Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

When you think of a water garden, a pond might come to mind. However, not all water gardens have to be on this scale. Miniature water gardens are simple, pretty and an easy way to dress up your doors, patio or existing garden.

To create one, purchase a half whiskey barrel. Before placing any water or plants in it, scrub it out thoroughly, repaint the hoops if necessary and drill a 1” hole below the rim. The hole will allow excess water to flow out if there is a storm. Also, place a liner inside the barrel to prevent water from draining through any cracks. Then position the barrel where you want it and fill it up but leave enough room for plants.

These are some plants you might want to include in your water garden: water lily, Japanese sweet flag, pickerel weed and parrot feather. You can even add koi or other pond fish.

Gardens can turn your backyard into a magical scene, and it will also bring the local wildlife closer to your home. If you have a space that receives full sun, a butterfly garden can make your outdoors fragrant and more enjoyable.

First you will need to dig up the bed in the shape of a butterfly. The shape can be outlined with bricks, gravel or another type of edging material. Also incorporate the edging down the middle to separate the butterfly wings. If you want to divide the wings in half, create a section of wet sand or flat rocks, which will also attract butterflies.

The following types of flowers are best to use: butterfly bushes, sweet pepperbushes, asters, purple coneflowers, lavender, cheddar pinks, bluebeards, rockcresses, stonecrops, fleabane and blazing stars. Before planting, read the planting specifications, because some flowers need space. Also, keep in mind that it could take an entire season for the perennials to fill in.

Your lot might be 10 acres or a half-acre, but you can still incorporate landscaping into your home’s entryway. Adding trees, shrubs, flowers and even retaining walls and steps can soften the entry sequence.

If your property slopes, retaining walls and steps made from slate or brick can create a defined scenery. Also, the steps will make the slope more gradual and graceful looking.

Flower beds above the retaining walls can add color and personality. Plus, it can be a fun family activity. If you have a high population of deer, keep in mind plants that deer don’t tend to eat such as the Blue Star, Butterfly Bush, Hydrangea, Lilac and Daffodils.

A way to make your front door more welcoming is to fill large planters with small flowers like pansies or fill the planter with hanging plants such as ivy or the Wandering Jew. This 41” Large Cast Iron Samantha Urn Planter from Unique Home and Garden Décor can make a statement.

There are a lot of options when it comes to outdoor lighting for your landscape, pathways, deck, etc. For the eco- and energy-conscious, night-sky-friendly lighting makes a lot of sense. If you want lighting fixtures that blend in, take a look at some of the solar post cap lamps and riser lights we’ve talked about.

These mini MicroStar lights offer another energy-efficient and unobtrusive option.

“The MicroStar provides sufficient levels of light for accenting and highlighting features in architecture without producing glaring hot spots and dark shadows. Your night vision remains intact. Proper placement and illumination with MicroStars can provide the same effect and colors of a full moon under cloudless sky. MicroStars allow you to ‘see the night.’”

They can be used along deck railings, in rock walls, hung from pergolas and arbors, or just about any other application you can think of where a little extra light would be handy after dark.

If you spend a lot of time beautifying your yard, you may have heard of some of the recycled rubber landscaping products out there. They’re made from old tires, which helps keep some of the garbage out of our landfills. Recycled rubber products are durable and long-lasting (does rubber ever die?), so can be a good choice for folks who want low-maintenance landscapes.

One example is recycled rubber mulch, which is finding use as an alternative to the wood chips that break down over time and need to be replaced every year.

These “Rubberific” landscape borders from the International Mulch Company are another product made from old tires. Designed for use along flower beds, walkways, fence lines or drive ways, they offer a clean and well-maintained look without any actual maintenance required. The borders are supposed to be easy to install in a straight or gently curved line.

Some caveats for recycled rubber landscaping products is that studies have shown they can leach zinc into the soil, which inhibits plant growth. It’s also expensive, costing roughly six times as much as some bark mulches.

Since retaining walls are meant to be a permanent feature of your landscape, it’s important to use long-lasting and durable materials. While stone is certainly a favorite, there are some other options on the market, even some that are perfect for the “green” folks out there who enjoy using recycled and reclaimed materials.

Portland based, The Wall, builds retaining walls (and all other sorts of walls) using recycled concrete. “As municipalities replace sidewalks, we clean and recycle their concrete chunks and use them to create an old stone look in all projects. This, in turn, saves on valuable landfill space.”

The company recycles over 600 tons of concrete each year, turning it into attractive landscape designs that benefit the property owner and are eco-friendly to boot.

They have a great picture gallery on their site, so check it out if you’re looking for retaining wall ideas (and for more on how that recycled concrete can be turned into a good looking end product).