California Waterscapes posted this video recently, and it really gives you an idea on how happy pond owners really are with their water features. Who can resist the sound of water running down natural rocks, the beauty of lily's growing in the pond, and feeding koi fish as they swim around? Watch the video and if you feel inspired and decide that you want to become the proud owner of a water garden, call California Waterscapes for a design estimate of your own.
Good use of outdoor lighting can totally change the look of your backyard space, and it can be used for more than just safety and visibility purposes. Also with the advancements in technology, outdoor lighting fixtures have been made easier to maintain and energy efficient with the use of LED's.
LED (light-emitting diode) lights have a ton of benefits that come with them, and should be your first choice when considering adding lighting to the landscaping. LED lights come in a wide assortment of color choices, and last much longer than incandescent lights. They may be more expensive than other types of outdoor lighting, but with a life expectancy of up to 30 years and being 80% more efficient, the savings will help the lights pay for themselves.
Kichler Lighting carries what I consider to be the best LED light available, and with lots of different styles there is bound to be a light that fits your backyard. Kichler has everything from path, deck and spotlights to under water lights and even specialty light fixtures that can double as planters and chandeliers. If you are looking to add lighting to your design, consider calling Pacific Outdoor Living to come up with a landscape plan for your backyard.
We once mentioned coming across a company out of Los Angeles called Phat Energy and their product known as the Phat Port. Phat Energy are a solar panel installation company that have developed a way to make the panel work even more for their customers, they achieved this by taking the panels off of the roof of the home and hangs them overhead to become part of the actual setting.
Usually when a homeowner decides to save on their energy cost and go with using solar panels, the panels installed to collect solar rays and convert them into energy and then not really thought about after that. But what Phat Energy has done is use the panels to line the tops of patio covers and car ports which gives off a nice stained glass look.
Phat Energy uses the most efficient panel on the residential market today-- the Sanyo 200 Bi-facial. When light from the sun hits the panel, it start producing energy like most solar panels do, but it also lets some light through, and then recycles it from the bottom side of the panel, adding another 15 to 20% of energy.
The Phat Energy design team will be more than knowledgeable to help you design and create the structure that best fits your outdoor space and can include car charging options, and battery back-up systems.
A great backyard accessory that not only protects you from the heat of the sun but looks great are Shade Sails. These fabric pieces are hung across to steel posts and come in a wide assortment of shapes and colors that will easily fit any backyard design.
Installation of the shade sails is difficult, and not recommended for the average do-it-yourself builder. Instead we recommend to consult with a professional designer and installer to really get the best look for your backyard. There are so many possibilities on what can be done with these sails, and beats trying to huddle underneath a small umbrella for some shade.
If you plan on redesigning your backyard and creating your own oasis with the shade of a sail hanging over you, don't forget to contact Pacific Outdoor Living to start a whole landscape design plan for your home. Read more »
The use of drought tolerant plants and water-wise landscaping is on the rise right now, especially here in California where water conservation is a must. We thought it would be good to five tips on planting and also maintaining your water-wise garden. Each are very simple, but very important if you are also considering going green and saving both water and money on your garden.
First thing to keep in mind is that the best time to start your planting is in the fall. The reason for this is that the roots of the plants need to have time to establish themselves, and by the time that summer rolls around the plants will be able to withstand the heat.
When you begin to plant the garden, make sure that you group the drought tolerant plants together and away from the other plants that require more watering. This is because simply because the drought-tolerant do not need the water and if some annuals are surrounding it, they can easily die from the lack of water while the other strive.
Use more mulch around your garden. Grass and turf are water hungry and while they are great as ground cover, they will run up your water bill. Mulch serves so many more purposes than just as a ground cover, it can also prevent weeds, keep moisture in the ground and as time passes nutrients will go into the ground as it decomposes.
Get to know your timer and irrigation system. Make sure the clock is set correctly and that there are no leaks or water runoff that could be going to your neighbors house or wasted away.
When the rain comes in, alway remember to turn off the irrigation system. After a week or even up to a month (depending on how much rain fell) check down into the soil about 2-3 inches and if you still feel moisture, its ok to leave the sprinklers off.
