Feel the Southern California Sunshine
28 Apr 2020
Container Gardening: A Creative Way to Bring Plants to Any Space
Container gardening has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. It’s a great way to add greenery and life to any space, no matter how small or limited. Whether you live in an apartment with a balcony, a townhouse with a small courtyard, or a house with a backyard, container gardening can provide a creative and flexible solution for bringing plants to your environment.
The possibilities of container gardening are virtually endless. You can use pots, hanging baskets, window boxes, or any other type of container to plant a variety of plants, such as flowers, herbs, vegetables, or even small trees. With the right combination of plants and containers, you can create a unique and eye-catching display that reflects your personal style and taste.
One of the benefits of container gardening is its convenience. Unlike traditional gardening, you don’t have to worry about soil quality, drainage, or pests. With container gardening, you can control the environment in which your plants grow, ensuring that they receive the right amount of sunlight, water, and nutrients. Container gardening is also a great way to experiment with different plant combinations and arrangements, as you can easily move containers around to create different looks and effects.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner, container gardening can be a fun and rewarding activity. With the help of a professional landscaper or garden designer, you can select the right containers and plants for your space, and receive guidance on how to care for your plants throughout the year. So why not try your hand at container gardening and add some greenery and life to your space today?
4 Sustainable Landscaping Design Trends
4 Sustainable Landscaping Design Trends
All homeowners pursue efficiency as they invest in their landscaping design Los Angeles. The longer investments last, the more money the homeowner will save. There’s an abundance of information in regards to sustaining indoor elements of a home.
But what about sustaining outdoor landscape in Los Angeles? Insects are known for devouring plants and vulnerable materials. As a homeowner, it’s important to select the correct materials and the correct landscape design.
The first step to constructing a sustainable landscape is choosing landscape designs that are resistant to decay, insects, and excessive water. Fortunately for the homeowner, there are several trends out there that can last.
Here are 5 sustainable landscape trends for the upcoming season.
1. Bring the Fire Outdoors
The fall season brings cooler temperatures and cooler nights. Fire tables are excellent additions for those night time get togethers with family and friends. Invest a little more and install a fire pit. Landscape professionals normally install Slate Flagstone walkways around them.
Or you can go traditional and build a fireplace. Exterior stone veneer fire pits and fireplaces are sustainable trends for landscape design because they offer efficient ways to eliminate lawn, garden, and tree waste while providing a comfortable atmosphere for the homeowner. Bringing the fire outside will help ignite the party after dark.
2. Effective and Efficient Drainage
One of the most important factors of maintaining a sustainable landscape is drainage. Fluctuating temperatures means fluctuating weather. To better prepare for rain, start drainage with installing gutters onto rooftop edges. Gutter guards will help prevent leaves, acorns, and sticks from clogging gutters and downspouts. Attach drainage pipes to downspouts and route them away from the home and landscape.
For patio drainage, install a slotted system. Landscape professionals will have the tools and extensive knowledge on drainage. Homeowners who pursue DIY drainage, make measures and cuts to material in which the grate can fit.
3. Plants that Fight Excessive Water
Speaking of drainage, there will be days where the landscape is waterlogged with torrential rain. Homeowners can prepare for those saturated days by installing water absorbing plants like Boxwoods and Maple trees. Border grasses and shrubs protect gardens while tree roots absorb the water.
4. Sustainable Outdoor Flooring
Thermally Modified Wood is the best way to go as a sustainable source of outdoor wood flooring. If you’re thinking about landscape flooring, use modified wood flooring. Why is modified wood flooring much more effective than deck wood for outdoor design projects?
Modified wood for outdoor flooring has three processes which makes it ideal for unique projects:
- Heat – This method (also called thermal modification) heats wood to over 185 to 215 degrees. It all depends on the grade of wood. Thermal modification brightens the wood and exponentially slows the decaying process.
- Polymer Grafting – Single molecules (or monomers) can combine with other single molecules, which is a called polymerization. When this process is used in wood, it increases durability, strength, and resist insects. This is often used in construction.
- Acetylation – Hydroxyls (or free hydroxyls) are present in all wood. Hydroxyl is an element that allows the wood to absorb water during weather and season changes. Acetylation changes the hydroxyl group to an acetyl group. Acetyl groups alter the wood to make it more durable and stable.
Create a Landscape That Will Last
Homeowners should choose a landscaping trend that will sustain their invested Los Angeles landscape over a long period of time. Be cautious of the materials you use. Go with thermally modified wood for outdoor flooring. Choose the right plants for the climate and season. For walkways or garden patios, lean toward slate rock construction. Find a budget that works for you and consult with your landscape contractor Los Angeles for all your landscaping needs.
