Landscaping Design

Landscaping Design

Landscaping design holds many possibilities. It can be quite a feat to mix and match the various types of elements to create the perfect design. There are some excellent tips you can follow for do it yourself landscaping design. Following these tips will make the job easier, less expensive, and you can avoid mistakes.

One of the key factors of a successful landscaping design in the element of unity. All of the materials you use in the design need to come together. Consistency is very important if you are creating any type of pattern. Creating a theme is a great way to ensure unity. Keeping the landscaping design simple will also help the unity flow with ease.

Balance is also another important factor for quality landscaping design. Symmetrical design involves both sides of the garden being a complete reflection of the other. This is much easier to achieve then asymmetrical designs. If your attempt at an asymmetrical design doesn’t work, your landscaping will not flow well or be appealing visually.

Color is an important element of landscaping design. With so many great plants, trees, and flowers to choose from, you should be able to come up with a combination that is very pleasing. Bright colors are an easy way to make your landscaping area seem larger. One of the most difficult parts of landscaping design is getting the different elements to flow well. Colors can help this transition take place easier. You don’t want the eye to see an abrupt change but a subtle one.

Landscaping design is a very fun way to fix your area up any way you want. However, it is important to take all of these factors into consideration so that your landscaping design will be eye appealing rather than overwhelming. If possible, use landscaping software to see how your idea is going to look prior to committing to anything. This type of software allows you to make changes on the computer rather than once you have completed your landscaping and realize something just isn’t working.

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HOW TO BUILD A RETAINING WALL

HOW TO BUILD A RETAINING WALL

Retaining walls are a common need. Many properties have sloping or uneven yards. Those frequent issues can create a practical need for retaining wall construction. They also provide opportunities to use retaining walls as an aesthetic landscaping effort.

There are many types of retaining walls. Every situation is different, and the unique contours of the property in question and one’s personal needs will dictate the best possible style and construction in each case.

One popular retaining wall plan is wood-based and can be a perfect choice for smaller needs. A wooden retaining wall may not be suited if one needs a particularly tall wall, the method we’ll discuss is best suited for walls less than three feet in height. Additionally, it may not be a preferred solution for those who want to “do it and forget it” indefinitely because even treated lumber has functional lifespan far shorter than stone or concrete alternatives. In many situations, however, this wooden system will meet one’s needs splendidly.

The first step in building a retaining wall involves creating the “cut.” This refers to the ditch-like outline that will serve as a roadmap for building the wall itself. One can use a shovel to create the cut.

After determining the desired height for the wall, one should cut 4” x 4” posts to the desired length. When cutting the posts, it is important to remember to consider the depth at which they will be planted into the ground. Sufficient depth is necessary to provide stability for the wall. Optimal depths will vary based upon the height of the retaining wall and the nature of the property. Often, building codes will dictate the necessary planting depth.

Following the cut, one then digs the holes for the posts for the wall. Support posts will be placed along the cut in 4’ intervals. After the holes are ready, the posts are placed within them and concrete is poured around them until the area is filled to the surface level. It is important to make sure the posts are “true” and that they run straight. Crooked posts can affect both the appearance and durability of the retaining wall.

After the concrete is poured and leveled, one should allow it to sit, undisturbed, for several days. This allows the concrete to “cure” and produces a durable, rigid framework for the retaining wall.

Once the concrete is cured, one fastens boards to the outside of the post frame. Often, retaining wall builders rely upon 2” x 6” or 2” x 12” boards for this purpose. It is important to make sure the boards are cut in lengths that correspond to the framework formed by the 4” x 4” posts. The boards should be bolted to the posts using large carriage bolts small bolts or nails are inadequate for the job.

At this point, the wall itself is built. However, there is more work to do. One should dig out a series of small tunnels under the wall. These will serve as drainage ports and should be filled with small rocks or gravel. The area behind the wall should then be filled. One should begin by filling the cut with at least 6” of small rocks or gravel before adding fill dirt and soil to level off the construction.

