Arizona Pool Builder And Architectural Landscape Designer Bianchi On Outdoor Living As An Artform

Arizona Pool Builder and Architectural Landscape Designer - Bianchi on Outdoor Living as an Artform

www.BianchiDesign.com Master Landscape Architectural Designer, Kirk Bianchi discusses the Serenity in your Own Backyard. This Award Winning Pool ...

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5 Landscape Design Software Features That Can Help You Design Your Yard

If youre considering getting a Landscape Design Software program, there are a number of Features you have to be aware of. With these Features, you will be able to come up with all sorts of Design possibilities for your yard without having to make any physical modifications to the Landscape just yet. Get to know these 5 common Features you will see in the majority of Landscape Design Software programs.

Templates

Most Landscape Design Software programs have templates, or gardens and other terrain layouts that can stimulate you or guide your thinking as you plan your own yard. You may either just use these Design templates as they come or you can modify them to fit your Design preference.
Element Manipulation

Novice and experienced Landscapers will find this feature impressive and handy. With the element manipulation tool, you will be able to drag and drop many Landscape elements in and out of your virtual terrain. The elements involved might be vegetation, shrubs, water Features, gazebos, etc. Good Software will have incredibly high numbers of sample elements that you can select from and put in your Design.

You could easily create your very own virtual yard and give your creativity free rein. Other element manipulation Features include modifying the seasons and conditions in your virtual yard. You can also enter the kind of soil you have into the computer and see how well the virtual yard is just like the real thing.

Seasons

A really visionary part of some examples of landscaping Software is the seasonal feature. With this particular feature, you will see how your yard appears like as it mimics the changing seasons in your region. This feature will replicate crops growing throughout the seasons -- leaves turning golden in the fall, trees shedding their leaves in the wintertime, and flowers turning green once more at the first sign of spring. You can Design your yard according to the seasons and how theyll influence the look of your yard.

Editing

The capability to modify your plans is essential. If its your first time looking for a Landscape Design Software, look for the editing Features of programs youre considering and test it out at the store. You wouldnt want to buy a program that doesnt have this very important feature. You do not want to get something you arent comfortable using.

Design Layering

This is a really useful feature, especially when you use it along with the element manipulation tool. Design layering helps to keep the entire Design or picture in its place as you mess with a single piece. You can specify one object for manipulation and keep the remainder of the yard Design steady.

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Atlanta Landscape Design Made

Atlanta Landscape Design made

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Proven Methods to Add to the Valuation on Your Home with Orange County Landscape Design

Is your Landscape contractor qualified to put in your Orange County Landscape Design? You will discover a simple way to discover if they are... simply pay a visit to the website of the California Dept. of Consumer Affairs and you will have the ability to browse their databases to guarantee that your Orange County Landscape Design is completed according to proper code. Raising the worth of your property, saving money in the long run, and overall appearance are several useful reasons for being sure your landscaping Design is carried out correctly.

One of the most favored reasons to ensure that your Orange County Landscape Design is carried out in the right way is raising the valuation of your Home. On average, Landscape enhancements will be able to enhance the property value of your property up to a whopping 200% when selling it, according to The American Society of Landscape Architects. For instance, if you happen to pay out roughly 6-11% of your respective houses value on landscaping, you might possibly manage to see about a 16% profit on that particular expenditure.
Second, saving cash over time may be likely if your Orange County Landscape Design is carried out appropriately. Ask the Landscape Design specialist about water economizing sprinklers. If qualified, they should understand that sprinklers in most cases waste a massive quantity of water resulting from evaporation and overspray. A great guideline is the fact that the more water a sprinkler sprays, the more water is completely wasted in evaporation and overspray. Start thinking about setting up a good drip system since they have been well known to save close to 50% or more compared to your typical water sprinkler. Furthermore, if everyone who is landscaping their specific property could give consideration to changing their specific watering systems to drip irrigation methods, imagine exactly how much water we could preserve! Confer with a licensed Orange County Landscape specialist with regards to all of these remarkable money saving techniques.

