Articles by Jackie Harlow on ArticleSnatch.com

Home Water Gardens: Things to Avoid

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Whether youâ€™re making your own backyard water garden or hiring a contractor to do it for you, there are things you should definitely be careful of. Given the time and money youâ€™re investing in the project, itâ€™s vital that youâ€™re well-informed before you upturn a single shovelful of dirt or place a single stone. Common DIY Water Garden Mistakes to Watch For Gardening industry analysts have found that the average do-it-yourself water garden builder makes, on average, three ponds not one. Why? Because their planning is too conservative. People tend to be overly cautious, planning small ponds, only to later expand them again and again. When youâ€™re working on your pond design, donâ€™t be afraid to think big if thatâ€™s what you really want youâ€™ll save yourself a lot of time and money down the road. Proper research will help you here. Taking the time to learn from the mistakes of others is the easiest way to make sure you donâ€™t make those errors yourself. Youâ€™ll find plenty of how-to books and instructional DVDs at your local bookstore and online, so get reading. **End Summary** Topics: water gardens]]> unique water gardens]]> unique pond fountains]]> waterfalls]]> gardening tips]]> gardening advice]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Jackie Harlow is a professional gardener who specializes in Water Gardens . She knows how to design unique pond fountains and waterfalls that will make your backyard one of a kind. In her spare time Jackie shares her tips with the readers of LumaGardening.com .

Landscaping Made Easy: Six Tips for Success

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Rather than dreading and delaying the chore of home landscaping, think of your backyard as a blank canvas with limitless possibilities. If youâ€™re daunted by the sheer size of the task at hand, following these six simple steps will help you manage the work piece by piece, helping you realize your vision for your perfect yard sooner and with less effort and expense. 1. Know what youâ€™re working with. Begin by making a detailed survey of all areas you want to landscape. Take accurate measurements of the areas, and note any anomalies or abnormalities in the terrain that might need special treatment or consideration. Know your soil type, map out your grass coverage and, of course, demarcate your property lines if you donâ€™t already have fences bordering your neighborâ€™s yard. 2. Do your research. You need to understand growing conditions and weather patterns in your area, particularly how much rainfall you can expect on average and how many hours of sunlight you can expect your plants to get. **End Summary** Topics: landscaping]]> landscaping tips]]> landscape design]]> luma gardening]]> gardening tips]]> gardening advice]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Jackie Harlow is a professional landscaper and gardener. She knows the ins and outs of landscaping and specializes in landscape design . In her spare time, Jackie shares her expertise with the readers of LumaGardening.com .

Unique Garden Ideas: Accessories for Accentuating Your Green Space

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Making your garden stand out depends as much on the manner in which you arrange, present and accentuate its elements as it does on the actual plants, flowers, shrubs and trees you plant and prune. If you take the time to work garden accessories into your gardenâ€™s design during the planning stages, youâ€™ll have the freedom to create something truly captivating. To add touches of flair and inspiration to your green space, here are some garden accessories you can incorporate into your design: â€¢ Garden fountains. While these can take considerable effort to set up, the results are well worth the trouble. Soothing and placid, garden fountains can be sculpted right into the natural landforms of your yard, especially if your garden is tiered and incorporates rock or stone. For an especially striking effect thatâ€™s eco-friendly, consider adding solar-powered lanterns or candles to your fountain or waterfall; these require no external wiring and infuse your garden space with an inviting romantic ambience. â€¢ Border edging. **End Summary** Topics: gardens]]> unique garden ideas]]> unique flower gardens]]> organic gardening]]> organic gardens]]> gardening tips]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Jackie Harlow is an expert on garden designs . She's designed several unique flower gardens for her clients. She's also one of the first professional gardeners to specialize in organic gardening .

Garden Tools Digging up great deals for your gardening needs

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Most home owners would agree that keeping up with the yard work is a real challenge especially when life is coming at you from every other direction too. Here are a few simple tips that can make garden and yard maintenance easier and perhaps fun too! Starting with the right gardening tools is the first step to achieving an easy to maintain atmosphere in your backyard and all around your property. Letâ€™s think about the tasks at hand and work through all the gardening tools youâ€™ll need to get the job done, without spending a fortune. Ask yourself these questions and decide if weâ€™re talking about you here: 1) Do you have grass coverage on more than 90% of your garden space? If so, you may just need a decent lawn mower and trimming equipment to keep it cleaned up. The remaining 10% of your garden space may be used for flower beds, potted plants or storage space. 2) Do you have large flower beds, potted plants and hanging flower baskets in your garden? Best to have some hand garden tools to get the job done right! **End Summary** Topics: garden tools]]> pruning shears]]> watering cans]]> luma gardening]]> garden accessories]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Jackie Harlow is a master gardener with over 3 decades of experience working as a professional landscaper. She spends every extra penny he has on garden tools like watering cans and pruning shears . Jackie also contributes her expertise to lumagardening.com .

Backyard Wildlife Build a Haven for your Furry Friends

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Homeowners spend countless hours trying to make the perfect backyard. From patio stones and outdoor furniture to plants and flowers, thereâ€™s no denying the abundance of choices available when it comes to creating a backyard oasis. While itâ€™s easy to setup furniture and plant flowers and trees, itâ€™s not always easy to attract backyard wildlife to your retreat. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to your garden and yard that will help build a welcoming environment for your furry friends. Try making these three things available for animals in your back yard: Food. Food is the single most important element of your backyard. If you want to attract animals like squirrels and birds, youâ€™ll want to make sure thereâ€™s sufficient food for them to eat. If you donâ€™t have what theyâ€™re looking for, theyâ€™ll leave your house and find someone else on the block who knows what theyâ€™re doing. Bird seed is generally the food of choice for both squirrels and birds but you might want to invest in squirrel-proof bird feeders to make sure the big guys arenâ€™t hoarding all the food. Water. Water is essential when it comes to the health of your backyard animals. **End Summary** Topics: backyard wildlife]]> gardening]]> bird houses]]> bat houses]]> bird feeders]]> bird feeders]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Jackie Harlow is an avid garden enthusiast. She's invested countless hours in making the perfect garden for backyard wildlife . With a plethora of bird houses , squirrel feeders and bat houses, Jackie has successfully created a great retreat for all types of animals.

Pest Control Preventing and Eliminating Bugs from your Backyard Oasis!

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Youâ€™ve spent thousands of dollars and countless hours making your backyard your very own retreat. The two-story deck is finally finished, the bulbs of your flowers are starting to bloom and youâ€™re ready to pull out the patio chairs and enjoy a nice cold iced tea. It would be lovely if this scenario was flawless, but in most cases itâ€™s realistically not going to happen. Why, you ask? The simple answer is pests and lots of them. If you donâ€™t take proper precautions for preventing pests from entering your backyard, you could be signing up for years of mosquito problems, ant farms, wasp nests and more. Luckily we have tips for preventing these types of insects from ever entering your garden. 1. Nets. While mosquito nets arenâ€™t always the most attractive backyard accessories one could choose, they are the most effective. If you donâ€™t want mosquitoes, wasps etc. to enter your garden then consider adding a net. 2. Spearmint, Southern Wood, Tansy. Growing plants like spearmint, southern wood and tansy will help prevent insects like ants from infecting your garden and patio area. **End Summary** Topics: pest control]]> ant control.mosquito control]]> gardening]]> gardening tips]]> advice]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For over 3 decades, Jackie Harlow has become an expert on gardening. Her biggest obstacles were associated with pest control (specifically ant control and mosquito control ) but she's mastered the art of elimination. Jackie also shares her expertise with readers of LumaGardening.com.