Not you! 2018 brought us landscaping trends that jump with vibrant and creative plants. At one time, a garden of simple greenery was in, but this year, we saw landscape designers integrating plants with color like violets, verbena, iris, clematis, and other vibrant plants.

Another trend is using patterned plants that might have stripes or over intricate details. It wasn’t unusual to see plants with striped leaves or colored veins.

Some other exciting plants in the latest landscaping trends include:

  • Onyx Red Ornamental Pepper
  • Queeny Lime Orange Zinnia
  • Prima Ginger Coneflower
  • Rockin’ Deep Purple Salvia
  • Bee Balm
  • Sky’s Edge Scutellaria

 

4.   Creating Natural Habitats for Wildlife

 

landscaping ideas

Credit: Garden Design Magazine

 

Everyone knows that our bees are in danger, but did you know that our native pests and birds also need a home to live? Butterflies are on the decline, and habitat loss is a huge factor in the decline. Even frogs and turtles feel the loss!

As cities and suburbs continue to grow and expand, species are losing their homes. For years, gardeners and landscapers created designs without little thought to the wildlife. Now, landscapers realized that there is no reason that we cannot create beautiful, thoughtful landscapes that also meet the needs of the local wildlife, especially the ones in danger.

It isn’t unusual for people to create landscapes specifically for animals and wildlife. For example, you can include different plants that are loved by the monarch beautiful and become a verified monarch butterfly garden, where they might stop on their great migration.

 Here’s how you can create a habitat for wildlife:

  • Create seed-producing and berry-bearing plants
  • Don’t use any insecticides or pesticides
  • Replace some of your lawn
  • Don’t clear out your plants in the fall, allowing insects to overwinter in your garden

Make sure you include plenty of bee-friendly flowers in your landscaping to encourage pollination. Pollinators can also increase the yield of your flowering veggie crops like cucumbers, melons, and squash. Bees love flowers like zinnias, nasturtiums, alyssum, cosmos, and calendula. Calendula is also a well-known medicinal herb.

 

landscaping ideas

 

2018 brought the integration of new edibles, perennials, and funky plants to landscapes, commonly known as “food-scaping”, according to WikiLawn Fort Worth. Gardeners are more and more likely to experiment with new plants and finding cool ways to showcase the plants.

Right now, vertical gardens are hot! Grow a funky new cucumber variety up your privacy fence or grow pole green beans – that aren’t always green – along with your pergola.

There is a whole world of plants that you can grow. Perennial plants are a huge hit in 2018. Plant them one time and they continue to grow each year. Did you know there are perennial veggies, like asparagus and rhubarb? A single asparagus plant can produce for 20 years! That’s a lot of veggies!  Don’t you love this landscaping trend idea?

 

Try things like cucamelons, which are the size of grapes but taste like cucumbers. Plant a few ground cherries that are in the nightshade family but can be used to create pies and jams. So, experiment! Add new plants you’ve never tried before. It makes for an exciting and unique landscape.

Jackie Greene is a blogger, gardener, and nutrition enthusiast. She enjoys creating organic meals for family and friends using the fresh ingredients she produces from her backyard homestead.

Filed Under: Nature-Gardening, Outdoor Living Tagged With: , ,

Tips on Renovating Your Backyard

November 15, 2017 by 1 Comment

renovating your backyard

 

Now might not seem like the best time of year to get busy in the garden.  However, it is if you’re planning on a complete renovation.  Because it’s a big job, it’s likely to take a number of weeks or even months to complete.  So, if  you start now you should be ready by the spring to start enjoying your garden.  Here are a few tips on renovating your back yard:

Tear Out The Old

First, clear out the old to make way for the new. This could mean ripping up old decking slabs, getting rid of shrubs, or trees and hedges.  Additionally, knocking down walls that you no longer want. You will need to remove the grass and top layer of soil if you’re going to lay a new lawn.  Removing the old grass is going to be the hardest part. Considering hiring a professional company like https://www.fastskipbinsbrisbane.com.au/.  Additionally, be prepared to put in a whole lot of work. If you can, round up family and friends to help you.

