You don’t have to settle for minimal landscaping style if you have a smaller yard; even if all you have is a small urban courtyard area, you can make it a place to relax and escape the day to day hustle and bustle.

Today’s homes tend to have smaller yards; a result of ever tighter zoning and urban planning restrictions.

As the world’s population continues to grow, we need to maximize the efficiency and use of our resources; smaller lot sizes help to leverage the cost of infrastructure like city streets, electric, gas, sewage and other utilities, as well as helping retain as much agricultural land as possible outside major metros.

The downside of smaller yards is less space for gardens, patios and landscaping. The upside is that you can still give your small yard great style and appeal without spending your kids’ college education funds!

In this article we will explore techniques and illusions that help define a small yard and give it a larger feel; whether you are landscaping a small courtyard area, an enclosed back yard or the small front yard area common to many homes these days, you will find plenty of landscaping ideas, pictures and tips.

Landscaping to Scale

When planning your small yard landscaping project, its useful to begin with some drawings; since you don’t have a lot of space, the scale of landscaping elements such as patios, walkways, plant and tree sizes, patio furniture, etc. must all be taken into account carefully. Scaling things down helps to maximize the amount of usable space you will have in your newly landscaped yard.

By using an inexpensive landscape design software tool, you can try many designs before settling on the one you like best. If budget allows, you may also want to invest a couple hundred dollars to consult with a landscape architect or designer.

Planning for Space Efficiency

As with designing a small home or room, planning the landscape design for your smaller yard demands efficient space utilization. If the yard is big enough, you can divide it into two or more “outdoor” rooms to create multiple areas with different looks.

Often the shape and dimensions of an outdoor area will help determine how things should be broken up; if you have a rectangular shaped yard then breaking it up into two smaller spaces may work. But if you have a corner lot or other irregularly shaped yard then you can really get creative by making little niches, corner spaces and side yards into unique garden “vignettes” that act as an outdoor floor plan!

If your yard is very tiny, it may be best to design a singular space, tying together all the design elements to create a cohesive theme throughout. But, even if you are landscaping a larger yard or garden, breaking it up into smaller areas keeps the project from becoming an overwhelming and budget-busting effort!

Choosing a Small Yard Theme

Designing any space begins with selection of the design elements and “theme” which will give the space a cohesive design. Colors, textures, patterns, materials and other design elements can be repeated to help pull everything together in your small yard landscape design.

For example, you might decide to use a wrought iron fence with decorative finials to enclose and frame a small yard or garden area. This design cue can then be echoed in the design of your outdoor furniture by selecting a color and design that matches the look of the fence.

Some gardens will use a formal theme such as an English Garden, with sculpted shrubs, straight rows and carefully arranged plantings, while others such as a tropical or desert cactus garden may be more informal, naturally flowing and organic in design.

Plan your small yard so that nature provides splendid colors at various times of the year; a miniature Japanese Maple tree will blossom pink or white in the spring and provide a lush green, yellow-green or purplish foliage in the summer. Finally, in the fall the leaves will change to deep red, orange or yellow, giving the yard a whole new look as the seasons change!

A few popular small yard landscape design themes include:

Japanese Tea Garden or Asian Garden – Use a small water feature (see Koi Ponds article for more ideas) to set the tone in your Asian style landscape design. A small wood bridge or Asian-style lantern may be used to create a focal point. Plantings typically include many varieties of Maple, Juniper and other small trees and shrubs that are carefully trimmed and sculpted (see Bonsai Trees Article for more details).

Formal English Garden – In a formal landscape design such as an English Garden, nature is given a more orderly form; plants are often placed in straight rows to give symmetry. A curved brick walkway may adorn the garden space and a picket fence will lend it a more formal feeling. English cottage garden style is also a good small yard landscape design option.

Southwest Desert Cactus and Rock Garden – If you live in the dry, warm climate of the Southwest, you know the importance of water conservation. Planting the wrong type of garden in a desert climate can end up in dead plants and disaster, so go with the plants and trees that grow naturally in a desert environment. A small water feature such as a fountain or waterfall and tiny pond help keep things feeling cooler.

Tropical Garden or Oasis Theme – For a lush landscape, you might try planting palm trees and the colorful flowering plants found in tropical climates. Be careful if you live in a climate that is not well suited to these plant varieties however; persistently severe cold or dry, hot weather may not favor the tropical garden in some locales.

