"Since you installed my Zeon Zoysia lawn, I have had at least 100 people ask how I get the lawn to look so great." Patrick in Flower Mound, Texas.
"My grass is the best on the block and my neighbors are grateful they no longer have to look at dirt and tree roots in my lawn." Mia in Frisco, Texas.
Zeon is a fine-bladed Zoysia grass. It has a beautiful dark green color and soft leaf texture making it a true “barefoot lawn grass.” Zeon Zoysia’s extensive root system allows it to quickly recover from drought, it can handle full sun, and has excellent shade tolerance only requiring as little as 3 hours of direct sunlight.
Intermediate in its growth and recovery rate Good to excellent winter hardiness and will persist in the Southern states.
Thrives in hot and relatively cold conditions High-density growth pattern
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LANDSCAPING AND DESIGN
Unity. Scale. Balance.
At Darbo Design Builld we pride ourselves on top-quality design and installation. Our focus is on the design principles of unity, scale, balance, simplicity, variety, emphasis, and sequence as they apply to line, form, texture, and color. These elements are interconnected to provide our customers the most aesthtically pleasing final product.
Our landscaping plans can include natural elements (flowers, trees, and grass) as well as man-made elements such as lawn furniture, fountains, firepits and other outdoor features, and sheds. We also can assist with landscape designs that include overlays for irrigation and lighting. Contacts us today to learn more.
Contact us today and find out how we can help.


Kirstenbosch Garden Highlights
- 500 hectares, 2,500 different species of flora
- First botanical garden in the world to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Don’t miss the Boomslang Canopy Walkway, a 130m-long walkway over the trees in the gardens Arboretum
About Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Enjoy a day out at South African’s most acclaimed national garden. Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain, the park offers over 500 hectares of lush landscaped gardens and numerous walking and hiking trails. Experience over 2,500 different species of flora, many of which are found only in the Cape Town region. Roam the Protea Garden, filled with South African’s national flower, smell the plants at the Fragrance Garden and learn about nature’s healing qualities at the Medicinal Garden. The Boomslang walkway, a canopy in the treetops, is a highlight of the gardens, offering a 12 metre high aerial view of garden’s impressive Arboretum.
The Botanical Gardens History
The land that would become Kirstenbosch was used by the Khoikhoi people for cattle grazing for thousands of years. In 1911, the newly established Chair of Botany at the South African College, Harold Pearson recognised the need for a botanic garden in Cape Town. When he was taken to see the land at Kirstenbosch, he knew it was the perfect location. The government then set aside the estate for the establishment of a national botanic garden, and by July 1913 the area was officially on its way to becoming the stunning gardens we have today.
Kirstenbosch Gardens Opening Times for 2019
|April – August||Open||Close|
|September – March||Open||Close|
Directions to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Advice for Visiting Kirstenbosch Gardens
A trip to the Kirstenbosch can easily become a whole day’s adventure. On a sunny day, arrive in the morning to capture the early light in your floral photographs. Throughout the park, there are a number of marked information points, detailing the flora and fauna on display. Don’t miss the Boomslang Canopy Walkway, a 130m-long walkway that winds and dips its way over the trees in the gardens Arboretum.
Did you know
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is the first botanical garden in the world to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Dry laying on grass allows the creation of paths and areas that integrate well both with the surrounding landscaping and a variety of architectural contexts.
20 mm, posa su erba
Used in this way, is ideal not only for the gardens and paths of homes and residential complexes, but also for those of larger private and public parks and leisure areas.
The key benefit are:
- Easy removal and repositioning
- Cost savings, as no skilled labour is required
- Immunity to moulds and chemicals*.
* Except for hydrofluoric acid and its compounds.
Preparing the substrate
- Arrange the slabs on the ground to decide the layout, and for “stepping stone” walkways, the pace length, so that the slabs are placed at regular intervals
- Mark out the edge of each slab with the aid of a spade
- Lift off the slab and dig out the turf to a depth of about 5-6 cm within the perimeter marked.
Add a layer of gravel to provide an even,stable substrate. A layer of at least 3 cm of gravel with particle size over 4 mm is recommended.
Laying the slabs
- Position the slabs so they are 0.5-1 cm below the surface of the ground to ensure an even walkway surface.
- Flatten the edges around the slab with a rubber hammer until it is level with the ground surface
The gaps between the slabs should be chosen depending on the overall appearance required.


Grow vegetables or flowers anywhere you like. The perfect, attractively designed, contained solution is the Raised Garden Bed. This special 2 pack creates a set of beds that are 120cm long by 120cm wide and 28cm high each. They can be placed separately or, because of the ingeniously thought out post design, joined together to create a 366cm bed. Purchase as many units as you'd like to design the worry-free garden bed of your dreams. This garden bed requires zero tools for assembly - all posts slide and lock into place easily and conveniently.


The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,600 exceptional private gardens in England and Wales, and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake.
Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors The National Garden Scheme has donated over £60 million to nursing and health charities and made an annual donation of £2.88 million in 2020. Beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.
“The National Garden Scheme doesn’t just open beautiful gardens for charity – we are passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of gardens too. We also support charities doing amazing work in gardens and health and grant bursaries to help community gardening projects.”
From Wood Green there are currently 4 local gardens within 4 miles of the town centre which are open to visitors, these are located within Bounds Green, Muswell Hill and Golders Green. Click here to find a garden. (external link)


About Master Philadelphia Pavers Guys
Driveway Pavers in Philadelphia. Interlocking Pavers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Master Philadelphia Pavers Guys can give you the best driveway pavers in Philly! We only work with the top materials which means that whether you decide to get brick, travertine, old Chicago pavers, cobblestone, concrete, asphalt or a material that isn’t even listed here, it will still be the best paver job you could ask for.
The best paving contractors in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are fully licensed, fully trained paving experts. This means that whether we are installing brick or interlocking pavers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it will all be of the same amazing quality that you cannot get from any other paving company in Philadelphia. Don’t believe us? Well, we don’t want you to try another, lesser company and waste money so… just take our word for it!
Driveway Paver Company and Patio Paver Company in Philadelphia, PA. Patio Paver Installation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Our team of amazing designers and paving contractors in Philadelphia, PA can give you a driveway that not only fits your style, but also fits your budget as well. We will be here with you every step of the way to discuss what you want and how you can best maintain it. Even if the top rated pavers installation company in Philadelphia, PA do an awesome job installing your pavers, you still have to do an awesome job maintaining them.
Time for the quote of the day! That’s all you have to do to start your paver process with pavers installations in Philadelphia, PA. You help us by measuring you driveway and giving us the most accurate info you can, and we will help you by coming around and making sure all that information is solid so we don’t overcharge you for unneeded materials. Sounds like a plan?
Your patio or driveway can be the one you always wanted with some help from Philadelphia, PA pavers installation company for driveways/patios/concrete/outdoor. We like to say that we are working only with the top materials… because we are. Some other companies may say that but they don’t actually. With Philadelphia Pavers Guys, you can trust that it’s the truth. When you let the best driveway and patio paver company work on your business or home, you won’t regret it.
Top Quality Paver Materials from Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Top Paver Company.
You want to use garbage and hope it lasts forever? Hah! Just like that one shirt I got, I had to pay twenty dollars and after one wear it was done. Do you want to spend thousands on you driveway pavers in Philadelphia only to have a closer look when the installers leave and see that the entire job is full of mistakes? Imagine the stress, the anger, the sadness… Do you want that? Of course, you don’t. That’s why you aren’t going to settle for paving companies near me, you are going to choose a top-rated pavers installation company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You do know what to do now right? Pick up the phone and give us a call.


As the earth’s green cover continues to shrink and global warming and climate change become more imminent, it’s more important than ever to be conscious of the fragile ecosystem we live in. Across the country, a growing number of individuals and organisations are adopting the Miyawaki method of afforestation, named after Japanese botanist and plant ecologist, Akira Miyawaki, who pioneered this method of growing dense urban forests on small patches of land. What’s unique about these forests is that they grow much more quickly compared to a conventional forest that may take over 100 years. Here’s an explainer on the Miyawaki forest, how to grow one and why this form of urban afforestation is gaining popularity in the country.
Who is Akira Miyawaki?
Born in 1928, Japanese botanist and ecologist Akira Miyawaki is one of the foremost experts on forest ecology and is responsible for spearheading the Miyawaki Method of planting forests. This was largely driven through his education and learnings of potential natural vegetation (PNV) and phytosociology (plant sociology). It was through this that he developed what has now come to be known as the Miyawaki method of producing naturally biodiverse forests. Miyawaki was also influenced by the chinju-no-mori or sacred forests surrounding Japanese shinto shrines and cemeteries, home to a variety of indeginous plants, that played a key role in his studies. Armed with these findings and his own expertise, he developed his signature method of planting forests.
What is a Miyawaki forest
Designed by Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s, these urban forests are grown using the Miyawaki method. Such forests can be grown in small patches in urban areas or even in your backyard, and typically make use of native or local seeds and saplings. What’s unique about this? These forests grow quickly in small areas and consist of densely packed trees and shrubs, ideal for cluttered urban landscapes. The plants and trees grow upwards towards the sunlight and the biodiverse forest also attracts fauna like butterflies and bees that are beneficial for the ecosystem.
What is the Miyawaki method
The first step begins with locating an area that is at least three to four meters wide and is well-exposed to sunlight, preferably eight hours or more. You then prepare the soil so that its composition is ideal for growth. Typically, perforators like wheat husk or corn husk are used for water to seep through the soil, along with cocopeat that helps the soil to retain moisture. Manure or organic fertilisers can also be used to make the soil fertile. The next step is choosing different varieties and native species of plant saplings for instance, neem, jamun or tamarind to create a biodiverse forest space. Ideally, different species of plants should be placed together so that no two saplings of the same species are planted together. The saplings should also be planted in a multi-layer fashion beginning with a shrub layer (up to six feet), followed by a sub-tree (up to 12 feet) and tree layer (up to 25 feet), and ending with a canopy layer (up to 40 feet). Saplings should be planted, maintaining an approximate 60-centimetre distance between them and should have bamboo sticks tied to them so they remain upright. Once everything has been planted, make sure to water the patch everyday.
Source: Do it Yourself guide by Afforestt via Citizen Matters
How many Miyawaki forests are there in India and where are they?
The Miyawaki Method is ideal for growing forests in a shorter period of about 20-30 years, including smaller green patches that grow in two years, unlike naturally-grown forests that may take more than 100 years to grow. These forests are known to be 30 times more dense, grow 10 times faster, have very little maintenance after two to three years of planting them, and don’t require too much space. It’s for all these reasons that this method is finding resonance with several individuals and organisations.


