Archive for March 23rd, 2010

Designing Landscapes to Attract Butterflies

Bring the lovely dance of butterflies to your home garden by choosing plants that attract the delicate beauties. Butterflies rely on plant life for their nutrition through each stage of their life. To attract a variety of butterfly species and create a visually pleasing floral garden, plant more than one kind of flower in a sunny area as butterflies require the sun’s warmth.

Popular flowers to include consider when creating your butterfly garden:

• Ageratum
• Bougainvillea
• Coral Vine
• Daisy
• Lantana
• Milkweed
• Pincushion Flower
• Plumago
• Periwinkle
• Petunia
• Salvia
• Turk’s Cap
• Zinnia

For optimum results, it’s important to remember to carefully prepare the soil before planting. Break up the soil, dig a hole sized appropriately for each plant (see plant tag), and fertilize regularly.

Whether your butterfly garden is a few potted plants on your patio, or a large garden, enjoy the beautiful symphony of the butterfly dance all season long.

Exquisite Landscape Transitions

Your distinctive style made your house a home. Now that same exquisite touch can transform your backyard into a landscape of elegance. As the trend in outdoor living increases, so do the many wonderful options for landscape designs, furnishings, and accessories.

Photo provided courtesy Kichler Lighting

Fire pits, fountains, and outdoor kitchen grilling areas can be easily incorporated onto your deck or patio. Furnishings, lighting, and blooming plants in decorative containers complete your outdoor living area while adding personalized ambiance.

Natural stone offers a functional beauty that resonates with the soul. It’s strength is timeless and the variations in color a subtle elegance. Stone can be used for patios, walkways, retaining structures, and as accent pieces.

Wood structures connect in natural harmony with plant life. Decks, decorative fences, and trellis’ are just a few of the popular uses of wood in landscape design. A pergola creates a ceiling for your outdoor living room. Drift away from the stresses of the day in the private romance of an arbor.

Photo provided courtesy Cedarshed

Landscape lighting, available in low-wattage and solar, performs as both function and design. A safety feature providing navigation, lighting also delivers lightwash effects that add dramatic appeal.

The great thing about planning your lawn and garden is incorporating a little bit of ‘you’ in the design. Extend the beauty of your home’s interior into your landscape with your personal watermark.

Water-wise, Low-maintenance Xeriscapes

Xeriscaping offers a wonderful solution for beautiful and colorful landscapes. Like traditional landscapes, a xeriscape may be designed to minimize maintenance, conserve water and protect the environment. By selecting plants that are well-adapted, organic mulches that suppress weed growth and conserve water, along with drip-irrigation systems directed at the plant roots, xeriscapes can deliver visually stunning and fragrant landscapes.

Taken from the Greek word xeros, meaning dry, xeriscape embodies the principles of water conservation through creative landscaping. In the metroplex, as in many areas of the country, there is growing concern about water shortages. Water usage varies, but the American Water Works Association suggests as a general estimate that as much as 50 percent of water consumption can be attributed to landscape use. Proper planning can greatly reduce water usage.

“The Dallas Water Utilities host the annual Xeriscape Tour of Homes to showcase the most impressive water-wise gardens in Dallas each June,” says Yvonne Dupre, program coordinator for Dallas Water Utilities. “They also conduct free classes to train residents on xeriscaping.”

Seven Principles for Successful Xeriscapes

1. Start with a plan. Consider soil type, drainage and water availability. Determine how the space will be used: entertaining, play, gardening or storage.
2. Analyze and improve the soil if needed. Adding an organic matter, such as compost, will improve drainage, moisture penetration and retention.
3. Determine the best turf. Since grass needs more water, consider if the area will benefit more from a ground cover, shrub, deck or patio addition.
4. Select native or drought tolerant plants. If unsure, consult plant experts at local nurseries.
5. Water efficiently. Water less frequently, but more deeply to develop healthier root systems. “When you use misting sprinklers or sprinklers that throw water high into the air, the water often evaporates before it hits the ground,” Dupre says. “Drip irrigation applies water slowly to the soil directly surrounding the plant roots.” The Rainbird Landscape Dripline System is one such system that offers the advantages of watering each plant, not the surrounding soil. This results in fewer weeds, greater water conservation and faster growth. Additionally, it reduces the runoff of excessive watering and the burden of unwanted and wasted pesticides in our lakes.
6. Use organic mulches to conserve water and slow weed growth. Mulches reduce soil water loss and erosion. Common organic mulches include pine bark, composted leaves, shredded cedar, and landscape clippings.
7. Maintain appropriately. A properly maintained yard is hardier and better equipped to withstand drought, freezing and pest problems.

Trees and shrubs should be pruned annually. Flowering plants need frequent pruning to stimulate blooming and keep a neat appearance. Remove weeds so they do not compete with plants for water. Raise the height of the lawn mower so grass blades are able to shade their roots. Fertilize in moderation; allow grass clippings to remain on the lawn as a natural fertilizer.

Plants, trees, shrubs, perennials and even natural rock offer homeowners unlimited design tools for creating functional and stunning outdoor-living spaces. Beautiful, eco-friendly and low-maintenance, xeriscapes offer the perfect solution for conservation-conscience homeowners.