Outdoor Lighting Highlights Pool and Landscape

Outdoor lighting can add a certain ambiance to your backyard.  When placed around a swimming pool, it also adds an element of safety.

Lighting adds a beautiful focal point to your
pool and surrounding landscape

There are many ways and areas you can highlight outdoor features with lighting.  You can add LED lights that change colors to add a dramatic look, or soft white lights to highlight plants and ensure safety when walking around a swimming pool at night.

Lighting is also a great way to light pathways or entertainment areas.

When entertaining outdoors, task lighting is essential.  Whether you are grilling or doing outdoor activities after dark, the proper lighting will help make your party a success.

Soft white lighting can be added to pergola's or around a bar top to give it a sense of relaxation and tranquility.  While color changing lights around a pool or hot tub changes the whole environment making it more fun and playful.

It's important where you add lighting and how much lighting is added to each area so they aren't competing with each other.  That's where a professional landscape design firm can help.  They will help you design the space, help add plants that are native to your area, and add the appropriate lighting in the right places.

Investing in a beautiful backyard space will last for years to come and add to the value of your property if you ever decide to sell it.

For more information on outdoor living space design, swimming pools, or outdoor lighting, contact Studio W at info@thestudiow.com or 405.285.5610

Irrigation systems and why it's important to your landscape

Irrigation is the method in which a controlled amount of water is supplied to plants at regular intervals to help maintain landscapes.

Proper irrigation is important to maintain the
life of your landscape

There are four methods of irrigation:

• Surface
• Sprinkler 
• Drip/trickle
• Subsurface 

Landscaping doesn't end with planting trees, shrubs and flowers.  Your landscape must be maintained and a proper irrigation system will put water right where you need it without wasting water.  

So before investing in your landscape, talk to a professional about an irrigation system or proper watering to help maintain your investment.

How and when to water:
Some people don't realize they are under-watering.  They think by applying light daily watering that it will be sufficient.  It is actually harmful to water lightly each day.  Frequent light applications wet the soil to a depth of less than 1 inch. Most plant roots go much deeper. Light sprinkling only settles the dust and does little to alleviate drought stress of plants growing in hot, dry soil. Instead of light daily waterings, give plants a weekly soaking. When watering, allow the soil to become wet to a depth of 5 to 6 inches.

This type of watering allows moisture to penetrate into the soil area where roots can readily absorb it. A soil watered deeply retains moisture for several days, while one wet only an inch or so is dry within a day.

Then there are those who water often and heavy and they drown their plants. Symptoms of too much water are the same as for too little. Leaves turn brown at the tips and edges, then brown all over and drop from the plant. These symptoms should be the same, since they result from insufficient water in the plant tissue.

Too much water in a soil causes oxygen deficiency, resulting in damage to the root system. Plant roots need oxygen to live. When a soil remains soggy little oxygen is present in the soil. When this condition exists roots die and no longer absorb water. Then leaves begin to show signs of insufficient water. Often gardeners think these signs signal lack of water, so they add more. This further aggravates the situation and the plant usually dies quickly.

By thoroughly watering the soil at each watering, and then allow plants to extract most of the available water from the soil before watering again. 

For more information on Landscape Design and Irrigation, contact:  Studio W, info@thestudiow.com or 405.285.5610

source:  conserveh2o.org, aggie-horticultural.

Landscape Design: Hardscape or Softscape?

Are you planning a landscape project?  Do you know the difference between hardscape and softscape?

Adding hardscape and softscape elements to your project
will help add balance and harmony to your area.

Whether you are planning a residential or commercial landscape project, it is good to know what your project will include.

Hardscape is normally what landscape designers start with.  It refers to heavier elements such as patios, stones, swimming pools and can even include sprinkler systems.   

Once the hardscape or border of the project is complete, it is time to add the softscape such as trees, soil, plants and flowers.  Some elements of the softscape will be permanent like evergreens.  While others are seasonal flowers that are ever changing and add color to the project.  

No project is complete without a little of both.  That's why hiring a professional landscape design firm is important.  They can help you design your project and add balance, functionality and an elegant focal point to the area.

Even though softscape features may be more affordable, they also require more maintenance.  On the other hand, hardscape is more expensive, but it is permanent.  A professional design team will help you determine just the right amount of both to fit your need and living style.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment with one of the Studio W landscape designers, contact us at info@thestudiow.com or 405.285.5610.