Contractor – Wates Construction
Value - £3.6m
Duration – September 2011 – November 2012
The 12 million regeneration of Birmingham’s Eastside district is the first inner city park to be constructed within Birmingham for over 130 years. The scheme which combines a mixture of over 4000m2 of hard landscaping, a concrete linear water feature of over 180m long, numerous benches, a children’s play area and nearly 7 acres of green space are included in the area adjacent to Millennium Pont and the historic Curzon Street Station.
Working closely with Wates within tight budgetary constraints – Hillstreet were on site throughout the duration of this prestigious scheme to deliver the quality of product synonymous with our reputation. Works on the scheme included demolition, S278 highway works, earthworks, drainage, service diversions, duct installations, irrigation pipe work installation, underground plant rooms, foundations and a variety of hard landscaping materials.


A large, showy shrub, the PG Hydrangea was sent to the USA from Japan in 1961. They thrive in Eastern North Carolina from mid summer through early fall, seemingly immune to the severe weather conditions that usually accompany summers here. When it comes to hydrangeas, PG’s are the strongest of all. The huge flower clusters open as pure white blooms from 18 inches long and nearly a foot wide.
The show continues throughout the summer. In late summer, the cones turn a pretty pink and when Autumn arrives, the blooms morph into a beautiful shade of rust with gray-green leaves. Easy to grow, PG’s like moist, rich, well drained soil and grow to an average height of six to eight feet. They prefer full sun to partial shade. Great fun to photograph, they are one of the few blooms that last throughout the summer. Thanks for the visit and have a great week ahead. See you next time.


Fall will be arriving soon. It’s time to prepare the garden for a rest. I start by walking around the flower beds and see what needs to be divided and transplanted. I like to divide many of my perennials in fall, for several reasons. First, the plants will come up next spring looking whole. Second, I can see how big things have gotten and where I have holes to fill. Third, cooler temperatures make it easier for the plant to recuperate from being separated. And fourth, recent transplants need extra water, which fall rains can provide.
Cut Back Perennials
Cut back most of your perennials before snow comes. A good general rule is to cut back to two or three inches above the ground, leaving only little stubs. You may want to leave some perennials standing in the garden to add interest to the winter landscape, such as ornamental grasses. Also, some plants provide seeds for the birds to feed on during the fall and winter seasons.
Clean up Annuals
After the first frost, pull up any annuals that have turned to mush and toss them on the compost pile. Bring your flower pots in out of the elements, after plants have been discarded. Once everything is cut back and cleaned up it’s time to add mulch. Go ahead and cover the crowns of all your plants with 3 to 4 inches of naturally colored mulch. Once your flower garden is fully winterized you can relax because your plants won’t need you again until spring.
Country Visions Country Stores have educated and experienced employees to help with your lawn and garden questions. Contact us for products and information from planting spring flowers and gardens to deer plots and ponds.
Article provided by Kay Holschbach, Valders' Country Store


I’ve been uploading photos of my garden on my Sunday Posts, which have been getting a lot of positive comments, so I have decided to feature the pics in their full size, so you can see some of the detail. This week, I am featuring some of the yellow and gold-coloured foliage in my garden, because it is mostly plants with striking foliage that attract me and while last week I featured the dark, or bronze coloured foliage, there needs to be a splashes of brightness to sing out and cheer me up during the long dreary days of winter. Here they are…
How lovely, Sarah! I love fuschia but all mine have darker leaves and paler flowers. They are beautiful though! You will also be happy to hear I cut my rose bush right back and it has so much new growth now! 😀
Glad the rose is responding to the prune so well:)). There are so many different types of fuschia – and I think I know the one you mean – dark, glossy leaves and shell-pink, dainty flowers and drip from the plant like little ballerinas…
That’s exactly what it looks like! 😀 All the buds died when I first planted it and I thought it was a goner… so I plucked all the withered buds off and it has gone wild ever since! I’ve never seen so many flowers on one!
Oh that’s brilliant:))
Your photos just make me happy😁 I love the Rheingold and the conifer especially!
I’m so glad you like them, too! I neglect my garden shamefully – but I do love it…
I love seeing your photos of the plants in your garden, you have some really lovely ones. I particularly love the conifer with the gold-edged leaves, the cute Rheingold and the fuschia. I keep writing down the name of the plants you mention so I can look them up when we’re ready to sort our garden out. 🙂
Oh that’s a huge compliment, Hayley! Living here on the south coast of England, we have a reasonably mild climate with lower than average rainfall in comparison to the rest of the country. That means we get not too many frosts during an average winter and more sunshine hours than most of the country.Our soil is excellent, though slightly alkaline, so I cannot grow things like azaleas, for instance. Both the conifer and the dear little Rheingold thuja are relatively slow-growing – which is a consideration. I hope that helps!
Thank you for all that info and advice, I really appreciate it. I have no idea about plants – so far it’s been a case of plant and hope!
You need to discover what soil type you have and take into account the direction of the sun as it shines into your garden and your overall climate. If you choose plants that thrive in your growing conditions, most of the stuff you plant will be reasonably happy. When folks struggle, it’s because they haven’t taken those issues into consideration.
Thanks so much for this guidance. I have no idea about gardens. I’ve finally found house plants that are thriving in my home and so feel I might be able to think about the garden. I need to do some research about the soil next and then have a look online. I really do appreciate your help 🙂 x
You can get a soil-testing kit from any garden centre to discover whether your soil is acid or alkaline. And how heavy your soil is – is it sandy and easily dries out? Thin sandy soil tends to run through your fingers when it’s dry and doesn’t have many worms. Or thick clay? If you squeeze it when it’s wet, does it stay in that shape and does the rain pool on the surface? Both these extremes soil can be a problem – but once you know, you can find out online how to fix them and what sorts of plants will tolerate those conditions. That is always the key – find out what plants will thrive in the growing conditions in your garden – otherwise it just becomes an expensive heartbreak. So very glad to help!x
Once life gets back to a bit more of normality I shall get a soil-testing kit and start from there. Our soil is closer to clay but it’s not as clay-like as the soil in my late Mum’s garden, I know she found it such a pain to find the right plants at first. Thanks again for all of your help, I really do appreciate it. x
You’re very welcome. Once you understand the dynamic of selecting plants that will be happy with the growing conditions you can provide for them, you’re well on your way:)). Good luck – because that helps too!
Thank you again, you’ve been so helpful. 🙂 x
My pleasure, Hayley:))
Lovely, lovely, lovely!!!
Thank you, Rae:)). I’m delighted you like them so much!
How lovely! My Grandad (also in the South of England) spends a lot of time in his garden and they love to send me pictures too. Unfortunately I just have a balcony with very little light!
Thank you, Katie:). I am not a particularly avid gardener, but I do love being out there – especially this year – and my plants have come to mean a great deal to me…
So pretty, Sarah!
Thank you, Jennie:))
You’re welcome, Sarah!
These plants are so gorgeous! I’m really really really hoping that next summer we can finally afford the landscaping to tidy up our jungle of yard. The hope is to utilize lots of lavender bushes, though I’d love to plant a fruit tree or two, as well!