Third, the general beauty of ones Landscape Design and style will be considerably better any time you make use of a qualified Orange County Landscape Design specialist. Obviously, we cannot guarantee the work and experience of every specialist, but in the vast majority of circumstances a professional contractor has worked within the business for many years. These companies understand what works and precisely what does not, so your complete Landscape Design and style should exhibit their particular knowledge immensely. Furthermore, a qualified professional understands his flowers and plants. He or she is not going to suggest selecting flowers and plants which call for extra shade from the sunlight.

In the same way, this individual would not recommend putting plants and flowers such as Hydrangeas within locations which consist mostly of shade, because they know that they need to have far more direct sunshine. Whats more, this individual will be able to benefit from their resources to find old watering lines as a way to stop anyone from damaging active Landscape sprinkler equipment and the like. For the duration of the entire process, this individual will need to have the capacity to re-run those specific lines appropriately to ensure that your brand new Landscape isnt affected by the sprinkler system.

When you are looking for a contractor, dont forget the straightforward guidelines given above and you can expect to be quite pleased with regard to your Orange County Landscape Design. Remember to get an experienced Landscape specialist to ensure you understand the whole thing shall be carried out correctly. This is the initial part of a winning Landscape job. I cant advise you of how many people have cut costs and additionally wound up with breathtaking yards on account of the expertise and experience of a professional Orange County Landscape Design specialist.

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Dwarf Globe Conifers in the Landscape

 

Dwarf Globe Conifers are a beautiful addition to have in any landscape. Along with their varying colors and textures they are also the perfect size to fit into just about any landscape plan including entrance gardens,  evergreen and perennial gardens, poolscapes, rock gardens, Japanese gardens and more.   The terminology Globe or Globosa refers to any conifer that is "globe-like" or rounded in appearance.  Globose conifers come in a range of colors from blue to green to golden and all tend to stay relatively compact.  The American Conifer Society lists approximately 300 varieties of globe conifer of which 85% are dwarf.  The five species being discussed here today are hardy in a range of zones from 2-9,  are easy to maintain and all serve as wonderful focal points in the landscape. 

Picea pungens Montgomery

  Picea pungens Montgomery (Montgomery Globe Spruce) is a very slow growing dwarf conifer hardy in zones 2-8.    The dense vibrant blue-green foliage of this evergreen shrub provides year round interest and fits in nicely as part of a foundation planting, in a rock garden or poolscape.  Picea pungens Montgomery thrives in full sun and prefers a moderately moist yet well drained slightly acidic soil.   It requires regular weekly watering or more in extreme heat and it is best not to allow this plant to completely dry out.  Picea pungens Montgomery grows to a mature height and width of 3-4 and is known to be deer resistant.  Whether your garden is formal or informal this conifer is sure to make a statement.

 

Cryptomeria japonica Gobosa Nana (Dwarf  Globe Cryptomeria)

Cryptomeria japonica Globosa Nana is a dwarf evergreen conifer hardy to zones 5-7. It prefers full to partial sun and moderately moist, slightly-acidic soil which should not be allowed to completely dry out.   Crytomeria japonica Globosa Nana has a slow growth rate and maintains a compact mounding growth habit.  At maturity this shrub will form a dense mound measuring approximately 2-3 feet in height by 4-8 feet in width.  Cryptomeria japonica Globosa Nana serves nicely as a single specimen planting.  While most varieties of Cryptomeria grow to be quite large this specimen will give you the same beautiful lime green color with a compact plant.  This plant is also deer resistant.

Pinus strobus Nana (Dwarf Eastern White Pine)

Dwarf Eastern White Pine is an evergreen conifer displaying soft delicate blue-green needles on a compact shrub.  Pinus strobus Nana is hardy to zones 3-9, prefers full sun and a moderately moist slightly acidic soil.  Dwarf Eastern White Pine is slow growing reaching an eventual 3 feet tall by 4- 6 feet wide and is deer resistant.  This conifer goes beautifully just about anywhere whether it be a formal or informal garden.  This one is positioned by a poolscape.  No matter where you choose to display this specimen it is sure to be a hit.

