Landscape Design | August 4, 2017

What Should I Consider When Designing a Garden for My Climate?

Unless you have some sort of background in landscaping, designing your own garden or backyard can be slightly difficult. While a lot of people choose to use landscape designers, for this very reason, some people don’t. Some people can’t afford to use a qualified landscaper, while others simply look forward to the challenge of designing their own garden.

One of the most important things to consider when designing your own garden is your climate. You need to do a lot of research into what sort of climate you have – especially if you are new to an area – and what sort of plants grow well in that climate. Planning well before you start landscaping will save you a lot of time and money, and will make sure that your garden looks great year round!

Consider the following things when trying to design a garden that is right for your climate:

Your temperature range:

Obviously, one of the most important things to consider is how hot or cold it gets where you live. A lot of places have very high summer temperatures, which can severely limit what sort of plants you can grow. In the same way, anywhere with snow or regular below freezing temperatures is not going to be a good place to plant warm weather plants. If you aren’t sure what sort of plants are good for the temperature range you experience, talk to your local nursery or gardening store.

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Landscaping | February 2, 2017

Landscaping for Dummies – Water Saving

People throughout the world are continually updating their yards and gardens to keep them looking fresh and new. A lot of people use landscape designers to help them get it right, but a lot more choose to do it themselves, as they find the design and putting together of a new garden both rewarding and exciting.

If you are considering redeveloping your yard in Australia, then you need to consider water consumption. As one of the driest countries on the planet, Australian gardeners are often faced with severe water restrictions which can make gardening hard. With this in mind, here are some things that you can do to help make sure that your garden is sustainable when it comes to water use:

Choose drought tolerant plants:

Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems that Australia gardeners make is that they plant things which simply aren’t suited to their climate. Often, European or American garden plants are used. These are adapted to wet, cool climates, and simply won’t do well in Australia unless they are given a lot of water.

To save water, you can choose native plants which are adapted to our dry climate. Small native shrubs are often just as beautiful as foreign garden plants, but simply don’t have the same water requirements. Things like bottlebrushes, eucalyptus, and banksias are all popular.

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Landscape Design | October 8, 2016

Why Should You Use Artificial Turf in Harsh Climates?

Landscape designers throughout the world are beginning to use artificial turf more and more regularly, especially in tough climates. Although traditional lawns are still widespread, artificial turf has a number of benefits which make it the favoured choice, especially for people who don’t have a lot of time or money to spend on lawn maintenance.

What is artificial turf?

Basically, artificial turf is fake grass. It is usually made to look and feel as much like real grass as possible, which is one of the reasons why it is rapidly growing in popularity. Although it’s usually made of some sort of plastic or synthetic material, it is often more environmentally friendly and a better option than real grass.

What are the benefits of using artificial turf in harsh environments?

Artificial turf is becoming a favourite for landscape designers who work in Australia’s harsh conditions. Unfortunately, regular grass needs a lot of maintenance to look good when it is hot and dry – like in the Australian summer – which means that it often isn’t a logical choice. Some of the benefits of using artificial turf include:

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Landscape Design | January 7, 2016

5 Great Natives to Include in Your Garden Design

If you are building a new home or renovating an existing home, you may decide to take your improvements outside. Landscape design is a fun and interesting process, one which the whole family can participate in.

There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to designing your own backyard. Thinking about new infrastructure, what plants to include, and where to put everything can sometimes seem like too much. However, if you take things one step at a time, things should get a lot easier.

Why should you include native plants in your landscape design?

Australia’s climate can be tough, hot, and dry. Most overseas plants are not well adapted to our conditions, and they can therefore struggle. Australian natives have all the right characteristics to make the perfect low maintenance garden plant. They are often drought resistant, hardy, and are not harmed by a lot of native insects that can destroy common garden plants. Out top five natives to include in your garden include:

  1. Eucalyptus:

Eucalyptus trees, or gum trees, are becoming more and more common in gardens throughout the world. Although a lot of Eucalyptus species are quite large, there are a variety of small flowering species which are perfectly suited to be the centerpiece of your garden. If possible, go for something which won’t grow too high, which has nice flowers, and which is suited to your climate.

  1. Bottlebrush:

The bottlebrush is one of Australia’s most iconic plants, with its unique flowers and vibrant colours. If you are looking for a nice flowering native to put in your new garden, then the bottlebrush should be at the top of your list. Not only do they look great, but they attract a variety of native wildlife as well.

