Landscaping – Page 5 – Landscaping Michael Jordan

Category: Landscaping

22
Dec
2018

Water-conscious Landscaping

By Savitha Hira Photography: Courtesy Ar. Kakoli Sikder

The Water Habitat Retreat at Jodhpur is a laudable exercise in traditional rainwater harvesting, and landscaping this heritage property has effectively brought it into the limelight-

Socially responsible architecture is quietly being practiced by many an architect in various pockets of the globe. Thanks to socially responsive patrons, who make an unwavering commitment in tandem with the architects. Ar. Kakoli Sikder is a landscape architect from Delhi, who has creditably been a significant team member of the Bijolai Palace conservation at Jodhpur.

Water Habitat Retreat was once the famous Bijolai Palace at Jodhpur. It was conserved and restored to house a boutique hospitality venture under the aegis of the Jal Bhagirathi Foundation. It is said that the scenic, sprawling summer palace built in the early 19th century is nestled between the Aravalli Hills surrounded by lakes as an oasis in the desert. With the civil work being completed as far back as 2008, Ar. Kakoli Sikder stepped in to make her valuable contribution to the expansive landscape.

Beginning from the entrance paths – there were two distinct ones – both over a culvert; one towards private quarters and the other towards the admin and hospitality facilities; Kakoli worked on a well-manicured garden, arched jharokhas to frame panoramic views, square paved plazas, lush green palms, circular planters with shade-giving trees and diligently selected native species of -Jaal Peelu’ , -Rohina’ and -Babool’ as the focal planting among other things. Largely, there are three courtyards within the living quarters, which have been designed tastefully as trellised spaces for outdoor seating and occasional dining. As in any landscaping project, the material palette and the selection of flora and fauna have been methodically determined. With the project tabling water as an exemplary rainwater oasis, where it is not only supposed to be entirely self-sufficient of its water needs, but is also said to use 100% recycled rainwater and provide water for the drinking-water needs of severely water-distressed local communities, care has been taken to use plants that require less water, absorbent soil, and loosely laid Jodhpur stone pavers that together aid in recharging the natural water table. The walls, toe walls, retaining walls, etc. are all made of locally available Jodhpur dark stone in random masonry. The paths are made of loose stone chips. The planter coping, plazas, steps, amphitheatre seats and stage are made of polished Jodhpur stone. And as far as the lighting is concerned – wall lights, tree up-lighters and bollards have been strategically used to enhance the mood of this place.

As Kakoli sums up, -The challenge lay in accomplishing heightened aesthetics within a contextual vocabulary, staying grounded in terms of giving back to the project and doing all of this within the limitations of cost-effectiveness.-

to view images click on inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com

18
Dec
2018

Professional Landscaping In Calgary Monitoring Your Underground Sprinkler System

categories: Landscaping

To maintain their landscaping, Calgary residents and businesses need to make sure to maintain their underground sprinkler systems. Keeping the sprinklers in good condition ensures plants get the water they need and the system runs efficiently without any leaks. Yet, even with the best maintenance, leaks and other problems can occur. Monitoring helps detect problems early.

Monitor These Areas

What should you monitor when it comes to your sprinkler system?

Check your water bill and compare it to the same month last year. If you have seen a noticeable increase in use, you may have a leak somewhere in the sprinkler system. This happens due to freeze/thaw cycling, faulty sprinkler heads or infiltration blockage. In any case, if you suspect your system has a leak, you should have it checked out and have any repairs made before you use it again.

Watch your system in action. This is a part of maintaining the landscaping Calgary residents and business owners often neglect. Start with making sure each sprinkler head is working. You want to make sure all the heads are providing the pattern and coverage you want. Make sure each section in the sprinkler system is getting a steady flow of water. You may notice some areas getting too much water or too little water.

Check the system’s supply and drain valves and makes sure they are functioning properly. Wait to do this after a series of dry days. You want the soil to dry out a bit. Look under the valves and make sure they are dry also. If these valves are leaking, the soil will be damp when the rest of the area is dry.

Check for perpetually wet areas. If you have an underground leak, the ground around the leak will be saturated, no matter what. You may not see standing water, but the grass or plants may be drowning due to excessive water.

Performing routine maintenance can prevent problems or catch them when they are minor. Doing a spring check-up will make sure the system did not sustain damage during the winter and that it is ready for the coming growing season. Check each sprinkler head and make sure its in good shape. Make sure the ground is thawed to beneath the sprinkler system before starting it up for the first time.

If you suspect that your sprinkler system may have some major problems, you need to contact a professional landscaping company to handle the repairs. They can find the problem and fix it faster than most homeowners. Plus, they can check the rest of the system and be sure its ready for summer. Contact us here at Mirage Landscaping. We install, maintain, and repair sprinklers in the landscaping Calgary homes and businesses have.

13
Dec
2018

Garden Privacy Screens – Backyard Landscaping Ideas

categories: Landscaping

No matter where you live, there’s nothing better than relaxing outdoors on a warm summer night watching your backyard landscaping ideas come to life.

Unfortunately, re-landscaping your whole backyard throughout the course of one growing season could be back breaking, costly and requires major planning.