Create a New Plan

Once everything has been cleared from the yard, you can evaluate the space and decide what you’re going to do next. For example, you can draw out scale plans of where you want everything to go.  This includes the lawns, flower beds, a pond and everything else.  This will give you an idea of how big individual components will be and how you want it to look.

Lay The Patio

Every garden will benefit from a patio. It’s space where you can put a table and chairs and sit outside. You can enjoy family meals outside when it’s warm.  Also, you can BBQ or enjoy a glass of wine while you enjoy the nice weather. Furthermore, you could lay some slabs or go with decking. Decking looks smart and works well for both large and small gardens.  Most importantly, it can add significant value to your property.  If you are a DIYer, consider doing the work yourself.  Installing composite decking will make your life even easier. This is because the wood fibers are blended with .  As a result, it’s naturally weather .  Furthermore, you won’t need to sand, stain or oil like wood decking.  It save time and money.

Build Ponds, Walls or Water Features

Before installing any grass or plants, you will want to build any of the structures you have planned for your garden. There are lots of Youtube videos and articles,  as well as design ideas on Pinterest.  Check them out for DIY ideas.

 

renovating your backyard

Put Down The Lawn

Lawns are a good choice in gardens.  They bring color to the garden in the winter and are nice to sit on during the summer. Over time lawns can start to wear.  So, every few years reinvigorating it is worthwhile. The trick to a great lawn is prepping the soil underneath.  It should be properly levelled, aerated and nourished before laying down your turf or grass seed. Get your edges dead straight for the best finish.  It leave you with nice neat flowerbeds around the perimeter. From there, you can fill your beds with shrubs, trees and flowers- choose varieties that flower at different times of year for the best effect.

 

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Tips on Making Gardening Easier

April 14, 2017 by 2 Comments

gardening tips

 

As life becomes more demanding, we realize that time is of the essence. Work, cooking, children, school runs, housework and laundry.  The list is never-ending.  But with summer creeping up fast, there’s another job to throw into the mix, gardening.  We all know that feeling when the neighbours look down their noses at us because our garden isn’t pristine and flawless.

­Fear not! There are ways to adapt your garden to make it far easier to manage and save you that all-important time. From storage to installing artificial grass, here are some methods and techniques you can use to make gardening  minimum effort and stress.  Check out our making gardening easier tips below.  I have other gardening tips too.

 

gardening tips

Artificial Grass

When it comes to grass, you can fake it all the way.  Artificial grass doesn’t need to be fertilized or watered.  And you don’t need the lawnmower anymore. Fresh green grass can make all the difference to a garden and totally transform an outside area. It looks so good that it can fool anyone into thinking that your synthetic turf is the real deal.

The design, texture and color make artificial grass feel just like a natural lawn. The best thing about it is that there is absolutely no maintenance required. You can install it and leave it to look amazing. It’s also environmentally friendly because there is no water usage, no carbon emissions from a petrol lawn mower and no fertilizers. It’s win-win.

Use Kitchen Scraps

A really easy way to give your soil some nutrients is to mix coffee grounds into the potting soil or sprinkle it near to the base of the plants. If you have rose bushes, you can also plant banana peelings underneath.  Banana peels will give them potassium, which will encourage them to flower. Egg shells are amazing for deterring slugs from your beds because they don’t like the sharp edges.

When your neighbors have a luscious vegetable patch, you will understandably want one too. Well, now you can grow your own vegetables with the help of your food scraps, saving time and helping the environment. Mushrooms, garlic, potatoes and celery are all vegetables you can regrow just from planting the scraps.

Storage

Smart storage of your gardening tools can save you time and money. Get a large box and fill it to the brim with sand. You can then easily store your tools in there, whilst keeping it in a warm and dry space. Just simply wipe away the dirt after use and stab the metal part into the sand. The sand will pull the moisture away, keeping your tools rust free and ensuring they remain sharp.

 

 

Add Mulch

Mulch is amazing, it gets rid of pests, stops beds from getting too hot or cold and prevents those annoying weeds from growing. You can even DIY mulch yourself – just grind down fallen leaves, dead wood, yard waste and even shredded office paper. Eventually, the homemade mulch will just turn into soil amendment.

