creative landscaping -  Professional Barrie Home Inspections

Create A Great Looking Landscape in your backyard.  Landscaping can be fun, and if you get good at it, you might even be able to make some extra money as a part time job or just in your neighborhood. Start by learning a few simple techniques that you can practice in your own yard and garden.  Soon, you’ll be able to take pride in how beautiful your yard looks and might even be able to offer your services to other people.

If you have plants, trees and bushes in your yard, be sure to add mulch around their base. The mulch plays a much bigger role than just the visual improvement. Mulch will help to keep the moisture in the ground around these plants and trees.  It also slows the growth of weeds and helps provide nutrients to the trees and plants, especially during times of drought.

Before deciding where to place your plants or shrubs, think about how big your plants will eventually grow to to plan for adequate spacing.  This is very important to ensure you do not use plants that end up outgrowing their planting space, and overshadowing their neighbor plants. Proper planning at the beginning can save you extra work in the future.

When you start planning a landscaping project, it is very important to establish your budget first.  Certain tools, accessories and live plants can be more costly than you think and can make a dramatic change to your planned garden. You can do your  research online to get an idea of how much it will cost to complete your project.

If needed, divide your landscaping project into phases. Most people don’t have the resources to buy everything they will need at once, doing so can often leave you disorganized. Instead, split your project up into sections, that you can tackle one at a time for a cheaper more organized way to do your own landscaping.

Use solar lights to add visual appeal to your yard. Solar lights can make a pathway safer to walk on at night, and they add texture and beauty to your garden. Solar lights are available in many different varieties, and at all different price points, so it is easy to find a set that will work well in your yard.

If you are adding archways, or pergolas to your yard, make sure that they are tall enough. A good average height is 8 feet. If you make an archway too short, people will not be able to walk underneath it and enjoy it. If you make it too tall, it can look overwhelming, and out of place.

Build walkways throughout your landscaping. You will place much time and energy into the variety of plants and decorations in your landscaping, so be sure others can enjoy every inch of it! Consider, too, being creative with your walkways. Instead of plain concrete, perhaps build them out of natural stone or gravel to give another sense of texture.

If your soil is really rocky, use that to your advantage. They are so many types of plants of drought tolerant you can plant in your yard or even consider creating an entire rock garden. This is a lovely way to landscape your yard without continuously fighting to keep your plants healthy, hydrated and alive.

Determine how much sunlight your property gets, be aware of what direction the sun rises and sets in your garden.  This is important since it can affect the kind of plants you choose. Be aware of shady areas, as you can divide some of the areas where there is full or partial shade. This is crucial because plants can wither from too much or too little sunlight.

If you have children or a pet, create a landscape that they can play in. Avoid any kind of toxic or thorny plants, and if you want to have a few fragile plants, make sure they are properly protected in beds or near larger plants. You can also create different areas with rocks or bricks.

If adding steps or patios ensure their height meets the requirements of the Ontario Building Code.  For more information contact the Barrie Home Inspector 705-795-8255.