tips - LJN Blog Posts - Landscape Juice Network
2024-03-29T09:46:53Z
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9 Hottest Garden Design Trends - 2016
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/9-hottest-garden-design-trends-2016
2016-07-13T06:58:07.000Z
2016-07-13T06:58:07.000Z
Ricky Goodwin
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/RickyGoodwin61
<div><p>In our busy lives, there are times when you wish to be closer to nature. Gardens are simply the best options to do so, without having to venture out in long, risky, adventurous jungle-rides. Bought a beautiful new house and planning a garden or need to give a nice make-over to the existing garden? There are a lot of beautiful garden designs trending this year that will help you transform your outdoor space into beautiful hangouts for your friends and family to rejoice and cherish.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314798015?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314798015?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" /></a>It is a good idea to keep your garden as an useful space all throughout the year, which can also be used as an extra room in your house where you can socialise while getting some fresh air and relaxing. While a lot of people across London invest heavily in recreating their outdoor spaces, here are some good ideas to catch up to, as we enlist for you the hottest garden design trends that are going to dominate 2016.</p>
<p><strong>1.    Outdoor Living Area</strong></p>
<p>Using furniture in your garden has always been a popular practice but in 2016, it is going to witness a whole new level of innovations. Extended kitchen areas, fire-pits and also a stylish welcoming area to relax and enjoy are trending. Also installing a barbecue and seating area helps in giving your garden a fresh new look!</p>
<p><strong>2.    Natural Looking Furniture</strong></p>
<p>This has been in trend for a few years now and is still going strong. Using furniture with natural look helps in giving your garden a Mediterranean feel. With the choice of plants or through the design of cushions and other accessories, you will always have scope to add different colours and patterns so that your garden looks unique.</p>
<p><strong>3.    Minimalist Design</strong></p>
<p>The minimalist design has been in trend for indoors but in 2016 it is sure to spread to outdoor design as well. With monochrome palettes, one can create sophisticated and calm garden spaces. Grey shades can be used to give your garden a soothing feel. Additional features like stone water, slate and white flora can enhance the beauty of your garden.</p>
<p><strong>4.    Vegetable Plantation</strong></p>
<p>As increasing numbers of people are looking for different ways to make their outdoor space more useful throughout the year, one trend which is catching up pretty fast is the vegetable plantation. It helps you in being partially self-sufficient and with proper strategy; you might avoid supermarkets altogether. Vegetables planted in your garden also assure that you are having healthy and natural, homegrown food.</p>
<p>The Garden Builders team will help you decide the best way to plant vegetable patches in your garden. Its award-winning team will exclusively work to help you out with finest of solutions and ideas.</p>
<p><strong>5.    Lighting Variety</strong></p>
<p>It has been noticed that using lighting to enhance the garden beauty has picked up way faster. There have been a lot of notable innovations, such as LED bulbs and mobile app-controlled lighting systems which have helped in surging the sales of lighting products, especially for gardens. Garden owners are using greener solutions such as solar LEDs to highlight important trees, rare plants and other architectural features.</p>
<p><strong>6.    Different Materials</strong></p>
<p>In 2016, you shall also witness a lot of variety in the material used for your garden design. Different texture and atmosphere help in redefining a space. Mixing wood with iron or steel with wicker can help you get results like never before.</p>
<p><strong>7.    Illusion See-Through Fencing</strong></p>
<p>We know that both see-through and fencing are contradictory terms because fencing is for privacy but it is all about how well can one experiment. The slats can be placed at an angle which helps in giving a feel of see-through and also lets a lot of light come in.</p>
<p><strong>8.    Compactness</strong></p>
<p>Dwarfs and compact plants are very helpful in managing good gardens in confined spaces. These plants have the same characteristics as bigger plants but they help in saving a lot of space. It also has the advantage of fewer management worries and easier cleaning. Compact hydrangeas and shrub roses are the best options for gardening purpose in restrictive spaces.</p>
<p><strong>9.    Pallet Furniture</strong></p>
<p>This concept has got famous very recently. The innovation behind this concept is amazing and has managed to grab a lot of attention from across the world. These are even used in bars which are mostly handmade. It can indeed be an amazing moment for your guests when they come to know that your furniture has been crafted from pallets.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>There are a lot of garden designs ideas and suggestions available over the internet. It is, however, very important to choose the most sustainable options of all. One also has to keep the budget in mind while designing the garden. If there is high expenditure involved while making the garden area then there are high chances of high maintenance expenses too in the future. Hence, make smart, well thought of and sustainable choices for your garden design in 2016!</p>
