10 Principles Of Landscape Design Your Landscape Architect Should Adhere To

10 Principles Of Landscape Design Your Landscape Architect Should Adhere To

Every project that requires a degree of creativity will follow a set of well-founded principles, and that is certainly the case when landscape designers design a landscaped garden. If that garden happens to be yours then it will be useful for you to know what those principles are, given that it may help you in your discussions with your landscape architect when trying to agree upon the final design. As such here are ten of the most important landscape design principles.

Landscape Design Principle #1 – Allow The Existing Architecture To Influence The New Design

Even though the landscape design will be new, the house will still be present as will any other architecture, such as boundary walls. As such, it will make the landscape design seem even more cohesive and attuned to the entire property if the current architecture is used to inform it.

Landscape Design Principle #2 – Proportion Should Have The Human Body As Its Basis

When considering the dimensions of features such as composite decking within the design you need a benchmark for proportions. The most logical is to use the size of a human body. The reason is simple in that it is humans who will be using the garden.

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10 Types Of Paving Materials That Are Ideal For Landscaping

When a new landscaping project is being discussed between a landscaper from Principal Landscapes and a homeowner, one of the critical decisions they must make is what types of paving they will include in the landscape design. This decision will need to take into account several points, which include the size of the garden, the available budget, who will be using the garden, and the aesthetics that any paving choice creates.

A wide variety of materials can be used for paving, and often this is more of a hindrance than a help when trying to choose between them. However, what we have done here is pare them down to just 9 of the most popular paving materials to allow you to consider which materials you would like to use for the paving in your new landscape design.

Bricks: Most of us see bricks in constructions like walls; in most cases, these tend not to be especially decorative. However, using bricks for paving with a bit of added imagination can result in a pathway that is robust and durable and has numerous patterns created by how the bricks are laid.

Limestone: Limestone blocks are a preferred choice for landscaping paving due to their natural beauty, versatility, durability, and cool, non-slip surface. Its timeless look works well with many various styles, and maintenance is fairly easy. However, it should be considered that limestone can require occasional sealing and can sometimes become stained.

Concrete: Concrete paving comes in various shapes and sizes, although the most common is the more simple square paving stones. Options usually exist to select concrete paving stones in different colours to add aesthetic appeal to their durability, as they can also be laid in patterns within the same pathway.

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7 Ways You Can Use Gravel Within Your Landscaping

7 Ways You Can Use Gravel Within Your Landscaping

One material that is used extensively by landscapers for landscaping projects is gravel. Gravel has many attributes that make it a more desirable material than many others with one of the most important attributes being a relatively low cost. This is especially relevant when the landscape design has to be created and constructed within a relatively small budget.

Apart from being affordable, gravel also has practical advantages such as being a material that offers excellent drainage properties. There is also the aesthetic value of gravel since it can come in multiple colours, shapes, and sizes. If you are considering a new landscape design for your garden but were not aware of the benefits of using gravel, here are seven ways in which it can be included in your landscaping.

Driveways: The key to using gravel as an effective driveway surface material is that it must be installed professionally by experts to ensure that any vehicle using it can be properly supported. If this can be done, gravel can offer a solid surface for vehicles. In addition, it is especially suitable for drainage after heavy rainfall.

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Three Landscape Design Ideas to Transform Your Garden

If you have a large backyard or garden, you might find it a little difficult to keep on top of ongoing maintenance to keep it looking good. If this is the case, it could be time to come up with a new landscape design plan with the help of professional landscapers to transform your outdoor spaces.

There are numerous different design styles you could follow when creating a new landscaping plan. Different design styles are best suited to different people with different needs. With this in mind, we’ve spent a bit of time coming up with the following three innovative landscape design ideas to help you transform your garden.

Consider a Minimalist Style

Minimalist landscape design is becoming increasingly popular across the world. In general, it involves using simple design elements which require low maintenance throughout the year. Minimalist styles are best suited to those who lead a busy life without a lot of time to maintain their outdoor spaces.

The following minimalist design tips should help you get started:

  • Think about using plenty of paved/hard areas to prevent the work associated with gardens and lawns.
  • If you do want a lawn, go for artificial turf.
  • Plant larger, low-maintenance bushes and shrubs.

As you can imagine, minimalist landscape designs are usually quite simple – but that doesn’t mean that they don’t look good.

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Maintaining An Attractive Pool Area

Top Tips For Maintaining An Attractive Pool Area Through The Winter

Swimming pools make excellent outdoor entertaining and living areas during the summer, but they can seem like a waste of space in winter. If not looked after, your swimming pool and pool fencing can become run down and worn out.

If you want an attractive pool area through winter, you will have to put in some hours and a little elbow grease. Things like your glass pool fences will need to be cleaned regularly, and you must watch your pool’s water levels at all times not letting it go too low. You need to weed and keep your garden trimmed and your walkways and decking area need to be swept or pressure cleaned too. It can be hard to get the motivation to look after your pool and pool fencing throughout the winter, so we’ve compiled the following list of top tips to help you out.

Make Sure You Keep Your Pool Fence Clean

If you have a glass pool fence, it’s extremely important to keep it clean and well-maintained. A dirty glass fence looks terrible, and letting grime and dust build-up can damage the surface of your glass panels and metal fittings.

Cleaning your pool fence is very easy if you do it regularly. Fill up a bucket with warm water and a bit of dish-washing detergent, and wash your glass pool fence panels like you would a window. Ensure you dry the fence when cleaning to prevent streaks and other watermarks from forming.

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