Woodland Style Garden – The natural beauty of some forested areas lends itself well to the Woodland style. Low maintenance and naturally green, this style of garden works very well if you live in the Northwest, Northeast or a mountainous area. Smaller varieties of many trees are available to keep things to scale in the smaller yard and you can plan a woodland garden around existing trees. Plant low shrubs or vine plants that like shade under trees.

Mediterranean Style Garden – A small structure such as a pergola will look good in a smaller Mediterranean style garden or yard; plant grape, climbing roses or other vines with foliage to give your small yard or patio additional shade from the heat of the summer sun. You have a plethora of annual and perennial flowering plants from which to choose. Colors like the blue of the Mediterranean Sea, the green of country hillsides and terracotta orange pavers will give your small landscape design a Tuscan, Spanish, Greek or other Mediterranean style.

Planning for Small Yard Privacy

Privacy is usually paramount in your smaller yard or garden area, since neighboring yards and homes are so close. Many urban or suburban homes, townhouses and garden homes or condos have enclosed back yards. Depending on your local codes and homeowners’ association codes and covenants, the type and height of fencing or walls is often restricted so be sure you understand what is permitted.

If you have a 6 or 8 foot wood fence, stucco or other masonry walls then privacy may already be adequate. All you would need in this case is a couple of larger trees placed strategically to enhance privacy. Pergolas and wood patio covers can also add privacy and provide cool shade for eating and outdoor kitchen areas.

Shading Your Small Yard

Provisions for adequate shade is an important feature in any good landscape design. Two main approaches are used to provide shade; trees and structures. Planting trees that grow quickly is one good way to create shade in your yard; but be careful to choose tree varieties that will not grow large enough that they take over a small yard.

A retractable patio awning, patio umbrellas, pergolas and similar structures add form and provide functional shade in the small yard. Place shade trees and structures to provide shade throughout the day and as the sun’s position changes with the seasons.

Tree, Shrub and Plant Varieties for Small Yards

As previously mentioned, many types of trees, shrubs and plants are available in miniature or diminutive varieties. Remember to plan ahead as to how your small landscape design will look as planting mature; scale is especially important in the small yard or garden.

By using smaller species, you’ll be able to plant a greater number and variety of flora in a small space. This assures you have good foliage and flowers and blossoms to provide color and natural beauty throughout the year.

Trimming and shaping plants can be a fun part of growing and maintaining a small garden; the more formal and orderly look of Asian and English garden styles are well-suited to keeping plants neatly trimmed in a small space.

Irrigating and Drainage Needs

Another advantage of the small yard is that you have less to irrigate so installing an automated irrigation system with timers, sprinklers, drip systems and other conveniences will be relatively easy compared to irrigating a very large yard or garden area!

Drainage should always be considered; you want water to drain away from your house, but if it all drains into the nearby neighbor’s yard you could have problems on your hands. French drains or other types of drainage systems may be needed to ensure your small yard drains adequately and does not flood during the rainy season.

Water Features for Small Outdoor Spaces

If you have the space, a water feature will add interest and movement to your small yard landscape design. Install a spa or Jacuzzi if you like to take a dip but don’t have room for a swimming pool.

Ponds, waterfall features and fountains are all great ways to add the soothing sound and cooling element of water in your landscape. The size and style of water features should be dictated according to the type of garden and placement of the water feature as a focal point in the garden.

If you do add a water feature to your design, remember it will require maintenance and cleaning; many a water feature has been included in a landscape design only to become a stagnant pool that attracts mosquitoes and algae!

Container Gardens Fit Small Yards

Another great way to add plants in a small yard is to use containers. This gives you greater flexibility in terms of drainage and the ability to move and rotate plants as they bloom or need more or less sunlight, protection from frost, etc. throughout the year.

Growing plants and vegetables in containers is a versatile way to plan a small outdoor area. You can rearrange things to make space when entertaining outdoors, hang plants to add a more vertical feeling to the yard and transplant things to planting beds when needed.

Patio and Deck Furniture Ideas

No small yard will be complete without comfortable seating and outdoor furniture. Knowing how you like to use your yard most often will help guide your selection. Since you have a relatively small space and do not need a huge quantity of patio tables, chairs, umbrellas and other accoutrement, you might want to splurge a bit.