Types of Gardens Designs at Garden Designs and Landscapes
Types of Gardens Designs at Garden Designs and Landscapes
Garden Design has landscaping services and designs gardens for all type of home, condos, and apartment buildings. We design all type of gardens Mediterranean, cottage, Japanese, English, rock gardens, Zen, hillside, and wall. As one of the Los Angeles landscape design firms, we offer the most versatile services to customers around. When customers want a garden design our staff consults with them by visiting the space and discussing details. We draw a detailed design before starting any work. What are some of the garden designs we do?
Mediterranean gardens are known for using a silver-green color scheme and drought-resistant plants. Popular plants are rosemary, lavender, fig trees, grapes, climbing roses, and olives. These gardens often have potted plants, gravel floors, benches to sit on; water features, hedges, and raised beds. Our designers can help customers design a small, medium or large garden with these features. This style garden is similar to those found in Italy and Europe. These gardens can be simple to elaborate in design with shady spots and topiary. As one of the special Landscape design firms in Los Angeles, we will design the garden to your specifications.
Cottage gardens or English gardens are often designed for homes in the country with land. We need planning to look organized and work well. Many have fences and hedges to give them design and form. Some have stone paths and small patios to sit or entertain. Flowers planted are roses, foxglove, ground covers, dwarf conifers, peonies, columbine and other plants. Choosing a color scheme helps coordinate the garden. Herbs, fruits, and vegetables are often grown with other plants. Decorative objects are often added bird baths, sundials, and small fountains. Its design is organization among the chaos. Other English gardens are more formals and structured.
A Japanese garden or Zen garden has simple lines that combine rocks, plants, and often water features to create a peaceful retreat. Plants that might be included are ferns moss, hosta, azaleas, Japanese maple tree, bamboo, cherry trees, camellia, iris, and lotus. Rocks play a central role in the design and represent power. Rocks of varying size and types are used to depict simple structures. Japanese gardens often have stone lanterns, small fountains or ponds with water to create harmony and balance. These gardens can be small and simple a retreat from everyday life or larger with bridges and elaborate water features. These landscape contractors Los Angeles know many different layouts.
Rock gardens add design and interest to small or barren landscapes. Using rocks of different forms gives space to plant. Often rock gardens are built into small or large hills. Garden Design will sketch out a plan before beginning work. These gardens often use drought-resistant plants, and bulbs like tulips and daffodils. Smaller plants do better and creeping plants like moss, ice plants, smaller grass, mint, and succulents. Having the right soil mixture will help the plants grow and stay healthy. It can be designed using a stone wall with small conifers, shrubs, and perennials. From simple to Luxury landscape Los Angeles our designs are versatile.
Vertical gardens are another popular design with customers. We are plants on a wall or displayed in rows on planter or display. There are container or pocket style designs. Plants can be grown on large wooden or plastic wall planters, recycled shipping pallets made of wood. Sometimes wire mesh is used to keep plants in place. A vertical garden can go inside or outdoors. The amount of sun and the amount of space often determines placement. Plants often used are herbs, vegetables, or flowers. Often we use a simple or more complex irrigation system for watering.
Green Design designs Luxury landscape Los Angeles and gardens that are formal to simple. Our landscape contractors Los Angeles can design and build the garden that customer’s desire. We design vegetable gardens, rain gardens, flower gardens, water gardens and more. Call today to make an appointment at: 310-295-9958
Benefits of planting trees in your garden
Sun Or Shade? The Right Tree For Your Garden
The benefits of planting trees in your garden are plenty – in urban areas, they help to reduce ozone. They absorb CO2, helping to lower the greenhouse effect – in fact, one mature tree absorbs around 48 lbs of CO2 a year. That is the equivalent of a car driving 26,000 miles. In your garden, you need to find the right kind of tree for the conditions that you have. So what sort of tree would be right for your space?
Garden Design, as a landscape designer in Los Angeles, can help you to make a decision.
Shady gardens
Japanese acers are perfect if you have shady conditions, as they don’t like being in full sunlight – it can really damage the leaves. Acers like very sheltered conditions to protect them from frosts, and they don’t fair well in windy weather. They are very slow growing, and ideal in small spaces – you can even keep them in pots on balconies or on terraces. They have beautiful and unique foliage and are grown for their distinct fall colors. Acers have fibrous root systems, so just make sure that they are not crowded in with too many other plants, and they will thrive.