<p>Still Confused? Call the experts for help.</p>
<p></p>
</div>
Skip Hire Guide
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/skip-hire-guide
2016-04-20T08:39:05.000Z
2016-04-20T08:39:05.000Z
Chris Kervin
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/ChrisKervin
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314800466?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Skip hire is a practical and handy waste disposal solution for many landscaping and gardening projects. A skip allows waste to be quickly disposed of as it is created, and they are available in a range of sizes to suit any job. Skips are not just for professionals, and are often hired by DIY enthusiasts for a range of home improvements, including garden clearances.</p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">How much does skip hire cost?</span></p>
<p>Skip hire is a convenient and often cost effective waste disposal service. Prices do vary between locations, but generally smaller skips will start at under £100. If you are on an extremely tight budget, a skip bag may be the best solution, as they are the cheapest skips available. Upgrading to the next skip size will generally cost between £20-30, and hold an additional 10-20 black bin bags of waste. </p>
<p>In order to keep costs as low as possible, it is important that you choose the correct skip size for your waste. It is cheaper to hire 1 larger skip than 2 smaller skips, so ensure that your skip will be big enough to carry your unwanted waste.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.skiphire.services/prices/" target="_blank"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314802960?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-center" style="padding: 2px;" /></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">What skip size do I need?</span></p>
<p>Skips are available in a range of different sizes, making them a great choice for almost any gardening job. If you will only be creating a small amount of waste, you can opt for a mini skip or skip bags. These are the cheapest skip options, and make rubbish disposal easy.</p>
<p>If you are undertaking a larger job, you may want to consider a builders skip. These skips are normally available in 6-8 yard capacities, and can hold a considerable amount of waste. </p>
<p>For industrial sized jobs, you will need a roll-on roll-off skip. These skips are available in extremely large sizes, often up to 40-yards, and can hold a considerable amount of waste.</p>
<p>Below is a helpful guide indicating the common skip sizes and their approximate capacities.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314798481?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314798481?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-center" style="padding: 2px;" /></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Will I need a permit?</span></p>
<p>If you will be placing a skip on council land, you will normally require a permit. However, if you can place the skip on privately owned land, a skip hire permit will not be required. Skip hire permits are issued by the council, and prices do vary for different locations. In most cases, your skip hire provider will be able to arrange your permit for you, if needed.</p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">What can I throw into a skip?</span></p>
<p>Skip hire is popular for garden clearances and landscaping projects as almost all waste generated can be thrown into a skip. Waste including organic material, domestic waste, soil, furniture, metal, wood, plastics, rubble, etc. can all be put into a skip. There are a few restrictions on what can and can't be placed into a skip, with items such as asbestos, hazardous materials (including explosives), solvents, electronics and tyres not allowed.</p>
<p></p>
</div>
Before the mad rush begins: things to consider for the year ahead (1/3)
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/fertilisers-liquid-granule
2016-01-22T17:12:16.000Z
2016-01-22T17:12:16.000Z
Landscape Juice
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/LandscapeJuice
<div><p><u><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314776870?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314776870?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right" /></a>[sponsored content]</u></p>
<p><strong><u>Fertilisers; Liquid or granule</u></strong></p>
<p>It’s a perennial question..liquid or granular fertiliser? The answer may be ..both! They each have pros and cons but a treatment plan for every lawn or paddock should ideally incorporate both types. Granular fertilisers are easy to apply and very visible plus they often have a more varied analysis with more nutrients packed into each bag (eg: AMVISTA Feed, Weed & Mosskill : 8-4-4 (NPK) +2.5Mgo + 7% Fe + 6 CaO + seaweed + 2-4D + CMPP). Liquid fertilisers are improving with some slow-release offerings on the market plus the benefit of immediate feeding of the grass when sprayed on. The use of seaweed is not new but adding regular doses of liquid seaweed sprays, such as MAXICROP CONCENTRATE pure seaweed, in between bouts of granular will improve not only the grass but the microbial content of the soil leading to less reliance in future on synthetic growth stimulants.</p>
