Landscaping And Garden Design
Article Issue 03-03-05

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Landscape Design and Gardening Newsletter
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Issue#503
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Written by Steve Boulden
Owner of S&S Designed Landscaping,LLC
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Welcome to another great issue of your landscape design and gardening newsletter.

A simple small xeriscape design, how to make your own moss rock and statues, and a few other bits are included in this issue.

I hadn't really planned to get this issue out for another week or so. However, I thought I'd better get it out while I had time to breathe.

Next issue may be a little longer coming. However, it and following issues are going to have some of our best landscaping and garden design ideas yet. So, stick around. It will be well worth waiting for to see some of our next landscaping projects.

I do hope you enjoy and get something out of this issue.

Steve Boulden,
S&S Design

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IN THIS ISSUE
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Landscape Design - Just Filling In Space
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A lot of times we get clients that just want to fill in some out of the way unused spot. You may have some areas like this yourself. Sometimes the spot is made a useful area but most times it's just made a ground cover. However, sometimes it becomes a designed area more like an elaborate themed flower garden.

This small space garden is one in which the function is to fill up space, look good, and with no maintenance. I would much rather do this than just cover the area with ground cover.

We'll take a look at this design and some of the what's and why's of it.

We just finished this design so it won't be planted until spring. This will give you an opportunity to see how it's intended to look in Winter.

Let's take a look:

Small Xeriscape Garden

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Design Tutorial From Last Issue
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The small landscape design in last issue is a good example of designing with different colors, textures, and elements. If you missed last issue, you can see the design at:

Curb Appeal For Circular Driveway Landscaping

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Garden - Make Your Own Aged Moss Rock And Statues
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Moss can make some garden elements and even entire gardens look and feel aged and established. Trouble is that sometimes it may not even grow on its own. And if it does, it could take a very long time.

Here's a way you can accelerate and help establish a beautiful green carpet over your garden rocks and concrete features:

Stir a fist size clump of porcelain clay into 3 cups of water to form a thin paste.

Then combine the clay mixture with one cup of undiluted fish emulsion and one cup of fresh, shredded moss. Mix together and paint it on your rocks and concrete objects with a paint brush.

Remember that moss grows naturally in patches, likes the North side of objects, and takes readily to cracks and crevices.

Use this formula in shady gardens and moist locations and you can most probably have moss in a few weeks.

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Sun Protection - For You, Not Your Plants
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Most people know that UV rays from the sun contribute to wrinkles and skin aging as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.

What most people don't know is that many sun screens don't protect us from aging and skin cancer. So while you're out there landscaping in your front yard thinking you're safe from the suns rays, you may very well not be. So here are a few things you should know about sunscreens and sunblocks.

There are two types of ultraviolet light - UVA and UVB rays. Sunburn is caused mainly by UVB rays, while aging, wrinkles, and skin cancer are caused mainly by UVA rays.

Most sun screens with SPF 15 or higher do a pretty good job of protecting us from UVB rays and sunburn, but offer little or no protection against UVA rays, skin cancer, wrinkles, and aging.

A good sun screen needs to protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. And while many manufacturers boast this on their labels, many times it isn't true.

Check the label. In order for a sun screen to block both UVA and UVB rays it must have at least one of the following ingredients:

Titanium Dioxide

Avobenzone

Zinc Oxide

Protect yourself from the sun when you're gardening, landscaping, or whatever. Make sure your sun screen has one of the ingredients listed above.

Can't find any?

Go to:

Gardeners Sunscreen And Protection

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The Landscape Design Site Store?
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Over the last year I have been overwhelmed with requests to purchase the professional landscape fabric that we use in our own designs and projects.

And in keeping with the tradition of this site, I have been more than happy to make sure everyone gets it if they want it. However, here lately it's become too much to handle.

So I've made it easier for all of us and created a secure storefront to handle sales and distribution.

While the intention of the outlet is mainly for weed fabric, I've decided to make it even more. In the next few months I'll be adding more professional resources to the store.

Take a look and check back often. We're just getting started. Here's the link:

Professional Landscaping Fabric

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Unanswered Emails
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When I first started this site and newsletter I was able to keep up with the small amount of email and questions that I would get periodically.

Soon the emails became daily. But still not too much to keep up with. I continued for a while to answer every landscape question, plant question, landscape software reviews, and garden design question that came across my desk. To date I've answered 3,305 personal specific questions.

However, today I get piles of digital mail. It has become impossible for me to keep up with the amount that comes in. So instead of throwing my hands up in the air in frustration, I've limited myself to only ten a day.

Believe me, that's still a lot after a full day in the offline world.

What I'm getting to here is that possibly you and a whole bunch of other folks aren't getting replies from me. Some folks probably think I'm just deleting their emails. Please don't think that. I started this site so that you may not have to hire a landscaping designer or contractor and am truly doing my best to help everyone out. I'm constantly adding new landscaping ideas and information to the site for everyone.

If your question didn't get a reply, I am truly sorry. I'm not trying to ignore anyone and I really am just one guy here. If you did send me an email that didn't get answered, you might try sending it again. Who knows? Still no guarantee.

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If you get stuck on your planting scheme, see Pre planned gardens - Plans for creative and economical ways to use pre planned garden designs in your landscaping project.

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That's all for this issue.

Steve Boulden S&S Designed Landscaping,LLC

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