Writing for Houzz.com, Marianne Lipanovich shares some thoughts on traditional landscape design:

Traditional landscaping can get a bad rap in design circles. It’s not daring; it doesn’t push the envelope; it’s something you can see everywhere. However, traditional gardens that are done well have a lot going for them. They’re instantly appealing, they work well with any number of house styles and they evoke a sense of graciousness and a connection to the past.

One of the core elements of traditional landscaping, she explains, is greenery: well-manicured lawns with clean lines provide the foundational canvas, and trees often play a major role. The garden beds are often filled in with shrubs and leafy green plants.

Marianne’s post is full of more detail, more ideas and loads of beautiful photos. Check it out.

[photo courtesy of Winn Design & Remodeling via Houzz.com]

It seems like Japan often leads the way when it comes to small but innovative housing. It’s no surprise of course, since this island nation has a large population and often limited land. However, Japan has long been known for its impeccable aesthetics. Combine that with an efficiency obsession and you’ll find that some of the best tiny houses in the world are from Japan.

This house (via Apartment Therapy) is especially cool–squeezed between two highrises, it still manages to have five stories and gardens on every floor. It might not be the most practical house, but it sure is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the city!

Images courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

Here are a few cool products we’ve seen featured around the blogosphere. Share some of your recent favorites in the comments below!

The Pebble Collection from Karim Rashid (via Design Milk): Karim’s at it again with a fun new Post-It dispenser for 3M.

Want a super sleek-looking toilet or just want to save some space? Geberit’s tank goes inside the wall! (via Re-nest)

If you want a modern-looking garden, then you’ll like Terra Trellis’s cool shapes! (via Dwell)

If you do any work at home, you know how important it is to have a space dedicated to work. You don’t want to be distracted by household noises in the living room right as you on an important conference call. Sometimes though, there’s just no room in your house and an addition can be expensive. Luckily, Archipods has the solution!

Via Charles and Hudson, we found these innovative home offices. They go in your yard, so there’s no need to tack an extra room on to your house. Their exterior is cedar shingles, so they’ll fit into most types of gardens. The interior is a cool, modern look.

If you’re looking for a unique place to work at home, Archipods just might be the ticket!

Images courtesy Archipods

We ran across an article with some interesting tidbits about what homeowners want in 2011. Are any of these on your radar?

• Outdoor living areas: Are you paying more attention to things like porches and patios? An outdoor kitchen (from simple to grand) and a fireplace can add a whole new dimension. Who doesn’t love an extra room in the great outdoors?
• Green features: Green is hot right now, but homeowners are demanding practical things like energy efficient windows and water and electricity-saving appliances.
• Open kitchens: If the hearth is the heart of the home, it makes sense people want to be in it. Open kitchens allow that cozy feeling while allowing the cook some additional space to maneuver.
• Smaller homes: To go along with the green theme, smaller homes are easier to heat and cool, easier to clean and discourage the mindless filling of rooms.

Do you see these trends in your house hunting and remodeling plans?

Spring has sprung and it’s time to get cracking on beautifying the garden! Our Charles and Hudson friends have two great DIY ideas that we wanted to point your attention to.

Did you know that you can make elegantly simple window boxes on your own? All you need are some simple tools (boards, sandpaper, screws and drill to name a few), the ability to measure and a little basic building know-how. Check out the post for detailed instructions on how to go about this. Oh, and if you do build your own window box, don’t forget to let Charles and Hudson know; they want to see!

Have some PVC gutter materials that you don’t know what to do with? How about a hanging garden? It’s a green way to use extra materials and creatively use space in your garden. Veggies and fruits such as chard, strawberries and carrots are suggested as some of the ideal plantings in your “gutter garden.” Intrigued? Then check out Charles and Hudson’s tips on building a hanging gutter garden.

What are your favorite DIY garden fix-ups?

Images courtesy of Charles and Hudson.

Concerned about the state of your lawn and garden after this hard winter? Looking for a way to go green? Oh boy, have we ever got a solution for you: goats! Yes, goats, the adorably mischievous ruminants.

According to The Wall Street Journal via MSN, goats are becoming the new way to keep your lawn in tip-top shape without having to fire up the lawnmower or the weed whacker. Goats will eat almost anything, will work tirelessly at clearing lawns and are a great conversation starter!

Unless you live on a farm, you probably don’t want to invest in a goat, let alone a herd (and local code probably wouldn’t allow city dwellers to), but there are rental options, such as www.rent-a-goat.com. And what about the “fertilization” the goats naturally provide? Reputable goat rental companies will clean up after their animals.

So if you are seeking a unique, green way to clear your yard, how about letting some adorable hard-working goats do it (homeowners should check their local codes to find out if livestock rental is permitted and for what purposes)? Would you rent some goats to spruce up your yard? Let us know in the comments!

Image courtesy of Michael Vincent Miller on Flickr.

Spring is here, it’s time to spruce up the yard with some terrific landscaping to accentuate your home. Now, I am all about showing you how to do things yourself, but like any improvement, you need to know your limitations.

