Any garden or outdoor living space can benefit from a hardscape design. Simply put, hardscaping consists of the hard objects in your yard, including stone, bricks, water features, and gazebos. These elements create balance with the plants and add focus and dimension to a landscape. If you've decided to build a hardscape design outside of your own home, try some of these tips to help you make a successful backyard transformation.

If you're like many modern homeowners, you love the way a well-kept lawn makes your home look — but you may not love the work involved in cultivating an emerald green, weed-free lawn that feels velvety soft beneath your bare feet. Fortunately, while there's no such thing as a maintenance-free lawn, strategies exist for homeowners who want to minimize the time they spend on lawn chores. The following are three things that you can do to minimize lawn chores while not sacrificing curb appeal and the personal sense of pride that comes with having a gorgeous lawn.

If you live in a climate with four distinct seasons, you may be familiar with spring, summer, and autumn providing lots of color throughout landscapes. However, you may know that most winter landscapes end up quite colorless after the grass yellows and the trees lose all their leaves. As a homeowner, you may want to invest in changes so that you get to enjoy a lush and colorful landscape throughout wintertime.

When it comes time to plan and design your yard's landscaping, whether you are starting it from scratch or finishing what was previously begun, you want to add the right elements and consider different elements to make it just right. There are the needs of your plants to consider with sunlight and shade and whether the climate that you live in is hot and dry or cool and wet. Here are some elements to consider when you are planning to landscape your yard and implement a custom design for your needs.

Root rot can kill a tree before you even know it's infected, and there is little you can do to stop the process. Rot is typically caused by a combination of factors, including overly wet soil and a fungal or bacterial infection. Once it spreads to the majority of the root system, the only choice is to have the tree removed before it fully dies and becomes a falling hazard.

If you are in the real estate business and you own several commercial properties, then you know just how important it is to keep them looking clean and put together at all times. As soon as you stop caring about the shape and condition of both the exterior and interior of your properties, the more likely you are to lose contracts with tenants which can cost you thousands of dollars. With summer just around the corner, there is no better time than the present to get the exterior of your properties in tip-top shape.

With trees growing in your yard and in the community, you receive a great deal of environmental and health benefits that you cannot reproduce otherwise. With all their benefits, trees within your landscaping need the right care for their growth and health, and you should think about protecting your structures from damage. So to keep your yard and its landscaping in good condition, here are some recommendations to help you handle your tree and landscaping maintenance.

Are you torn between wood and vinyl fencing? While wood has a classic look, vinyl has quite a few benefits that can make it the better choice. A side-by-side comparison can help you make the final decision on which material is best for your home. Durability When it comes to durability, both materials can stand the test of time — if they don't suffer damage. Wood is quite durable and can last for years as long as it is maintained so rot doesn't become an issue.