Smart landscaping can improve energy efficiency in both summer and winter seasons. Use this landscape plan as a guideline. Minimize winter winds on the north, east and west sides of your home with evergreen plants. Do not block south facing windows with evergreens. On the south side, plant deciduous trees with wide tops so in … [Read more…]
There are innumerable benefits to doing your own landscaping including improving your health and increasing your horticultural knowledge as well as achieving that certain sense of accomplishment. Still, there is no point to your activities if they cause you undue strain physically, mentally or financially. Landscape design and implementation takes expertise, experience and resources that … [Read more…]
It is simply a fact. No one likes cleaning up, whether it’s the dishes after dinner, their room or the backyard and flowerbeds after a long winter. While there are some modern conveniences that can help with the first two tasks, the last chore involves lots of time, patience and hard work. Cleaning up the … [Read more…]
Planning your garden for spring can seem like a full-time job if you want to ensure the fruits of your labor. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just fill out a form and receive the ideal plant for your needs? The Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder does just that and more. The following are specific … [Read more…]
Spring will be here before you know it. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about improving your outdoor living areas so you can get the maximum enjoyment out of your home. Below are some creative hardscaping and landscaping project ideas that can be installed just in time for the warmer months ahead. Add … [Read more…]
A warm evening with a comfortable breeze and nothing but the stars overhead makes for a remarkably inviting and pleasant dining experience. Restaurants that feature outdoor patios and dining areas know the value of these spaces to their customers. Of course, 21st century restaurants can’t just engage in any old commercial hardscaping. They must consider … [Read more…]
Here’s a question: what kind of plant looks good all year around, is both frost and drought resistant, and will last for decades? The answer is so simple most people miss it: it’s evergreens! Too often, people hear the word “evergreen” and they think of Christmas trees or of mountain tops, but not of their … [Read more…]
As a home gardener who resides in the Kansas City area, you may be interested in planting something new on your property. A fine choice of flower that is beautiful and adds a nice splash of color to your front lawn or garden is the tulip. Of course, if this will be your first time … [Read more…]
Mulch may not be the most romantic part of the garden, but it really is the icing on the cake. Mulch preserves precious soil moisture – something dear to Kansas City homeowners during the present drought conditions. A mulch layer that clothes a perennial bed, surrounds a tree or that carpets a row of brightly … [Read more…]
Once the sun has set, the most important aspect of your property’s landscaping has nothing to do with plants, mulch, or flowers: at night, it is all about the lighting. Great exterior lighting can transform your patio into a cozy outdoor room, it can make your garden as beautiful by starlight as it is in … [Read more…]