5 Simple steps to design your own landscape.

1. Take pictures of your garden with a digital camera. You might scan an image as well.
2. Import Picture: The  Online Landscape Design software makes this really easy , just click on the ” LOAD IMAGE ”    icon .
3. Locate the  Hardiness Zone in your state. This allows the software to show only the plants
   appropriate for your area. You can also sort the plants by light type.
   Here’s the Hardiness Map you’ll find in Landscape Vision .
4. Now Start Designing: It’s really easy!
   Landscaping Design doesn’t have to be complicated. Landscape Vision will take you outside.
   In case you get stuck, go to our Help section and send an email to:support@landscapeyourvisions.com.
5. Next print out the Shopping List generated by the software .
   The list shows the plant information found in the bio. Now you know what you’re looking for
   when you go shopping . The list also contains all  Outdoor Living products you’ve placed in the final design and
   shows a link to the web site where to purchase the products .

Two easy ways to shop for Outdoor Living Products.

1. Right click on a product image in your design
2. From the products URL captured in your shopping list

Add Your Own Images Into The Landscape Vision Software.
Import Feature: You can import all images you like and see it on your design.
Drawing Tool: Landscape Vision 6.0 landscape design comes pre-loaded with Free Form Hardscapes;
Draw lawns, garden beds, walkways and putting greens.
Walkways and Patios: Preview an array of pavers. After you find the pavers that are right for
your property, we’ll direct you to a Unilock dealer in your area.
Putting Greens: Draw Putting Greens, add holes and flags. Shop for putting greens and
accessories at our preferred vendor All Pro Greens. There you can get professional advise and
a list of installers in your area.

Add Outdoor Living Products: Landscape Vision works together with some top of the bill
vendors who offer the finest quality outdoor living products to preview on your lawns and patios .
These selected vendors have high-quality images shown on their web sites and our Product page,
both are linked. Simply copy the images onto your desktop and import them into your landscape
design. Now you see them where they’d reside on your property.

You like them, buy them, with just a few clicks right from your design! Fountains, Birdbaths,
Lawn Furniture, and much,much more, all available to see before buying.
Landscape Vision’s plant data base has been rated “Best Plant Data Base” 5 years running
by Top Ten Reviews. Our plant bios are informative, our images are crisp and clear.
We offer over 1000 images and you can always easily import your own.

RESIZING TOOL .

Now let’s discuss what our competitors call “Future Growth”. Many competitors claim you can see what the
plant will look like in 3, 5, 7…years.Our plant bios simply will tell you how large the plant will grow.
You get a resize tool allowing you to resize by percentages.
How does the “Future Growth” function in other software know what your images look like? What if
the “Grow” function tells your Petunias will grow larger than your house in 5 years! We let you resize
in perspective to your images. It’s obvious more realistic when you think about it.

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Patios, porches, pergolas and gazebos are fun to spruce up the appearance of your backyard and add a little personal style. Especially in spring and summer, patios are popular places to gather and socialize, whether you are having a cookout with your family or drinks and snacks with friends. Although some social gatherings may be spur-of-the-moment, leaving little time to prepare your patio for festivities, other events may be planned far enough in advance so that you have ample time to decorate the patio as you wish. Patio decorations do not have to be elaborate or exotic; they can be simple and somewhat permanent or they can be a little more festive.

Everybody probably has some kind of patio decorations even though they may not realize it.Broadly speaking, any of the accessories on your patio or gazebo could be called patio decorations including outdoor furniture,such as tables,umbrellas,chairs,benches,etc. There are many different varieties of patio furniture available so the choice really depends on your own personal decorative style.

Flower and plant arrangements are also decorations.Beautiful pots or urns placed in key locations around patios will catch people’s attention and add beauty to a certain spot. Birdbaths or birdfeeders are good patio decorations,because they are not only interesting to look at but also attract beautiful birds to your yard.

For those people thinking of patio decorations in a specific sense, there are also many options. Hanging strings of patio lights are especially popular because they bring subtle color to the patio at night and give the patio a festive feel. These patio lights come in a variety of shapes and patters, so you can get lights shaped as lanterns, fish, flowers, etc. Large outdoor candles, tiki torches, weathervanes and suncatchers are also good patio decorations that can give your patio a distinctive and welcoming feel. Some decorations are permanent and will remain there at all times. This will be true of plants, birdfeeders, weathervanes, patio or gazebo outdoor furniture.