Choose chairs that are comfortable and can be easily rearranged; put a comfy reading chair in your favorite corner of the garden to read a book on those lazy afternoons and or move it close to a patio table when you entertain guests and need additional seating.

A bench or swing could make a great focal point in your small yard or garden space. If you live in Florida or another area prone to flying, biting insects, you might also want to enclose part or all of your outdoor living space.

Landscape Lighting Adds Depth and Visual Impact

Don’t forget to plan some landscape lighting in your small yard. Lighting will make your outdoor living space functional at night and adds color and dimension to the design.

You can spend a little or a lot on landscape lighting these days. Be sure to plan for functional ambient lighting as well as more decorative accent lighting. Add a couple of 100 volt outdoor lights under a gable on the side of the home to light a patio or outdoor eating area. Solar powered or low voltage lights in the yard are best to provide accent lighting. Hanging lanterns or lights mounted on posts can help add drama and depth.

Take advantage of views from inside the home to create vignettes highlighted by up or down lights that accent features outside. This can help open up a small home at night by giving the illusion that the interior extends into the outdoor living area.

Small Yard Landscaping Tips

• Think small; remember that trees and plants grow so you don’t want to use plants and trees that dominate a small yard.
• Plan everything in advance; even if you are on a tight budget avoid putting in a few features without an overall plan. You can always start with hardscaping, irrigation and fencing and then add more trees, shrubs and plants over time, but you don’t want to start planting things willy nilly without a good plan!
• Use pavers set in a diagonal pattern to give the illusion of larger size to a small yard.
• Remember to think vertically; by hanging plants, using creeping vines and planting taller trees with less dense foliage you can better maximize usable growing space in a small yard or garden.
• Use rock or stone masonry to create walls, borders and walkways to help break your small garden up and give it form; whether you create natural shapes and forms or borders that are more formal and ordered will largely determine the theme and overall feel of your small yard.
• Talk with other homeowners, look at a variety of other small yards and visit local nurseries and home centers to get ideas for your small yard landscape design; considering the full range of possibilities first will help ensure you are pleased with the completed design of your landscape in the long term!

But in the springtime we all want our lawns to be green and healthy for the new season to come, so its time to get out your lawnmower and sprinkler repair kit soon!

Unfortunately, there are a lot of suburban lawn care myths out there, so knowing how to give you lawn the right care can be a mystery.

How often should you fertilize and with what kind of fertilizer? Should you mow it short or leave your grass long enough to out compete the weeds?

Read on to learn the top tips (and myths) about lawn care.

Fertilizing

Lawn grass needs food to thrive, especially for nitrogen, and you have a lot of possible choices when considering fertilizers for your lawn.

Start by having your lawn soil professionally tested. This will tell you whether your soil has the right balance of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and help you determine what fertilizer will best help achieve the optimal levels of each.

A common mistake is to over fertilize, which can cause your lawn to burn and die if you aren’t careful. Follow the directions for your fertilizer product carefully to know how much you should apply for a given amount of lawn area.

If you don’t mind the chemical fertilizer varieties, just visit your local home improvement center or nursery; you’ll find dozens of commercial lawn fertilizer products whether your lawn gets mostly sun, sun and shade, lots of shade, etc.

If you prefer to use organic fertilizers, you can also start your own backyard composting, combining your grass clippings, yard and organic waste using compost bins to create an organic mixture that your lawn is sure to love.

For more information on composting and organic lawn care, try visiting organic lawn care tips.

For healthy grass, you’d typically want to apply fertilizer once in early spring (February-April) once in late spring (April-June), again in summer (June-August) and a final time for the season in fall (September-November).

Mowing

The most common lawn care myth is to mow a lawn short and thereby avoid having to mow as often. This makes no sense at all; remember that your grass is competing with all the weeds and other plants that can grow in your yard for sunlight.

If you leave your lawn longer (most experts suggest keeping it between 1.5 and 2 inches tall) the grass can more successfully compete for the sun it needs to remain healthy! This does not mean to mow less frequently; by mowing weekly but with the mower set to a higher level, you will keep your lawn growing nicely and help keep weeds down without having to use nasty weed killers.