<p><strong> <u>Gone – but not forgotten:</u></strong></p>
<p>Pesticide products that can no longer be sold (but still may have a use-up period) are:</p>
<p>Kaskara (Broadshot), Merit Turf, Relay Turf and Relay-P, Certis Spraying Oil for red spider mite & conifer aphid. While there are not many new products there are still viable alternatives to consider; FLAIL for tough, woody weeds, NEMASYS nematodes for chafer infestations (see below), PRAXYS/ POLAX for weedy amenity grassland and BANDU for aphid control on conifers.</p>
<p><strong><u>Biopesticides:</u></strong></p>
<p>These are products based on microbial ingredients designed to be a natural and low residue alternative for insect control. MET52 is a naturally occurring soil fungus which has been a great performer for weevils and thrips on amenity vegetation as well as vegetables and berry crops.</p>
<p>The broad title also includes predatory insects such as the Aphalara itadori, a psyllid, being bred and tested for its effectiveness at eating Japanese knotweed. Many people are also more aware of nematodes – the good & bad ones. The withdrawal of MERIT TURF for chafer grub/ leatherjacket control means they are now at the frontline of lawn & grassland protection from these devastating larvae. NEMASYS G & J nematodes are available to purchase but are bred to target specific larvae, so correct identification of the creature chewing your grass roots is key.</p>
<p>Contact Progreen Weed Control for more information on any of these items:</p>
<p>Web: <a href="http://www.progreen.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.progreen.co.uk</a>   email: <a href="mailto:info@progreen.co.uk" target="_blank">info@progreen.co.uk</a></p>
</div>
Garden design tips learnt from a Surrey Bluebell wood
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/garden-design-tips-learnt-from
2011-04-24T13:55:35.000Z
2011-04-24T13:55:35.000Z
Claire Brown
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/ClaireBrown
<div><p>Easter Weekend, - the shops are closed, the sun is out, so it's a day for a family walk in our local bluebell woods</p><p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314117473?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314117473?profile=original" width="500"/></a>Luckily, we are within walking distance of a fantastic National Trust property with an amazing bluebell wood. It's the hottest driest latest Easter in my lifetime, and as we wandered in the woodland shade, I was pondering the following design points that can be taken from this kind of Nature spectacle</p><p>1) - Don't count on a particular variety of plant being out for an anniversary. - Last year it was the 11th May that the bluebells were in full bloom, - this year, it's the 24th April, and the hot dry weather has speeded up their flowering, by 3 weeks on last year. - If you take that into a garden border design you are unlikely to get the same Rose, Tulip,Geranium or Iris to be flowering at the same time every year. - A mixture of slightly different varieties of the same thing, will get you a wider flowering span.</p><p>But on the other hand</p><p>2) - One or 2 plants combined (in the bluebell woods, this was Hyacinthoides non scripta and Ferns) can look Stunning. - BUT only for a short space of time. - Think most Chelsea flower show gardens.</p><p>and to get a stunning show</p><p>3) It takes time, to create a garden, or in this case a woodland. The most stunning displays are never in the first couple of years and a garden needs to develop. The more plants you put in, the quicker it will get there, but patience is a virtue in gardening.</p><p> </p><p>Happy Easter</p></div>
Frequently Asked Questions
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/frequently-asked-questions
2010-07-25T08:00:00.000Z
2010-07-25T08:00:00.000Z
Phil Voice
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/philvoice
<div><p>New members are joining t</p>
<p>he Landscape Juice Network all the time, which means we have members who are still to discover the huge and growing database of useful material archived within.<br />
<br />
Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions in the forum and tips on using the site:<br />
<br />
<b><u>General site</u></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314114266?profile=original" target="_blank">Landscape Juice Network's Aims and Objectives</a><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A2495"><br />
Tips on using the site</a><br />
<a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blogs/managing-following-and">Managing, following and responding to comments on your wall.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/using-the-apture-search"></a><a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/profile/emailSettings">Setting your email preferences for LJN</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/how-to-resize-your-profile?xg_source=activity" target="_blank">Resizing your profile image</a></p>
<p><br />
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<b><u>Business</u></b><br />
<a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/2074886:Topic:1846"><br />
How to calculate what you need to charge your services out per hour</a><br />
<a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=&q=charges+site%3Alandscapejuicenetwork.com&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_en-GBFR334FR334&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">Charging out your garden business</a><br />