Pinus Mugo Pumilio (Dwarf Mugo Pine)

Pinus Mugo Pumilio (Dwarf Mugo Pine) is a popular dwarf conifer displaying dark green needles on compact branches.  It is cold hardy to USDA zones 2-7 and prefers to be grown in full sun in a slightly-acidic well drained soil.  Dwarf Mugo pine is slow growing reaching an eventual size of 3-5 feet tall by 6-10 feet wide.  This shrub is often displayed in Japanese or rock gardens or as an evergreen border.  Dwarf Mugo Pine is relatively low maintenance requiring only occasional watering once established and it is also deer resistant. 

Dwarf Norway Spruce (Picea pungnes Pumila)

Hardy in zones 2-8, Picea pungens Pumila (Dwarf Norway Spruce) is an attractive slow growing evergreen shrub.  Dwarf Norway Spruce prefers to be grown in full to partial sun in a moist but well drained soil.  This shrubs grows to a mature height of approximately 3-4 and width of 4-6 and keeps a compact rounded form.  Picea pungens Pumila fits in nicely into foundation plantings, rock gardens and Japanese gardens and is also deer resistant. Its dark green foliage interest to the landscape.

Add one or more of these dwarf conifers to your landscape and enjoy the benefits all year long.  Each of these globe conifers are unique in their own way adding much desired color and texture to your outdoor space. 

As Always...Happy Gardening!

90th post!

 

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2012. All rights reserved

 

 



  

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Colorful Evergreens in the Landscape Part I Golden Evergreens

Golden Evergreens in the Landscape

When planning a garden design it is important to incorporate interesting structure and color into the landscape so that there is eye-catching interest all year long. Golden evergreens will not only add structure but will enhance the landscape with their outstanding show of color.  There are a variety of golden evergreens available to the homeowner to implement into the landscape.  There are six in particular that I will focus on in this article that have proven to be hardy in the zone 7 northeastern garden and that will thrive in zones ranging from 4 to 8.

Picea orientalis Skylands

The first in this series is Picea Orientalis Skylands or Skylands Oriental Spuce.  Skylands is a slow growing coniferous tree that prefers full sun to partial shade and is hardy in USDA zones 5-8.  It is true that younger specimens of this tree can be prone to sun scorch so ideally 4-8 hours of sun is best.  I have been successful when planting Skylands in a southeasterly exposure in zone 7.  Grow this tree in a moist well-drained acidic soil and apply mulch around the tree to protect the roots.  After ten years of growth Skylands reaches a height of approximately ten feet and a width of four feet and can grow to a height of 35 feet over time in ideal conditions.  Being a slow grower and having a narrow stature this tree is ideal for smaller spaces.    Its beautiful yellow-chartreuse candles and densely arranged needles make this tree a conversation piece in the landscape.  Mature trees develop small reddish-purple cones that only add to the beauty of this tree.  This tree is truly a favorite!

Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera Gold Mop

The next of the gold series is Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera Gold Mop or Gold Mop Cypress.  Gold Mop Cypress is a small golden conifer with delicate thread-like textured foliage.  This relatively hardy shrub is best grown in full sun in a well-drained acidic soil in zones 4-8.  It displays a low mounding mop -like appearance and reaches a height and width of 3 feet making it an excellent accent plant along with other evergreens and perennials.  Chamaecyparis Gold Mop retains its yellow-golden color all winter and stays compact unlike its counterpart Gold Thread Cypress which becomes more bronzed and reaches a height of 15 feet over time. 

Euonymus japonica Aureo Marginata

Another favorite addition for golden color is Euonymus japonica Aureo Marginata or Golden Euonymus which is not a conifer but rather a broadleaved evergreen.   Golden Euonymus is hardy in USDA zones 6-8 and prefers a moist, well-drained neutral-acidic soil and full sun to partial shade.    This evergreen displays yellow-green shiny foliage all year round and is fairly slow growing.  It reaches a maximum height and width of 4-6 but can be kept compact with regular maintenance pruning. These shrubs serve nicely as either foundation plantings or in an informal garden.

