Land escaping

Backyard landscaping is not just positioning plants in your backyard. Consider it as an art, a masterpiece that shows your creativity and personality. There are three elements in landscaping your backyard: structure, area and texture of your plants.

Structure refers to the form of the plant and the arrangement of the branches. Plants, such as trees, come in different shapes. This ranges from the hanging form of the white bark willow, to the stiff form of the Lombardy poplar trees.

The second element of backyard landscaping is the area. This refers to the visual flow and the arrangement of plants in the backyard. The movement of the eyes is affected by different grouping of the plants.

Texture is also an important component of backyard landscaping. The texture of the plant refers to appearance of the plant as it is perceived with the other plants surrounding it. A good example is the texture of marigolds can be distinguished as rough or smooth when grouped with other plants.

Knowing that we have defined the elements of backyard landscaping, you can now begin putting this knowledge to use. Below are more tips on how you can landscape your backyard.

Planning

Make a list of the needed materials and tools to redesign your backyard. Most importantly, you need to list the plants that you wish to place in the area. Do not forget to include a list plants that you can substitute in case your preferred plants are not obtainable.

Organize a schedule for the construction process and outline the process according to priority. Creating a schedule helps you estimate the time the landscaping process will consume. Most landscaping projects can be done in a week or two.

Selecting the Plants

Apply what you have learned about the elements of backyard landscaping that were mentioned earlier. There are many kinds of plants that work well in a group. The pattern of the plants should create a 3D effect and should look well from all perspectives.

Remember to be creative. You can use themes on your backyard. These may involve a country, romantic or tropical theme or others.

Make it work… the Construction Process

Prepare the soil where you will plant your selected plants. One method you can use is by creating an elevated bed. You can pile soil or use rocks to do this. Creating an elevated bed also helps you solve the problem of losing excess water when irrigating the plants.

Generally, the best period to plant foliage or trees is during the months of October and November. Plants can develop sturdy roots during the winter season prior to development of other parts during the spring.

Ecology-minded people can think of many ways how they can improve and restore any kind of habitat. Most gardeners always set up a well-organized and well-maintained habitat for a balanced life cycle in their bioscape.

1. Landscape a wildflower garden. Make a well-designed landscape that creates a great coordination of colors. This will make the garden more beautiful with little work to set up the design and can be created with little expense. Wildflowers grow easily and they support the insects that make them ovulate.

2. Utilize the wildflowers by maintaining the bioscape. The benefit is that this is taking care of the insects. Birds that eat seeds like quails, gold finches and doves find wildflowers attractive.

3. Make a bioscape that will provide food for birds and other seed eating species. Always protect the nesting areas of the birds that have laid eggs. Some species and insects find their food on fruit producing plants. Look for plants that will bear fruits to sustain the supply of food needed by these species.

4. The covering is important for the protection of the species present in the habitat. This will prevent against predators from entering the bioscape. Place a net on the nesting areas of the birds to protect the eggs from warblers and thrashers.

5. Take care of the butterflies that make the garden more attractive and decorative. Butterflies are a beautiful sight to watch when they flit around the garden. It is not only the beauty they bring, but they pollinate plants, which in turn helps in restore the cycle of life in the bioscape.

6. Choose plants that can satisfy the needs of the garden. There are plants that need sunlight and some that will not survive in a sunny spot. Find a spot where plants can be exposed to 4 – 6 hours of direct sunlight. The garden setting should make all the living species adapt easily.

Provide water to moisten the soil. Most butterflies do not drink from water containers. Instead, they drink from the moisture in the soil. Look for a variety of plants that will attract different kinds of butterflies that will beautify your bioscape. Lists of plants that butterflies like are readily available.

7. These are recommended tips to provide balance and continuity of life in a bioscape. The ecological restoration is very important in preserving the beauty and life in a habitat.