Keep a Diary

It may seem like an added chore now, but it will save you time in the long run. Keep a little notebook which can be your gardening diary. Write down the things that do and do not work. It will be like gold dust to you during the following year because you’re bound to have forgotten by then! You can refer to it to easily to see what you need to do in order to maintain your beautiful garden.

Last, take the stress out of gardening with these top tips.  Making gardening easier is what you are striving for.  These tips will make your time spent pruning a little bit smoother. You will never have to feel ashamed of your garden again!

 

 

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Tips To Make Your Garden Gorgeous Again

March 16, 2017 by 4 Comments

Has your garden been out of action because of winter?  With the promise of spring, most of us are ready to get back outside.  It doesn’t matter whether you want to relax and entertain or grow new crops.  Now is the perfect time to get your garden back in shape.  Today, we will discuss tips to make your garden gorgeous again.  Check out my other gardening tips  before you leave too.  Now, lets get started.  

 

 

 

gardening tips

 

 

A Gorgeous Lawn

First, after a long winter chances are your lawn is looking incredibly tired.  A  lack of sunshine, watering and fertilizer has probably left it patchy and brown.  However, it can be salvaged.  Determine if it needs to be reseeded, aerated or weed control applied.  Spring is a good time to fertilize it as well.

If you decide to reseed your lawn, spring is a good time to implement a new one.  Start by cleaning out debris, such as twigs and rocks.  Next using a rototiller, turn over the top eight to ten layers of soil.  If you need to purchase a rototiller, check out these rototiller reviews.   Also, you may also consider hiring someone to till for you.  Remember, ground that is compacted won’t drain well.  Furthermore, grass will have a hard time taking root in compacted soil.

Be sure to till in organic matter to add nutrients.  Then level the area by raking it in different directions.  From there you can either sprinkle grass seed or lay down turf.  Spring is a good time to do this since it’s rainy and sunny.  If you’re re-installing a lawn in the summer you will need to water it far more often.

 

Stunning Flowerbeds

Check out your local garden center.  Going to a garden center, and picking out beautiful blooms is always fun. However it can be expensive, and most of the plants will be ‘annuals’.  Annuals only flower for one year and then die. If you want your pots and beds to spring into life each year, choose plants labeled ‘perennials’ or of course evergreens.

Another good gardening tip if you don’t want the hassle of replanting each year is to buy different bulbs. Go with flowers that bloom at different times of the year.  When one variety starts to fade another is just starting to flower. Right now the daffodils are up, and the tulips are on their way.  Plant some bulbs, and you’ll get a gorgeous display of color next spring.

 

gardening tips

 

 

A Patio Area

The great thing about having a patio in the warmer months is you have an additional ‘room’ to enjoy and entertain from.  Being able to dine out on warm evenings and weekends is a welcoming idea.  So, purchase a patio table and chairs. You could go with slabs, a deck, or even pea gravel.  Either way creating a section of the garden designed for sitting, relaxing and eating is important.

Another idea is to go with picnic style benches, outdoor sofas, or just classic garden furniture.  Add pots of plants to the area, and when hosting a party or barbeque string up some bunting and LED lights.  You could also consider a swing seat too.  It’s a perfect way to sit and relax with a cup of coffee in the daytime or a glass of wine in the evening!

 

A Pond For The Wildlife

If you want to attract wildlife into your garden, one of the very best ways to do this is with a pond.  Surround it with some ornamental grasses and brightly colored flowers.  Bees, butterflies, birds, frogs and other creatures will benefit.  Add a water fall to the pond. The trickling of water is relaxing, pretty to look at and can help drown out the noise of traffic and other street noise.  Adding  outdoor lights to the arrangement, and make a nice place to sit and relax on summer evenings.

 

 

gardening tips

 

 

A Handy Shed

To keep your garden looking it’s best, you will need a lawn mower,  various shovels, a leaf blower and a rake to name a few. Be sure that you have place to keep them safe, dry and tidy.  A garden shed would be perfect.  Furthermore, you can keep pots, garden soil and other odds and ends in there too.  If you only have a few things to store (or if you have a smaller garden) you could go with a outdoor wheelie instead. These are usually much smaller, made of plastic, and can be locked.

