If you have a small yard that you are going to landscape, you do not have to lose all landscape ideas and designs. Whether you have a small front yard or a small back yard, there are a variety of things you can do to make your yard look great if you use the space wisely. The key to a great yard, is a planned design, so take the time to plan.

Remember to be realistic, if your yard is small, large rocks or boulders or a large pond is not doable. However, there are things that you can do to make your yard look beautiful without all those large things.

Since space is limited, consider building up raised flower beds for your plants. One of the positive things about small yards is that you can landscape and save money in the process. Another idea for small yards is plants in containers. Container gardening is a great way to maximize space and it can be moved around for parties when needed. Planters today have their own design flare and come in all different sizes and shapes.

Colors can “effect” the space also. Colors like blue can make a space appear larger and plants like evergreens offer a yard a feeling of largeness. Blue spruce and Alberta pine are great examples.

More and more people are using stones in gardens these days. Flower beds or gardens can be edged in stone and rocks or an entire wall can serve as a planting site. Weeds will grow through the rocks so plants and herbs can be a nice touch. Here are a few steps to help out if you decide to do these things.

First of all you will need to choose your rocks or stones that you would like to use. Make sure that they fit with the rest of your landscape and that they are flat. Stone quarries can be a great place to find the rocks that you need that are flatter.

Use good planting soil and compost can be used for the wall. If you mix in some gravel, it will assist in the drainage.

Place stakes where you want the wall to begin and end and run a string between them to mark the walls. Dig a trench around four inches deep along the string and fill in with sand and/or gravel. You need to stomp on the filler so that it is stable.

Place the rocks together over the base and leave an inch or so between the rocks. Cover each layer with an inch of soil mix and stagger the rocks as you place them, leaving a larger space for larger plants.

Tuck the plants and herbs in the spaces and fill in the extra places with more soil and tamp it in. Water from the top down so that the water will roll down the wall.

An herb garden is great for the first time gardener. These gardens are great with fragrance, flavor and flowers. If you don’t have a backyard, don’t let it stop you. You can easily plant an herb garden in clay pots. They will thrive in a sunny window, balcony and other sunlit areas.

Plus, after you watch your garden grow, you can enjoy the herbs in your cooking and they provide lots of vitamins. Creating an herb garden is quick and inexpensive and they will last all summer long.

Here is what you have to do to get started today on your herb garden. First of all, choose a large container with a diameter of approximately 20 inches. Plastic or clay containers will work, just be sure there is a drainage hole. Be sure to select a spot that have sun for at least 5 hours per day. Cover the drainage hole with gravel to keep soil inside. Be sure to avoid the pots that contain lead.

Your herb garden will do best outdoors, but if you choose to make it an indoor project, be sure to find that sunny spot. Fill the container two-thirds full with potting soil. Then, choose your herbs; rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil and oregano make good companions. Plant Rosemary in the middle, it will grow taller. Loosen the soil around each of the root balls and cover with more soil. Fill the pot with soil about 2” from the top and give them a good first watering. Herbs are very forgiving so don’t worry about doing everything just right.

Before you water, check the soil by inserting your finger about
1 inch into the soil. If it is dry to the touch, it is time to water. They will need a light feeding of fertilizer once per month. It just takes a few weeks for your plants to come out so you can enjoy them. They can be cut as soon as the leaves are ready and will produce all year round. With fresh herbs, you can use about three times as much as a recipe calls for. During the winter months, be sure to bring your pot indoors.

Be sure to wash with cold running water before using the herbs. There are very few insects and diseases that will attack herbs.

So it’s time to plant a garden of vegetables, but you really don’t have the room to put in a garden. Here’s an idea: why not put the garden in containers. I am putting some ideas out here for just that:

Purchase bright pots to plant the vegetables in. You might consider getting bright pots or possibly purchasing different size containers (height wise). This will add a little extra zing to your garden as you watch it grow. You may also consider using recycled boxes for the garden. Wine boxes are a great option.

You may also consider hanging baskets. Compact type of plants are best for hanging baskets though. Red-stemmed Swiss chard, glowing Lemon Gem marigolds, and a hot pepper add great color and texture to a container.

An herbal window box can also be considered. It is a good idea to use different textured plants (ie, eggplant, thyme, etc.).

Remember if you are growing a vine type plant, it is very important that you remember they will be needing support. The more they grow, the more support they will require.

Gardening in pots can be so much fun and you can make them look anyway you want.

Greenhouse gardening can be a fun and challenging project if you start with a good plan and have the tools and materials needed. Ensure your greenhouse is positioned so that it receives the maximum hours of sunlight as possible. You’ll find this is very important in winter. Ensure the land that you use has been made ready so that the maximum amount of light can be reached by your greenhouse. Plan where to place any tables, trays, shelves, sink, etc. If you can get by without something, that’s more space for plants.

When it comes to the temperature inside the greenhouse; this will determine which plants you will raise during the winter months. As a tip, you might want to place a thermometer in a shaded area of your homemade greenhouse and record the temperature during the day on different days. Check to ensure you plant the appropriate garden for the temperature range inside your greenhouse. Some plants will grow best in cooler temperatures and others in warmer.