Date of Submission:
Urban planning is both a technical and political process that is concerned with the development and planning of land use, environment use and its protection. It also deals with the growth and functioning of urban cities and towns and development of infrastructures such as transport, communication and distribution networks. It is also primarily concerned with the planning of resources such as water and air. A few basic principles such as development densities, architecture, sustainability, planning, mission and goals of the urban development are crucial when it comes to urban planning.
Savannah is a coastal city in the state of Georgia that is separated from South Carolina by the Savannah River. It is a city with well-manicured parks, non-modern architecture with a historic district filled cobblestoned squares and parks. Most of the trees found in the district are oak trees covered with Spanish moss and at the centre of the district is the scenic landmark which is the Gothic Revival Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. The city is also known for the presence of horse-drawn carriages.
The initial urban planning of Savannah was done by Oglethorpe in the 1730’s. The Oglethorpe plan was seen to embrace all major themes of enlightenment from science, humanism and even the secular government and would have neither aristocracy nor slavery (Conzen, Michael P., pg 17). The plan also stood out because it embodied the social, military, environmental and philosophical needs of the citizens. The plan was seen to make unique use of squares that led to the city having a street pattern that creates a rhythm of strategically placed openings that gives the town its unique sense of space and solidity in the township.
The basic design unit for the town was the ward. Each ward consists of four residential blocks and four civic blocks arranged around a centre square. Each residential block had ten houses and had a square mile of land for farming. The original numbers of wards laid out in Savannah were six which are now twenty-four (Reps, John William, pg 247). The city, however, does have a modern street grid outside the historic district which also follows the original system of a right of way for gardens, farms and villages that make up the city of Savannah. The streets allowed uninterrupted movement in traffic and the internal streets were designed to be pedestrian friendly. To this day, Savannah retains much of the Oglethorpe original plan and by this has been a reason for increased tourism in the city.
The fact that Savannah still retains its historic, unique city plan is seen to have a negative impact on the neighbourhood in low-income households as gentrification has been rampant leading to displacement especially the low-income households. This can be attributed to the presence of the historical preservation movement encouraging people to return to historic districts. The refurbishing and refining of these houses are leading to an increase in the rent and property taxes of the very houses and thus increasing the rate of displacements for households that can’t seem to afford the high prices. Rehabilitation of the historic houses has led to a movement of high-income earners into these houses as they have ease of access to transport facilities and most end up being nearer their places of work. Rehabilitating and refurbishing the houses into their historic form has led to an increase of tourism in the area which has ended up helping to boost the economy of the town.
The neighbourhood has utilised the land space it has to accommodate ease of transport for both motorists and pedestrians by the strategically placed streets and inner streets. The availability of the kitchen gardens in the historic homes has also helped in the utilisation of land for subsistence agriculture and beautification purposes. The plan and design of the city will not change anytime soon, and this can be attributed to the presence of the Historic Preservation Movement tasked with the role of preserving the historic homes and refurbishing. The areas surrounding Savannah, however, are likely to change to mitigate the negative effects gentrification is having on the city (Levy, John M. , pg 24). There is a task force in place that is dealing with the planning of land use, zoning, affordable housing and development to revitalise and stimulate residents living in the vulnerable neighbourhoods of Savannah. This is also to reduce the negative effects that have been brought about by gentrification.
With the current planning regulations that require urban areas to be zoned, have affordable housing, economic development, education, training and redevelopment programs and economic land use Savannah will end up being a more favorable place to live as it will have integrated both the historic designs and planning and the metropolitan and urban development and planning designs. This will help retain the already existing tourism industry in the city as well as accommodate the low-income households who will not have to lose their houses due to high rent charges and property taxes that are imposed when the area turns to be a boom regarding investments.
Conzen, Michael P. “The study of urban form in the United States.” Urban Morphology 5.1 (2001): 3-14.
Levy, John M. Contemporary urban planning. Taylor & Francis, 2016.
Reps, John William. The making of urban America: A history of city planning in the United States. Princeton University Press, 1965.


Once you figure out what kind of yard you are growing and also where you will put it, you need to begin thinking of ideas on just what to do with your garden setting. This is an important step when designing a yard. The initial point you need to do is pick out a material to make use of for borders. You will want to divide your garden from yard as well as various other plants. An additional great idea is to have some sort of mesh assistance for your new plants. Lots of people will certainly choose either a metal or a timber barrier for their garden. Boards stacked up around a garden will offer it the nice wood-cabin effect. Or you might obtain some economical steel lining from your neighborhood Menard’s or Home Depot. This stuff is quite very easy to set up as well as gives a very contemporary look to your yard.
Another option might be to build your boundary from flagstone. This natural stone material is fantastic for buildings paths, outdoor patios, outside fire places, as well as tree borders. Obviously, there are additionally other rock materials you could make use of. Another thing you intend to take into account is some sort of support for your plants. Many horticulture stores market little, cone-shaped mesh sustains to help hold up your plants. Once they obtain sufficient stamina to hold themselves up, you would simply reduce the assistance away. You could then measure the number of cubic feet your garden is, which informs you how much dirt you need. I constantly prefer to get a few added bags just making certain I have sufficient for the job. Additionally if you are working on extremely completely dry, fractured ground that has a lot of rocks as well as crushed rock, you should include a couple inches of dirt into the suggested depth.
Plant setup is one more essential decision you will need to make when creating your garden. Particular plants may hog all the water as well as not let others obtain any type of, so you need to make sure you have a great watering system. Place these plants next to a plant with weaker, much shorter roots, as well as your asking for calamity. Horticulture could be one of one of the most gratifying tasks you will ever do. It can likewise be one of the most times consuming. It matters not if your garden allows or little, or if you plant it increased beds or in plant pots – you need to begin with a yard layout. Prior to developing your yard, you should have a concept of exactly what you want to plant and exactly how large your yard is going to be. It is also crucial to consider the topography of your yard when you make a decision to plant by gardening intel. Some issues with the topography may have to be managed initial before you could start growing, especially if you will be gardening in an area that is not leveled.


How to Start a Square Foot Vegetable Garden
A square foot garden is easy to manage and can be used with minimal investment. Using a raised bed garden is also an excellent way to have a garden without tilling the ground or when you are dealing with infertile soil on your property. The steps are very simple to getting started on your own square foot garden. The first step is planning and gathering your materials.
Step 1: Planning Your Garden
When designing your own square foot garden you will want to begin by choosing and gathering your materials. The first thing to consider is whether or not you want the garden to be directly on the ground. If not, you can build a raised garden bed by adding a bottom and legs to the main grid where you are planting. All you need to get started is a piece of untreated plywood and some plain two by four pieces of wood cut into one foot sections. You will want to avoid using chemically treated wood since the chemicals can seep out into your soil. Plain wood will last for several years and doesn't contain these harmful chemicals.
This space saving technique can also be very affordable if you use materials that are salvaged from other projects. If you don't have access to recycled wood, you will want to visit your local home improvement store to find the materials you need. You will also need screws to put the grid of squares together. Screws can be purchased by the box to save time and money. A good option is standard one inch wood screws. The wood you will need can vary based on the size of your garden. A standard two-by-four or two-by-six piece of wood will make about two square foot spaces for your garden. After gathering enough materials for the project you will begin working on making a grid of square foot sections.
Step 2: Building Your Garden
To begin building your square foot garden you need to make a grid on your plywood. You can mark the grid with a straight line, which can be purchased at any local hardware store for just a few dollars. For each one foot section you will also need to plan how you are going to cut the two-by-four or two-by-six. Having a blueprint and plan ready can make the project a lot easier by reducing the amount of cutting that needs to be done. The first step is to complete the outer edge of the garden, then work on completing the inside squares. In general, this process is easiest when you complete either the wide or long sections first. This will allow you to use long boards for one direction in the grid. You will then cut sections to complete each square foot section to make the grid.
There are a few things to consider when making a square foot garden that may not be obvious for first time builders. For example, you will want to make sure that the garden has a good drainage system in place and that you have a plan for irrigation. The drainage system is very simple. You can raise your garden bed a few inches by cutting small pieces of your leftover wood and screwing them to the bottom corners of your garden box when it is finished. Drilling holes in the bottom of the box is also necessary to allow excess water to drain easily. Irrigation systems can also be easy and affordable. You can use a water hose that you have prepared by pricking small holes every few inches to water your garden. This type of irrigation system can be turned on in the evening to water the garden as needed.


Free Tree Society wants you to grow your garden instead of paving over it
A paved lawn is not necessarily a clean space.
Through beautiful drawings, VERNADOC wants to spread vernacular architecture awarenessThrough beautiful drawings, VERNADOC wants to spread vernacular architecture awareness VERNADOC Malaysia aims to make vernacular architecture appealing to non-architects and architects alike, and keep the heritage alive. By Charlene Liaw | June 6, 2018 VERNADOC Malaysia wants to also shine the spotlight on hand-drawn technical drawing before it fades as a practice in the [...]
The city is wild, and The Rimba Project wants you to document its biodiversity
Biodiversity is not just about untouched forests.


Please note that each job and project is different. For best results, please contact our dispatch staff to ensure the exact material needed.
1″ top size limestone with no fines. Commonly used as base under concrete, garage floors, drain tile, etc. Most commonly used size stone in ready mixed concrete.
Class I Sand
Limestone dust commonly used in barn stalls, riding arenas. Packs down well.
Dense Grade Aggregate (DGA)
1″ top size limestone with 50% dust. Commonly used for driveways. Packs down well.
3/4″ top size limestone with no fines. May be used in concrete production.
1/2″ top size limestone with no fines. Commonly used in crawl spaces, dog pens, stemming, water lines and greenhouses.
2 1/2″ top size limestone. Commonly used for base in roads.
Channel Liner #2
6″ limestone commonly used for drainage pond dams and ditch lines.
#67 River Gravel
3/4 inch smooth river stone used in exposed aggregate concrete as well as decorative landscaping.
3/8″ Smooth River Gravel
3/8″ smooth river stone used in exposed aggregate concrete as well as decorative landscaping.


