How to Use Boulders in Your San Jose Landscape Design

If you are looking for a distinctive landscaping element for your San Jose home, you may want to consider the unique qualities that decorative boulders provide. Whether they are used to draw the eye to a particularly attractive area of your home’s exterior, to elevate flat areas or arranged to create boundaries, these large rocks can be used in a variety of ways. However, boulders may look out of place or ruin the composition of a landscaped area if they are placed incorrectly. Before you begin your landscaping project that includes decorative boulders, there are a few steps you should consider taking in order to ensure that your project is a complete success.

When it comes to using boulders in your landscaping project, proper and careful planning is a must. After all, the boulders will be difficult to move and place, and creating a landscaping blueprint helps you visualize where they will be of most use when it comes to functionality and beautification without having to go through the process of relocating them as you bring your design to life. Do not be afraid to create more than one design or to use your imagination. After all, who knows a yard better than its owner?

The next step you will need to take in order to place the boulders is to prepare the land itself. This is especially important if you plan to set a boulder at the head of your yard or on an incline because it will need to be properly anchored to keep it in place. Mark the side you want facing forward with some colored duct tape so that you can remove it without damaging the rock face later on. Placing a boulder in your yard is much like choosing where to put a Christmas tree in your living room, as you want the most attractive side facing forward. Consider how the boulder sits and how natural it looks in a locationbefore you prepare the soil in order to save time on your landscaping project.

The final step in placing decorative boulders in your yard is to dig a hole that will provide proper anchorage for each stone’s size and shape. The hole should cover at least half of the boulder once the stone is placed. One that is not covered enough may shift, especially in clay-rich soil that experiences a lot of erosion. The soil at the base of the boulder should then be packed down firmly. If you would like additional information about boulder supplies in San Jose for your next landscaping project, visit U-Save Rockery for prices, free measurement tools and more http://www.usaverockerymorganhill.com/stepping-stones

3 Ways to Make Peace with Pavestones

Enjoying the beauty of nature from your own outdoor space is renewing to body and spirit. Homeowners today have a variety of ways to court tranquility when outside. One good way to do this is by creating a serene scene with pavestones. Here are three ways you can pave your way to peace.

1. Choose softer, muted colors.

While bright tiles with complicated designs may initially beguile, pause to consider instead a pavestone style that will be easy to live with over time. Softer, muted colors give an outdoor area a sense of quiet, of calm, of repose.

2. Select soothing shapes to fit your tastes.

The shape of the paving stones used in your outdoor environment make a difference. Tiles formed in more natural-style shapes, for example, have something of a casual feel, as if constructed from materials at hand, while tiles that are uniform in shape, such as rectangles, tend to give an outdoor area a neat, even a formal, feeling, something that you might find in a well-kept Victorian Era English garden.

3. Wall it in.

Paving stones can go off the beaten path, so to speak, and be used to create beautiful and tranquil scenes in other ways, such as:
•    Scenic walls
•    Dramatic pedestals
•    Attractive low garden borders

Visit this website to learn more about pavestones in Morgan Hill.

Pathway to Paradise

Imagine a warm summer evening in a shaded copse of trees illuminated by a string of LED lights. The pathway leading to this has large round stepping stones spaced with small pebbles and flanked on each side by a row of slate pavers.

Remodeling Your Yard? Start Here!

Remodeling your yard can be daunting but it doesn’t have to be! Here are the first few steps to get you on your way.

A Basic Design

Look through magazines and websites to get a feel for designs and materials that catch your eye. Jot down what you like and what you do not to ensure that your remodel fits your personal style. Notes will also help you when purchasing supplies to better explain your needs and keep you from buying unnecessary products.

Budget

Have a set budget before spending a dime and itemize what each step of the remodel will cost. Know your preferred limits as well as the absolute maximum you are willing to spend, and then stick to it.

A Store You Can Trust

Find a store that not only offers affordable pricing, but has experienced employees who can help educate you on benefits and drawbacks of potential landscaping materials. Your budget should not be taken lightly and the staff of a trustworthy establishment will do all they can to assist you while staying within your limits.

With a little research and resources you can count on, you can begin a remodel on your yard and minimize the unwelcome surprises along the way. Visit this website to find a landscaping store in Morgan Hill that can get you started today.

Five Reasons the Use of Synthetics Is No Longer a Best Practice

All industries eventually arrive at best practices that represent the most productive and efficient method to deliver desired results while at the same time minimizing negative impact... read more

3 Reasons why sod is Great for the Environment

There is an idea going around today that grass is an enemy because it uses water. However, so does every other plant and tree on the planet. Grass actually performs vital tasks that contribute to a healthy atmosphere. Here are three reasons why sod is great for the environment.

1. Sod purifies water.

The roots of grass are effective filters. They work in conjunction with soil biology to break down various contaminants that make their way into runoff water.

2. Sod reduces greenhouse gases.

Grass reduces generally harmful so-called “greenhouse gases” by absorbing them and converting them into life-sustaining oxygen. Sod is much more efficient at reducing the level of potentially harmful gases than native plants because grass naturally has a higher leaf density and grows much faster.

3. Sod is a natural air conditioner.

Grass reduces ground surface temperatures through a process called evapotranspiration, similar to the way so-called swamp coolers were used to cool homes. On a blazing hot summer afternoon, a grass lawn will average up to 30 degrees cooler than asphalt, 14 degrees cooler than bare soil and 35 degrees cooler than artificial turf. Therefore, grass can help you save on energy costs by reducing the ambient temperature of your house.

Visit this website for more information on finding quality sod in San Jose.