LANDSCAPING Varieties

Painting With Plants, Inc. is a full-service landscape company offering a variety of scapes. We are specialists on all plants, materials and land development.

 

Xeriscape
Xeriscape Xeriscaping is landscaping and gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation. It is promoted in regions that do not have easily accessible, plentiful, or reliable supplies of fresh water, and is gaining acceptance in other areas as access to water becomes more limited. Xeriscaping may be an alternative to various types of traditional gardening. In some areas, terms such as water-conserving landscapes, drought-tolerant landscaping, and smart scaping are used instead. Plants whose natural requirements are appropriate to the local climate are emphasized, and care is taken to avoid losing water to evaporation and run-off. The specific plants used in xeriscaping depend upon the climate. Xeriscaping is different from natural landscaping, because the emphasis in xeriscaping is on selection of plants for water conservation, not necessarily selecting native plants. Public perception of xeriscaping has generally been negative as many assume that that these types of landscapes are ugly or limiting. However studies have shown that education in water conservation practices in the garden can greatly improve the public's perception of xeriscaping.

 

Organic Kitchen Garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a seasonally used space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas. Most vegetable gardens are still miniature versions of old family farm plots with square or rectangular beds, but the kitchen garden is different not only in its history, but also its design.

 

The kitchen garden may be a landscape feature that can be the central feature of an ornamental, all-season landscape, but can be little more than a humble vegetable plot. It is a source of herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers, but it is also a structured garden space, a design based on repetitive geometric patterns.The kitchen garden has year-round visual appeal and can incorporate permanent perennials or woody plantings around (or among) the annual plants.

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Permaculture & Rare Fruit
A system of agricultural and social design principles utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems.

 

Tropical
A tropical garden features tropical plants and requires good rainfall or a decent irrigation or sprinkler system for watering. These gardens typically need fertilizer and heavy mulching.
 

Tropical gardens are no longer exclusive to tropical areas. Many gardeners in colder climates are adopting the tropical garden design, which is possible through careful choice of plants and flowers. Main features include plants with very large leaves, vegetation that builds in height towards the back of the garden, creating a dense garden. Large plants and small trees hang over the garden, leaving sunlight to hit the ground directly.

 

Japan Formal & Feng Shui / Zen

Japanese gardens are traditional gardens that create miniature idealized landscapes, often in a highly abstract and stylized way. The gardens of the Emperors and nobles were designed for recreation and aesthetic pleasure, while the gardens of Buddhist temples were designed for contemplation and meditation.

 

Japanese garden styles include Japanese rock or zen gardens, which are meditation gardens where white sand replaces water. The visitor follows a path around the garden to see carefully composed landscapes; and small courtyard gardens.

 

Southwestern
The Southwest is incredibly diverse, with different elevations and types of desert defining the landscape. Even so, themes like earth-colored stucco, shade ramadas, and plants like cactus, native yucca, and desert spoon give Southwest landscapes their unique character.

 

Victorian / Mediterranean

Mediterranean Gardens have an almost opulent feel to them, but they're definitely far from formal. They combine straight lines and geometric layouts with simple, low key stonework, a charming mixture of all kinds of plants and flowers, and comfortable outdoor furniture that invites visitors to sit and enjoy the view a little while longer.

 

There are also variations within the category of Mediterranean gardens. You could try to evoke more of an Italian feel by using a small number of plants per bed to allow each specimen to really shine, using a lot of statuary, and relying on interesting shapes in trees and shrubbery to create a pleasing view.

 

Stone is a common feature of Mediterranean gardens. Pale, smooth stones are more common than rough hewn, rustic ones. Consider integrating stone into retaining walls, pathways, decorative elements, and furnishings. Another common material for pathways is brick. If you're looking for more of a Mediterranean countryside feel, consider using brick pathways and allow the grass or groundcover to infiltrate between the cracks.

 

Water is another important element in this style of gardening. You might decide to use a classical style fountain with moving water, or you may just integrate a long, low, flat water feature. Stone rimmed pools are very common features in Mediterranean gardens and they do a good job of filling long, narrow spaces.

 

Hardscape
Landscaping with rocks, adds to your overall garden design. The most distinctive of which is the reduced amount of soil erosion and the look of contained garden beds.There are several kinds of rocks that look fantastic among the plants and grass in your garden, particularly if you arrange it in a unique way that depicts your personality.

 

A couple of the classic ways to do landscaping with rocks is to arrange the rocks as borders of the path leading up the house and as decorative linings that can be placed around the larger trees. They do work quite well in giving the home a quaint and charming look.

There are a million other ways of using these natural structures to enhance the look of your garden. You can use small pieces for accents, and you can also create an entire rock garden, making them the central element of the yard.

 

The options are endless, and you only have your imagination to set the limits.There are several advantages to landscaping with rocks and so many landscaping ideas for you to use. A well designed yard with the use of rocks can give a whole new dimension to the look and feel of your home.