- The monument ring construction will begin proceeding again after a short delay. In order to build it properly, we need to insure that the prep work is done well and to our specifications. This has taken a little longer than expected but is now moving once again.
- Replacement of the sidewalk had a couple of glitches. When it was removed, we discovered electrical lines for our lighting and irrigation that were not up to today's construction standards. We have received approval of our plan to remedy this and will begin work this week to properly place the lines so sidewalk construction can start.
- We anticipate the concrete work for the monument and sidewalks will also commence this week which will be bringing us near the end of our construction phase of the project.
- Landscaping the area will begin soon as well. We've added some improvements to the entrance to the area from Lawson Ct. This area will be much improved with new plants that will be more drought resistant as well.
Check out ore new aerial photo above of the Crossings and surrounding area. We'll have this picture and a similar one taken in the late 1960's on display in our business office soon.
Mark Weinmann, Cowell Smokestack Project Manager, CHOA


Making a good first impression with your home starts with increasing it’s “curb appeal.” Curb appeal refers to how visually attractive your home appears when seen from the street. It’s often the first glimpse potential buyers experience, sometimes craning their necks while driving past. Curb appeal is a crucial part of home selling. Remember, you’re not just selling a house, you’re also selling the environment that cradles it, like an oyster shell cradles a valuable pearl.
Curb appeal extends beyond mere selling. It’s also a form of home improvement which makes your home more cost-effective, more comfortable, and a value-add to your neighborhood. Here are 6 straightforward landscaping tricks that are guaranteed to increase your home’s curb appeal.
These 6 Straightforward Landscaping Tricks Increase Curb Appeal
- Plant trees — Healthy, well-situated trees obviously increase curb appeal by making your house prettier, but did you know that the property value increase of trees can be assigned a dollar value? It’s because trees provide benefits that can actually be measured. They reduce pollution and energy costs, and help save water.
- Install outdoor lighting — A 2013 survey about what home buyers really want by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) found that 49% of respondents believed outdoor lighting was a “desirable” exterior feature. 41% deemed it “essential.” Don’t forget that some buyers will see your home for the first time at night. They’ll enjoy the curb appeal of outdoor lighting, particularly if it’s soft and tasteful.
- Define lawn edges — Clean edges give the impression your lawn is low maintenance, a great selling point for any aspect of your home. Defining edges is as easy as using a sharp spade to make a clear separation between the lawn and your driveway, your flower beds, or the sidewalk. Edges can also be defined with physical barriers like stone or plastic.
- Weed and mulch — Stay on top of weeds, obviously, and mulch your plant beds wherever possible. This is a straightforward way to increase curb appeal, since mulch also gives the appearance of beds being easy to maintain. It also helps control weeds.
- Landscape with native plants — Native plants increase curb appeal because they make your home look more a part of the local environment. They’re friendlier to local wildlife, and can save you thousands of dollars annually in upkeep costs.
- Plant a garden — Curb appeal is partly about appearing industrious. What looks more industrious than a productive flower or vegetable garden? And don’t forget the huge appeal of fresh, locally-grown produce these days. This is a pretty straightforward trick to increase your home’s curb appeal.
When selling your home, you should definitely increase curb appeal. But adding curb appeal also raises the perceived value of the whole block. Building curb appeal is part of being a good neighbor. It’s a sound strategy for a good homeowner, a nesting instinct that helps the local environment flourish. Straightforward landscaping tricks like these are a simple way to up your curb appeal, and the resell value of your home. Plus your neighbors will like you better, and what homeowner doesn’t want that?


Winter Tips: Trim Your Hedges and Prune Dead Tree Limbs –
With windy weather and possible snow ahead, survey your yard and check for any dead or hanging limbs that could cause damage in a storm or come down with heavy winds or snow. If you see tree limbs that could be hazardous give us a call (804) 550-1760 and we will give you a FREE quote of what it will cost to prune this for you. Also, to prevent heavy snow and ice weighing down or breaking your favorite shrubs trimming back the dormant shrubs helps.
You can help Protect Plants with Mulch – As the temperatures drop, adding mulch around the bases of your trees and shrubs helps to protect the plants from the cooler weather. Note: To prevent the stems and bark from rotting, do not place the mulch up again the trunk of the tree or shrubs; leave a one-to-two-inch radius around the base of the trunk. It’s recommended to wait until the first hard freeze to apply the mulch two-to-four inches deep around your plants. You’ll want to cover the soil evenly and completely, but do not pack it down.
Prepare the Snow Blower – Snow season is just around the corner and you’ll want to make sure your snow blower and or snow thrower is ready for the first snow (if any). Now is the time to make sure it is charged and ready so you don’t strain your back shoveling snow.


Why should you GO Native? Here are the top four reasons!
- Native plants provide for low maintenance, chemical-free landscapes, because they are adapted to local weather conditions, soils and are resistant to local pests.
- Native plants attract a great diversity of wildlife by providing food, shelter and nesting sites.
- An incredible diversity of native plants provides beautiful flowers and interesting foliage and provides a variety of heights, shapes, textures and colors to the landscape.
- Using native plants in the landscape not only benefits the ecosystem, but can start the educational process for people of all ages, leading to a better understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of our natural environment.


Are you looking to add to the beauty of your garden without running into too much work? Gabion planters are your best friend. A gabion planter is a basket created out of wire or any other holding material, filled with stones that hold flower pots, plants, and trees. The places where you can have gabion planters are limitless. You can use a gabion planter for garden ponds, plants, fences, the pillars of sink or taps, benches, and even fire pits. However, it would be best if you asked yourself a very crucial question. Is setting up gabion planters as decoration worth the effort, or are there better alternatives out there?
Let’s go over why you would be better off using gabion planters for decoration and some innovative ideas you can try in your garden.
Is Using Gabion Planters Worth it?
A gabion planter can be a good addition to most gardens and surroundings, but it depends on your preference. As stones make a gabion planter, you do not have to worry about harsh climate conditions. They can conserve water and, due to good air ventilation, the soil within the planter is rich in minerals.
They are very easy to set up and do not require a base to install them into position. The weight of the stones provides a sturdy base already. Moreover, gabion planters match the outdoor garden looks very well due to the involvement of stones. Complementing the garden, which mostly involves undone earth, gabions give it a natural landscape feel.
Speaking of gardens, check out our guide on the ten best lawnmowers you can buy under $300.
14 Best Ideas You Can Try With a Gabion Planter
1-) Round Gabion
A good decoration piece you can use for your garden is the round gabion. You can either create a metal net according to the round shape you like or purchase one from the market. Next, you should insert the stones, soil, and plants of your liking into the gabion planter.
2-) Rectangular Gabion
Although these gabion planters are uncommon to get hands-on, they are a good addition to any garden. As this gabion planter takes a rectangular shape, the soil in the middle protects itself well from wind, insects, or any other unwelcomed guests. It gives the plants room to grow as well. You can also raise rectangular planters according to your height. Such that the bed is high enough to your liking for preparation and maintenance.
3-) Gabion filled with Gravel
You can fill the gabion planter with gravel to give it a distinct look. The planter’s shape does not matter, but we recommend using wire mesh for holding the gravel together.
Gravel not only gives the planter a sturdy base but also complements well with the plant growth. By providing a minimalistic look, the gravel gabion adds to the decency of any surrounding.
4-) Clumped Gabion
You can use gabion planters in a group to add some purpose to your garden. Maybe you like to sit down under the sky in the evening and read your favorite book. Some of your grouped gabions can feature plants on the top, but some can offer a base to act as a table you can use for various purposes.
Clumped gabions give the garden a cozy and romantic look. Whether you like to study at that table or have a drink, it’s all yours.
5-) Colorful Gabion
You can add more spark outdoor in your garden by splashing some colors on them. The unique idea is to create planters with wire mesh and line them against a wall. Choose a vibrant color that catches the eye, such as yellow, red, or bright green. These planters provide the garden with a colorful pattern to follow and give your house a fortress feel.
6-) Spiral Gabion
This gabion planter takes the shape of a staircase. Due to the complexity of the structure, it can be hard to do it yourself. Every plant in the gabion has a level, each running upward in a spiral form. You can add multiple flowers to this gabion planter without spoiling the beauty and space of other plants. It showcases a variety of plants while also maintaining a compact look.
7-) Gabion Walls
You can even create walls using gabion in your garden to section it according to your liking. The stone gives a distinct look to the surrounding, and you can pair it up with lighting for added spark. When lit up at night, the gabion wall delivers a unique emission of light. It happens due to the gaps between large stones that you do not find in brick walls. You can even add a layer of glass rock in the gabions and have a lighting setup behind these rocks. It gives it a glowing look.
😎 Gabion Fireplace
Another innovative idea is to use gabion as an outdoor fireplace. Do you like to spend most of your time in the garden and live in an area with cold temperatures? Take notes on this one!
Prepare a long gabion structure and an opening in the middle for the fireplace. Work through a way for the chimney to release the fume at the top of the gabion. The gabion’s fireproof nature makes it even a greater fit for a fireplace.
9-) Gabion Fence
Gabion can even add to your privacy. You can create a gabion structure to place in the ground that acts as a fence. However, these structures are thinner than others we have discussed while also being greater in height to act as fences. Gabion fence can be troublesome to set up, as large metal brackets need to go into the ground. These provide a firm foundation for thin yet lengthy structures. You can also use concrete at the corners to hold them in place.
10-) Gabion Ponds
With a gabion planter, you can also give your garden a natural look with ponds. You should have a plastic container to hold the water inside the gabion. It is therefore important to shape the gabion in the same way as the container you have. You can set the drainage somewhere around the back and add aquatic plants such as Water Lettuce to give the gabion more of a pondish-look.
11-) Gabion Fountain
Add to the beauty of your garden by using gabion as a fountain. To create a gabion fountain, you need a pump, spillway fountain kit, and copper or metal for the fountain’s face. The fountain can add to the beauty of your garden by giving a natural and foresty-look. Although it takes some effort to prepare, this one’s a worthy addition to your garden.
12-) Gabion Table and Seats
If you and your family like to spend some time out in the garden to talk and eat, gabion can provide a nice set of patio furniture. You can create the gabion structure according to the size and shape you want for your table and seats. Investing your time into this gabion planter can be worth it as it provides an arrangement to intake more of your beautiful garden and relax outdoor in your free time.
13-) Gabion Flower Bed
With gabion planters, you can create a flower bed just outside your house. Along the outer wall of your home, you can line up multiple gabion planters and fill them with soil for the flowers. The stones inside the gabion give the line a solid and decent look for a boundary. You can give the flower beds a unique flair by varying the heights of different gabions. Similarly, you can divide the gabion planters into different sections and vary the entire units’ heights.
14-) Gabion Barbeque
Who does not like a good barbeque setup in the backyard, right? With gabion, you can bring a barbeque setup to life right outside your house. Place a couple of gabion tables and benches to provide more room. And have a marble slab supported by gabion in place to resemble a kitchen countertop. Beside the slab, use two more gabion structures, according to your height, and place a BBQ grill on the top. Having a gabion BBQ setup can nicely add to the looks of your patio or garden.
We have countless ideas you can try to fit gabion planters into your garden or patio. Use a wire mesh to give the gabion planter any shape you like. Try different kinds of stones or a combination of them to match your surroundings. With gabion planters, you can pull off anything that complements your backyard or garden – it all depends upon your imagination!


