Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Landscape Projects

240 Pages·2010·189.868 MB·English

by  Hampshire, Kristen

The Complete Guide to
LANDSCAPE
PROJECTS
Natural Landscape Design • Eco-friendly Water
Features • Hardscaping • Landscape Plantings
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOtA
www.creativepub.com
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Contents
1100 1133
The Complete Guide to
Landscape Projects
3311
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Project Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Lawncare Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Landscape Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Landscape Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Landscaping with Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Grading Your Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Lawn Renovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
3377 4433
Clearing Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Creating a Windbreak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Building Raised Beds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Arroyo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Swales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Landscape Bed & Patio Edging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
5544
Low-voltage Landscape Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
5566 5588
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Contents
(Cont.)
8800
Landscaping with Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Planting Trees & Shrubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Tree Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Pruning Trees & Shrubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Green Groundcover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 8877 9933
Mulching Beds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Rain Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Xeriscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Landscaping with Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
110044
Rain Barrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Drip Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
In-ground Sprinkler System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Hard-shell Pond & Fountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Freeform Garden Pond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Landscaping with Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
111166
Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Interlocking Block Retaining Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Stone Retaining Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Drystack Stone Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Mortared Stone Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
111100 112222
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113399
Repairing a Stone Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Loose Rock Landscape Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Stepping Stone Landscape Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Timber & Gravel Landscape Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
Flagstone Landscape Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Zen Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174 114433 115599
Backyard Fire Pit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
Carpentry Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
Compost Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Classic Garden Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194
116655
Trellis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Bamboo Fence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202
Picket Protection Fence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206
Arbor Retreat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210
Remote Tool Shed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222
119944
APPENDIX: Codes & Considerations . . . . . . . 231
Resources/Photo Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
119988 221111
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Introduction
We’re spending more time at home these days, investing in our properties to convert our outdoor spaces from
basic back yards into elaborate living rooms with areas for dining, lounging, gardening, playing, and perhaps
even swimming. Rather than planning vacations, many of us are plotting our next, big outdoor adventure—and
we’re talking about landscape projects. There’s great satisfaction that can be gained from completing a pond,
building an arbor, laying a flagstone pathway, or planting a colorful landscape bed. And we’re recognizing that the
more of this we do ourselves, the larger our budget is to do even more!
The Complete Guide to Landscape Projects will teach you how to create an outdoor living space with
features both luxurious and practical. We’ll walk you through the process from beginning to end, starting with
providing detailed tools and materials lists for each project. We give you tutorials for basic building techniques,
and inspiration for interesting finishes and treatments that will customize projects to suit the character of your
property and your personal preferences. For instance, our outdoor fireplace project shows you how to finish the
exterior in stone, brick, or stucco. We give you options, and we outline careful guidelines along the way. Think of
this book as your instructor as you take on important projects that will enhance your yard.
Whether you’re creating a landscape from scratch or renovating a mature property, we have ideas for you.
And better yet, each project provides step-by-step instructions with color photography. We think showing you how
projects come together is just as important as telling you with our field-tested directions.
There are projects in this book suitable for big back yards, quaint courtyards, small gardens, city landscapes,
suburban yards, and country estates. You can depend on this book for a variety of do-able landscape projects that
will stand the test of time.
Now, let’s get started! It’s time to get your hands dirty and begin building the landscape of your dreams. Who
needs a vacation when you can escape every day in your own back yard?
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Lawncare
& Design
As uccessful landscaping project requires a firm
foundation. Essentially, this comes down to dirt
and turf. Regardless of what you are building, your
yard must have good drainage and healthy soil. This
may require that you re-grade your yard, improve
drainage, create water runoff paths, or build retaining
walls or other landscape features to create level areas
and control erosion. In addition to its visual appeal,
the turf in your yard plays an important role in the
infrastructure by retaining topsoil and preventing
erosion. Promoting turf health through proper mowing
practices, adequate watering, lawn nutrition, and
regular maintenance will help preserve your landscape
for years to come.
In this chapter:
• Lawncare Basics
• Landscape Materials
• Tools
• Landscape Design
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Lawncare Basics
Regular lawn maintenance is an important element
of a successful landscape, but it does require
dedication. Keeping up with duties such as mowing,
watering, and turf nutrition will prevent disease and
keep weeds from forming—and you’ll use fewer
control products if you simply mow and water regularly
and sensibly. Addressing and correcting occasional
problems is another requirement of homeownership.
As we pay closer attention to the chemicals we
pour on to our lawns and the way we manage lawn
problems in an effort to be more mindful of the world
around us—you hear about this as “going green” or
being “sustainable”—these lawn basics (cultural
Controlling weeds keeps turf grass healthy so it can perform
practices) become even more essential. By following
to its fullest as a canvas for landscaping creativity. Most yards
some core cultural practices, you can reach the goal of
will benefit from a multi-pronged approach of pulling weeds,
a lush, healthy lawn without all the additives. selective chemical spraying, and organic weed control measures.
Regular lawnmowing is an important part of any lawn and yard maintenance program. A cordless lawnmower is a clean, quiet
equipment option.
10 ■ THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO LANDSCAPE PROJECTS
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