How to find landscaping ideas, landscaping pictures and gardening

Click on each picture for planting specification and pictures

Palm planting spec

Royals

Onchosperma tigillarium Palms (Nibung)

livistonia chinensis

Archontophoenix alexandrae (alexander)

red palm

livistonia maldivica at lake garden Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia

yellow cane palm

manila palm

fishtail palm

silver-bismarck palm

Areca catechu (betel nut)

Licuala grandis (Rufle fan - palas kipas)

Talipot (Corypha umbraculifera)

Coconut tree (Cocos nucifera)

Date roebelinii (Phoenix roebelinii)

Young Ravenala Madagascariensis or Traveller's palm

mature palms of Traveller's palm or Ravenala madagascariensis

cocos nucifera yellow (inset pic:yucca plant)

Bottle palm is from Round Island,a small island in the Indian Ocean.E ndemic to ...

Traveller's palm unique form 

The traveler's palm or Ravenala madagascariensis is considered to be one of nature's most spectacular trees, weird and exceptionally a beautiful palm.

The traveler's palm (not a true palm) is said being half banana tree and half palm tree. Its long and multiple petioles (stems) and deep green leaves resemble those of the banana and extend distinctively out from the trunk like large slats of a hand fan.

The traveler's palm should be planted within space or areas that can accommodate its large head of leaves.

So, if you wish to have a nice traveler's palm in your house yard make sure the palm gets enough space to grow and take into consideration the orientation of the fan shaped leaves or fronds.

I would like to remind too, hoping this palm would bear banana fruit is a wishful thinking!just joking :-)

Prior to planting you should plan to shelter the palm from strong winds, because the leaves will become tattered if left without protection.

Traveler's palm with banana like leaves

Traveler's palm landscaping pictures for behind walls

mature palms of Traveler's palm or Ravenala madagascariensis

Traveler's palm planted behind the trellis

Wood bench 

Outdoor wood bench

Wood is a fine material to be used as a garden bench. Wood garden bench looks totally beautiful and it blends well with the natural plants or elements in the gardens. If you plan to accommodate bench in your garden, choose wood garden bench.

Wooden bench also act as wonderful element in your garden because it has insulating properties. Wooden materials also warm up quickly under the sunlight and stays moderately cool when surrounding temperature drop thus making it suitable to sit on.

It is also most suitable to be used as garden bench especially in temperate climate.

There are treated and untreated type of wood bench. The treated wood is most suitable to be used as an outdoor wood bench as it will last longer particularly in areas of high rainfall rate.

Treated wood that has been pressure-treated with chemical or bio-natural preservative also more durable in damp and shady places such as under the trees or pergolas which is densely covered by creeper plant on top of it.

Woods or hardwoods which are sourced from temperate climate such as oak are more durable and resistive to rot than pine which is categorized as softwood. If you intend to build your own outdoor garden bench, another type of wood that have rot resistant properties is Western Red Cedar. This is another alternative than using woods which has been treated by chemical because it contains resin that resist rot.

A rustic wood bench is nice to look at it blends magnificently with natural plants or trees in parks or in your backyard garden. Reclaimed wood or used wood that you choose to be reused as outdoor wood bench also provide a cheaper alternative and has a ready-aged properties.

If you want a quick rustic looking outdoor bench, go for this type of wood. Now you don't have to wait couple of years for the wood to look aged :)

An outdoor wood bench looks gentle and nice especially if you build it without paint, varnish, stain or any other decorative finishing. If you want to build a wood garden bench that looks alive, unobtrusive finish and shows minute grain of patterns then go for this type of wood bench. Make sure you choose woods that has been treated. The beauty will become more apparent with age.

Here you can see wood bench is made of cengal, a tough tropical hardwood, resistant to wet and humid condition.

The stand are made of concrete with decorative pebbles finish. Requires no or little maintenance over the years.

Wood bench with decorative pebbles finish stands

Wood edging bench

wood edging bench

long wood bench

long wood bench-far

Bamboo fences 

Bamboo privacy fence

Bamboo has been known long time ago to serve many purposes to human kind. In many cultures bamboo serves as food, tools, handicraft items, ornamentals,lighting fixtures, writing medium, arm and the list goes on.

The bamboo plant is actually belong to the grass family or in botanical name known as Gramineae. They can grow well in areas of full sun light or partially shady areas.

In landscaping and gardening like the picture shown, bamboos are planted along the metal fences. This is to soften the hard lines projected by the metal fences behind.

Bamboo tree size ranging from dwarf like type to the large and very tall. The large varietes are not suitable to be planted in small garden or within house compound since they have droppy leaves and will become intrusive.