If you have a problem with Crabgrass in your Lawn then it is time to apply Step 1 or a Pre-emergent to Your Lawn.Preemergents such as Step 1 or Step 1 for Seeding, Crabgrass Preventer address weed control not "after the fact," but before they can emerge. Preemergents accomplish this by forming something of a blanket or sheild that inhibits seeds from germinating. Don't undertake raking/thatching/aeriation after applying a preemergent: to do so would be to puncture the blanket or sheild, and stop it from working effectively.
If You plan on re-seeding in the spring and want to accomplish two jobs in one you would have to use a preemergent for seeding! Always be sure to follow the directions on these products as far as application and watering! If You have ANY Questions do not hesitate to ask us!
We carry both Scotts and Jonathan Green Products at Van Bourgondien Nursery.
The Importance of Early Spring Feedings of Trees, Shrubs and Plants ~
After cleaning up Your Flower Beds then it will be time to begin feeding many of the trees and shrubs in the garden. Early spring feedings will help get them off to a good growing start early in the season.
The question most often asked about spring feeding is, "What kind of fertilizer do I use for this or that plant, tree or shrub?
Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias, Junipers, Evergreens, etc. - Use a rhododendron type of fertilizer when feeding these types of plants. Most should be fed twice a year, once in Spring and again in Summer. Be careful not to spread the material directly on plants or the trunks, instead apply it at the drip-line of the plant. Follow application directions on the label of all fertilizers you use. (VERY IMPORTANT) If You have any questions about fertilizers or feeding do not hesitate to ask us....we are here to help You!
Annuals, Perennials and Roses - Both the annuals and roses will do best if they are fertilized on the average of once a month throughout their growing season. Perennials should be fed in spring and again in the summer. Use a rose or general garden fertilizer to feed them.
Vegetable Gardens - Use a general all-purpose garden fertilizer or a rose-type for feeding vegetable plants. Mix fertilizers into the vegetable garden soil prior to planting. Established garden vegetable plants are side-dressed with fertilizer during their growing season.
Planting of New Shrubs, Trees, Annuals, etc. - Use one of the specially prepared planting or transplanting fertilizers at planting time. These fertilizers are mixed into the soil according to the directions on the label of the brand of fertilizer you use. The greatest advantage of a planting or transplanting fertilizer is that they encourage root growth, thus insuring better top growth as the plant develops.
You can get your garden plants off to a good start and keep them growing well by feeding them properly, with the correct type of fertilizer and the correct amount of watering.
We Recommend Our Garden Elements Line of Organic Fertilizers and as always Our Bumper Crop for Top Dressing, New Plantings, Transplanting and for Generally Freshening up the soil in Gardens and in Pots and Planters!


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The back yard was the first priority. Partially because we really wanted grass, and partially for our dog, Cassie, who was our only dog at the time. So the first summer/fall we were in the house we had the back yard area leveled, put in an irrigation system and had the area hydro-seeded. It turned out lovely, but there is still much we want to do in this area (I know, it's hard to imagine me having a to-do list). We have very sandy soil (I know, imagine that living by a river/lake) so last summer we spent lots of time fertilizing and working to build up good sod base in the yard as our grass tends to be thin.
|The shed and back yard at move-in with our temporary green fence|
|The back yard at move-in(note the old grey fence)|
|Grass in, it is much thicker now.|
|Future boat/truck parking|
|Future drive to back yard|
|Retaining wall done and drive to the back|
|Gravel in, boat in|
From doing these projects, we accumulated a massive amount of river rocks in various sizes. And yes, we moved them all by hand, what a project! My husband used to laugh and say we would never find a way to use all the rocks; but we have!
|Our rock pile in the front yard, it grew bigger before it got smaller|
|Before on the left side of the walk|
|After on the left side, we added two rock walls, one by the house and one to divide the upper and lower beds.|
|Before on the right side of the walk|
|After on the right side, one wall and tulips in.|
|Stained shed, and fenced in the back left. More fence pics later in post.|
|The new wall and parking space|
|View from the top; much less steep now.|
|By the mailbox so far|
When we moved in, the front hill and front yard area were weed patches, much like the back yard and on the side of the house. We didn't want to run irrigation to the front of the house as we don't want to mow the area (and it's a pain to dig irrigation lines with all the rocks) so we decided the front yard area will be a patio with a fire pit. We will plant a tree in the corner. The patio hasn't been created yet, but we are on the way as this area is much more level than when we began. And the front hill is almost done. All that river rock was put to good use! My folks were a huge help with this project and they worked hard to help us get it finished up this fall. Next spring we will plant some desert grass in the fake "river" that we created and this project is finished.
|The front hill at move-in|
|Mapping out the "river"|
|Completed front hill. Plants to come in the spring.|
|Remember the giant rock pile that was the front yard? No more, it's also on its way to being level. Someday this will be patio. Aria is being a big helper in the picture, as usual.|
|Side of the house at move-in. Note the falling apart fence.|
|The new dog run and fence(with the dogs of course!) Some updates still to come.|
We still have many projects to go outside including edging the lawn, the front patio, planting the driveway hill, laying pavers by the shed for the sailboat, and at some point the shed will need re-built. Every winter it survives we breathe a sigh of relief! Writing this post has me excited for spring so we can get to work on some of the next projects outside.
On a separate note, electric fan switches are in! These make life so much easier. We used to have fans on all day in our house because we would forget about them, or we would turn them off when we left and really they needed to run a bit longer. No more, these solve all those problems. I highly recommend them.
|Auto fan switches. Still some leveling of the switch to happen.|


