Winter is a great time to admire your landscape, without the worry of upkeep. Simply look out and enjoy the look of the snow blankets covering
all your trees, shrubs, and bushes. No need to worry about cutting grass or trimming trees now. Just sit back with a cup of coffee or hot choco
late and enjoy the view from inside. See you in the spring! 
An basic definition of an annual is any plant which must be replaced each year and which flowers only once in its life. Annuals generally are grown from seeds. The main advantage of annuals over perennials is their low cost. Hundreds of plants can be grown from a single packet of seeds.
Annuals are also very decorative, and provide a great source of flowers for cutting. Their season of bloom is relatively long, as well. The disadvantage is the late date at which they bloom. If annuals are used alone in a bed or border, a good part of the season will pass with little to show in the way of color.
Annuals can also of used as filler between shrubs. This permits the shrub to grow, yet prevents too stark an appearance. The hardier flowers, such as larkspur, poppies and cornflowers, can be planted in late fall. The ground preparation must be just as careful as for spring planting.
Planting in fall is advantageous since it permits the flowers to get an early start the following spring. Certain other hardy annuals can be planted early in spring as soon as the ground is workable. It is a good idea to start some of the less hardy annuals in seed pots, or in coldframes, as early as March. Otherwise, these plants cannot be set out until all danger of frost is gone. Outdoor planting of annuals in the spring follows thorough soil preparation.
Once the seedbed has been prepared with all lumps removed, it must be carefully pulverized with a rake prior to planting. You can calculate the area of the seedbed with a landscape calculator. The seeds are sown broadcast in the patch selected, and then are just lightly covered with soil. The soil may be gently tamped after the covering is completed. The patch should be identified with a stake and some sort of sign. Flower seeds are best planted near the surface of the soil.
Sow the seeds no more than 1 inch deep. The seeds of larger plants which have a strong growth, such as sunflowers, can be planted in hills spaced from 2 to 4 feet apart. Often, annuals are planted in rows. This method is used when a cutting garden is being grown. To do this, dig a shallow trench not more than 1 inch deep with a trowel, or your fingers, and then place the seed in the trench.
Sow more seed than appears necessary, and then trim out after the plants appear above ground. Thinning is required, in any event, for a good crop of annuals, if only to insure sufficient room for each plant. Transplanting is a considerable shock in the life of a plant, and unless it is carefully done, the plant will die.
All the soil in the frame or pot should be used when transplanting. Transplanting should be done on a cloudy, damp day, if possible. If the soil is dry, it should be watered before transplanting, and then thoroughly after the plants are in the ground. If the day is sunny, some sort of shade should be provided for the newly transferred plants. As soon as the plants are established, these protective coverings can be removed.
The garden should be located close to your home and away from trees. The main reason is the easier it is to see and to tend, the better off your garden will be. Also, vegetables grown near trees cannot get full sunshine; sometimes, the tree roots will use water and fertilizer meant for the plants.
The soil should be well drained. A sandy loam with a clay subsoil is best. Heavy clay soils may be made quite suitable by adding lots of stable manure or compost, or by turning under cover crops, preferably legumes such as vetch, clover soybeans.
Planning is very important to get the most out of your vegetable garden. Keep a record of wheather you had too much or too little of certain vegetables at any time during the season for a continuous supply. This will help you to plan better for the next year.
This is VERY important, and will depend on where you live. But generally in Michigan or any area that freezes or has a full winter season, 12 inches should be the standard. This may vary from 8-12, but should never be less than 8 inches. Many contractors may come in with lower bids and try to skimp on the depth of your system. Your system may work fine for a few years, but the excessive freeze wear on the system will cause it to break down quicker.
Is it a brand you have heard of? If not, call some hardware or home improvement stores and ask if they carry the product and if they would recommend it. If you cannot find a local retailer that stocks that brand, you may not want to have that product used because it may be difficult to find replacement parts fast, and retailers tend to carry bigger higher quality brands.
You should find out if you will receive a detailed layout of where all the water lines and sprinkling heads are located. This will be very valuable when planning out other landscape features or later on if you need to troubleshoot the system.
Never pay in full before the job is started, a reasonable deposit shouldn’t exceed 50% of the project quote. Be sure and use a check or credit card (if accepted). Try also to get written receipt from the deposit. A cashed check can serve as a backup receipt also.
When will you start, and when will you finish. This is also extremely important. With most items mentioned here, get this written into your final quote/contract. If they need a deposit, I would only give a token up front and then give the full deposit once any real work has started.
Be sure and ask for detailed references of work they have done in the past that is similar to your project. If you can, talk to a few, and try to drive past some of the previous customers and view the work for yourself.
Visit some natural waterfalls or at least look at photos. Observe the water, and look at the way in which it flows over the rocks and terrain naturally.
The design of your falls will depend on the layout of your terrain, pump and pipe size, length of water flow from pump to falls, and pond size. It’s important to keep the elements of your water feature in scale. If you have a small pond, have an appropriate sized falls and vice-versa.
One of the most common mistakes results from the desire for a tall waterfall at a level building site. Large amounts of soil are imported to build the falls up to a three or four foot height. Yes, you will achieve a dramatic waterfall, but the total effect will not look natural. Try not to let any part be overly dominate. A falls of just two feet will produce a very satisfactory effect both visually and audibly.
On a level site, with an “average” size pond of say 11 by 16 feet, the amount of soil needed to surround the biological filter and create the berm is just about equal to the amount of soil excavated from the pond, so it works out quite well. To further enhance or enlarge the berm, you may want to import a little more soil, large boulders or other features.
Be sure to use a wide liner under the falls and/or stream, this will allow for twists and turns in the course of the water and also contain splashing. A ten foot wide liner is recommended. Under-layment under the falls and stream liners is usually not required.
When your excavation is complete for the falls, and the liner is in place. Then begin to add your stone. This is the fun part, so try out several combinations and visualize how the water will flow.
When satisfied with your arrangement, use black waterfall foam to direct the water over the stone instead of under it. That is, stone that is directly in contact with the liner should sit on a bed of foam so the water goes around or over the stone instead of underneath it. Caution – the foam expands greatly…don’t use too much!
Building a waterfall can be extremely satisfying. Though you should give some time to preliminary research, you’ll learn most by actually building your water feature.