This simple retaining wall plan will work wonderfully for smaller jobs. If you need a larger retaining wall, however, you may want to consider stone or concrete alternatives. The earth behind a retaining wall does exert a great deal of pressure, and larger walls necessitate the sturdiest possible construction.

There are many reasons to consider building a retaining wall. It may be a matter of necessity, or it could be an attractive means of implementing a planting or landscaping plan. In any case, the process doesn’t need to be difficult. Building a wooden retaining wall will require some effort, but the process is not complicated and shouldn’t be overwhelming to most property owners.

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LANDSCAPING THE EASY WAY

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing
over and over and expecting different results."

Albert Einstein

Retaining Walls

Retaining walls can help turn "ordinary" landscaping into amazing works of art. And surprisingly, retaining walls are easy to build. All you need is the right knowledge and tips to get you going in the right direction.

In this retaining wall section of landscaping ideas online, you will find everything you need to know about retaining walls.

You can find retaining wall pictures as well as informative articles on how to build a retaining wall. If you can't find the pictures you want in the main section, you can try our other retaining wall picture gallery.

Also, we'll discuss the various types of retaining walls available to you, and which brand names you may want to consider. Before you get started, read this article full of tips on retaining walls. You can find contactors for your landscaping project as well.

Retaining Walls - Tips For A Great Retaining Wall

There are many situations where homes require retaining walls. That does not mean walls to retain the kids, or your wife or husband, when you want some peace and quiet! The term here applies to walls to retain your garden or backyard!

Many homes have been built on sloped ground, and while the home itself is level, the gardens or yards have been left on the sloped ground. In this situation many owners prefer to have the slope levelled off into sections to provide, for example, flat play areas for the kids, barbecue areas and flat flower and vegetable beds, with steps leading down to each area. If the garden is large enough, even a pool may be required, and a sloped pool is ‘against the laws of physics’, as Mr. Spock would say.

This is done using retaining walls. Retaining walls have to be able not only to hold the weight of earth behind and above them, but also to allow drainage in the event of a storm. The home-owner, on the other hand, wants retaining walls to look good; to fit in with the landscape design of the garden. So what basics are required in retaining walls to ensure that they are safe, before the aesthetics you may be looking for should be considered?

Strength for a start. That’s a no brainer. Retaining walls must be built on a proper concrete foundation, or they will be eventually swept away as the earth below softens as it rains. If there is not a concrete footing, the wall might sink or be simply swept away – it is on a slope - remember? Also, wet soil is very heavy, and exerts pressure against the wall. If there is nothing to relieve that pressure, the wall could fail. Drainage pipes within the retaining walls to allow water and soil slurry to escape and relieve some of that pressure.

The drainage pipe should be running from an area of small stones that filter the water from the slurry, or the drainage pipes themselves would be blocked. A diameter of 3 – 4 inches round the exit pipe should comprise small pebbles. The drainage pipes should be connected to the domestic drains to facilitate removal of the water rather than pass it to the next step, and so compound the problem with the other retaining walls.

Materials of construction used for retaining walls are also very important. Many are made from heavy timber planks, bricks and even concrete. However, consensus is that segmented retaining wall systems (SRW) are the safest. This is generally the professionals’ choice, though your decision will be based on the height of the retaining walls involved and how high your retained steps are.

If they are a foot or two, then any material would do, and you hardly need a foundation. Some means of allowing water run-off would be useful, but otherwise any construction will do. Above that height and you are advised to use a good foundation, an SWR system or poured concrete and draining pipes running to a drainage system rather than straight through the retaining walls.

Bearing in mind that retaining walls can be several feet high, the correct construction must be used. Would you be happy having your child stand beneath a wall retaining tons of mud and earth just after a heavy thunderstorm, when young children like to run out and look at all the water? Retaining walls must be constructed correctly and by professionals.

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