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Outdoor Living | October 18, 2015

Things to Consider When Planning a Patio

When you make that decision to install a patio, there’s more to it than buying materials from perthbuildingmaterials.com.au,
measuring off a chunk of your backyard and pouring the cement. But before we get into some handy tips, it should be categorically stated that in Australia, a house is not a home without a patio. The word might be Latin, from Roman days, but it was created to describe the Aussie lifestyle even before Australia was discovered!

Must Have – No Question

Because a patio is such a way of life here, there is no end to designs, paving materials, roofing styles, BBQ areas, and the finishing touch with smart looking outdoor furniture. The shape and size of your property might be important for your design, but does not affect your decision to build your patio. It’s going to be your main entertainment area and you just make sure it looks great nestled in your garden and home.

Some Considerations

Apart from being a great place to relax, for what else will you be using the patio? If you have lots of friends do you intend to entertain large groups of people, or host intimate gatherings? How close to your home should it be? Will you install a fire pit so you can be outside in the colder weather? Better you make sure the fire pit is well away from the home, as recommended by Fire Services. Just how big is your yard? A big patio will overtake a smaller yard. Do you want some sunshine or for your patio to be completely shady?

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Swimming Pools | April 11, 2015

How to Clean a Pool that Has Been Flooded

Having a pool is wonderful fun for those who enjoy swimming and water play in the hot weather.  Automatic pool cleaners really help make the hard work of keeping that pool clean much easier, especially those that can be set and forgotten while they chug away clearing out debris and even scrubbing walls.

However, if your pool is outdoors and gets flooded, it will take more than a cleaner to get rid of all that brown water and the mud that is in it – and all the mud that will accumulate on the bottom of the pool. So what is the best way to clean out a pool that is full of floodwater?

Check the surrounding area for safety

If you’ve been inundated by a raging river it is likely that the safety fence around the pool has been washed away or compromised in some way. Once the water has receded, check the area for safety before allowing anyone near it. You may have to remove flood debris from around the area, make sure there are no hidden holes and see what condition the fence is in, if it is still there. If it’s not, put a barrier in place to keep children out.

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Fencing | September 8, 2014

Choosing a Security Fencing Company

When you are looking for a security fencing company, there are many from which to choose and some research and questioning can be very helpful to you for picking the right one.

It’s important that you get the best security you need for either your home or your business. It’s a basic right for a person to feel safe in their own home or in their workplace. Purchasing a security fence is an important choice whether it’s to keep dangerous intruders and criminals out or making sure that your children and pets stay within the confines of your home. Before making that final decision on the best security fencing company, do your research and due diligence and find the company that will be able to provide exactly what you need.

Reviews of Security Fencing Companies

Checking out the company you are considering on their website is a good start. Most businesses operate a website these days. From their website you will be able to get quite a bit of information about the company’s expertise, their products, and quickly see whether they are suitable for your requirements. Other info is available on the website as well, such as the length of time they have been in business, and the type of experience they have. You can probably view a portfolio of their projects and find what you are looking for. Check out their customer reviews as well to get an idea of what their previous clients think of them.

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Outdoor Living | February 18, 2014

How to Ensure Your Business Decor Welcomes Clients

Not all office decor is welcoming to clients. If they have to wait for long, providing an outdoor or veranda waiting area is often possible. Having attractive outdoor furniture for them to sit in will ensure they remain happy while waiting.

Even some medical centres have chairs in the waiting room that are so uncomfortable as to put people off going. When you come to think of it, the people who visit a medical centre are sick in some way or they wouldn’t be going there. Therefore, comfortable seating should be paramount.

Yet many, especially in country villages, offer chairs with stiff, upright backs and hard seats that are extremely uncomfortable.  When you consider that the wait times often extend to more than an hour in a busy country practice, this is a long time to sit in a chair that is horribly uncomfortable when you are feeling ill to start with.

But it is not only medical centres that could stand to have more comfortable seating. Any business that includes clients coming in to meet with the staff or manager requires a place with comfortable seating that welcomes those clients, otherwise they will go elsewhere.  Easy chairs that are not too low – and thus hard for some older people to get out of –  can easily be found at any furniture store, so why use uncomfortable furniture?

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