<a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/customer-charter">Setting up a customer charter</a></p>
<p><a href="../../../xn/detail/2074886:BlogPost:203854" target="_blank">How to write a press release</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Website resources</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="../../../xn/detail/2074886:BlogPost:203854" target="_blank"><br /></a></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/free-web-icons-for-your" target="_blank">Free web icons</a></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></p>
<p><br />
<b><u>Garden machinery and plant</u></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=&q=what+mower+site%3Alandscapejuicenetwork.com&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_en-GBFR334FR334&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">Which mower?</a><br />
<a href="http://landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/own-lorries-hire-skips-own">Hire-in or buy machinery?</a></p>
</div>
Tips for a gardening business - how to get more customers, higfher profit and more satisfaction- part 1
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/tips-for-a-gardening-business
2009-03-11T09:35:05.000Z
2009-03-11T09:35:05.000Z
Ofer El-hashahar
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/OferElhashahar
<div><b>It is a Big title- so why do I think I can tell you about It?</b>I decided that I will write on this blog every 2-3 weeks and under this title tips that can help you to get a better business.First I would like to explain why I want to do it?1. I got lots of help from other people and would like to help too there are lots of ways that I can not because I am more clever just because I tried many ways of marketing a gardening business.2. I hope it will make people to want to help- add their ideas to the blog- and maybe even help me.I started my business as a student that study 5.5 long days a week - I had no money to invest and no much time - I charged about £3.00 an hour ( 50% more than minimum wage at that time there).3 years after I finished my studies we were 3 teams (7 stuff and 5 temporary for the summer) for maintenance we charged about £20.00- 25.00 an hour ( Intact we charged per job or for yearly maintenance but that was the way we calculate it).Economy at the time was really bad and at every traffic light you could see near you private cars with lawn mowers and tools.It took lots of work but we learned lots of marketing and we tried lots of things.To be honest I changed my business to garden design and build many gardens later on as that what I really liked to do. and these days trading with gardening products- just in case you didn't know.So first tip for today:Try and think how long will you keep your business- Is it worth invest a bit of time ( when you got a bit- or to create a bit) to create a system that will bring more customers to you? something that will need only a bit of work but will mainly work for itself.Yes there are animals like that, but the important tip is that the best thing is to create few of these that will bring more customers /jobs and money.Most people will tell you that the secret is word to mouth very big true <b>but</b>It does not mean that you can not do anything about it.One of the Keys of winning is to understand that people Like to hear about you but not from yourself.Look at moses the one from the bible a great leader maybe even one of the greatest- and give attention to one fact he used his brother to speak for him.It usually work better If someone will say that you are great man, professional and you did a good job for him, than you saying it about yourself.I will next time give better examples of what you can do- as I do not want to make it too long</div>
How to write titles for your blog posts
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-write-titles-for-your
2008-10-16T08:00:00.000Z
2008-10-16T08:00:00.000Z
Craig McGinty
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/CraigMcGinty
<div>IT is great to see both <a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A13541">Roger</a> and <a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A13555">Kerrie</a> have taken to their blogs and started writing. And if you want to join them here are some tips on making effective use of one of the most important parts of a blog - the title you actually give an individual post. The title is the signpost to both people and search engines to what the story is about, it is seen right at the top of your web browser, in links from elsewhere on the site and in the listings of search results. As you can see it is an important part of your online presence, get it right and you can see readers landing on your page for weeks if not years to come. What I write here also relates to the title that people give individual posts on the forum as well. So the best title is one that describes the actual story you've written and has an eye on how people search, and in the landscaping world maybe throws in a location or two. I know Roger and Kerrie won't mind if I use their recent stories as examples: - <a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A13531">Solutions</a> We might struggle here to get an understanding of what Roger is writing about, I know search engines will. The story is actually about a date palm and the work he undertook, so we could instead use: - Pruning and bringing to life a date palm in Tarragona This has the word pruning in, a phrase people may use when searching for 'tips on pruning a date palm', we also have a touch of intrigue with the 'bringing to life' phrase and finally the tree's name 'date palm' is again likely to be something people search for. And I've thrown in a location for good measure. Kerrie's piece is an interesting one as her story relates to possible search terms people might be using at the moment when trying selling their house: - <a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A13555">IDEAS FOR A GREAT ENTRANCE!