We inhabit a vulnerable planet. The devastation caused by natural disasters such as the southern Asian tsunami, Hurricanes Katrina and Ike, and the earthquakes in China's Sichuan province, Haiti, and Chile—as well as the ongoing depletion and degradation of the world's natural resources caused by a burgeoning human population—have made it clear that "business as usual" is no longer sustainable. We need to find ways to improve how we live on this planet while minimizing our impact on it. Design for a Vulnerable Planet sounds a call for designers and planners to go beyond traditional concepts of sustainability toward innovative new design that fosters regeneration and resilience.
Drawing on his own and others' experiences across three continents, Frederick Steiner advocates design practice grounded in ecology and democracy and informed by critical regionalism and reflection. He begins by establishing the foundation for a more ecological approach to planning and design, adopting a broad view of ecology as encompassing human and natural, urban and wild environments. Steiner explores precedents for human ecological design provided by architect Paul Cret, landscape architect Ian McHarg, and developer George Mitchell while discussing their planning for the University of Texas campus, the Lake Austin watershed, and The Woodlands. Steiner then focuses on emerging Texas urbanism and extends his discussion to broader considerations beyond the Lone Star State, including regionalism, urbanism, and landscape in China and Italy. He also examines the lessons to be learned from human and natural disasters such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the BP oil spill. Finally, Steiner offers a blueprint for designing with nature to help heal the planet's vulnerabilities.
Frederick Steiner is the Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture and Dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the American Academy in Rome. His most recent books include The Essential Ian McHarg: Writings on Design and Nature, Planning and Urban Design Standards: Student Edition (with Kent Butler), and Human Ecology: Following Nature's Lead.
The strengths of Design for a Vulnerable Planet lie with its engaging, diverse, and reflective narrative. Steiner draws on decades of firsthand experience and knowledge of the architecture, landscape architecture, and planning fields. The chapters are (mostly) short and readable, and they provide a breadth of views on design and a variety of scales of action…. The book contributes to our understanding of the process and product of ecological and regional design, particularly in Texas, and the dynamics and challenges of projects that increase sustainability. It also enhances the foundation and awareness of the new regionalism and landscape urbanism and bridges design disciplines, providing an inside view of how the groups can—and do—work together toward the same goal of sustainable design. Design for a Vulnerable Planet will be of interest to students who endeavor to understand how planners and designers can build a healthy, attractive, and resilient world.
~Amy J. Lynch, University of Pennsylvania, Journal of Planning Education and Research
Introduction: Interdisciplinary Design and the Fate of Our Planet
I. Living Urban Environments
1. Architecture and the Wealth of Regions
2. Sustaining Design: The Solar Decathlon Competitions
3. Twenty-First-Century Architecture
4. Architecture Has Left the Building: The Sustainable Sites Initiative
5. Making Territory: The Potential of Landscape Urbanism
II. Lessons from Paul Cret, Ian McHarg, and George Mitchell
6. City Limits: Pioneer Plans in Austin
7. The Woodlands: The Ecological Design of a New City
III. Emerging Urbanism in Texas
8. The Trinity River Corridor: Another Emerald Necklace or an Emerald Choker?
9. Making Limoncello from Lemons: The Blanton Museum of Art Plaza Design
10. True Urbanism: The Design of Performance Park in the Dallas Arts District
IV. New Regionalism in Texas and Beyond
12. The Green Heart of Texas
13. Envision Central Texas
14. The Texas Triangle Megaregion
15. New Regionalism
V. Learning from Abroad
16. Environmental Readings: The Italian Design Tradition
17. Autumn Moon: Design and Planning in China
VI. Learning from Disaster
18. In Search of a Fitting Tribute: The United Flight 93 Memorial
19. Resilient Foundations: Planning for the Gulf Coast After Hurricane Katrina
20. The Sedimentation of Our Minds: Prospects for New Design Thinking
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All in all it has been a very forgiving season. Plenty of spring and early summer rain has, however, turned into a dry late summer. We are not in the throes of a severe drought but we are in the midst of some unfavorable conditions for newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials.
So, how much is enough when it comes to water? Well it depends on the plant. But one thing is for sure if you have new plantings, get out there and water every three or four days if daytime temperatures are hot; once a week if we stay in the mid-80s. Water is the key component for establishing plants and one day too late can put an already stressed plant at a disadvantage or in the brush pile.
When should we step in where Mother Nature has left off? When you see your plants wilting? Not necessarily. During the summer plants can transpire water through their leaves at a faster rate then they can absorb it through their roots causing wilt. If the ground is moist and water is available to the root system it will begin to recover once evening rolls around. If the plant does not recover by morning, however, then it’s time to water. I’ve read that mature trees can transpire up to 100 gallons of water through their foliage each day. If there is no recovery from wilt with established plant material, this is a good indication of drought-stressed plants. Get water to the plant before leaves begin to shrivel and dry because permanent tissue damage will result. Again, newly planted material should be watered regardless. The less stress the better for the plant for the long-term.
There are several techniques for irrigation and it really depends on what you are watering. A newly planted herbaceous perennial can adequately be cared for by watering at the base of the plant with your watering can. The soil has recently been loosened and the water will penetrate the soil around the roots easily. When it comes to woody plants and trees, however, it is important to get the water to penetrate as deeply as possible.
Shallow watering can create bad growing habits because it forces the plant’s roots to grow towards the surface of the soil in search of the water, this will make them more vulnerable to drying out in the future. When you water woody plants and lawns do so slowly so the water has a chance to seep deep into the soil. The general rule of thumb is that a healthy plant needs an inch of water per week. A deep watering will last longer and will encourage deeper and stronger root growth.
For irrigation a drip system or soaker hose is most advantageous. Drip irrigation puts all the water into the soil, eliminating runoff and evaporation, thus saving substantial amounts of water (estimated at 25 percent to 50 percent). Drip irrigation also keeps water off the foliage of the plant where fungal activity begins. Many homeowners with automatic sprinklers should only use them once a week. All that spraying water can cause an increased incidence of fungal diseases, crown root and limited root growth if too much water is applied in a shallow fashion.
Mulching or composting around plants also helps in maintaining the moisture content of the soil and keeps down weeds that compete for moisture. Applying two inches of mulch is recommended, but be sure to keep it pulled away from the crowns of plants and the trunks of trees. Don’t over mulch because this causes roots to grow towards the surface in search of oxygen. Feeder roots that have grown into mulch mounds will dry out more quickly then roots that are down in the soil where they are supposed to be.


Arena lawn Turf Rolls
If you love a luxurious, plush garden, then you will love our Arena lush green lawn Turf – Quality, affordable and hard wearing.
Arena Premium Quality Lawn Turf rolls
- Outstanding, hard wearing, fine-leaved, slow growing turf
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- Easy to maintain.
- Ideal for domestic lawns, parks, show homes and more.
- A real must for professionals and keen gardeners
- Each turf roll, covers the area of a square metre.
- High quality turf at a realistic price.


Color in the garden is the first visual a visitor will notice. And in general terms, the way those colors bounce off each other should take precedence in garden planning over the types of plants the gardener places in any particular spot.
Color sets the tone. A bright red rose flowering beside drifts of deep purple delphiniums and orange tiger lilies will appear chaotic and busy – not restful. The colors in the flower border need to work together as a whole. Good color combinations are visually appealing and the plants themselves are more noticeable.
All gardeners who struggle with this balance, should own an artist’s color wheel. They are hand-held inexpensive card wheels that show the main colors on the color spectrum. In theory, the best color combinations are those found on opposite sides of the color wheel. This is a good basic tool to work with when ordering, purchasing and placing plants in the garden. The only drawback, however, is that in the world of flowers, there are numerous shades, and those flower shades can change depending on the soil culture and the amount of sun the flowers receive. Some plants listed as blue in the catalogs may become mauve, reds may become hot pinks and so on. With that in mind, follow color theory, but expect a lot of trial and error. Gardeners move plants around every year until they are happy with the balance of color as well as balance of form and structure.
A well-balanced garden offers not only texture and form, but a slow merging of colors and color hues. Early 20th century garden designer and writer, Gertrude Jekyll, was an expert at this, and many gardeners have since followed this gardening ideal. Gertrude designed gardens with drifts of plants in one color shade that progressed into drifts of plants in another shade. Those plants are grounded for balance with the addition of textured fauna in various shades of green and silvery gray. With this method, the fluidity of the design is increased, and it’s much easier on the eyes.
A well-balanced colorful garden can be achieved with a lot of tweaking from one growing season to the next. The garden is never really finished. It’s work in progress that can take a lifetime.


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You are our most important client! Our vision is to provide you value through unique designs, combined with quality components and materials at a great price, in a timely, professional manner.
You arrived at this point because you are looking for one or all of the following items.
Design Consultant, Landscape Design, Pool Design and Construction.
We are design consultants, landscape designers, project managers and pool contractors.
Whatever your project is, no matter how complex, we have the resources to solve your project problems. While others avoid constraints, we embrace them. Tell us your unique project constraints. We will solve them through consultation and creative design.
New Pool and Spa Construction
Pool Screen Enclosures
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Pavers / Hardscapes
Low Voltage Landscape Lighting


You have to look for the best solutions if you're going to do the best landscaping to the area around your house and you have dry conditions. Many people are thinking about doing the landscaping, they think of grass and while this is a very good idea, it's not really applicable in the drought areas. Looking for a solution to all this will be very important in giving you the many benefits you need. Artificial turf and be perfect for your landscape and therefore, it is one that you should be able to consider. In many of the regions, this is not something that is going to take a lot of work because they are companies that usually supply it. If you find companies that are very expensive for you, you could use the Internet to search queries to look for the companies that are more affordable or, companies that can give you better deals. It'll be easier for you to make the decision about the use of artificial turf if you understand the benefits. Artificial turf is going to be great for you in the following ways.
Once you have artificial turf on your landscape, no maintenance is going to be required and this is good for you in many ways. When you decide to use artificial turf, no maintenance will be required because this is a permanent thing that you are able to install immediately. Because of this, you are able to spell yourself a lot of time and also, a lot of work that you have to do if you have grass. Because you will not be hiring any maintenance companies, it's very easy for you to benefit a lot in terms of reducing your maintenance costs. Artificial turf does not require any growing and because of that, it changes the looks of your premises immediately. Because people usually want that green color, the artificial turf is going to provide it and it'll because that all through. Another benefit of artificial turf is simply the fact that it's going to help you to eliminate puddling where, water accumulates on one area. The main reason why this would be possible is simply the fact that, underground irrigation channels are created so that the water can easily be moved from the artificial turf Corona.
You will not need to worry about any open spaces when it comes to irrigation Irvine, this is something that applies to grass only, the artificial turf is going to be very consistent. To create the best play area for your children, it would be important for you to use the artificial to have because it is very safe without any dangerous.


