We just moved into a new house and the yard and bushes that surround the house are pitiful. When the weather gets nice we have plans of fixing the outside up but neither my husband nor I have ever done any gardening or landscaping. Does anyone know of a website that has easy DIY ideas and possible pictures or step by step guides?

Hey tygrrfly I invite you to stop by the Home Depot how to website. There are a number of walkthrough’s and videos available covering everything from basic gardening to full landscaping projects. We also recently launched a DIY community that you might find helpful.
Cheers,
ChrisFixit

Snowdrops stand guard over tiny daffodil buds. Daylight is lingering a bit longer. The snow is receding and the robins are returning. The big thaw has begun. There’s no denying the signs. Spring is right around the corner.

If you’re like me, you can’t wait to get your hands into the soil. While you’re holding out for higher temperatures, there’s plenty you can do today to jumpstart the spring gardening season.

Sow Seeds Indoors

Take a trip to your local nursery or home store and buy seeds to start indoors.
In March I like to start annual flowers for my pots and containers. Currently, I have Coleus, Zinnias,
Impatiens, Petunias and Marigolds germinating. Follow the seed packet instructions and you’ll get excellent
results. Some plants will take longer than others to bloom or bear fruit, so plan accordingly. This is also a great time for starting culinary herbs and vegetables. If you’re looking for something new this year, try moonflower vine or cathedral bells to climb your fence or trellis. Both can be started from seed. If you have children, get them involved. Many children have a natural affinity for gardening. It’s a great quality to encourage and nurture in them.

Dust Off The Birdhouses

I put my birdhouses out in early March. Small birds like chickadees will be actively searching for appropriate homes to raise their families. Mine were up for less than 24 hours before the home tours began.

Give Your Garden Tools A Checkup

Take your pruning shears and other cutting tools to your local hardware store for cleaning, oiling and a good sharpening. On a warm day you may want to assess your lawnmower. Take it in for servicing or a tune up now-while you can. Many lawnmower repair centers are swamped shortly after the season starts. It’s one tool you don’t want to be without.

Get Inspired

Order your garden catalogs. Purchase your favorite garden magazines. Here in the northeast, there’s nothing like winter time to remind me how valuable my summer garden space is. Create a wish list of new plants, design features and outdoor furniture. With a little planning, you won’t be overwhelmed when May rolls around.

Seek Out Indoor Gardening Events

In March there are countless indoor garden, flower and landscaping expos. If you can’t find anything in your local area, a day or weekend trip to a flower show might be just what you need. Look for a botanical garden or arboretum with indoor facilities. In my area we have Longwood Gardens. It has year round indoor gardens and the displays are fantastic.

Clean Out Your Beds

As soon as the snow has melted and the weather permits, you can clean out your beds. It’s a good time to rake and clear your planting areas of dead branches, leaves and debris. I like to mulch as soon as possible in the spring, while there’s still plenty of space between the emerging bedding plants.

Learn A Landscape Design Software Program

There are so many inexpensive landscaping software programs available today, many of them under $50.00US. During the winter months you’ll have plenty of time to learn how to operate the system.
Create and sample new designs before digging. Take advantage of the overhead and 360 degree views. Many of the programs now offer a 3D walk through feature. It simulates the experience of walking through an actual garden. You can also advance the garden timeline into the future to see what it will look like when the plants and trees mature. It’s a wonderful creative tool to beat the winter blues!

Call Your Landscaper Now

If you’re planning to use a professional landscaper this year, make sure to schedule your work as far in advance as possible. When the ground is soft enough for digging, landscapers will be working overtime to keep up with the volume.

Book Your Garden Tours Now

Scour the internet for local and regional garden tours. Find out when tickets go on sale and plan ahead.
I’ve often read announcement lists in the newspaper after I’ve already made other plans. There’s nothing like
visiting other people’s gardens for encouragement and inspiration.

I hope these suggestions get you motivated to take action. The sooner you get started on your garden plans-the more time you’ll have to enjoy the rest of the season. Happy Gardening!

© 2007 John Conti

John Conti
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/jumpstart-the-spring-garden-gardening-tips-for-march–118487.html

You may think water is a renewable resource, but there are plenty of places around the country and the world where water is too precious to be spend carelessly on lush gardens. Try xeriscaping instead.

Ever heard of xeriscaping?

It’s a term that came into vogue in the semi-arid Western United States back in the 1980s. Xeros is the Greek word for dry…and it’s the botanical term for drought, as well. So you can see it’s an applicable term for trying to landscape in any location where, at best, the rainfall can be termed erratic!

The trick to xeriscaping is to maximize what rainfall you do get. Sure, it’s possible to have lush gardens if you’re willing to pay for the vast amount of water you’ll need to maintain them, but frankly landscaping that is not so lush have their own beauty as well.

It all comes down to planning.

Before you begin your landscaping, you must know the ground you’re working with thoroughly. Take your climate conditions into account at every stage of the process.

The first thing you’ll need to do is analyze your yard’s soil and improve it to increase water retention. If you have a huge backyard, you’ll probably only want to turn a small portion of it into a garden, but this can easily be integrated with the rest of the yard through proper design.

Select plants that are well adapted to the area in which you live. The more water-thrifty the plants, the better they’ll thrive. Get advice from your local gardening stores to find out exactly what kind of plants these might be, and make sure you know the pH balance of your soil. Group plants together in your yard according to how much water they’ll need. In this way, you can have some “water-thirsty” plants in your yard which you can water all at the same time, without having to waste time going from spot to spot.

Another thing to take into consideration is the slope of your land? Does it slope, and if so, in which way? Such rainfall as you do get will run off in that direction, so that’s where you’ll want to plant your garden. Or, create an artificial slope towards another area if you want to improve the view from your kitchen window, for example.

Keeping plants in movable pots is always an easy solution, grouping them together and changing that grouping whenever the spirit moves you.

But the starkness and beauty of the desert landscape itself need not be overlooked. Add a simple Japanese garden with white sand and rocks and you’ve got a perfect place to meditate. Build a small water-garden that recycles the water at all times and you’ll enjoy the gentle sound of trickling water as you concentrate on your book, or while you’re watching the birds fly by.

So, look for ideas on xeriscaping. As always, the web is your one-stop ideas shop. Try Xeriscape Colorado to begin with. You’ll find a vast compendium of ideas, tips and tricks there.

Xeriscaping is not just for use in those dry portions of the country. It’s time that water conservation was practiced by everyone – even in those areas where you think water will never be scarce. Take a look at Earth Easy’s website for ideas on how you can implement water conservation in your garden.

Mr.Andrew Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/xeriscaping-landscaping-where-water-is-scarce-129433.html