Watering

Another common myth is that you should water your lawn frequently, especially during the hotter summer months. However, in fact, frequent, shallow watering increases the amount of thatch in your lawn by keeping the grass roots short. The thatch sends out runners above the soil, choking out air and water.

To water deep, where lawn grass roots grow, try watering less frequently. You can also water once; wait about 90 minutes and then water again. This will help the water penetrate the soil more deeply. If you wait as long as possible between watering, you let the surface of the soil dry, which gives your grass an advantage over weeds, since most weeds have very shallow roots.

Mulching

There are two theories about grass clippings; one that says you should not leave dead lawn clippings behind when you mow, since it can block sunlight, water and nutrients from the grass plants and another, that says if you keep you have a mulching mower, keep your mower blades sharp and mow high, you should let the lawn clippings behind to provide additional organic nutrients to your lawn.

Experts seem to disagree on this matter, so it may be a matter of personal choice or it may be that results vary, depending on the type of lawn mower, grass and soil you have.

Aerating

Aerating your lawn helps reduce soil compaction. The best way to aerate is to either rent a mechanical core aerator or having it done professionally; this method is far superior to simply poking holes in your lawn using spiked shoes or other methods since it mechanically remove the plugs and loosening thatch from your lawn’s soil.

If you have heavy clay content in your soil, you many want to aerate twice per year. For sandier soils, one time per year is usually adequate and summer or fall is the best time for lawn aeration.

Overseeding

Most lawn experts recommend against overseeding; the practice of applying new grass seed to your entire lawn. This is not likely to help considerably since adult lawn plants will only compete with the new seed for water, sun, nitrogen and minerals and vitamins in the soil anyway.

By keeping your lawn healthy with proper maintenance, it shouldn’t be needed anyway. In some cases, you may need to apply some lawn seed to a bare patch here or there.

Weeding

If you have a lawn, then of course you will also have weeds with which to contend. The best way to keep weeds to a minimum is simply to dig them out regularly, which prevents them from spreading and taking over without the need for chemical weed control products.

If you do choose to use weed control products, be sure to use them throughout the lawn growing season; many people think that simply applying these products in the spring will keep weeds away for the duration of the season, but weeds take root and grow very quickly.

In the spring, about 30 days before you anticipate that weeds will begin to appear (depends on your location), apply a pre-emergent weed control with fertilizer to help prevent weeds. About 60 days later, apply a fertilizer with post-emergent herbicide to kill weeds that have grown and show above the soil. A final application in the fall will help prevent new weeds from emerging the following season.

Additional Resources:

All About Lawns

Lawn Care Tips

Backyard Gardener

American Lawns

Lawn Grasses

Origins of the Koi

Koi also means love and affection. Koi fish are called nishikigoi in Japan and are ornamental domestic varieties of the species known as common carp or Cyprinus carpio.

These varieties of fish are said to originate from Aral, the Black Sea and Eastern Asia. In the early years of history, they were found in China and were widely spread in Japan.

Carp cultivation thrived under the Japanese Edo period and Chinese Qing Dynasty. Koi are generally related to goldfish. It is traditionally considered to be lucky if one has a Koi or their tattoos.

Types of Koi Fish

Koi varieties are discriminated by their color, pattern and scale. One type of Koi named Ghost Koi was developed in the 1980s that are a metallic colored hybrid of wild carp and Ogon Koi.

Other types of Koi are named Butterfly koi, Dragon Carp or Longfin koi which were developed in 1980s and are notable for their flowing long fins. The Koi species have various colors like white, red, black, yellow, cream and blue.

Japanese Koi is one of the most gorgeous and pleasing fish that one can keep in his outdoor water garden. There is a mis-conception that these types of Koi should not be kept along with the plants.

Koi Pond Materials and Information

One can find various web sites and pet stores which suggest that Koi will destroy any kind of plant when a person puts the Koi in his pond. However, the plants provide shelter and shade to the Koi when they are afraid. The plants also add clarity to the water.

Koi breeding is an art form that has been practiced for over two centuries in Japan. For Koi to thrive in your water garden pond, you must understand that these species are bottom feeders that are frequently found on the bottom of the natural environment. Koi like to stay in the rubble or rocks in a pond.

By putting some layers of gravel in the pond enables the Koi to root in something which adds to the natural biological environment. Due to this, the plants are also benefited directly in the gravel.