The large species are such as Bambusa vulgaris and Dendrocalamus giganteus. The latter is big bamboo which can grows up to 35 metres and 35cm in diameters.

Then there are small species of bamboos suitable to be planted within house yard or inside your home. These almost dwarf like siblings of bamboos are beautiful and small enough to be planted in pots.

These dwarf plant are such as Bambusa multiplex "Stripestream Fernleaf" and Bambusa multiplex "Tiny Fern".

Here we can see Thyrsostachis siamensis bamboo and the Bucida buceras(spiny olive tree as the common name) planted along the fences.

Thyrsostachis siamensis bamboo

These beautiful dwarf bamboo is planted along the walkways as divider to the roa...

These beautiful dwarf bamboo is planted along the walkways as divider to the roa...

bamboo on road side

bambbo and signage wall

bamboo as background

bamboo along fences

bamboo near bridge

bamboo near pond

FRUIT & FRUIT TREES 

Dragon Fruit

When I planted the dragon fruit, I will make sure the soil type is sandy naturally, about 70% soil and 30 % sand. I think the dragon love dry and sandy soil:-)
Choose soil where the water is easy to be absorbed by the earth and make sure no retention of water beneath the place where you plant the tree. Too much water and the rooting system will rot.
Once in a while, 4 to 5 month interval ,you should cut the tip of the dragon fruit so the new ones regrow.Not all branches but selectively (50% or so). Leave the old one as this will bear the fruit.

Don't forget to fertilize the dragon tree every 2 weeks, organic fertilizer is the best. (They need nutrition too, like us :-))

I use T-shaped wood supporter to make sure they grow well. Height about 7 feet, with horizontal supporter should be 3 and a half feet, 3" x 3" size wood supporter. You can also use reinforced concrete supporter with the same size as woods but wood looks best (in your yard garden)
And the most happy part is when the dragon fruit ripes, it taste sweet. Mine is purple in colour. The sweetness is on par with the dragon fruit that I buy.

Pitaya/dragon fruit

still waiting

waiting to exhale!

6.5 feet tall

Pitaya flower

Counting the minutes

Pre-bloom

Mate Cupcake with Dr...

Mate Cupcake with Dr...

Mate Cupcake with Dr...

Mate Cupcake with Dr...

Fruit plate

Pumpkin Pie

Dragon Fruit

Moonflower

Dried Fruits

Dried Fruits

Fill Up

Slices

Edible

Pictures of wall 

rustic granite rock wall

natural granite rock wall

pre-cast rock wall

slate rock wall a far

slate rock wall on top

low granite rock wall with stone garden

Stone fence 

This stone fence are made of granite rubbles with colours ranging from greyish brown to dark brown. Here, the landscape architect chooses red clay brick to strengthen the fence or wall .
The Bucida buceras plant are planted at the front of the fence.

Building rock wall 

Granite rock wall with decorative urn

Decorative urn with water spout

Hardwood frame

Timber railway slipper frame

Planter wall 

Planter wall of granite rock and Parana paniculata

Parana paniculata are small grown cover type of shrub with love shaped leaves.The plants only need small amount of sunlight making it most suitable to be planted in shady areas such as under the trellis, porch, beside windows at home and other shady places.

Here the plant grows well under the heavy shaded trellis. You can see that the planter wall of light to dark brownish coloured granite goes well with the plant.

Here is how you can get some ideas on doing Landscaping Plans for your house yard 

Tropical Landscaping and gardening plans

Here you can see tropicals shrubs and tree to give you ideas about landscaping and gardening around the house yards. (click on the picture for larger plan)

List of shrubs as shown on the plan :
1. Thaumatococcus danielli
2. Heliconia bihai
3. Ophiopogon jaburans "green"
4. Heliconia rostrata
5. Zephyranthes candida
6. Calathea lutea
7. Alpinia purpurata (ginger)

Tree
1. Schizolobium parahybum (tower tree)

landscaping plan containing tropical shrubs and palms.

Heliconia rostrata

Alpinia purpurata with flower

Thaumatococcus danielli

zephyranthes candida or rain lily. Rain lily have two flower variations, pink(rosea) and white(candida). Beautiful small shrub or groundcover, usefull and suitable to hide base of palms or other taller plants

Heliconia bihai

Schizolobium parahybum, tower tree or Brazilian fire tree

Pergola pictures construction 

timber wood pergola rafter

timber wood pergola side

timber wood pergola far

Wood pergola plan 

Here is how you can get ideas on landscaping and building your pergola using timber or wood

Chengal wood is the best wood. Use them for outdoor furnitures and you wont be disappointed.

Your wood pergolas will last for many years to come.

Use wood treatment if you want them to last for decades.

Pergola batten design -Click here for larger

Blown-up right :Click here for larger