Here are some more information for Landscape Deck:

Does your beautiful garden turn into an alien landscape by the middle of summer?  Why not use some expert tricks to keep maintenance to a minimum?  Yes, you have to invest a couple of weekends in the beginning but the pay off is a place to relax, entertain your friends and add to your home's well kept appearance with a minimum of effort.

• Develop a garden plan - Your plan can be as simple or complex as you want to make it.  It's purpose is to give a sense of direction to your gardening efforts.  Your plan will help you realize that even if some things have to be put off until next year, they will come eventually.  This step alone reduces the stress of creating an outdoor living space.  What do you want this space to be like?  Is it for outdoor entertaining or simply a place to relax after a busy day?  Your master plan will help your make quality "easy care" purchasing decisions when it's time to shop.
• When choosing your garden's hard surfaces, consider future maintenance.  Are you starting with a deck or a cement patio?  By developing the seating area first, you can begin to use the area even before the rest of the garden is finished.  If the deck or patio is already installed, does it need to be refinished? Sealing it will prolong it's life and keep it cleaner. Remember, a little care now can add years to its life.  If you are starting with bare ground, you might prefer a greener option.  A patch of lawn looks nice but remember that it will need ongoing care.  If your site is very shady, another option is to install patio blocks with a low growing moss between them.  It's an attractive option that doesn't need constant mowing.
• Define your planting areas.  Do you need to add trees?  If so, the sooner the better because each year will increase their usefulness.  Don't forget to consider the density of the shade they will produce, their mature height and if they are very messy.  Some flowering specimens are beautiful but do better in the corner of your landscape where you don't have to deal with dropping blossoms or seed pods in your seating area.
• Now consider the planting beds themselves.  If the ground is very compacted, it is worth it to rent a tiller or have someone do it for you.  Have your soil tested for ph and adjust if necessary.  This is a good time to have organic matter and compost worked in as well.  The better your soil is, the more successful your future gardening efforts will be.  Once the beds are ready, plant permanent greenery that will become the backdrop for your seasonal additions.  This is one of the secrets to having gardens that don't require starting from scratch each year.  Once a permanent bush is planted, you can easily add color with flowering plants in front of it.
• Plan to water - Not all of us can afford an automatic watering system but you can simplify your watering task.  Even if you can't afford timers this year, you might be able to set up a pvc sprinkler system that can be manually operated.  Doing so will give you better water coverage and simplify the task.  Timers can be added when your budget allows.  If that is outside your budget and you have to rely on a hose and sprinkler system, consider adding separate hoses for each area that you have to water.  A simple shutoff splitter will direct the water where it's needed without having to reposition the hose each time.  You are more likely to stay up with needed watering if all you have to do is turn a valve.
• Put landscape fabric under your mulch.  Some people use strips of plastic but unless you poke holes in it, the rain can't penetrate.  Other people use newspapers, whatever you choose, putting mulch on top of a weed barrier keeps weeds from taking over your garden.  If any do sprout, you will find that they have shallow root systems and pull out easily.  Along with this, add permanent edging.  It not only defines the edges of your flower beds, but also helps to keep grass from creeping into them.
• Pick tables and chairs that are weatherproof and easy to clean.  If you are in an area that gets a lot of rain, add a garden chest where chair cushions can be kept clean until you need them.
• Choose a garden statue over a fountain.  Both add charm and help to give your garden an established look but fountains need to be cleaned weekly.  If you want something that makes soothing sounds, try larger windchimes that ring in a lower note.

A little preplanning will help you enjoy your garden all Summer long. If you have enjoyed these tips, please visit the Outdoor Garden Statues blog. Gardening is our passion and we want you to love it as much as we do!

How to Create Deck Privacy and Enclosure

Decks can leave one feeling exposed and uncomfortable without some kind of definition both above and at the edges. It is possible to enhance deck privacy and enclosure if the deck site lacks the necessary natural attributes.

It's a good idea to consider privacy first. If the proposed site is at the least exposed side of the house, at a corner where the main structure of the home meets a wing or tucked behind a retaining wall or hedge, privacy probaly will not be an issue. Also if the site is isolated from the house or is on an elevated hill above the surrounding views, the deck design may not need to be altered. However, if the deck is not effectively screened from the street and from a neighbor's view, then it will be necessary to add a fence, a wall, trees or shrubs to the plan. Fences create privacy and security but with a little thought they can also contribute beauty to the landscape. Climbing vines or hanging baskets full of cascading foliage and flowers can add color and texture to perimeter fencing for little expense and effort.