What happens is simple: Folks visit the pretty nurseries to view pretty plants in bloom. However, when they bring home those beautiful azaleas, they’re heartbroken when the plants do not bloom in the summer. As with the inside of your home, the outside too provides a terrific opportunity to express yourself. It is all about planning ahead and knowing strengths and limitations.

When to call a professional
Whether you have a green thumb or not, it is always good to consult with a landscaping designer before any major outdoor project. The landscaping designer knows what grows in your climate and how the plants will look once mature. They not only focus on the look of the plants and shrubbery but the long-term life and care, as well.

Granted, you may know the color structure and type of plants you’d like featured, but a professional designer is familiar with many factors you may not consider, including leaf form, shape and structure of each plant, and how these plants will look year-round.

Plan for the environment

Like painting a picture, choose plants that are appropriate for different containers and specified spaces. This will allow you to achieve a sense of continuity, balance and structure in your landscaping.

Know that a few well-placed containers (10”x30” wide) full of flowering annuals look much more striking than many smaller containers that tend to make a yard look too busy. Also, larger containers keep plaints nourished and wet in warm weather.

Don’t bug me

Your professional will know about the disease and insect situation in your area (knowledge that is worth the price of admission). A great example of this: Certain varieties of geraniums are subject to disease, worms and insects that will eventually affect surrounding plants. A good landscaping designer will help you avoid plants that develop and carry rust, aphids, scale, mealy bugs, etc., thus eliminating the need to spray chemicals in the yard.

Doing it yourself

If you are going to brave it alone, without a professional, consider the goals and objectives for your landscape. Before you envision yourself enjoying that cool, iced tea in the summer sun, create a rough plan or sketch of the whole property. Decide which plants, trees, hills or rock outcroppings to add or keep.  Also consider wind direction, sun, patterns of shade and where rainwater collects.

As a do-it-yourselfer, know that your landscaping should complement the existing elements of the house. Knowing that terraces and patios are typically located near the kitchen, living room or bedroom, place smaller plants or potted plants close to the house. Place your larger items plants further from the structure.

Location and timing are everything

Often, features like flowering trees, sculpture or flowerbeds are located where they can easily be seen and enjoyed from inside the home. Also, know you’re your blooming times.

Remember flowers like pittosporum, juniper, trumpet vine and rhododendron typically do not bloom in the summer months. The longest blooming flowers (almost all year-round) are shade gardenias, geraniums, impatiens and begonias.

Maintenance

Ongoing care is key. Plan for traffic in the yard, enough space to push a wheelbarrow completely around the house for ongoing maintenance. Make sure the soil is treated and tilled for best performance, and remember to provide sufficient space for the development of your trees and shrubs.

Also, visit your local neighborhood nursery. They will be equipped to make recommendations on the appropriate and attractive plants for your area.

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In honor of our last post of 2010, we’ve decided to round up our most popular posts ever. Below are the top 10. Enjoy and we will see you next year for more great home living information! Thanks for reading this year.

• Built Around You: Laundry in a Closet
• Remodeling Using ‘Quality Over Quantity’
• Unusual homes: Cool conversions
• How To: Grow Tomatoes Upside Down
• Space-saving ideas for small spaces
• Built Around You: Stylish Bathroom Overhaul
• Small on Space, Big on Style
• New Uses for Old Windows
• Amazing Windows Created By Amazing Artists
• myMarvin Architect’s Challenge: Lake Cottage

It’s that time of year when we maybe get a little introspective and start to take stock of how the last year has gone. Did we lose that weight we wanted? Read all those books? Finally get on board with this whole Twitter thing we’ve been hearing about?

Since home is, for many people, an important extension of self, Apartment Therapy recently featured five home resolutions they’ll be keeping in the next year. Great ideas, and it inspired us to think about what resolutions we want to do, home-wise. Here goes:

• Organizing: We’re going to rid ourselves of extraneous paper and shred old bills, as appropriate. We’ll also be organizing our closets and not just shoving the mess into there. New closet organizers, boxes and bins may also be pressed into use.
• Cooking: Eating out and supporting local restaurants is great, but cooking at home not only saves money, but allows you unprecedented control of the food you put into your body. Plus, you can flex your culinary muscles and become known for sparkling hosting and fabulous dinner parties.
• Curb appealing: With all the zeal over interior decorating, it’s easy to forget the home’s exterior. No more! This year, we will be painting, repairing, refreshing and landscaping to make our houses the envy of the neighborhood. New walkway? Flowerbeds? Our only limit is our imaginations!
• Greening: We want to make this year the greenest ever. So we’ll be looking at ways to make our homes — and our lives — more energy efficient. We’re going to try to re-use stuff more, evaluate whether we really need something and think of ways to buy locally as needed.
• Learning: We’re going to attempt to pick up some sort of DIY skill this year. Whether that means something like learning some home repair basics, or a softer skill like making our own throw pillows, we’ll be doing it for ourselves.

New Year’s resolutions are notoriously difficult to keep, but we believe that if you start small and have a purpose, it can be done. What are your home resolutions? Let us know in the comments.