</a> First off, and more a stylistic one really, it's best not to use uppercase, it's not easy to read on screen and is considered as though you are shouting at someone. As for the headline itself, well the story is about making the best of your garden and plants if trying to sell your house, there is a good chance that stories on this subject are likely to be popular at the moment, so we could instead use: - Tips for the garden when selling your house The thing to keep in mind is that people do not see the whole article you have written, they are often seeing search page results or a simple link from other sites, so impact headlines, or ones that try a play on words won't prove as successful. And if you are wondering if it's worth the effort, well newspapers are teaching their staff to rewrite headlines that appeal to search engines and the way people operate online, and I know of people who have written pieces more than three years ago, but that still bring customers regularly to their site.
</div>
tips for the garden when selling your house
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/6660693_BlogPost_24427
2008-10-15T19:00:00.000Z
2008-10-15T19:00:00.000Z
Kerrie John-The garden design Co
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/KerrieJohnThegardendesignCo
<div>If you are trying to sell or let your property, first impressions count. With so many properties on the market at the moment it isn’t enough just to make sure that the bins are hidden from the front of your property on a viewing day, or the fallen leaves and wind blown litter are swept up. It may be time to invest a little on the potential ‘first sight’ falling in love with thing, and design a simple, welcoming front garden.Keep the front garden in keeping with the property. For small urban front gardens, consider removing that tiny, useless piece of lawn that is always overgrown. There is nothing worse than the prospect of lugging the lawn mower, possibly though the house, on a Sunday morning for potential buyers or tenants.<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314106779?profile=original" alt="" width="744" height="558"/></p>Planning permission may have to be sought to pave the car standing area, but you could use a decorative aggregate. There is some fantastic gravel on the market now from Quartz to duck egg blue Japanese pebbles. These could be laid on a porous membrane with planting through it. You would probably need to contain the gravel by means of an edge; this could be a brick to blend with the house or, if a modern property, a stainless steel strip. Always make sure that there is a good strip of paving before the entrance to the house as small gravel will hitch a ride on shoes with tread and let go, once in the house.Instead of planting the front garden, how about pots? An ideal alternative as they can move with you to your new home! Terracotta is the obvious choice, and widely available in garden centres, but there are now slate, terrazzo and polished marble, stainless steel and resin containers in all shapes, sizes and colours available through good garden design practices and over the net. There are anti-theft systems so they stay put, but if big enough, once filled with soil, no one will move those babies!If you do decide to plant the garden, use low maintenance plants such as ferns for shady damp areas, lavenders, Cistus and small grasses for sunny sites, an architectural feature plant for the modern property may be all that is required. Keep the colour palette limited and use cool colours like blues, whites, creams and purple shades. Try to find fragrant plants too, bit like baking bread or peculating coffee in the house before a visit, it’s comforting and welcoming. Don’t be tempted to ‘overdo’ the planting; prospective purchasers may not be into gardening and won’t relish the thought that they will have to tend the garden and potentially fail!<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314112973?profile=original" alt="" width="709" height="531"/></p>Make sure you weed and tidy the area regularly; people often look at the property from the outside perhaps more than once, before they book a viewing. If possible, paint your front door and window frames too, clean the window sills and remove old cob webs that have gathered in corners as this adds to the uncluttered, clean impression of how they will find the inside of your home, (bit like hiding all children’s toys in the shed before a viewing).Wheelie bins are a pain and unsightly, but everyone has them so think of an original and attractive way to make a screen, not just a bit of fencing. Depending on your budget it could range from a glass brick wall to a curve of planed timber poles or a ‘hit and miss’ screen. Whatever you choose there are plenty of fantastic colours available to stain it to blend into the surroundings.<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314114461?profile=original" alt="" width="531" height="709"/></p>Pathways ALWAYS need to take the shortest and easiest route to the front door and be wide enough to enable you to walk with bags of shopping, buggies, children and/or dogs! So think, as you park on your drive, exactly what route you will take to the front door because that’s the one that needs paving!!Interview for the Independent newspaper 2008©Kerrie John<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.thegardendesignco.com">http://www.thegardendesignco.com</a></div>
