Landscape Gardening » Garden design

Japanese Garden Designs Made Easy

Tim Abbot — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 07:57:11 +0000

How to get a perfect Japanese Garden in just 30 minutes per week. If you have a passion for Japanese gardens, learn how to turn your garden into a professional landscaped Japanese garden. Get the garden You want with this unique package of pre designed Japanese gardens combined with a simple…

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Functions of a Garden Designer

Tim Abbot — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:16:07 +0000

A Garden Designer is a professional or amateur who designs the plan and features of gardens. While professional designers are more experienced and work for various clients for set fees, amateurs design their own gardens or those of friends and relatives just as a hobby.

Garden designs and landscape design work hand in hand. They deal with topography, water and drainage, planting, aesthetics, building and construction, site characteristics, climate and genius loci. Garden designers are trained to incorporate aesthetic arts and technical arts in the design of projects.

The twentieth century has seen garden design courses change emphasis from horticulture to focus more on the design aspects. The traditional apprentice system in which designers used to learn the trade slowly gave way to specialist college-level landscape planning and design courses. Today, ornamental horticulture and landscape architecture departments of various universities continue to churn out modern garden designers.

By virtue of historical periods and professional discipline, there has been an evolution of design methods for constructing gardens. From renaissance gardens that were drawn by pen and paper to contemporary ones that are drawn solely with computer software, the process of the design has always influenced the end product.

There have been attempts to distinguish between landscape design and Garden Design. A typical Garden Designer will build around plant palettes while Landscape designers build around space considerations and place-making to create architectural spaces and circulation routes with plants and other elements. An appreciation of this can be seen in gardens that have interesting plants but were not planned as a whole and integrated composition; and well planned gardens – in terms of overall designs, that lack interesting planting details.

Some designers have a wide knowledge with plants but lack conceptual designs, other very exposed landscape architects and designers lack horticultural and botanical know-how. Any good Garden Designer must be able to do both – create beautiful and interesting gardens on sustainable landscapes.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/functions-of-a-garden-designer-2907162.html

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how can I find out some ideas for a shingle and paving design small garden?

Tim Abbot — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:59:54 +0000

pictures would be ideal

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What kind of rocks do you need for a rock garden? What patterns should you make? How do you make a model of it

Tim Abbot — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:03:15 +0000

I need the answer ASAP. Im planning to design one and make a model.

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Interior Design Ideas – Conservatory Living

Tim Abbot — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:50:25 +0000

Can you imagine the joy of spending late autumn afternoons warmly lounging in the midst of your garden, of growing and harvesting your very own tropical fruits and of twilight summer suppers that are guaranteed rainproof? No, this is not a description of life on a faraway tropical island, but a glimpse of the bliss to be had when you own a conservatory.

Yet another inspired Victorian concept that we are revisiting and appreciating anew, despite the disparity of lifestyles between then and now. A conservatory gives life a new dimension. It allows us to enjoy a garden year-round and stretches the living areas of our homes. All age groups can benefit: it provides an ideal space for a toddler to play in (the semi-outdoor finishes should stand up well), for an elderly person to relax in out of season, and for people of any age to enjoy atmospheric dinner parties.

Should you be on the brink of deciding to construct a conservatory, be sure to pin down your ideas well in advance;

How much do you want to spend? A finished conservatory may cost more than you imagine and such extras as heating, lighting, wall and floor finishes, furnishings and plants can add considerably to an initial estimate.

How will the finished conservatory look from outside? Do you wish its style to reflect the architecture of your home?

Which direction do you wish your conservatory to face? A southerly orientated conservatory will be full of sunshine, but unless a good ventilation system is installed and shade provided (by blinds or by painting the glass), it is likely to overheat in summer. A north-facing glass house will receive little sunshine and so will require an efficient heating system for cooler days.

To what purpose will you put your conservatory? Is it to be a place for indoor gardening, relaxing, dining, cooking or playing?

Do you wish your conservatory to become an integral part of an interior living area and/or to open up to and become one with your garden or terrace? The larger your opening on to either or both of these areas, the more linked they will appear. Double, sliding or folding-back doors will help to achieve the connection you desire.

Because the conservatory represents a link between the house and its exterior, the most appropriate furnishings will be those that reflect this connection. Well-designed garden furniture, softened with table cloths, cushions and upholstered seats, will help to blur the line between inside and out, as will rattan, wicker or cane furniture.

A floor of flagstones, scrubbed wood planking or terracotta tiles will underscore the connection. Accessories can provide a similar link – garden statuary, urns, plants and terracotta pots are all particularly suitable.

The best window treatments are ones that do not detract from the view or interior planting. Tailored blinds or curtains of muslin or calico in a simple style are ideal.

When it comes to selecting a color scheme for your conservatory, the choice is yours – but do remember that the exterior views will become your ‘wallpaper’ and indoor plants your ‘accessories’, so choose colors that blend well.