Soil amendments page washed sand 45. great for sandboxes or. under aboveground pools natural aggregate base class 2 40. 38 cement mix 50. decomposed granite dg is a naturally ocurring material unlike the crusher fines consisting of varying size particles and has very good compression. our dg is a light creamoffwhite color. dg.crusher
1. dolomite soil amendment. as longterm use of urea fertilizer can cause the soil to be acidic, and too acidic soil will cause the growth of plants to become stunted, ripen poorly and even die, it is necessary to use dolomite soil amendment to adjust the soil ph.1
600700 tph jaw amp cone crushing plant. the joyal 600700tph jaw amp cone crushing plant a crushing and screening system, which includes gzd15006000 vibrating feeder,pe12001500 jaw crusher,zys66 b cone crusher,2yzs2460 vibrating screen,b120025m belt.2
A soil amendment is any material added to a soil to improve its physical properties, the goal is to provide a better environment for roots. for example, the limestone could be used to adjust the ph of acidic soils, the gypsum can restrain na , hco3, and co32plasma in the soil, etc. equipment. materials limestone powder, gypsum.3
Abstract global soil amendments market to reach 4. 9 billion by 2027. amid the covid19 crisis, the global market for soil amendments estimated at us2. 6 billion in the year 2020, is.4
Agrowinn produces a full line of organic fertilizers and soil amendments, for all your gardening needs. rock dust aka rock powder or stonemeal stone meal, worm castings, aka earth worm castings or castings. these are 100 natural, organic products, for use in all types of soils or hydroponically grown plants. use them on any flower, fruit.5
Also for topdressing yards and soil amendments. more course than masonary sand. m10 rock or granite dust, decomposed granite granite fines used for a walkway paver base. gray course sand. same material that makes up crusher run. white masonry sand beach sand available in brown or white. used for masonary work. also for top dressing yards.6
Amend the soil depending on the results of the test. most clay soils are on the alkaline side, meaning that youll probably want to lower the ph of the soil. there are several ways to do this. the most common substances to add to clay soil are builders sand, gypsum, composted manure, compost or other coarse organic material.7
Amendments are the practices used to improve soil quality as far as its structure and biochemical capacity. the antagonistic soil conditions on postmining land hurt the physical and biochemical properties of the soil. to counterbalance the effect of mining on soil, a few soil amendments, for example, biochar, flying debris, and fertilizer have.8
Bag soil amendments . premium black top soil 40 ib.. 2.50 . premium potting 40 ib.. 2.90 . black kow 50 ib.. 4.60 . soil conditioner 2 cu ft .. 3.05 mushroom compost..120.00 app. 1400 lbs.9
Basalt rock dust is an all natural soil amendment that is made from ground up volcanic rocks. basalt is comprised of igneous rock that is found in many places around the world. since basalt will break down easily in soils, it is a good choice for.10
Biochar soil amendment . after each defecation a mix of charcoal powder together with a finely cut wood source and some limestone or volcanic soil needs to . effects of soil microbial fertility by charcoal in soil effects . eprida. soil amendment plan by rice husk charcoal, lime and fertilizer.
Bulk soil amendments 24.95 organic erth food approx. 900 lb.5 cuyd 26.00 white sand approx. 1,250 lb.5 cuyd.
C t believes the rocks are in the field for a reason and that crushing the rock provides a beneficial nutritional amendment to the soil. the idea behind the minimaster rock crusher was to be able to crush rocks directly on the harvester since rocks are already being collected and sorted by the harvester, says leblond.
Common amendment reactions in soil gypsum calcium sulfate sodic soil calcium soil sodium sulfate leachable with water sodium sulfate is then leached out of the soil by rainfall or heavy irrigations. the removal of sodium lowers the sodium permeability hazard allowing for soil aggregation and improved drainage.
Common types of soil amendments. many types of soil amendments exist, each with a different role. some of the most common types include organic matter substances such as finished compost, wellrotted leaves and other natural materials, worked down into soil, improve the way soil particles fit together and the way air and water move through them. . organic.
Comparing with other kinds of crushers, cs series spring cone crusher is quite excellent in hard material crushing and the final product has good sharp. pumice acts as an effective soil amendment for soils that naturally tend to be heavy and poorly drained. decomposed granite . decomposed granite soil amendment australia grinding .
Crushed limestone soil amendment crusher unit. limestone used to make soil amendmentmining equipment for best management practices for wood ash get price products samborski gardenrequired used puzzolana crusher in india cone crusher for primary crushing india. primary jaw crusher use india.
Crusher run40 surge stone45, 24 inch rip rap50, 48 inch asphalt millings 40 river rock 38 34 125 river rock 13 inch 125 river rock 25 145 river rock 4 7 125 river rock 7 14 125 boulders 1836 inch 90 organic soil blend 35.
Do your garden a favor and add compost straightup as an amendment to your soil. youll grow happier plants and supercharge their potential. order compost delivery. we know the power of healthy, living soil. it is the single most important factor in growing big, healthy plants. if you want your plants to thrive and reach their genetic potential.
Double e trucking and mulch supply, inc. 955 watts hill rd., lugoff, sc 29078. custom soil mix is 30.00 per cubic yard. cs mix is a blended topsoil with mushroom compost, composted pine bark fines blended togetherwith the royer machin above. it.
Ering, our focus is on the use of an existing basaltic rock waste stream as a soil amendment to sequester co 2 by chemical weathering. the material investigated is crusher waste quarry dust, from the commercial budore basalt quarry in northern ireland. our approach utilizes existing infrastructure and expertise in the extractive and.
Garden pumice soil amendment for seedlings cactus bonsai hydroponics fast ship. 7.95. free shipping free shipping free shipping fresh worm castings natures finest natural soil amendment 3 quart bag 15.49. free shipping free shipping free shipping. safer gro 0111q 1 quart humax soil amendment.
Hydrochar is a carbonrich material produced by the hydrothermal carbonization htc of biomass. as a new concept, hydrochar has generated much research interest due to its ability to employ wet and dry biomass as feedstocks and its application in the agronomical, environmental, and energy sectors. this review considers the developments made with.
Importance of star trace soil conditioners our soil conditioner product is added to soil to improve the soil quality. our soil conditioners can be used to rebuild soils which have been damaged by improper management, to make poor soils more usable and to.
Key points. organic matter includes plants and animals that are alive, dead, or in some stage of decomposition. organic matter is a major contributor to soil health.most garden and landscape plants benefit from increases in soil organic matter. soil amendments are materials applied to or mixed into the topsoil to change or change soil properties and improve.
Leachates and teas are used as foliar fertilizers and soil amendments to suppress pests and diseases, as well as enhance soil biology. compost leachate is the liquid coming out of compost when water from irrigation, rain, or snow filters through the compost. compost tea is made from compost steeped in water. there are two basic types of compost.
Most soil amendments are added to improve the structure of the soil, to increase the organic content so that the soil is more capable of holding nutrients and moisture. when these organic materials are added to the soil, they also act in varying degrees as fertilizers, providing a mix of nutrients to plant roots.
Mulchrocksoil amendments 15.95 per scoop natural hardwood 10.95 per scoop cypress hardwood 16.95 per scoop crusher run 24.50 per scoop.
Organic soil amendments how to amend your soil with organic methods. of course, the most accurate and best way is to get a soil test, but in general compost works for all the deficiencies. one thing to remember though, that too high of levels or too low can both be harmful to your soil and your plants. kind of like goldilocks, we want it just.
Organic soil amendments to replenish phosphorus in depleted soils. phosphorus is a macro nutrient that plants need to grow strong and healthy. in the cannabis world it has been long held that you need a boost of phosphorus in flower, but we have found.
Organic soil blend 35 triple ground soil amendment30 white beach sand55 bioretention soil45 screened top soil 45 sawdust load 170.00 fill dirt 20 wheat straw7.25 bales del. 1.05bale fsc red golden long needle pine straw6.25 bales del. 1.05bale fsc .
Organic vs. inorganic soil amendments. all soilamending materials fall into one of two basic categories organic or inorganic. organic soil amendments come from living things.any kind of plant matter such as grass clippings or animal byproduct such as manure is organic.organic materials have the benefits of adding plant nutrients to the soil and feeding.
Our live mulch is a soil amendment for gardens and has low ph compost, ranging from 6.0 7.0, ideal for adjusting and maintaining ph balance. it improves aeration and water holding capacity and keeps soil loose and workable.
Sand is a commonly suggested amendment for clay soils. in my experience, adding sand to clay fails for two reasons. first, adding enough sand to realistically change the texture of a clay soil is impossible. by definition, clay soil is 40 percent clay and 20 percent sand by volume. perfect soils, like loams, contain only 20 percent clay and 40.
Soil amendment also called soil conditioner, which improves soil conditions by increasing aeration, water retention, and nutrients. it refers to the use of multidisciplinary theories and techniques such as soil science, biology, and ecology to eliminate or prevent adverse factors that affect crop growth and soil degradation, improve soil properties and soil fertility, to create a.
Soil amendment with fresh organic matter is known to increase soc and n content, soil biological activity, and crop yields, but also ghg emissions gattinger et al., 2012 lehtinen et al., 2014. however, a rising attention is devoted to improve quantity and quality of soil humus by amendments with highly humified om, such as that reached in.
Soil amendments crusher. soil . abstract. crop residues are valuable soil amendments in terms of the carbon and other nutrients they contain, but the incorporation of residues does not a. get price. choosing a soil amendment . table 1 routine application rate for soil amendments. site depth of soil amendment prior to incorporation a based on.
Soil amendments page washed sand 45. great for sandboxes or. under aboveground pools natural aggregate base class 2 40. 38 cement mix 50. decomposed granite dg is a naturally ocurring material unlike the crusher fines consisting of varying size particles and has very good compression. our dg is a light creamoffwhite color. dg.
Some soil amendments also add nutrients to the soil, help retain moisture and help maintain the correct ph balance. common soil amendments include garden soil is a soil amendment for inground use rather than use in containers or raised beds. work it into your existing soil to improve aeration and moisture retention.
The effect of different soil amendments on soil properties and on the morphological and physiological characteristics of chinese cabbage. lurong shi 1, wei zheng 2, ting lei 1, xueshuo liu 1 amp maixia hui 1 journal of soil science and plant nutrition volume 21, pages 15001510 2021cite this article.
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- Location: Boulder, Colorado, USA.
- Site: Historic urban college campus.
- Status: Initiated Winter 2011, completed Spring 2016.
- Scope: Campus greenhouse, food forests, and vegetable gardens in tandem with curriculum design and delivery of undergraduate and graduate courses.
Naropa University is a higher education institution in the 100-year floodplain of Boulder Creek at the heart of historic Boulder, Colorado. The deep, gravelly soils are a likeness to the profound degree programs established by gritty trailblazers in the alternative education world. Deeply countercultural in nature, students flock to Naropa from around the world for its environmental degrees, eastern spirituality studies, and creative writing programs established by the likes of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac. Real Earth Design founder, Jason Gerhardt, engaged with the university for nearly 6 years to develop a Permaculture program and campus design that grew rapidly in popularity.
The campus design consists of a subtropical food forest inside a geodesic dome greenhouse, a 6,000 square foot water harvesting food forest on the front lawn of campus, fruit tree guilds and edible landscaping throughout campus, and perennial and annual vegetable gardens in multiple locations. Jason brought his acclaimed curriculum design and educational skills to courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, using those courses to plan and implement the campus design. The campus plantings have grown in maturity along with the Permaculture Program. Now students can minor in Permaculture Design and engage with on-the-ground demonstrations throughout the year.