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Backyard Garden Bridges were normally seen in most Japanese or Asian gardens. They have close ties to the Far East, where   water gardens are linked with meditation and rejuvenation. You can bring this sense of renewal to your own surroundings with  well chosen  backyard garden bridges. Landscape bridge plans are in every design and material. Arc, arch bridges, ornamental, landscape, wood bridges, oriental, Japanese and Asian garden bridges are just a few names you will hear for different types of bridges.

There are limitless styles available today, and the best and most unusual   backyard bridge plans and designs can be found online. Whether your landscape is formal and structured, or free and unstructured like a  country garden,  you’ll always be able to find just the one backyard bridge for your garden.

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• Red Bridge

Seasonal flowering plants can be brought out when they are at their utmost beauty and then removed to be replaced with other plants. Imagine how attractive you can make your patio with a selection of spring bulbs and azaleas followed by summer annuals such as salvia and marigolds. In the fall you can replace them with poinsettias and mums. This is just a sample of what can be done with  container gardening. Evergreens are another good choice for container gardening. Evergreens are plants that retain their leaves all year round.

This differs with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage for part of the year, becoming bare and leafless. Once they have established themselves, most evergreen shrubs need little pruning. Keep in mind, that pruning will improve the health of the evergreen. So, in some cases you will want to prune to improve the overall look and health of your plants. After pruning, plants will benefit from feeding with a general purpose fertilizer. A number of evergreens tolerate severe pruning, which is best done as they come into active growth in the spring.

The Photinia Red Robin is a popular evergreen shrub with radiant red, glossy foliage and clusters of small, white flowers.It blooms in mid to late spring, and is sometimes followed by luscious red fruit. It is especially colorful and can also be used to wall shrub.

Variegated plants, like evergreens, can create a full look to your container garden. Variegation is the appearance of differently colored regions in the leaves, and sometimes the stems of the plants. This variegation is attractive and ornamental, and gardeners tend to protect and conserve these.

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There are some fantastic landscaping software programs that will help you to design the backyard of your dreams but there are also some landscaping software programs that are a complete waste of money. The trick is to find out which  landscaping design software programs are good before you purchase them.

Many of the landscaping software programs that are on the market for the regular consumer are not really very good. Some of them are just plain awful and to buy them is to throw your money down the drain. They will have terrible cartoonish drawings that are not clear and that will not do you any good at all. On the other hand there are some of the more expensive commercial grade landscaping software programs that will blow you away with their capabilities.

What you need to remember when you are using a landscaping software program is that it is not going to do anything for you, it is only a tool for you to use to make your ideas a reality. So if you are wanting to buy some landscaping software so that you can have your yard designed for you then do not even bother. If on the other hand you have some great ideas and you want to get them laid out so that you can see if they are really as good as they seem then a good landscaping software program might be for you after all.

Before you commit to buying any landscaping software try to get a demo. This will let you try out the program to see if it can even help you in what you want to achieve. You should try to choose a landscaping software program that has good graphics. The better the graphics are on your landscaping software the easier it will be fore you to visualize the end result of all your hard work. Remember that this is the goal of any landscaping software program. If the landscaping software is crap then you might be better off using the drawing programs that are already on your computer.

By getting a demo you will also be able to directly compare the different programs in terms of price. Lets face it, if there are two  landscaping design software programs and they look the same and they both have the tools that you need but one is cheaper, which one are you going to chose? The cheaper one of course. So check out the prices.

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Image by ukgardenphotos via Flickr

There is many a landscaping tip out there to satisfy even the most desperate of  landscapers or would be landscapers and you can find hundreds of them online. But in all of my years as a  landscape artist I have come to the conclusion that while there are many different landscaping tips only a few are universal and there is a good chance that only one landscaping tip will do you any good. The landscaping ideas that you need the most will be different than the one I needed because each project is different, so take your time and learn about as many landscaping tips as you can before you start your project.

The landscaping tip or idea that everyone can learn from is to always make your yard one that will look great at any time of the year. This can be tricky because in the middle of winter many things do not look so hot. This is why it is so important to learn about the kinds of plants and trees that will still bring beauty to your home in the depth or winter and in the summer heat.

To find the plants that will make this landscaping tip work will require you to do a little more work. You will have to find out what plants will thrive in your climate all year round. Of course some will do better during certain months but you need to always have something going on that is attractive in your yard. The best place for you to find out the best plants for this landscaping tip is your local garden center. They are the experts and they should be able to answer all of your questions about what your choices in plants and trees should be. If this does not work for you then take a trip to the library and check out some books on local flowers and trees. These can be gold when you are trying to choose just the right things for your yard.