Using images effectively to improve search results
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/using-images-effectively-to
2008-07-16T16:00:00.000Z
2008-07-16T16:00:00.000Z
Craig McGinty
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/CraigMcGinty
<div><p><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314102025?profile=original" alt="Summer ball, Platt Fields, Manchester" style="float: right;" width="202" height="152" />AS landscapers or garden designers you are going to want potential clients see examples of your work by displaying photographs of your projects.<br />
<br />
These could be simple before and after type shots, or close ups of particular methods you used, however, you also want to make sure people find them via search engines.<br />
<br />
There are a couple of things you can do to make it easier for search spiders to find your images, but more importantly tell what the actual photograph is about.<br />
<br />
<strong>Give your image a title</strong></p>
<p>The first thing to do is to change the default name your camera provides once you have downloaded your image to your computer, often it is something like 'dsc00887.jpg' which doesn't tell us a great deal.<br />
<br />
So after you have edited your image save the new one with a more descriptive name, something like 'rose-garden-norwich.jpg' as you can see this both describes the pic and offers up a location.<br />
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You'll see that I also split the words up with a 'dash' again this lets search engines read what the pic is all about.<br />
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If a search engine can find your image then so too could a potential client...which could lead to being commissioned.<br />
A quick aside on editing the image.<br />
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Your camera software most probably has a simple image editor built in, or you may want to try Google's <strong><a href="http://picasa.google.com/">Picasa</a></strong> or the free <strong><a href="http://www.photoscape.org/">PhotoScape</a></strong>, whatever you use try and keep in mind some simple dimensions for your photos.<br />
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Images don't need to be as high quality as in a magazine and many cameras, by default, provide an original image that if you printed it off would be about A4 size, clearly we don't need that on the web.<br />
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So I would suggest that your images don't need to be any more than about 500 pixels wide with a file size of around 75kb, you won't lose a great deal in quality.<br />
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I've loaded up the same image in two different dimensions to provide a comparison and to give you an idea of how little difference there is when viewed on a computer screen:<br />
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<strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/photo/photo/show?id=2074886%3APhoto%3A6916">Large image of summer ball</a></strong><br />
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<strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/photo/photo/show?id=2074886%3APhoto%3A6917">Smaller image of summer ball</a></strong><br />
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I also think this could help a little in reducing the illegal use of images by other websites.<br />
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For a start you could still include a website address in the bottom corner of your image as a type of watermark, but you are also not providing someone with a full size image that they can do want they want with.<br />
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I think the majority of people are pretty honest and will link back and mention the source of the image if they use it on their site - some won't, but they are crooks and whatever you try to do they will attempt to rip you and many others off.<br />
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To a degree as search engines improve and more people link to you, the person who has the original image or the more reputable online presence is likely to see their images appear higher in search engine results.<br />
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As you can see it's not an exact science, however, there is one last thing you can do to help your images be found.<br />
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Images also have alt tags, they look like this: alt="Rose garden" and you will see them when an image does not load properly.<br />
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The other tag connected with images is called the title tag, but it does not feature within the image properties on the network, but it is the one you see when you hover your mouse over a pic.<br />
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Again search engines use these to understand what an image is about, so if you wanted more locally based searches to prove popular your alt tag could read:<br />