Go after your dream
The first sketches I made at the beginning of the year were to convince my client that a natural feeling English roof garden was possible on her roof top in Amsterdam. With reference images and a plan I conveyed the vision I had to her, and she received it enthousiastically. Now we needed to find parties who were interested in a rather small scale roof garden on an existing building. Weight issues needed to be tested and calculated, suitable build up of substructure and planting substrate worked out. We tendered the job and agreed to proceed with a party that could install the required waterproofing layer to the roof as well as install the garden, all under one warranty.
Sometimes patience is needed
Just when the works started in the spring the client received a letter from the neighbours that they were topping up their building. Another storey would be place right adjacent the newly designed roof garden. This meant the works had to be carried out in two phases, so that the neighbours’ workmen could access the edge of their roof to construct the new space there. This meant that the construction period spanned the summer.
Delightful garden in use now
The roof garden has now been finished. The summer has encouraged the newly planted vegetation to grow nicely helped by the integrated watering system buffering the rainwater. The owner’s cat has adopted the garden as his new territory and enjoys spending time here, just as the owner does.
The hoisting beam that straddles the roof is covered and ‘hidden’ in the side table construction near the bench. A trip hazard has been turned into a useful piece of furniture. There are plans to still incorporate one of the original design elements, a water feature in the coming year.
Enjoy the process
Below you can see what the roof looked like when we started.
Following below you see sketches that were part of the first design presentation and some more impressions of the roof garden in use.


Don't settle for a boring backyard. Turn to Morgan's Renovations, LLC for patio or deck installation services in the Oklahoma City, OK area. We can design and install a wide range of hardscaping features that will transform your lackluster landscape into a fully-functional outdoor living space. You'll finally be able to host the backyard cookouts you've always dreamed of.
You can rely on us to create an outdoor oasis that you'll look forward to spending time in each day. Call 405-664-1920 now to get started on your retaining wall or patio installation project.
Your search for a reputable patio and deck installation company ends here. Morgan's Renovations does patio installation work in Oklahoma City, OK. We can install:


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Classic drives and patios Swindon can be a great addition to any home, but the process of planning one can seem daunting. This article will take you through a step-by-step process to planning your own classic drive and patio in Swindon.
Consider the size of your garden
Decide on the shape of your drive
Find out if you need planning permission
Choose what materials you want for your drive and patio
Estimate how much space you need for parking
Introduction: What is a Classic Drives and Patios Swindon and Why Should You Consider One?
Classic drives and patios Swindon is an award-winning company that offers a wide range of patios in Swindon. They have been providing high quality, affordable, and custom patios for many years.
The swindon paving company offers a wide range of patios in Swindon with different styles and materials. In their portfolio, they have something for everyone. They also offer patio design services that you can take advantage of if you want to make your own design or if you’re not sure what you want.
Getting Started with Your Classic Drives and Patios Swindon
There are many ways to get started with your classic drives and patios Swindon. One of the most popular ways is to contact us and speak with a member of our team. You can also take a look at our website for more information about what we have to offer.
Designing the Classic Drives and Patios Swindon
Designing the classic drives and patios Swindon is a task that requires a lot of thought and consideration. It can be an expensive project to undertake and so it is important to get it right first time.
The design of the driveway will depend on the space available, whether you want to include parking or not and what type of surface you want. There are many factors that need to be taken into account when designing your swindon driveways.
Choosing the Right Materials for the Classic Drives and Patios Swindon Job
The first thing to consider when choosing materials for classic drives and patios Swindon is the climate. If you live in a humid environment, then you will want to avoid wood because it will quickly rot. On the other hand, if you live in an area that has cold winters, then wood could be your best option as it is very durable and won’t crack or warp.
Some people also choose materials based on their budget. If this is the case for you, then there are some options that are less expensive than others. For example, concrete patios are not as expensive as natural stone and they can be stained to look like stone or brick.
If you have any questions about what material would work best for your patio please don’t hesitate to contact us!
The Final Touches to Your Design
The final touches to your classic drives and patios Swindon design can make it look complete and well-thought-out. It is important to consider the following aspects before you get started with the finishing touches:
Lighting: This is a key aspect of any outdoor space. You can use lighting to create ambiance, highlight certain features and make your patio feel like a luxurious escape. There are many different types of lighting available, so you should pick something that suits your style and needs.
Paving: The type of paving you choose for your swindon patios and driveways will depend on what kind of surface you’ve already laid out. For example, if you have a stone or brick patio, then paving can be used as an accent or decorative feature. Stone pavers are ideal for this because they come in all shapes,


Includes 3 x TreeGator Junior Tree Watering Bags
Each bag has 15 US gallon capacity
100% water absorption
Takes 5-8 hours to empty
Fits up to 5" diameter tree trunks or shrubs
This package includes 3 x TreeGator Junior Tree Watering Bags.
The TreeGator Jr. is a slow release watering bag that delivers water to newly planted trees, shrubs, and evergreens with up to 5" diameter trunks. Simple to use, just wrap the TreeGator Junior around a tree trunk, fill the bag with water, and it should take 5-8 hours to empty with 100% water absorption. This slow release watering bag should be filled 1-3 times per week, depending on the trunk diameter size. Fill one time per week for 1-2" diameters ; two times per week for 2-3" diameters ; and three times per week for 4-5" diameters. An excellent tree watering tool for landscapers, homeowners, parks, cities, nurseries, courses, and more.
Pack of 3 - TreeGator Junior Slow Release Tree Watering Bag - B071GNZFVW


Ok. Like me, if you live in an apartment and miss the green spaces of a bungalow then the simplest way out is to spend some money on artificial grass and some cool plants. Although you can place plants when and where you want but the look is incomplete until you decorate it with the grass. So, the artificial grass can be used to just add the needed tint of green to your home decor.
Here in this article, we give you 7 ways to brighten your home decor with artificial grass.
1. Always wished that your kids run around in the backyard as you did. Then there is a simple way out that you cover one of your balconies with artificial grass turf and add a swing to give them a feel of the backyard. If you have a big balcony add two or three big tree pots, so they get exactly the same feel.
2. Add stunning rectangular shaped turfs and add them with pictures, or you can use the turf around the mirror to pep up the place. This will look both modern and stylish.
3. Team up a green turf with a contrasting material like a white brick wall to create an interesting feature. This wall will break the monotony of the single-colored turf!
4. Add an outdoor zing in the house by using a grass turf carpet in the living room. Really, we know none of us would be able to maintain the grass. So, just the perfect solution is the artificial grass turf just under your feet while watching your favorite movie.
5. Use soft artificial grass on your walls to give the room a fresh and airy look. You can add some artificial plants as well. It will make the room look both green and fresh. And, even better you would only require to clean the thing.
6. Make use of the artificial grass to cover old furniture that looks worn out. The grass turf will hide its flaws and make sure you choose a softer one as you don’t want to feel uncomfortable while sitting on it.
7. Always install an artificial grass turf in apartments having dogs. The idea of grass makes it easy for the dogs to urinate and have bowel movements. All thanks to their natural instincts, Though at the end, you will have to put some effort to clean that up. But, makes it easy just in case when you are not around.


The Monte Palace Tropical Garden, Funchal, Madeira. The botanical gardens on a Portuguese island are said to be the most beautiful in the world. Located on the Monte mountain, the gorgeous gardens surround Monte Palace and museum, which also exhibits the African art.
The Monte Palace Tropical Garden exhibits thousands of exotic plants from all over the world. Among the various flowers, the visitors also get to admire the swans, Koy fishes and incredible architecture, which makes the gardens look like a magic place from a fairy tale.
Why to go there?
The Portuguese archipelago fascinates with a dynamic nature: from sandy beaches to mountains – the variety of activities is diverse. The Monte Palace Tropical Garden is certainly one of the most beautiful and rich botanical gardens in the world.
When to go there?
The climate doesn’t change much through the year. The gardens are open and well maintained all year long, except the 25th December.
How to get there?
Get a cable car from Funchal.
Prepare to walk a lot, so wear a comfortable footwear.
Lead photo by Dmitri Korobtsov
[symple_googlemap title=”Funchal, Madeira, Portugalija” location=”Funchal, Madeira, Portugalija” zoom=”10″ height=250]


Many of us love mint. With many different flavors of mint available at garden centers, it is easy to want to plant one of each. Planning ahead makes this possible to do, but lack of planning may have you tearing them all out.
Mint grows as a groundcover. The underground runners spread quickly and are difficult to remove if containment is desired. In other words, mint is often considered invasive. Planting in pots placed into the ground prevents its escape. Attractive in barrels or pots by the kitchen, mint leaves and flowers can be easily available for cooking or beverages.
To prevent plants from looking rangy, frequently cut or pinch back new growth. Pinching off the flower buds produces more lush leaves and fuller plants.
Mints grow well in sun or part shade, preferring well-drained but moist soil. Although not particular about soil type, enriching clay soil with compost will improve the overall plant appearance and taste.
Most mints grow 18” to 30” tall. Plant at least 2’ apart to prevent cross-pollination of different varieties. As a perennial, the plant may disappear in the winter, but will return in spring to be ready for those mint juleps.