Have you put much thought into your garden yet this year?  We hope that you like our gardening tips, and will implement a few so you garden will be gorgeous too.  

Filed Under: Flower Gardens, Nature-Gardening, Outdoor Living Tagged With: , ,

Composting Leaves for Beginners

July 18, 2014 by
Today, I’m sharing gardening tips on composting leaves for beginners. Fall is a great time to start preparing  garden compost for backyard vegetable gardens.  Having rich soil is essential in for growing flowers and vegetables.  I started composting several years ago, so I could have readily available compost for my veggies.  

I started c0mposting with 2 compost bins that I use for kitchen scraps, yard cuttings, grass etc.  The compost bins weren’t breaking down fast enough for me, so I started composting my neighbor’s leaves.  I’m not sure that I will return to the compost bins after seeing the results of the composted leaves. I love how the leaves break down and how fast they return black gold to me.  The leaves are easier to compost, and they don’t require any work unlike the compost bins.

 

composting leaves for beginners

 

 

Composting leaves is simple, just leave the leaves in lawn bags and let them do their thing.  My neighbor brings me 15 – 20 bags each fall. However, there are other uses for the leaves too.  For example, the top picture is a bag that I use around my garden plants as mulch.  This year I created paths in the garden to keep the weeds down with them. Normally I use straw, but I didn’t purchase any this year so I had to use my leaves.

 

composting leaves for beginners

 

The above bag of leaves is in the mist of breaking down.  You can see where the leaves are decomposing in the bag.  Because I have 5 – 10 bags of black gold for the next year’s garden, the other bags can sit and decompose throughout the year.  So, stop burning those leaves and find a spot for them to decompose.  It’s easy!

Tips for Composting Leaves for Beginners:

1.  Remove large sticks, pine cones etc. from the leaves.
2.  Use inexpensive lawn bags to house them.  I purchase cheap ones from the Dollar Store.
3.  Crumble the leaves as much as you can before placing them in the bag.  Because my neighbor gives me her leaves, I have to open the bags and crumble them myself.  If you have kids let them crumble them.  It gets them involved in gardening. Or, use a weed wacker to break up the leaves.
4.  Wet the crumbled leaves thoroughly, seal the bag and place it in a spot where they won’t be disturbed. I use a stick and punch a few small holes in the bag so it will get water from the rain and snow during the winter months.


The picture below is a bag of leaves that have completely broken down into what gardeners call black gold. Every gardener wishes for black gold. This bag is beautiful and full of worms. It took a few years for the leaves to break down to this state, but it is so worth it. The compost in the bins isn’t close to being this rich.  I must say that I have not given the bins the attention that they require.

Compost bins must be heated up by using a certain amount of greens and browns, such as cuttings from the lawn, leaves, kitchen scrapes, newspaper, etc. It also requires water and turning.  My bags of leaves just require storage space, and nature does its thing.  I hide my bags behind one of my storage buildings.  The longer you leave them, the more they break down.  I love composting tips for beginners that are easy.  I thought you would feel the same.

 

composting leaves for beginners
 

Composted leaves will enrich your soil and help produce beautiful flowers and vegetables.  You can either till it into the garden or place a scoop into the hole before adding your plant. I also add a scoop around the base of my plants.  Simply use a small hand trowel to place the compost around the plant. Most importantly, the compost is organic and it’s free.

So, once the leaves have been raked and bagged it’s time to do fall lawn care.  Fall lawn care should include aerating the soil, fertilizing, over seeding and continuing weed control.  Aerating the soil is important, especially if you intend to overseed your lawn.  Aeration allows water, nutrients, and oxygen to get to the root of your lawn.  As a result, it also allows seeds to touch the soil and receive water when you overseed.

Finally, fertilizing your existing lawn is a step you should take in the fall.  The moisture on the lawn in the morning helps to absorb the fertilizer.  The fertilizer in turn, helps with the roots of the lawn.  Additionally, strong roots will produce a lush, green lawn in the spring.   We hope you found my composting leaves for beginners beneficial.
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