Soil Vs Mulch Vs Rocks - How To Make The Right Choice For Your Landscaping

Soil Vs Mulch Vs Rocks – How To Make The Right Choice For Your Landscaping

Many landscape designers will advise homeowners on the materials that they recommend for specific aspects of their landscape design. One of those concerns is what should be used in the various plant, flower, and vegetable beds and the walkways throughout the garden, with the choice normally narrowed down to one of three which are soil, mulch, and rocks.

Each has distinct characteristics and offers variable benefits, depending on its use, and whether they are used in the right ways and in the right locations within the garden. For those unsure what benefits and uses soil, mulch, and rocks have to offer within landscaped gardens, read on and you will discover them so that when it comes time to make your choices, you make the right ones.

The Case For And Against Soil

Arguably the simplest option, given that you are adding nothing to what your plants are already embedded in. Apart from simplicity, the other advantage of simply using soil as it is, is that there are no further materials to be purchased, and thus no further costs to be incurred, which might be important for those on an extremely tight budget.

Glass Pool Fencing

The Pros And Cons Of Glass Pool Fencing

With the recent rise in the number of people landscaping their backyards with elegant and stylish elements, modern glass balustrades have become a popular way to include pools in landscape design. Glass is quickly becoming one of the most widely used pool fencing materials, which means that it’s essential to consider the ins and outs of using it.

To help you decide whether you should be using Glass for your new pool fence, we’vecompiledr a short list of the pros and cons of glass pool fencing. Find it below:

Pros Of Glass Pool Fencing:

The pros of using Glass as a pool fencing material are numerous, and include:

Glass is easy to maintain – Keeping your pool fence clean and well-maintained is crucial. Many fencing materials are hard to maintain, requiring regular cleaning and repairs. However, Glass is straightforward to clean, and the simplicity of most glass fences means they are deficient in maintenance.

Roll-Out Ready Lawn

Benefits of Roll-Out Ready Lawn

Roll-out ready lawn, instant lawn, ready-made lawn, it may have different names, but it all means the same thing: convenience. Whether your current garden is worse for wear, or you’re creating a whole new landscaping plan, this product can provide no end of satisfaction. Find out below why instant lawn options could be perfect for you.

It’s Cost Effective

You might think that next to growing grass from seed, ready lawn is expensive. However, what if you compared it to other landscaping materials you may have used instead? Concrete, paving stones, plants, and synthetic turf are often far more expensive to buy than instant lawn. Adding more lawn to your landscape design plan, as opposed to more plants, can end up being the more affordable option in the scheme of things.

You Don’t Have to Grow It

Growing grass can be quite an arduous process. You have to tend to it regularly, including stopping birds and wildlife from making off with the delicious seeds. At the end of the growing process, you’re not always guaranteed a perfect lawn either. Many things can stop it growing to its full potential. With a ready lawn, what you see is what you get, and there’s no growing involved, so all you need to worry about is a lawn care program to keep your lawn in top condition.

Swimming Pool

How to Choose the Right Swimming Pool

Choosing to landscape your property is a significant step to take, but not everyone is skilled in or an expert in landscape design. As a result, you can run into many problems if you try to go through the process alone. But, it’s not only plant and footpath placement that can be a problem, but more considerable additions such as a custom swimming pool as well.

You may have an idea in mind of the swimming pool you would like, but how will it fit into your overall landscape design? It might be time to pay attention to these tips below or call in the landscape design experts such as Harrison’s Landscaping.

  1. Budget

It’s okay to have dreams of a large, extravagant pool repairs or renovations that will be the envy of your entire neighbourhood, but is it within your budget? Before you put pencil to paper and sketch out what you want, you need to ensure it’s within your budget. Landscape design is one thing, but putting that design into action is entirely another. Get quotes from landscaping companies in your area.

  1. Sizing

The sizing is possibly the most critical part of the landscape design process. Does it need to work within an area of your home that already features landscaping? Or, do you have a blank canvas with which to work? Fortunately, you don’t even need a lawn area to have a pool. You can benefit from rooftop terrace plunge pools and small pools that sit in nooks in your backyard.

  1. Style

Some people want swimming pools they can do laps in, while others prefer them for entertaining and relaxing. Your needs can dictate the style. A lap pool tends to be longer and narrower, while a pool for entertaining is often wide to cater for more people. Experts can incorporate almost any style into your landscape design.

Buy Limestone Blocks

Why You Should Always Buy Limestone Blocks From A Professional Supplier

Limestone is a great building material. It is tough, durable, relatively inexpensive and quite easy to use. Things like retaining walls and fences can be created with large limestone blocks, while smaller blocks can be used to build things like garden beds and paths. Limestone bricks are becoming quite a popular structural material for houses and new buildings.

However, it’s important to make sure that you get your building supplies and specifically limestone blocks from a reputable supplier. Since they are often used as a structural material, they need to be strong and internally sound. There’s nothing worse than building a nice retaining wall out of brand new limestone, only to have it crumble or break within a few months or a year.

With this in mind, I’ve put together a list of my top 3 reasons why you should always source your limestone blocks from a professional supplier – failing to do so can lead to all sorts of problems. These include:

  1. Limestone Blocks Sourced From A Reputable Supplier Will Be Structurally Sound

This point mainly applies to reconstituted limestone blocks – blocks which are moulded from a mixture of crushed limestone and cement. If they aren’t built right or if the cement and limestone are mixed in the wrong proportions, reconstituted blocks can be weaker than expected.

This can be a major problem if they’re being used for things like retaining walls, where strength is an essential attribute. Make sure that you always buy your reconstituted blocks from a reliable supplier who can give you strength tests.

Landscape Construction Business

Where to Find Customers for Your Landscape Construction Business

With any business, customers or clients are essential. If you have a landscaping business you will need clients just as much as any dentist, cafe or hotel would. The only thing is that due to the nature of your work, you need customers that have a certain amount of money to spend; more than the cost of a dentist visit or a coffee.  So where can you find clients that need your services and can afford to pay for them? Here are some tips.

  • Develop strategic relationships with suppliers who are likely to deal with the kind of clients you want. People such as tile suppliers, a glass fencing installer, swimming pool builders or even furniture suppliers. To do this, offer them something of value so it’s not just all about you. For instance, you could offer to do the landscaping for their showroom if they pass on your information or brochure to their customers.
  • Develop strategic relationships with design and other professionals such as interior designers, architects, bank managers, real estate agents and accountants. You have to give them value in some way to do this. It might be possible to set up a time in which you are available for free phone advice about some of their construction problems, especially if they are DIY handymen. You could offer a low cost or free inspection of their project to identify potential issues. In return, they could give your contact details to their clients with a good word about your work ethics. Have a business card made to facilitate this.