You can remove the plants from the pot, rinse the roots to remove the mud and keep it inside the Koi pond. In doing so, the plant adds to the natural beauty of the water garden.

The Koi fish do eat plants. During the warm summer months the Koi are non stop scavengers. For this reason, certain plants are kept in the water pond for the Koi to eat without destroying them.

Some of these plants are the watercress and marsh betony which can be planted in a shallow high water flow area. The Koi keeps the invasive plants in check and the plants are excellent filters that helps keep the water crystal clear and the Koi happy.

Children will love to feed the fish and a trickle stream or water splash provides a peaceful recluse to escape. Ponds also will attract wildlife including birds, frogs and butterflies.

For pond products, many web sites and local home improvement centers offer the required water conditioning, the pumps, pond kits and the liners, along with the hardware needed to build your Koi pond.

Look for accessories and pond plants like submerged oxygenator plants, the floating oxygenator plants, the lilies, the lotus flowers and the bog and marginal plants.

Planning Your Koi Pond

Your pond will be enjoyed more if you build it close to your home. Select a location where you can see the pond from a family or living room window if possible.

To build a Koi pond in your back yard or garden area, begin by planning the shape and form and digging a shallow hole about two feet in depth for your pond in that shape. If you live in an extreme northern climate prone to winter freezing, it is better to dig the hole three feet deep. Be sure to run electrical wiring for your pump.

Position and build your pond so that runoff from rain will not carry fertilizers, chemicals, and organic debris into it.
You may need to make alterations to your terrain. If you place the pond too close to trees, leaves and other debris will need to be removed, increasing maintenance.

It is best to locate your pond so that it gets at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sun in order to grow water lilies, however a shadier spot is adequate for a fish-only pond.

Water Pumps and Filtering

While water circulation is not essential, a pump enables you to keep more fish and keeps plants healthier. A pump will be needed in order to run a filter, waterfall or fountain feature.

The sound of running water is also nice for added enjoyment. Your Koi pond should also include a biological filter, which is critical to keeping your Koi fish healthy.

You will want to use a good liner or else concrete to line the bottom of your pond. Add your plants and accessories after the pond is filled with water. Allow some time to make needed adjustments and conditioning the water before you introduce the Koi fish to your new pond.

When your Koi pond is complete, get to better know the various species of Koi fish like Gosanke, Metallic, Butterfly, Mixture and such other types of Koi fish. You will enjoy your new Koi pond year round for the tranquility and natural beauty it adds to your backyard or garden.

Outdoor lighting for porches patios and decks has become one component in the overall lighting design of a home today. Lighting and landscape designers design the exterior lighting just as with the interior, using different types of lights for different effects and purposes.

The primary types and methods of outdoor lighting include ambient, down lighting, up lighting, diffused lighting, spot lighting, moon lighting and shadow lighting. Read along and learn about the various types of outdoor light fixtures available.

Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is important in any space, meant to provide overall lighting coverage to a level that allows good human visibility. This type of lighting will generally be mounted on the exterior sides of your home, on light poles or out building structures and keeps you from, for instance, tripping over shrubberies when you go outdoors after dark!

Down Lighting
This light source is placed above any object or area desirable to enhance, such that a flood of light will be cast down onto the object or area. Normally, down lighting is intended to highlight a feature such as a sculpture, fountain or other outdoor decoration. It is also used for security purposes.

Up Lighting & Shadow Lighting
Up lights are used to highlight objects from below and are usually installed at ground level. Shadow lighting is used in front and below a plant or tree to cast dramatic patterns of light and shadow on a nearby wall.

Diffused Lighting
Creates a low intensity light level to highlight plants, shrubbery, or flower beds. It is diffused in order to spread light across a wide area.

Spot Lighting
Spot lights provide a beam of light to highlight and enhance a specific area or decorative element in the landscaping. Spot lighting is also very useful to enhance ambient light levels in areas like decks or stairs for better night time vision.

Moon Lighting
Like down lighting, moon lighting simply places the light source at an extremely high level, often in a tree or roof gable, to simulate the effect of moonlight shining down on your landscaping.

Lighting technology has also improved greatly in recent years. You can now get LED or solar lights that help to save energy, as well as intricate exterior lighting timers and dimmers to set your outdoor lighting levels for various settings and purposes; a setting for parties, one for romantic mood lighting, etc.