Chamaecyparis obtusa Aurea Nana

Next on the list is Chamaecyapris obtusa Aurea or Golden Hinoki Cypress.  Golden Hinoki Cypress ranges in a variety of sizes from the species Nana which is dwarf in size (2-3 in height)  to Compacta which is medium height (10-20 in height) to Gracillis (40-60 in height).  Hinoki Cypress are hardy in USDA zones 4-8 and display luxurious golden twisted compact foliage throughout all the seasons.  These evergreens prefer to be grown in full sun in a moist but well-drained acidic soil.  Some of the more popular varieties are Chamaecyparis obtusa Aurea Nana (seen here), Verdoni which displays a deeper yellow foliage and grows a bit taller to 6-8 feet and Confucious which is a newer slower growing variety with broader yellow foliage on emerald green under layers and growing to 4-6 feet in height.  Crippsi is a popular golden variety growing to 15-30 feet and can be used as either a specimen or incorporated into a privacy screening.  Each one of these varieties is more beautiful than the next and serve as excellent specimens in the landscape.  Hinoki Cypress can be used as a focal point in a foundation planting or as a stand alone piece in a cottage garden, evergreen garden or perennial border.  These magnificent beauties will add outstanding interest to just about any landscape.

Cedrus deodara Aurea

Golden Deodara Cedar (Cedrus deodara Aurea) is another magnificent focal point in the landscape.  It is one of the larger golden evergreens ranging in size from 15-25 feet in height to 80-100 feet in height depending on the particular species.  Deodara Cedar Aurea displays a rich golden-yellow color on graceful wispy branches.  They prefer to be grown in full sun in a moist but well-drained soil and are hardy in USDA zones 6-8.  Cedrus deodara Gold Cone (shown here) grows to height of 20-30 feet and displays beautiful pendulous branches covered in green-yellow foliage and grows in a more vertical fashion thus taking up less space in the landscape than some other cedars.  Golden deodara Cedar is often used as an anchor plant or specimen planting in the landscape.

Juniperus chinensis Gold Lace Last but not least on the list of golden evergreens is Juniperus chinensis  Gold Lace. Gold Lace Juniper displays spreading arching golden-green branches and reaches a mature height of 3-4 feet and width of 4-6 feet.   It is hardy in zones 4-8 and prefers to be grown in full sun to maintain its golden color which appears on new growth.  Juniperus Gold Lace also prefers to be grown in a moist yet well-drained neutral to acidic soil.  This attractive golden shrub can be regularly pruned to keep the plant more compact.  Uses of this evergreen in the landscape are versatile ranging from usage as a foundation planting to incorporating this lovely addition into an evergreen or perennial garden. There is nothing like a little bit of gold to liven up any landscape and these golden specimens will add interesting texture, graceful foliage and outstanding color to the garden.  When asked which one is my favorite I would have to say it is a toss up between the Golden Oriental Spruce and the Golden Hinoki Cypress.   The Skylands Spruce has a special meaning for me since it was planted as a memorial for my mom and I see it every day as I enter our property.  Once I saw its outstanding beauty for the first time I fell in love with this tree.  I also enjoy my Golden Hinoki Cypress which is at the entrance to our yard. Its color is vibrant and its foliage so delicate and attractive.  If you are looking to transform your landscape into one of color that can be enjoyed throughout every season try adding some of these beauties.  You will be glad you did! As always...Happy Gardening. Author:  Lee@ A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2012.  All Rights Reserved.

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Waterloo Exhibition Landscape Level 2

Theses are some images from the Level 2 Waterloo Open Space Exhibition held at the Waterloo Gallery from June 2nd - June 8th 2008. Each student displayed their proposals on A1 boards and in Models as well. The lower two images are of my proposal sheets and 1:250 scale model. The model had to fit on an A1 board and I found the scale of 1:250 to work most effectively.

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