Another good landscaping tip is to layer all of your planting beds. This will bring a sense of unity and balance to your entire yard. To get this particular landscaping tips working at its best you should also use repetition in this design. Have these layers repeated throughout the yard and it will look that much better to those walking by.

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Over the last few years home gardening has become an increasingly popular past-time and hobby. In fact, studies show that home gardening is at an all time high in America right now. In the United States 8 out of 10 households take part in some type of home gardening activity. Obviously from the number of people that are doing it, home gardening is one of the most popular recreational activities in nation. Most people that try their hand at home gardening plant flowers; at least they start out planting flowers anyway. Roses will probably be the first thought into any gardeners mind, but roses will take extra time and work, and should probably be left to those who have gardened before. When planting flowers many choices are available, such as bulbs, perennials, and annuals.

Edible plants are another big thing in home gardening. Perhaps the best thing about edibles is the reward of eating them. The list of edible plants that gardeners can grow at home is endless. Some of the most common edible plants in the vegetable arena are, potatoes, peas, corn, carrots, squash, and cucumber. Many gardeners opt for fruits, such as, watermelons, tomatoes, peaches, plums, apples, pears, and apricots. Small fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries usually require less work and less space, making them much more feasible for home gardening. Herbs, most often used as spices in cooking, are growing in popularity every day; some of the most grown include basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, and cilantro. One of the most important things to watch for when planting edibles is insects and disease, after all, you don’t want to miss out on the feast you will get to enjoy from healthy plants.

Many people don’t realize it, but landscaping is a form of home gardening. Landscaping covers many different areas and forms of gardening. You can even classify mowing your lawn as landscaping! Keeping in the line of grasses, landscaping nearly always involves decorative grasses, and the great thing about them is they don’t take much work for upkeep. Types of grass include monkey grass, pampas, buffalo grass, flame grass, and ornamental millet. Landscaping is not just limited to plant life, but also includes anything done to a yard for decoration, such as adding rocks or stones, putting a small pond, statutes, or a waterfall.

There isn’t much difference between home gardening and gardening anywhere else. Plants still need to be planted in a good location. The plants still need water and they still need the same nutrients. Home gardening shouldn’t cause anyone to get nervous. If you do decide to try homing gardening and finding out that you don’t have a green thumb, don’t get discouraged. Get some information, read up on gardening, and try it again the next planting season.

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Because gardening has evolved into such a popular activity, garden supplies are not hard to come by. You can buy gardening products in various stores or nurseries, or you can order gardening tools from catalogs, or even order them online. Gardening supplies can range from equipment too fertilize to the actual plant itself.

You will obviously need the basic  garden supplies and tools no matter what you are planting, such as  hoes, spades, garden tillers and maybe even a shovel. You must have watering supplies, like a water hose and perhaps a sprinkler. Other possibilities include a spade, a pot (if you are pot planting), and a pair of gloves for comfort, some secateurs, or a rake. When first starting a garden you will definitely want some type of mulch or potting soil to get your dirt ready. There are a few types of potting soil to choose from, including organic potting mix, seed starting potting mix, cactus potting mix, and root development potting mix, just to name a few.

Once you have your garden planted, you must have garden supplies so that you can add nutrients to the soil to ensure a healthy plant life. Miracle-Gro is one of the most popular growing enhancements for plants. There are many different types of Miracle-Gro to choose from and what kind you choose will depend on what you are trying to grow. You will also want to add fertilize, such as 10-20-10 or triple 13, depending on the needs of your soil.

If you are growing vegetables or herbs, you may need different gardening equipment than regular flower gardens require. If you are growing tomatoes you will need a tomato cage and ties to protect the plants against the wind. Many plants, mostly vines, are designed to grow on something and you will have to have a fence or trellis of some sort.

Garden supplies are not limited to just the gardening necessities; they can also come in the form of decoration. There are decorative flower pots, sundials, plastic figurines, stones or bricks for a pathway or looks, and even lawn furniture. Decoration will add to the charm and uniqueness of  gardens and are an excellent way to give it a personal touch.

The winter months will bring a whole new set of gardening supplies to store shelves. When the frost hits the prime place to put your plants are in a greenhouse. However, if you do not have a greenhouse for whatever reason, a tarp of some sorts can be used to cover plants up at night. You also might need a light source, like a heat lamp, to both keep plants warm and give them extra light.

New and upgraded  garden supplies and tools are always popping up on the market. It seems like every day there is some gardening tool that claims to be bigger and better than the last. While many gardening products are not a necessity, they sure make the job a lot easier and more enjoyable.

