Landscaping

Landscaping

Devil Is In The Details - Landscaping and Microclimates

Some areas of the world make it incredibly easy to cultivate plants.

Step 1: plant seed in soil.
Step 2: water for a few weeks.
Step 3: Enjoy your beautiful lush plant.

Unfortunately, it is not that easy for everyone. If you live in the west or southwest for example, there are a small number of plants that grow naturally. The conditions of those areas are not welcoming to very many types of plants.

One solution is to inundate the plants with chemicals and fertilizers. It has been shown to work, but it's unfortunate to have to rely on man made chemicals for a natural plant to live. If you're growing fruits or vegetables, you certainly don't want to be eating all of those chemicals either.

Instead of chemicals, you can create a 'microclimate' for each type of plant. When you regulate the sunlight, shade, moisture, and wind factors for each plant, you can help it to survive in an area where the natural climate normally wouldn't be very accommodating. It is not easy to do this, however. When done correctly, the plant is effectively tricked into thinking it is growing in the climate that it is native to. Wind barriers, shade umbrellas, extra water, and compost can be used to create the microclimates.

You need to make a detailed plan before you start creating microclimates. You should begin by fining a bush or tree that will naturally grow fast in your area to create shade. To find out what naturally grows, check to see what plants are on undeveloped land. The plants there probably were not put there by people. Instead, it grew on it's own with no human intervention at all. Growing one plant can help other more desirable plants to grow.

If you have a fence in your backyard, you can start the microclimates in the shade from the fence. A screen or bush may have to be installed to shade the microclimate from the sun when the fence cannot. The fence will also serve as wind protection for your plants.

Once either natural or unnatural shade is created, the miniature environment you created will be less harsh than what was previously there. You will be able to plant another plant in the new shade from the one that you just planted, etc. The process is gradual, but works over time. Your choices become more open when the environment becomes more friendly. You no longer have to choose plants that grow naturally without human care. A plant that survives in cooler weather can now be planted.

You may be trying to install a plant the requires more humidity than is naturally present where you live. Because of evaporation, adding a fountain or small pond can create the moisture in the air that the plant needs. It is not a waste of water to have these features since it is helping your garden in multiple ways. The water feature itself will look nice, plus it will allow you to grow new types of plants. The water features will indirectly water your plants.

The specifics of the process can't be explained simply here, since the setup and goals will differ for each location and for each type of plant. To reach your goal, however, you will have to do plenty of research on each type of plant that you want in your garden. Learn about the climate that it naturally grows, and try to mimic those conditions in that area of your garden. With some planning, you can reduce landscape design problems and imitate and control most climates.

One of the key 'tools' for creating a great looking landscape is a thorough landscape design plan detailing, plants, layout, irrigation, lighting and more. Ready for take on landscaping your home visit http://www.plant-care.com and learn to enjoy plants and the outdoors more!

Artificial landscaping video from Youtube: EagleLawn for landscaping at Qatar National stadium