Landscaping Stone Designs That May Make The House Look It S Best

By Ahmed Hajouj.


When you own a home, you want the exterior to appear just as good as the inside. This is why you notice lots of people on the weekends planting tons of plants and trying their best to create their yards appear amazing. However, the only problem is the fact that plenty of the good ideas for landscaping have previously been performed. Obviously, there is one thing that people used to forget about whenever it comes to landscaping, and it actually is one of the great things to work with, and that is stone. Landscaping stone ideas can, not only provide your yard a look all of its own, however at the same time, it will give your yard a fresh feel. There are so lots of various things that you can do with stone, it’s curious that more people do not utilize it. The possibilities are endless, and that stone is a best method to create every yard different.

To start with, you have to understand that stones, not only make an ideal walk way, but they create a good patio. Whenever people are using stones around their house, the main thing that they always do is utilize it for a walk way. Sure it’s a good idea, but it’s been played out to death. It’s time to come up with a fresh idea. Rather than just using it for a pathway, utilize it to build the ground of your patio. They make very flat stones that are perfect to be used as a floor. This will furnish your patio a very classy, yet, very outdoor feel. Another plan you may want to consider about using is using the stones to create levels to your floors. What you do is put down stones to build a wall (not a big wall, but a small one). Then behind the wall you fill it by dirt. Then you set your flowers. Behind those flowers you craft one more wall, but this time you build it a bit bigger. Then you fill that with dirt and you repeat as several times as you desire.

The finest idea for stones, however, is to apply them when making a pond in your plot. This is actually simple to do, and just about anybody can perform it over the course of just one weekend. Not only that, but the stones around it are going to give it an incredible look. If you add a little pump to the pond to create the pond have moving water, then it will keep things like mosquitoes out of it. There is no end to the amount of things that you can do with stones in your backyard. The great news is that the majority of it can be completed in a day, and stones (for the most part) do no cost that much to work with.

Buying Or Building A Water Fountain Things To Consider

By Ahmed Hajouj.


A great deal about fountains has changed over the last decade. Now there are really high class ones made of copper, stainless steel, bronze, concrete, and stone, and some fairly nice ones made of resin and fiberglass. There are several things to consider, though. As a pump wholesaler, I speak with fountain owners all the time and also look at lots of samples of 

fountains at trade shows and in magazines. Before purchasing a fountain, there are quite a few questions to ask. What looks good in a store might not look good at your home or business. 

Bronze and Stainless Steel Fountains

These are at the high end of fountains, and can retail for ten to twenty thousand dollars. They are plain classy. But will one of these fit in where you want to put it? Do you have the right yard or business or location for such a classic kind of display? Also, do you like the aging process (the verdigris patina) that bronze undergoes? Can you afford one of these? If you answered yes to these questions, a bronze or stainless steel 

fountain might be right for you. It will last your lifetime, your kids’ lifetimes, their kids’ lifetimes, etc. And they are durable enough to be moved from house to house.

Copper Fountains

Like bronze 

fountains, these too tend to be classy, especially the name brand ones like Water Wonders, which mix copper with glass and slate. These make especially nice Wall fountainswall fountains. There are certain things to think about, though. Are you locating the fountain in a room with good acoustics? Some rooms make the pump noise really echo, especially small rooms with walls that are close together. Do you know someone or can you hire an electrician to hide the cord in the wall? These fountains are a bit too expensive to buy if you’re going to let the cord run outside the wall for everyone to see. Finally, it is a good idea to go listen to them run at a store before purchasing. Some of them make little water noise and some make a lot. To increase water sound you might have to turn up the pump to the point of there being slight splash.

Concrete Fountains

These still provide the most bang for the buck, primarily because concrete is so inexpensive. In fact, a huge part of the cost of concrete fountains is in transporting them to stores for sale and in the labor of painting them. The concrete itself is the least expensive part of the fountains’ manufacture. Most concrete companies (though not all) reinforce their fountains with steel. This makes them strong but also means the concrete must be sealed. If not painted (as most fountains from Mexico are not), then they do need to have a clear sealant put on them. Otherwise the water will seep through to the steel, which will rust. Eventually, the fountain is likely to crack. One final word of advice on concrete, beware of “cute.” Cute 

fountains (mama dogs with baby dogs, boys peeing) sometimes don’t look so cute over time. Ask yourself if you’ll still think the fountain is cute years later. Remember, concrete fountains can last hundreds of years. And they are difficult to move so pick something that will stay put. The traditional Italian 3-tier fountain is always a safe bet.

Resin and Fiberglass

Fountains

The quality of these has gotten a lot better, and they have the clear advantage of being more easily handled than concrete ones. Some do look like concrete and stone, though they tend to look much more realistic at first glance than they do after a week has passed. Then it is pretty clear that they are faux. These are also a lot easier on employees who work in tores, as they don’t have to worry as much about their backs. We would sell these at our store but just don’t like their looks as well as the real thing.

Stone Fountains

These look incredibly good or mediocre. The handcrafted stone fountains out of Mexico and many of the large ones out of China are beautiful. But there are also mass-produced stone 

fountains, which use crushed stone mixed with resin. These just don’t look like real stone to us even though they are.

Making Your Own 

Water Fountain

There are lots of ways to make your own 

fountains. The easiest way, perhaps, is to place a pump in a small tub or on some liner. Then place a wire or plastic grate on top of the tub or the liner, and layer pebbles, rocks, etc. over the wire or plastic grate. Your pump and plumbing will be hidden! No one will no where your water is coming from. You can then connect black PVC piping to the pump (black sprinkler pipe is incredibly inexpensive yet professional looking) and let the water rise up seemingly out of rocks in your yard. You won’t have to worry much about pets as the water source is covered with stones. Likewise, you won’t have to worry about kids drowning. You can also build a little 

waterfall over such a pit if you want, just throwing in boulders to hide your electric and tubing, etc. Some people use bamboo for spouts. You can also drill holes through slate (we’ve found it’s really easy if you soak the slate for a day first). Slate is so porous, however, you ought to seal it once you’re done drilling. You can also find rocks in nature that already have holes in them.


How Big of a Pump do I need? 

Basically, if you buy a 

fountain at a store you should have instructions on the best size pump for that particular piece of garden art. If you are making your own fountain, here is a rule of thumb: for every inch of width you need to pump 100 gallons per hour. But note that a100 gallon per hour pump is not pumping the same volume at one foot head (elevation above the pump), two feet head, three feet, and so forth. If you are making your own 

fountain, it is likely you will have to guess which size to buy, and you might be wrong the first time you build one. Most pumps are adjustable but often can be adjusted down only a bit. However, magnetic-driven pumps, the most common kind, are inexpensive and durable.