Hardscaping, Landscaping, Homescaping

Do you dream of a home with gardens, pathways and hidden spots for quiet reading?  When you are planning your dream landscaping around your home don’t forget that a functional landscape plan is the best plan no matter what your needs (and dreams) are. 

Adding hardscaping to your landscaping helps to define areas and spaces set aside for certain functionality such as play areas, walkways, patios and pergolas.  Hardscaping can even solve problem areas such as that stubborn area where you can get grass to grow.  The area under that beautiful old tree.  Try adding some hardscaping to that area and create a meditation bench!

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Ornamental Grasses

Looking to complete your fall garden?  Try ornamental grasses!  These beautiful additions to your garden are easy to plant and easy to care for.  The blades of ornamental grass provide an array of color from golds, yellows, reds to purples. The beautiful plumes open in the fall and stay throughout winter.

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Lawn Care – 5 Simple Steps

With fall upon us and winter just around the corner your lawn needs all the attention you can give it now more than ever.  You can easily attain “lawn nirvana” by following the following steps:

1) If you have the need, sprinkle lawn seed and make sure to keep the seeds moist (not too wet)

2) Turf grasses love to be fertilized in the fall but beware of the type of fertilizer you choose.  Too much nitrogen is not a good thing!

3) Keeping your grass a bit taller is a great idea in the fall.  Grass roots tend to grow as deep as the blade is high so a taller blade = a deeper root system.4).

4) Rake up your leaves.  Fallen leaves that are left can lead to insect and disease problems.

5) Avoid walking on lawns once the ice has set in.  This can lead to damage to the grass blades.

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Fabulous Fall Gardens

As fall approaches many of us consider putting our gardens to rest.  As challenging as autumn gardening can be it can also be quite rewarding.  Fall colors are fabulous, yellows and oranges, greens and golds.  Let your imagination take over, picture warm and cozy garden niches.  Plan your garden carefully, adding not only beautiful flowery plants but structure and form will help to create a garden of beauty and interest.

You will find that often adding just one of the following plants will add the desired look for your garden:

• Rhododendrons
• maple
• beech
• willow
• yew
•  holly
•  juniper
•  pine

After creating the structure to your garden you can start to add the color.  Some of the late bloomers for fall gardens are:

• fall chrysanthemums
• ornamental cabbages
•  kale,
•  asters

Do you have any questions?  Feel free to email us at info@rainbowlandscaping.com

Hardscape = Escape

Hardscaping your backyard can create the perfect escape for you and your family.  Get creative!  Let your imagination take over!

A stone wall can create charm and character to your backyard as well as a garden border.  Large, oversized planters can create small lush gardens on patios and decks. Cover a seating area with a flower covered arbour to create a small and peaceful area.

There is no end to the possibilities for hardscaping projects, let Rainbow Landscaping help you plan and implement.  Mention this blog and receive a free drawing with your signed contract.

Landscaping + Planning

Phase 3 of Planning your Landscaping

CHOICE OF MATERIALS

When choosing your materials think about durability, resistance, maintenance and cost.  The following are the most common material available:

* Pre-cast concrete products

* Natural Stone

* Wood

* Metal

Each material has its own characteristics and maintenance requirements and they should match your needs and lifestyle.  Research, ask around and make a decision only after getting all the information necessary and in order to feel confident in your decision.

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Landscaping + Planning

For phase II of your landscape planning prepare a list of areas you want to create.  Which areas will be designated for dining, gardens, grass, etc?  In order to help you prioritize your outdoor living areas ask yourself the following lifestyle related questions:

•  How many adults and children (what age) will be using the outdoor space?         
•  How often do you cook and/or eat outdoors?
•  Do you require more storage space?
•  How much  time/interest do you have for gardening or maintenance?
• What do you like and dislike about your existing landscape?

Below is a list of areas you can consider including in your project:

• play area
• eating area
• relaxation area
• vegetable garden
• planting beds
• water features
• pool and related equipment, cabanas
• driveway, front entrance
• walkways, sidewalks, pathways, steps
• utility area for composting, storage, sheds

Questions about the planning process?  Feel free to email us at info@rainbowlandscaping.com

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Landscaping + Planning

The time has come, you have decided to invest in your largest investment…your home. 

Landscaping your home not only adds curb appeal but also adds value to your home.  Here is a quick guide to help you prepare and understand the planning process before meeting with a landscaper.

The development of your project includes three essential steps:

Planning, design and choice of materials.

Planning – It is very important to familiarize yourself with the various restrictions that may govern the work you plan on undertaking.  Contact your municipal by-law office for:

By-laws related to the installation of driveways, decks, pools, shed or fences.  Easement, frontages and widths to be respected.   Tree removal and/or pruning by-laws.  Conservation or Heritage Acts and any parking by-laws.

Make sure you have a copy of your property survey on hand for the initial consultation.   For the planning and completion of your project it is imperative to determine the exact locations of property lines and whether easements or right-of-ways exist.  Also importance for homes not on municipal water and sewage will be a septic system plan showing the locations of the filtration bed, tanks, electrical lines, and pipe connecting the tank to the filtration bed.

Take note of any changes in grade between the street, municipal sidewalks and access areas (driveways, sidewalks and entries) of your home to determine whether steps or retaining walls are required for the management of slopes

Don’t forget to determine your budget!  How much do you want to invest in the landscape design of your home?  How long do you plan on residing in your home? What improvements would you like to see at the end of five years? two years? one year?

Estimate the approximate budget proportional to the value of the property .  Any questions feel free to contact us at info@rainbowlandscaping.com

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Landscaping with Colours

When planning your landscape design we take many different things into consideration.  Three in particular are form, texture and colour. 

Planning your garden colour is extremely important.  The colour of your flowering plants is really what draws your eye to the garden.  If, for instance, you dislike the colour red, a garden with primarily red flowers will not be very appealing to you.  A good rule of gardening is to pick colours that when combined are pleasing to the eye. 

There is a monochromatic colour scheme that basically consists of one colour or, one colour and its various shades.  If you prefer to have a garden that is analogous choose 3 colours that are next to eachother on the colour wheel…. red, yellow and blue.  An example of  this would be orange, red and yellow.

Having trouble deciding?  Call an expert and have them plan your landscaping!

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Small Backyard? Big Ideas!

Many homes in the city have small backyards, planning a backyard that not only utilizes all the space but makes that small space efficient with no area wasted can be quite the challenge.

One of the “tricks of the trade” when installing a tiny patio is laying the stone on a diagonal.  This creates the illustion of a larger space.

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Keep it simple, efficient and attractive.  Your small space will become a welcome addition to your home, an outdoor room for entertaining or a welcoming retreat just for you.

 Eliminating clutter in a small backyard can be achieved by creating a pathway to an elevated patio.  Elevation, of even just two steps will add a dimension and space to the backyard without  the clutter of a level area.