Lighting a conservatory is a relatively easy process so long as electrical points have been well positioned and there are sufficient sockets for free-standing fittings. Wall- or ceiling-mounted lanterns will look good, as will discreet spotlights focused on features.

A well-lit garden will form a magnificent backdrop at night and a dining table might be lit by a simple country-style chandelier or candles in glass hurricane lamps on the table. Free-standing uplighters placed behind plants will add some magic to the room.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/interior-design-ideas-conservatory-living-4148093.html

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EARTHSCAPES landscape and garden design software

Tim Abbot — Fri, 20 May 2011 03:39:59 +0000

visualimpactimaging.com – Landscape design software for professional landscapers, architects, and garden centers. Use this powerful tool to create concept designs that sell landscape projects. Save time and wow prospects with stunning before and after images of your landscape design.

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Entry #2 to iva866′s garden themed nail art contest.wmv

Tim Abbot — Mon, 16 May 2011 04:16:09 +0000

This nail art is based on a fantasy garden.. i saw a picture on the swing online one day and I thought it would be a great idea for a nail art design

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Knit Your Own Royal Wedding – Directors Cut

Tim Abbot — Fri, 13 May 2011 09:59:02 +0000

With a cast of characters including the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Harry, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a variety of wedding guests plus, of course, the happy couple themselves — and even a corgi — this is one wedding souvenir that will be a must-have for any keen crafter. Fiona Goble’s lovely and humorous characters are instantly recognizable, from the bride’s broad smile and sparkling engagement ring to the groom’s dashing uniform (complete with tiny sequin orders and medals). We’ve included suggestions for creating a selection of customized guests, too, so you can use your own creativity in putting them together. With a backdrop of Westminster Abbey included, so that you can display your creations in authentic surroundings, Knit Your Own Royal Wedding is funny, cute, and easy enough for even a knitting novice to tackle — go on, get out your needles and help your favourite royals tie the knit! Fiona Goble has published three books on making soft toys and has a forthcoming book on contemporary embroidery. Her first book for Ivy was Knitivity (2010).

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Top Tips on How You Can Design Your Own Garden Shed

Tim Abbot — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:13:39 +0000

Whether you are looking for a place to store your tools or simply want a place to work on your garden, having a garden shed can be extremely convenient for your backyard. There is a wide array of designs and layouts that you can find on the internet that are useful. But what if you want to design your own shed?
With technology continuously advancing, there is software for just about anything imaginable today. Because of this, you better believe that you can find software that is specifically made for you to design your own shed for the garden. This allows you to put your own personal touch on your shed. After all, it is going to be in your backyard. Therefore, you should have the ability to design it however you like.
While there are a number of different designs to choose from on many different web sites online, it still does not give you the personal connection. By being able to design your own garden shed, you can have every little detail exactly the way you want it. And because it can be expensive to build a shed, you want to make sure you are getting what you pay for.
Sheds are extremely versatile and handy. They are versatile in its size, shape, form, material, and purpose. You can design a small shed just to store tools and bikes, or you can design a large shed that can even act as an outdoor office. Whatever your intentions are, just know that you have options.
For some people, building their own shed is not out of the question. If you are handy and are motivated, you can build your own shed and put that extra touch on it. You will certainly build a more personal connection with a shed that you built with your own hands and tools.
But before you begin building your own shed, you want to plot out what it is going to look like. Essentially, you have to deign the shed the way you want it. If you can develop a quality design, you can eliminate any guesswork that you may have while actually constructing the shed. You want to have every little detail mapped out as far as the size, the shape, the different materials you will need, and where you want it to go.
In order to do this, look online for a shed planning software to help you map out every detail. Many kinds of software are affordable and extremely versatile. You can mess around with it to form several different designs to help you get what you want. And if you have no clue what you are looking for, software allows you to play around and see the different combinations you can come up with.
One easy to use software that is worth looking into is Do-It Yourself Project Planner: Sheds. This software comes with 16 fully designed sheds and the ability for you to select the size and style to fit your yard. Just know that there are several designs out there for you to choose from. Some examples include a large barn-yard style shed, a small pool cabana, a gable roof shed, of a basic garden shed to store tools in.
While it is nice to have options to choose from, you can also design your own shed completely from scratch using the IMSI Shed and Shop software. You can select the dimensions of the shed, customize the layout of the doors and windows, add porches and any other accessories to it, and view the finished project in 2D or 3D.
There is no messing around when it comes to designing your own garden shed. The sky is the limit for what you can do with the various software on the internet to look at. Take the time to mess around with the software so you can find exactly what you are looking for.

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Do you know of any tropical gardening resources?

Tim Abbot — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 16:47:46 +0000

I am looking for information regarding the background and origins of the “tropical gardening” style for a garden design course that I am doing. There is a lot of information available regarding Zen Gardens, English Country Gardens, Cottage Gardens, etc but very little about the background and history of tropical gardens. Can anyone suggest any helpful resources that could assist me with finding answers? Thanks in advance!

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