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Not everyone is blessed with a perfectly flat plot of land in which to garden, and steep slope gardening brings with it a number of special challenges.

“Steep slopes” are defined as slopes rising at an angle greater than 20 percent, and are far less stable – and tougher to maintain – than gentler garden slopes. Mowing can be difficult, if not downright dangerous, and rain can cause soil erosion due to runoff. They can be a hazard to your home, as well, as soil erosion can threaten your foundation.

Read more about how to deal with gardening a steep slope.

Landscaping a ranch-style house creates special challenges for homeowners, most of whom want to soften the ranch’s sharp, boxy exterior without overwhelming the home’s clean lines.

Traditionally, ranch style homes are rambling one-story dwellings with very spare, clean lines. If your home was built in the 1950’s or 1960’s, chances are good that it’s a ranch style house.

The ranch style was first seen in the 1930’s and it evolved from earlier 20th century designs, most notably the bungalow, mission and prairie schools of architecture. Due to their popularity with tract developers, the ranch style is often dismissed as “assembly line” architecture, and their lack of fussy details lead critics to see them as lacking in character.

Read more about landscaping your ranch here: www.gardening-landscaping-advice.com

The most complicated component of an irrigation system is the valve, so it’s important for the homeowner to understand how irrigation valves work.

Most valves are reliably built and will last for many years, but should you need to fix one, it’s handy to know just what all those different parts do.

Valves are the gateway to every irrigation system – they control the flow of water. They can be manual – meaning that you open and close them by turning a handle – or electric, operating on a low-voltage current and controlled by a timer.

Read more about Irrigation at www.gardening-landscaping-advice.com