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Flower gardening is becoming more and more popular every day. Flowers can brighten everyone’s day, they smell nice, and are a great hobby. Flower gardening is simple, inexpensive, and loads of fun. Flower gardening can be done for yard decoration, simply as a hobby, or even professionally.

There are some decisions that have to be made before even flower gardening can be started. You must decide if you want annuals that live for one season and must be replanted every year, or perennials that survive the winter and return again in the summer. When buying and planting, pay attention to what kind of flowers thrive in your climate as well ass the sun requirements.
When flower gardening, you must decide what type of look you want before planting. For instance, mixing different heights, colors, and varieties of flowers together in a “wild-plant style” will give your garden a meadow look and can be very charming. If short flowers are planted in the front of your garden and work up to the tallest flowers in the back you will have a “stepping stone style”.
You can order seeds and bulbs for flower gardening from special catalogs. Most people will go to the nursery and buy actual flowers and then transplant them. After you have prepared your garden area and bought flowers, it is a good idea to lay the flowers out in the bed to make sure you like the arrangement and that they will be spaced properly.

One of the easiest processes in flower gardening is the planting if you have seeds just sprinkle them around in the flower bed. For planting transplants dig a hole just bigger than the flower, pull the container off, and set the flower in the hole right side up. Cover it with the loose soil and press down firmly, then water.

Maintaining a flower garden is even easier than planting one. Although they might make it on their own, a bag of fertilizer applied in the early spring is a good idea. Pinch back any blooms after they start to fade and keep them good and watered. To save yourself work during the next season of flower gardening, rid your garden of all debris and spread out organic nutrients like peat moss or compost. Don’t forget to turn over the soil to properly mix in the fertilizer and rake smooth when finished. If you have perennials planted be careful not to disturb their roots in this process.

However flower seeds and bulbs can also be bought at nurseries. Flower gardening is as easy as 1, 2, and 3: simply decide what to plant; plant it, and water, water, water! Flower gardening is undoubtedly gaining in popularity and gives anyone excellent reason to spend some outdoors and test out their green thumb.

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Fast Organic Gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used. This can make certain aspects difficult, such as controlling disease, insects, and weeds. Organic gardening also requires more attention to the soil and the many needs of plants.

Organic gardening starts with the soil. Gardeners must add organic matter to the soil regularly in order to keep the soil productive. In fact, compost is essential to the healthiness and well being of plants grown organically. Compost can be made from leaves, dead flowers, vegetable scraps, fruit rinds, grass clippings, manure, and many other things. The ideal soil has a dark color, sweet smell, and is full of earthworms. Some soil may need more natural additives than regular compost can give, such as bone meal, rock phosphates, or green sand. A simple soil test will tell you the pH balance and which nutrients you will need to use.

One thing that makes even gardeners that are very serious about fast organic gardening reach for pesticides is insects on their plants. The best way to defend plants against insects is to take preventative measures. One thing that can be done is to make sure plants are healthy and not too wet or dry because insects usually attack unhealthy plants and if healthy, they can often outgrow minor insect damage. A variety of plant types is a good idea to keep pests of a particular plant type from taking out the entire garden.

Perhaps the best way to defend against insects is to make your garden enticing to insect predators, such as ladybugs, birds, frogs, and lizards. You can do this by keeping a water source nearby or by growing plants that attract insects who feed on nectar. Other ideas are sticky traps, barriers, and plant collars. There are some household items that prevent against insects too, like insecticidal soaps, garlic, and hot pepper.

To avoid plant disease in organic gardening, choose disease resistant plants and plant them in their prime conditions. Many diseases will spread because of constant moisture and bad air circulation, so the site of your garden and the way it is watered can help ensure against diseases.

Weeds can be an annoying and frustrating part of organic gardening. Organic mulch can act as a weed barrier, but for even better protection put a layer of newspaper, construction paper, or cardboard under the mulch. Corn meal gluten will slow the growth of weeds if spread early in the season before planting, as does solarization. There’s also the old-fashioned art of hoeing and hand pulling that always works. Your best bet in weed prevention is persistence. Mulch well and pull and hoe what you can; after a few seasons you can beat the weeds for good.

Organic gardening is an excellent way to assure that your plants will be free and clear of all pesticides and, if taken care of properly, will be as healthy as possible. Fast Organic Gardening may take a little more time and care than regular gardening, but after gardeners get the hang of it and figure out all the quirks of their garden, it is definitely worth the extra time.

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