Do you know what all apartment complexes, houses, churches and offices have in common? They all have landscaping. No building is complete without some grass, a few plants and some shrubbery to help enhance the quality of the building. The added value of curb appeal can make the difference when selling a house or increasing the value of a home.

Any little bit helps and you do not always need a professional to do the landscaping for you. It never hurts to have some professional advice or a little bit of knowledge before you start ripping up your front yard, though. In this article we will cover some of the basics of landscaping so that you can have an idea of how landscaping is done and how it can be easier than you might think. A few trees, some nice green grass and you will have it down pat before you know it. Who knows? Maybe you will decide it is a career that you may be interested in pursuing.

When should I hire a landscaper?

You should hire a landscaper if you do not have a “green thumb” and you are not going to have the time to devote to removing the old landscape and planting the new. There are certain steps that must be put into place to prevent soil erosion so it will require at least a weekend of hard work. Landscaper’s are not cheap but you can find one at a reasonable price depending on how large the area is and how much labor you intend to do yourself. If you are going to maintain the area, you will save money as well.

What credentials should I look for in a good landscaper?

A good landscaper will have a photography album of all the landscape designs that he or she has created. They will have a background with an education in landscape architecture or have plenty of actual experience in landscaping. If you want to see an actual landscape they have designed and planted, the landscaper should not balk at showing you or providing you with the contact details of the owner of the property. It is in their best interest to have happy and satisfied clients.

How do I decide which type to plant?

The type of plant you choose will depend on your climate and how much you want to water. It will also depend on how much sun your yard receives during the day. Some plants thrive in the shade while others will wilt. For those individuals who live in drought prone areas, they should consider planting hardy plants that require little water and actually help conserve the soil from erosion. Many people elect to have rock gardens and cactus if they live in desert climates.

When is the ideal planting season?

The ideal planting season depends on what type of plant you want to grow. Bulbs are best planted in the fall so that they have time to root. Other plants are best suited to planting during the spring months. Some plants will not produce flowers or fruits until one or two seasons later so you have to prepare for this. Trees will have to go through several years before they become large enough to give adequate shade or produce fruit.

How can I protect my newly planted greenery and flowers from the weather and elements?

During the early weeks and months many plants are in danger of dying from the elements but you can take steps to help prevent this. Wind and rain are two of the biggest threats. To protect your plants from both you will need to provide them with shelter. You can put down a protective barrier between the plant and the ground. This will help secure the plant’s roots and prevent too much water from soaking into the ground. The added benefit will be prevention of weeds from growing up through the barrier. To prevent wind erosion of the soil, scatter hay or straw around the plants to help protect the soil. If you think that the cold weather is going to harm your plants, you can place a protective bag around the plant that will keep the plant warm enough to prevent frost.

Discuss – When you choose the type of pond you want for your yard or garden, there are considerations such as: garden ponds, custom designed garden ponds, fish ponds, Koi ponds, stone ponds, ponds with waterfalls, indoor ponds, or a combination of any of these, and much, much more.

Waterlilies and other aquatic plants can be planted successfully at any time from early spring into the summer. It is preferable to plant in early spring as then it is possible to achieve a good display during the succeeding summer. Aquatics planted during the summer rarely achieve full maturity until the following year.

All aquatic plants enjoy a heavy soil, so use a clay-loam soil from the garden or a proper formulated aquatic planting compost. When collecting soil from the garden, ensure that it is weed-free and does not contain any other organic debris that may decompose and pollute the water. It should not be from land that has been recently dressed with artificial fertilizer as this is likely to be very soluble and leach out into the pond water, thereby providing ideal conditions for the establishment of green water discoloring algae.

Waterlilies and other aquatic plants should always be fed using a slow release aquatic plant fertilizer in either a tablet or sachet, which during the growing season can be pushed into the compost next to the plant. Plant waterlilies and marginal aquatics in the same manner as when potting other plants into pots, but ideally use proper aquatic planting baskets.

Discuss – The Fist step towards your dream Garden pond is to design and plan for your Pond. You have to consider various factors seriously and take a firm and final decision before you start your work and changing your decisions after starting the construction will cost you money and time.

Although marginal plants will grow in traditional pots, they will not prosper in the same way as when cultivated in planting baskets. Always plant a single species or variety in one container. Never consider mixed plantings as these will end in a tangle with one species or variety almost certain to dominate. Once planted, top-dress the compost in the baskets with fine gravel to prevent fish from stirring up the compost in their search for aquatic insect larvae.

Submerged aquatics are planted in a similar fashion, except that many more are used in a container. The larger sized planting basket will accommodate ten or twelve bunches, for most submerged aquatic plants are sold as bunches of leafy cuttings fastened together with a lead strip. Be sure to bury the fastening in the compost when planting. If left above the surface of the soil, the lead rots through the stems of the cuttings. These then detach and come floating to the surface of the water. Top-dress the planted baskets with well-washed fine gravel.

Discuss – Building a garden pond requires a bit of an initial investment. Good equipment should be used, because once a pond is installed it will last many, many years.

Philip Swindells has over 40 years gardening experience. A former botanical garden curator and an international horticultural consultant, he has worked extensively in the UK, North America, the Middle East and Australia. The Author of more than 50 gardening books, he has been awarded a Quill and Trowel Award by the Garden Writers’ Association of America. He is also a former UK Garden Writer of the Year. He is currently editor of http://www.internationalwatergardener.com.