We have detailed a few examples of the outdoor lighting types and models you may want to explore further:

Exterior Metallic Wall Sconces
Mounted on exterior walls, these fixtures are available in a variety of materials such as aluminum, brass, copper and stainless steel. These will provide nice overall ambient lighting and, unlike some fixtures, can provide a nice decorative look to your home’s exterior during daylight too!

Outdoor Wall Lanterns
Typically used near a home’s exterior doors, these fixtures put the light on the ground beneath them and not wastefully up into the night sky or your neighbor’s yard. Available in a wide variety of designs, styles and finishes, you can spend a little or a lot depending on the overall quality, design and materials used.

LED Lighting
Recently, the use of LED technology outdoors has become popular and allows for low maintenance, with average lifespan of between 50,000 and 100,000 hours. LED lights use very little energy compared to their light output, which makes them quite economical. LED is also a very cool light source.

Low Voltage Landscape Lighting
Low voltage lighting fixtures are used to illuminate landscaping features, pathways and other areas that need diffused illumination. This will accentuate your landscape design for outdoor enjoyment and visually extend your home’s interior space at night.

Post Mount Lighting
If you really want to go all out with your exterior lighting design, these will give your yard or garden the feel of a city park and provide excellent ambient and down lighting.

Outdoor Hanging Light
Perfect for use in porches, gazebos and other outdoor covered spaced, hanging lamps add excellent ambient lighting to these commonly used gathering areas.

Motion Detectors
Excellent for security purposes and also improved energy efficiency in areas like driveways, a motion detector enables outdoor lighting fixtures to remain off until motion is sensed in the area the light covers.

When you go places, just observe around and get ideas from what you see. The best there is may even come from your next door neighbor’s garden.

Landscape design ideas are just endless. Many options become available as you keep on observing more and more landscape designs. In the end, you just pick one design which you think would best fit your garden’s landscape.

It’s not really a bad idea to get landscape designs from others for your own. You may even copy another’s landscape design completely. If you think that the design you’re copying does not totally apply to your garden, you modify a little.

As long as these designs suit your very own garden, then just go for them. Those whose landscape designs which have become your sources of ideas may even feel proud. They could easily tell others that your garden’s landscape design came from them. That is if they would even know about it.

You may also get the best ideas from different gardens you observe and combine them. The resulting combination becomes a totally different landscape design.

You can even get ideas from what you perceive as poorly designed garden landscapes. In this case, you’d be able to know how gardens should not look like. You can even modify the design of a poorly made landscape and still make this look acceptable.

You can also get landscape design ideas from home improvement books or from the internet. You will be able to find various reference materials from where you can get ideas for your garden’s landscape. Some would feel comfortable if the landscape design idea would come from a professional.

Keep in mind that professional landscape artists get their ideas primarily from what they also see elsewhere. The professional artist however can easily come up with the most suited design for your garden at a faster rate. You may have a raw idea of your own. The professional landscape artist can effortlessly convert this into a good design which is best suited to your garden.

So the best design idea would still come from whoever the design is intended for. For a particular garden, there is just no single landscape design best suited to it. Every design suited and applicable to a landscape is acceptable. There can even be countless good design ideas that can be chosen from. The best landscape design however greatly depends on who or what the landscape is for.

Ideas more often begin with simple sketches of how your garden’s landscape may look like. This will then be transformed into a more detailed design as new ideas crop up. The final design will be the basis for actually working on a garden’s landscape.

While a landscape design is in progress, new ideas may still arise. Design alterations may still happen. You must ensure that alterations should be based on a set of accepted norms in landscaping.

All landscape designs must have some form of balance or harmony. They must be based on a particular function or purpose.

You can change or alter a particular landscape design but the function or purpose should remain the same. Hence, your garden should continue to function as such however you change the design of its landscape. If its purpose is what is changed, chances are your garden will not have balance or harmony with the rest of your home.

Changes in landscape designs are acceptable. If this is based on a better design idea as compared to a previous one, it should be encouraged. However, too many design changes only signify that ideas are not well thought of. This is disastrous especially if ideas are changed during actual landscape work.

A landscape design idea should be carefully crafted first before actual work is done. You must first convert your idea into a well designed concept before you have your garden’s landscape worked on. This concept may even begin with a simple idea.