These same elements have the capacity to produce a sense of enclosure but so will benches, garden beds and other features. Overhead space can also affect the comfort level of deck occupants. So an outdoor ceiling or overhead such as an arbor, pergola or tree limbs is an possible consideration.

Walls and fences make attractive additions to an outdoor space design by connecting the deck to the larger landscape and adding a vertical contrast to the horizontal expanse of the lawn.

Walls and fences can define space giving it an identity that suits its purpose. They can create privacy, tame slopes, block annoying winds, form backgrounds for decorative accents and hide unsightly utility devices and areas. Walls and fences can make large areas seem less imposing by dividing them into smaller ones.

There are obvious walls such as fences, hedges and the sides of the house. But there are also walls that are not as obvious. These are perceived walls that include low hedges, built-in or freestanding benches, planters, changes in deck levels, posts that support an overhead, plants, shrubs and small trees. Anything that separates the deck from the rest of the world or separates one area of the deck from another can be considered a wall. Erecting solid walls, fences or dense hedges to divide property into divided spaces can result in separate but isolated areas. Perceived walls, however, suggest the separation without isolating the areas from one another. They interrupt both visual and actual movement but they do not block views. As a result they direct traffic effectively and define space without creating a feeling of claustrophobia.

Another means of creating deck privacy and enclosure is through the use of screening which simply involves the careful placing of plants, fences, walls, trellises and other stuctures. The amount of screening required will depend upon on how each area of the deck is to be used. Cozy, intimate places for conversation, reading, sunbathing or meditation should provide lots of privacy. These areas need to be screened with walls, high fences or dense evergreen plantings. Active areas for family gatherings, child play and parties require less privacy. Partial screening is the answer such as latticework fences, airy trees or walls with available seating.

The placement of privacy screens is an important consideration. The closer to the deck area, the more privacy is created. The farther from the deck area, the less privacy.

Few decks require screening around the entire perimeter. Plan the screening to block the most revealing view first. The idea is to enhance privacy without barricading the outdoor deck space.

For maximum privacy as well as security install a solid wall, a fence or dense hedge. These structures can function as effective boundaries that can retain children and pets within the yard and keep unwanted visitors out. They make an ideal backdrop for garden beds where flower borders, ponds, fountains and sculpture will stand out dramatically and enhance the aesthetic look of the yard.

Selecting materials for outdoor walls and fences offers another excellent design opportunity. There are a tremendous number of choices but the goal should be to select materials that suit the style of the home and the landscape. A solid brick wall can look classic and imposing. Interlocking concrete blocks suit most home styles. An evergreen hedge or closely planted row of roses can create a colorful and attractive barrier that is almost inpenetrable.

Homeowners are only limited by their imaginations and willingness to experiment with creative and different ways of creating deck privacy and enclosure.

About the Author

Richard Vande Sompel is a professional deck builder of 35 years and over 850
decks built and is the author of "How to Plan, Design and Build a Deck from
Start to Finish". To Discover More About
Deck Privacy and Claim your 2
FREE Deck Plans, Insider Report, MP3 Audio and discover everything to know about
building a deck visit:
http://www.DeckBuildingRevealed.com

Small pine tree for landscaping around deck. Mine caught fire and I'm not sure it will survive.?

I'm not sure what the type is of this pine tree. I've noticed many of this kind that don't survive. Ours was planted in a place that it flourished. My husband was burning out a weed in the grass and the needles on this tree burned off. If anyone can give me the name of this tree I would appreciate it. The needles are very small and it is soft to touch. Doesn't grow fast at all.

I'm a horticultulist. Where are you located? Pine trees are designed by mother nature to burn, so if some needles got burned, don't worry. At most you might loose the damaged branch.

With parking project, big change begins for Memphis airport skyline
Construction began this week on a parking and ground-transportation facility that will change the landscape of Memphis International Airport.The Airport Authority gave contractor Flintco Inc. the green light to proceed with an $89.4 million contract to build a seven-level structure immediately north of an existing three-level parking deck.Airport officials say the project will improve customer ...

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