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alt="Rose garden Brighton"<br />
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In fact I recently crossed a very useful article from Google themselves on improving your <strong><a href="http://adsense.blogspot.com/2008/07/good-start-to-optimizing-your-site-for.html">site for search engines</a></strong>, as well as the use of alt tags in images, take a few minutes to check out the video below.<br />
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<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never" ></param>
<param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3NbuDpB_BTc&hl=en" ></param>
<embed wmode="opaque" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3NbuDpB_BTc&hl=en" allowscriptaccess="never"></embed></object><br />
Unfortunately the Ning service doesn't complete the alt tag automatically when you add an image to an article, it could use the image name for example, hopefully in time this will be the case.<br />
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In the mean time you can do it yourself, so once you've uploaded your image there will be a line of code and you will see, alt="" click between the quote marks and add a few words of descriptive text.<br />
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Don't stuff the alt tag full of words that have no relation to the image trying to trick the search engines, it won't work, all you need is a short phrase and maybe a location.<br />
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In the end though if you have taken a little time to write an interesting article or a helpful paragraph or two describing your image, this will help both search engines track you down but more importantly entertain and inform your readers.<br />
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<b>Related article:</b> <strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A2495">Tips on using the Landscape Juice Network</a></strong></p>
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Tips on using the Landscape Juice Network
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/tips-on-using-the-landscape
2008-05-30T11:00:00.000Z
2008-05-30T11:00:00.000Z
Craig McGinty
https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/CraigMcGinty
<div><p> </p>
<p>This page will draw together some of the useful hints and tips that will make using the Landscape Juice Network that much easier:<br />
<br /></p>
<ul>
<li><span class="font-size-5"><strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A2489">Linking to another web page</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">Websites are powered by links, here's how to point to useful web pages...</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A13581">How to write titles for your blog posts</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">Get this right and you could have a regular flow of readers...</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A489">Adding an image to a story</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">Illustrate your article with photographs to help explain the story...</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A6919">Using images effectively to improve search results</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">There are things you can do to make it easier for search spiders to find your images...</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A2494">How to change your profile photo</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">If your pic doesn't feature your best side then you can change it to one that does...</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/how-to-resize-your-profile" target="_blank">How to resize your profile image</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">Keeping your head or logo within the boundaries...</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A2763">A social network, what's that?</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">Connecting with others in a sociable way...</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://landscapejuice.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2074886%3ABlogPost%3A3043">Create your own landscaping website for as little as five pounds</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">Use the Landscape Juice Network to promote your business...</span><br />
<span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/sharing-your-ljn-content-on">Sharing your LJN content on Twitter - synchronising your account</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">It is now possible to synchronise your LJN page with your Twitter account...</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/forum-presentation-and" target="_self">Forum presentation and spelling</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">Your clients, potential clients and industry peers may be reading your posts so make sure they're presented well...</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-5"><strong><a href="http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/how-to-be-sure-your-comments?xg_source=activity">Making sure your comments get seen</a></strong></span><br />
<span class="font-size-3">Be sure to use the 'comment back' link so make sure your message gets through...</span></li>
</ul>
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