Landscaping a yard that is mostly clay, sand, or loam is easy. If you want a real challenge, then you need to try landscaping a yard that has a lot of rocks in it. Growing grass, and creating flower beds can be problematic in these rocky areas, but with a little planning, and careful selections you can turn a rocky yard into a beautiful oasis.

The main problem to a rocky yard is the rocks. You cannot grow grass until you clear all of the rocks out of the area you will be working in. That means that you will have to do some excavation to get the rocks moved to a new location. Remember to save the rocks you unearth so you can use them later in the formation of specialized areas.

Rocks may be used for:

Landscaping is a major buying and selling feature in any home. Here are some DIY tips that will help you make all the right decisions when planning your next landscaping project.

1. Underestimating your cost

Many homeowners make the mistake of not budgeting enough for landscaping. They under value the foliage and lush greenery they desire.

Garden paths are important aspects of any landscape design. They lead from a certain area of the garden to another destination. This can be a peculiar sculpture or any other focal point. They also add some character to the garden. That is not all, as garden pathways allow for easier and efficient pruning of your plants. In addition, they protect the low growing plants including lawn grass from being trampled on. Hence, we cannot underestimate their importance in landscaping.

If you are creating a pathway in a garden, it is crucial to consider a few factors. First, there is a wide range of choices, when it comes to selecting the right material for the paths. The material you use will depend on the budget you are working with and the look you want to achieve in the end. It can be pricey or cheap from recycled materials.

The pathway is not just a means to get people from point A of the garden to point B, but it too is part of the larger design of the landscape. You should take advantage of the pathway to highlight the elements of the garden design along the path.  Place catchy plants or decorative art pieces on the sides of the pathway. This will make the guests to spare a few minutes to enjoy the rest of the landscape. At night, ensure that the people have seen what is on offer in the garden by installing path lighting.

Having a lovely garden is a dream of every homeowner. To achieve this you do not need a professional landscaper. All you need is to learn what defines a perfect garden design and you will be good to go. In as much as most aspects in a garden should reflect your style, there are elements that make the design to look cohesive. Here are some important elements for any garden landscape plan.

To start with, selecting a line for the design is important. This can be straight, curved, horizontal or vertical. It is what will lead your guests to the main entrance.  It also makes some impact on the viewers about your landscape. Another important element you must consider while landscaping is balance. Take your front door as the reference point. Then, create either an asymmetrical or a symmetrical design. Do note that, if one side is given more attention, the rest may be ignored. Color is a great challenge for novice landscape DIY designers. The color palettes overwhelm them and they want to introduce any available shade in their gardens.  Learn what works with what. However, ensure that you do not have so many colors in the plan. This is because they will overshadow other aspects of the garden.

The next element to add in the garden is the backbone.  Just like, when erecting a building one needs a foundation; you need a background for the garden. These may be shrubs and evergreen small trees. They will give you a platform for adding up other details.  If they already exist, then maintain them well to blend in with the rest of the garden design elements. In addition, whatever you place in the garden must be in proportion to the size of the garden. For instance, a large tree will be overwhelming to a small garden. Employ also some varying components in the garden. A varied landscape design looks more natural and real. Find the species of plants, which are suited for your soil and plant them.  Include ground layers, herbs and shrubbery.

A single deer can destroy all that you have invested in your home garden. Installing a barrier fence, may be an expensive venture. Nevertheless, there a couple of things those homeowners have been doing to keep off the deer.  They only require persistence and regular rotating. This is because the deer gets accustomed to the scents after a short while. If you follow, the steps described below, you will keep deer and other small herbivores void of your garden.

First, use bars of bath soap. You can keep them in their wrappers or simply unload them and shred the bars into small pieces. Make a hole on the soap and hang them on the tree branches. Place them around the garden space. The deer will be deterred by the smell, leaving your plants. Do note this is a temporary remedy.  Another option is using human hair.  Just like the case of the soaps, place the human hair in mesh bags and hang them on tree branches. This is a technique, which has been used for sometime by many landscapers. It works in a way. You may wonder where you will remove the human hairs. Go to saloons and barber shops, to find adequate mass to hang around the garden.

If the above two methods are not an option, then use raw eggs to spray the garden. For best results, use a dozen of eggs with 5 gallons of water, to spray on deer’s favorite plants and all around the garden.  These herbivores detest the smell of rotten eggs. Hence, they will stay away from your landscape. Nevertheless, reapply this concoction after rainfall. In addition, if you mix two tablespoonfuls of pepper sauce with 12.5 gallons of water and spray the entire garden, you will have no problem with the deer.  Spray on any plants, which the deer render palatable. This will discourage them from eating your orchids, flowers or shrubbery. As in the above case, you will need to reapply after a downpour occurs.