A landscape design idea should be the one worked out first before the landscape itself is worked on.

Cracks in your foundation will also cause cracks in your drywall inside, and cause doors to stick.

To relieve the problem of standing water at your foundation, a French drain system is an ideal way to redirect the water away from your home!

So what is a French Drain? A French drain is basically a ditch filled with gravel, rock that redirects surface and ground water away from an area.

Optionally, you can improve French drain by actually using perforated piping, but the traditional gravel can be effective and is easier than installing piping.

French drains are common drainage systems, primarily used to prevent ground and surface water from penetrating or damaging home foundations. French drains are also commonly used behind retaining walls to relieve ground water pressure.

The earliest forms of French drains were simple ditches, pitched from a high area to a lower one filled with gravel. Lining the bottom of ditch with clay or plastic pipe increases the volume of water that can flow through the drain. Modern French drain systems can be made with perforated pipe surrounded by sand or gravel and landscaping textile.

French drains can lead to dry wells or environmentally friendly rain gardens where the extra water is held and absorbed by plants. If there is a creek on your property you can also redirect the water there.

Variations on the French drain model include:

• Filter drain is to drain ground water
• Collector drain (or inteceptor drain) combines groundwater drainage with the interception of surface water or run-off
• Dispersal drain distributes the waste water from a septic tank
• Fin drain uses a perforated pipe with a thin vertical section (the fin) of drainage composite above. The advantage is that the fin drain is narrower (200mm or 7 inches) than a traditional French drain (450mm or 17 inches and up), and cheaper to build.

In the U.S., municipalities may require permits for building drainage systems as federal law requires water sent to storm drains to be free of certain contaminants and sediment.

Instructions for installing a French drain

What you need:

• spade (or trencher)
• landscape fabric
• gravel
• sand
• sod
• string level
• string
• 2 stakes
• tape measure

Step One – Select Location to dig the trench
Locate an area where the excess water coming off the slope can be re-routed. This may be a matter of choosing “the lesser of two evils.” If water is pooling next to your house foundation, almost any other place is better. An ideal French drain leach field is any out-of-the-way area with sandy soil, where the water can percolate harmlessly.

Following the slope instructions in step two, begin by digging a trench in the area where you have drainage problems. The depth and width of the trench can vary, but 5 to 6 inches wide and 8 to 12 inches deep are common sizes and usually satisfy most needs.

Step Two – Ensure proper slope
Grading is a critical consideration; you must ensure that you have enough down slope for the water to actually flow in the right direction. You must ensure that a slope exists to carry water in the desired direction. Put two stakes into the ground to mark the start and end points for the trench. Tie a string to one stake and run it to the other stake. Tie it off loosely.

Attach a string level to the string and adjust the string to get it level. Once you have it leveled, tighten the string at the second stake so that the string is taut. As you dig, measure down from the string to achieve the desired grade. Hire a surveyor if you don’t think you can get the correct grading. Be sure that you have at least a 0.5 percent slope. A one or two percent grade is optimal.

Step Three – Add a drain pipe (optional)
While a French drain traditionally is just a trench filled with gravel, adding a perforated drain pipe will improve its effectiveness. Begin by laying an inch or two of gravel in the bottom of the trench and then set the drain pipe. The drain pipe should be wrapped in a filter fabric.

Step Four – Fill trench with gravel
Finish filling in the trench with gravel around the pipe. Be sure that at least 1 inch of gravel surrounds the pipe. Four- or 6-inch drain pipes are common and fit well in a 6- to 8-inch trench. Leave a few inches of space on top of the surface for step five. A good size gravel for French drains is 0.5 to 1 inch in size.

Step Five – Place sand on top
If you plan to plant lawn over your drain, cover the remaining space with about 3 or 4 inches of coarse sand. This will allow your turf to grow over the trench adequately. Be sure to use coarse sand so that water can drain well.

Step Six – Re-planting your lawn
You can plant lawn seed in the sand or just allow grass to grow back in from the surrounding lawn area in some cases. Alternatively lay sod over the sand. Washing the soil from the sod roots first will ensure you don’t contaminate the sand. If your drain is not in an area with lawn, another option is to place larger diameter (2- to 3- inch) decorative rocks over the top of the gravel.