Even though you are landscaping simply one section of the lawn at a time, you still need an overall plan. Utilizing graph paper, sketch out the permanent structures on your property such as the house, out buildings, deck and trees.

Here are some suggestions you’ll dig:

Screening with Plants

If your lawn does not have a fence, you might want to think about planting a row of hawthorn, juniper, arborvitae, or a combination of these bushes to create privacy and offer a backdrop for future flower beds. A smartly placed evergreen screen will also give a windbreak from winter winds and drifting snow.

Planning a Border Flower Bed

The most difficult part of designing a border is choosing flowers that complement one another, both in color and height. The list of perennials I advise here is for a six foot wide bed in a primarily sunny situation. Wide, in this case, means outward from the plant screen or fence, not the length of the bed.

Use 3 or 5 plants for every kind of flower and allow 16″-18″ in between every plant. Allow 20″-22″ between the different plant groups. Planting an odd number of plants is much more visually appealing than an even number.

Permit sufficient space at the rear of the bed for access. This will also prevent choking off essential air and light from the plants in back.

Island Bed

An island bed, as the name suggests, is planted in the middle of the lawn surrounded by a sea of grass. It can differ in shape and size in accordance to your imagination and available space. Scale the plants from tallest in the center to shortest at the edges.

Preplanned Gardens

I understand all of this Latin mumbo jumbo can be challenging for first time gardeners, it was for me. If you want a ready made solution, Direct Gardening provides a wide assortment of preplanned gardens designed to take all the guess work out of plant selection and placement.

Water Feature

Imagine the reflective beauty of a pond or the soft splashing of a man made waterfall. How about a 100 foot high waterslide? Maybe next year.

Do Your Lawn a Favor

Before you buy any vegetation, visit a real garden center for advice on drainage and soil preparation. Also, bring a copy of your plan; a soil sample and an extra credit card just in case you can’t wait years to make your backyard landscaping ideas come true.

10
Dec
2018

Interior Landscaping For Greener And Healthier Environment

categories: Landscaping

Imagine yourself in a place where flowers are swaying gently and the scent of freshly pruned plants are blowing across the yard and you with your friends sipping a frosty glass of ice-cold gently sweetened blueberry slush to make your day unforgettable. Such a place often relaxes and restores your inner peace. To enhance the interiors of your home or office, nowadays, people are opting for interior landscaping. It is a practice of designing, arranging, and caring for living plants in indoor environment. It reshapes the interior by adding ornament, color, sculptural elements, focal points, in the spaces and makes your area more lively and beautiful.

Interior landscaping is no longer restricted to home or residence, as it has gained the importance in public places, hotels, business and corporate world. No matter what is the time of year, you can start doing interior landscaping to make your area or yard greener and healthier. Some points that need to be considered while doing landscaping in indoor areas are:

* Check the total dimensions of the area where you want to do interior landscaping, and then decide which type of plants and flowers your want plant. The bigger area needs more landscaping than smaller area.

* Select the plants and flowers that suits well in your space. The main motive behind interior landscaping is to attract the person.

* Select the plants on the basis of seasonal, annual or common flower that can grow well in your yard. On timely basis, these plants must be given proper manure and water so that it looks beautiful.

* Colorful plants and designer pots can attract the attention of many people.

* To enjoy the feel of interior landscaping, you can place your sofas, chairs and couch around it. Lights around the landscaping can make the area more enthralling.

Interior landscaping is very helpful in purifying the air around you. Moreover, the people can improve their health and reduce the work stress. Lastly, for maintaining a great looking interior landscaping, a person must do a routine and consistent care as right task at right time can be the secret of healthy landscaping .

06
Dec
2018

Adding Palm Trees to your Home Landscaping

categories: Landscaping

Palm trees can be a great asset to your home’s landscaping, adding vibrancy and tropical style to your front- or back-yard’s design. A good looking yard is essential to increasing the value of your house, and palm trees can be just the thing your yard needs to stand out. Here are just some things to keep in mind if you’re thinking of adding palms to your home landscaping. >

The Right Time for Planting
The best times for planting palm trees in your yard are the spring and summer months. Palms are tropical plants, and as such they need warm weather and a lot of sunshine. Now, if you already live in a tropical or Mediterranean climate, you can start planting any time of the year.

Do Some Research
Look into the growth patterns of your palm trees before you buy them. Pay attention especially to how wide they grow and how tall by visiting a great palm tree nursery. You don’t want to end up with palms that are too big for your yard or with root systems that intrude on your home’s foundation or cause damage to your pool or other elements of the yard.

Don’t Plant Too Close to the House
This is one of the biggest mistakes that people make when adding palm trees to their landscaping. Palms may look small and harmless when they’re young, but they grow very quickly into huge tropical giants that can take over your roof and cause damage to your walls and windows if you position them too close to your house.

Spread Them Out
You don’t want to go overboard and start planting as many palms trees as will fit into your yard. Three is typically a good number, depending on how big your outdoors space is. Position the palms in various parts of your yard in a way that is visually appealing and organic. Don’t cluster them together or plant them in evenly spaced rows. The trick is to make palm trees an accent in your landscaping. You still need to think about traditional design elements and other plants that will look good as part of the yard. Adding colorful plants and flower around your plant trees will make them look even better.