Sun traps
If your garden is in full sun, a Ginkgo Biloba, otherwise known as the Maidenhair Tree would be a perfect choice. It is a deciduous tree that originates from China and has very striking, conical leaves. The Ginkgo loves to be in full sunlight and is extremely hardy. It also tolerates air pollution, so is a good specimen if your garden is in the middle of a city. The leaves turn to a wonderful yellow color in the fall. The tree requires very little pruning and prefers well-drained soil, however it doesn’t matter what PH the soil is. It is an unusual tree that will make a statement in your garden.
Windy and exposed spaces
Having a windy garden shouldn’t put you off from planting trees, but you will need to put in varieties that are hardy. The Sycamore tree (Acer Pseudoplantaus) is an ideal choice in exposed areas – this incredible tree will even live happily where there are salty sea winds. The Sycamore looks beautiful in the fall when the normally green foliage turns to various shades of brown, orange and yellow. Planting a row of them will also provide your garden with an adequate windbreak.
No matter what your garden conditions, there is always the perfect tree. Even better, you will be planting something for the future, that can be admired for generations to come.
Vegetable gardens and landscaping
Turn Your Yard into a Cornucopia
More and more people are choosing to grow food in their homes, with an estimated one in three American households growing their own produce. Edible plants can add color to your garden and fill your pantry without breaking the bank. It’s easier than you might think to design your own edible yard, whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned expert. Here are some tips on how to revamp your outdoor living space and design a creative garden space that gives back.
Picking the Plants
When starting an edible garden, you may be tempted to pick fruits and vegetables that are family favorites. While there’s nothing wrong with growing your preferred produce, it’s important to keep in mind that not all plants can grow in the same climate zones. Households in warm and arid regions, for example, may have trouble growing plants that guzzle water such as peaches and citrus fruits. Conversely, areas that experience heavy rainfall may not be suitable for herbs and other plants susceptible to root rot. You can consult the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map or speak with local gardeners to learn which plants grow best in your area.
Designing the Layout
Whether you live in a small apartment or have acres of space at your disposal, you can start an edible garden in any area that gets plenty of light and access to water unless you’re committed to watering it regularly. You can maximize your space by using pots, hanging baskets, or planter boxes both indoors and outdoors. Many herbs and certain fruits and vegetables can be grown in low light. Whenever possible, though, most plants prefer to live outdoors. If you have the space, you can create an outdoor garden using raised beds to help promote proper drainage. It’s a good idea to mix organic matter into the soil, such as compost or manure, to help plants grow larger and healthier. Some plants, such as tomatoes, also grow better with specialty fertilizers.
Planning Your Calendar
Not all plants can grow year-round, so it’s crucial that you plan out a planting calendar before starting work on your yard. You should research when to sprout different types of plants in your region. When you plant your seeds will also determine when you’re able to harvest your crop.
Growing an edible garden is easier than you might think. By picking the right plants and making proper use of your space, you can create food that’s cheaper and tastier than anything you’ll find in a supermarket. The next time that you redesign your garden, consider adding some color by including your favorite fruits and vegetables.
Enjoy the Beauty of California in Your Own Backyard
The natural beauty of California is something that all residents and visitors relish. In Los Angeles landscape designs can range from lush and tropical to a more rugged, seemingly untouched environment. The outdoor spaces on your property were meant to be enjoyed. Yet many property owners lack the vision and experience to fully take advantage of their outdoor areas.
As a premier landscape designer Los Angeles, the team at Garden Design works with homeowners to craft a backyard garden area that everyone can enjoy. Their works are guided by a design philosophy to create spaces that are based on a simple design that incorporates a rich variety of textures and color. By incorporating natural and functional elements, the result is a space that everyone can enjoy.
The team at Garden Design can incorporate backyard kitchen and dining areas, fireplaces and vertical landscapes to create a unique outdoor environment. They can also create plans using drought-tolerant landscaping Los Angeles homeowners are looking for. Additionally, they can include beds for vegetable gardening.
Whether your personal design tastes run more to the Japanese Zen garden traditions or more toward the English garden sensibilities, the team at Garden Design can expertly incorporate those style preferences into an overall plan that works harmoniously with the topography of your property.
Caring for the landscape on a home’s property allows for often unused spaces to be fully enjoyed and appreciated. In addition, enhancing the outdoor spaces also increases the value of the property. From an aesthetic standpoint, as a garden grows and matures, if it is cared for, simply becomes more beautiful. That makes quality landscape design an investment that every homeowner should explore.
