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Home Improvement: Top 10 Changes for Your Landscape |
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Written by Doresa Banning/ Photo Courtesy Truckee Meadows Water Authority
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Wednesday, 30 May 2007 |
If you’re tired of your landscaping, it needs some pizzazz, or you want to increase its water efficiency, you have several affordable options. Here’s a look at the Top 10.
1. Install a Water Feature
These can range from small, self-contained systems to large-scale fountains and flowing waterfalls, says Pawl Hollis, the owner of Rail City Garden Center, in Sparks. “They’re the most dramatic thing a person can do that will give them the best bang for the buck,” he adds.
2. Use Pavers
Replace an old concrete patio or install a new one with pavers. Or add a paver walkway to your yard. Pavers are brick-like pieces of concrete that are composed of cement, fine and coarse aggregates, and oftentimes, color. The benefit of pavers versus concrete slabs is that individual pieces can be replaced should they crack or get stained.
“Pavers are very much in,” says Tim Scott, installation services manager for Reno Lawn & Landscape and Signature Landscapes, in Reno. “And they create an aesthetically pleasing look.”
3. Swap Out Overgrown Shrubs and Trees
Refresh any tired-looking plants with shrubs, perennials, or trees that bloom. With perennials and shrubs, you can get a sequence of blooms throughout the season. Daylilies along with pear, plum, and robe locust trees are excellent choices, Scott says.
Consider planting plants that attract butterflies or hummingbirds, suggests Ron Gustafson, consulting horticulturist for Sparks-based G&G Nursery & Landscaping. (For more about creating a garden space that’s attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, see Garden Notes)
“There’s a lot of interest in color now,” he adds.
4. Replace Some or All of Your Lawn
Consider laying decorative rock or planting a specialty garden in place of lawn, Hollis says. Perhaps you’d like herbs, native plants, perennial flowers, cactuses, or vegetables. Replacing turf reduces water expense and adds interesting landscaping elements.
5. Incorporate Boulders
Large rocks, real or artificial, break up the monotony of a uniform ground cover by providing texture and elevation. Artificial boulders are made of cement, rubber, or plastic, and, Hollis says, some appear unbelievably real.
An additional touch would be to add a vine or plant that will creep over or around the boulders (catoni aster, for example), Gustafson says. These plant types also are ideal for cascading over walls or large planters.
6. Add Undulating Elements
Dirt mounds are one option that’s great for flat yards. Another option is a dry streambed (to learn about creating a dry creek bed, see Nevada Home, November 2006, page 38 or www.nvhome.biz/content/view/188/). These create a different type of wave-like appearance and add flair.
7. Create a Container Garden
Arrange an assortment of different pots for various plants that will deliver spectacular color at different times, Hollis recommends. This provides accent and interrupts the elevation.
Non-traditional planters are selling well, Gustafson says. For instance, G&G Nursery sells a small bicycle with planters built into the pedals, among others.
8. Integrate Art or Accessories
All kinds of garden art are available, from ornamental bronze statues to Asian-inspired pieces such as lanterns and Buddhas. Animal figurines are popular, particularly chickens, rabbits, and frogs, Hollis says. Gazebos and arbors are other artistic options.
“Weather vanes and bird feeders are always a nice touch,” Hollis adds.
Consider illuminating one or more art elements or trees, perhaps even a garden, Scott advises.
9. Include a Fire Pit
Set a fire pit atop your existing patio or other outdoor space. Pits come in all shapes, sizes, and materials, from copper to marble. Or have a fire pit built into, say, your paver patio, Scott suggests. The surround for these pits can be constructed out of anything from simple rocks to elaborate stone or brick work.
10. Retrofit Your Sprinklers
By installing what are called MP Rotators, you can update your existing sprinkler system for more efficient water application. MP Rotators are multi-stream, multi-trajectory rotating sprinklers that install onto any popular spray head body, making retrofitting easy.
No matter what changes you decide to make to your landscaping, plan ahead, Hollis advises. For the addition of plants and trees, make a rough drawing to scale, if necessary, and be sure to incorporate an irrigation system into the plan.
Doresa Banning is a Reno-based freelance writer. |
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