Green Plumbing - Rain And Grey Water Harvesting, Solar Hot Water Systems - Melbourne, Australia

With increasing climatic condition change and prolonged drought conditions in Ausralia, many people are trying to save water and energy on the dryest inhabited continent on earth.
The buildings in which we live, work and play, protect us from the elements but also shape the environment around us. The construction and operation of buildings requires a huge input of resources. The location of buildings and what resources are used affects the ecosystem in a number of ways. As the environmental impact of buildings becomes more apparent people are looking for ways that can significantly decrease this impact and make their homes and offices healthier to live and work in.

Some of the biggest long-term challenges facing our nation are securing sustainable water and power suppliers for our future and reducing the production of greenhouse gases to limit the impact of climate change.

We live on the driest inhabited continent on earth, yet are one of the highest per capita consumers of water. Melbourne is experiencing the lowest level of water supply in many years. Yet we each consume, on average, 400 litres of water every day.

Many people assume that we are in a current state of drought and that when the drought breaks we will have adequate amounts of water to go back to using it like we have in the past. However, this is not the full story. Australia has always had little rainfall and as our population increases so will pressure on water and power. We can all make an individual difference that will assist this nation in its endeavours.

Strategies that can be employed include installing rain water tanks, grey water irrigation systems, solar hot water systems, solar heating and other water and energy conserving means. To assist, the State Governments have included rebates for water saving devices in their strategies.

Sustainable Plumbing P/L is a Melbourne leader in the field of green plumbing and works with other partners such as specialist sustainable landscape architects and designers to achieve aesthetic design with these sustainable water and solar strategies

Jingle have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au

Garden Designs With a Swimming Pool

Having a pool in your backyard can be a great recreational avenue for the whole family. Match a beautiful garden to a good swimming pool design and you got yourself a great place to host formal as well as family parties. Since you require no permits to build a swimming pool in your backyard, you can employ any good contractor to build one for you.

A good swimming pool design requires a lot of planning. First, you have to settle on the shape of the pool area. It does not have to be a mundane rectangular shape. You can try out ellipse, circular of free curve styles of swimming pool designs by simply using a long enough piece of rope or garden pipe. Once you have settled on the shape, the next step is the size and distance of the pool. Depending on the maximum number of people you will entertain in the pool and the area that you will require for the garden, you will have to choose the dimensions. The distance of the swimming pool design from your house also matters from the aesthetics point of view. The last step in planning for a pool involves what accessories you will be putting around the pool area. These accessories will require space and so must be integrated into the overall pool and garden design. With all these plans ready you are can now start building your pool.

One secret to having a hassle free garden design Melbourne is to use whatever elements you already have in your backyard to enhance the appeal of the pool area. This can include trees, shrubs and even rock formations. If flowers are natural to your neck of woods, then use this natural element to surround the pool area, if vines are the natural part of your backyard then grow them over the fences and walkway to your pool. Trees are another great beautifier. Remember to plant only those trees that go well with your swimming pool design. This includes trees that do not shed leaves such as Coast Banksia, Yellow Gum and Black She-Oak. Another great garden design Melbourne is to use rocks to decorate the pool surroundings. Large and medium size boulders when used to make rock steps leading up to the pool or by themselves can serve as a unit of the beauty of the garden.

To get a good knowledge of the plants that will survive in the unpredictable climate of Melbourne, you can pay a visit to The Royal Botanic Gardens or to any of the other local community gardens and parks. The trees and shrubs that you find there will definitely live longer than any other type of species in your backyard, as they are indigenous to the city. If you do not want to personally build a garden into your swimming pool design, then you can approach a garden design Melbourne based contractor or landscaper. These people are well versed in the aspects of beautifying a swimming pool area with gardens. Although employing a garden design Melbourne contractor is expensive, the different types of landscape they can provide your pool area with is worth every penny you will spend.


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Modern Courtyard Landscape Design Ideas

Modern courtyards are a great addition to any home and can increase the value of a property while giving you a great area that you can use in many ways. For the best looking courtyards you should look into modern courtyard design ideas so that they look as attractive as possible and make the best possible use of your space.

A modern courtyard will likely be quite minimal in design, which can create a feeling of openness, space and light which is very relaxing for sitting in. At the same time a great minimal design will also be easier to clean as their will be fewer items to get behind and to clean underneath. This means that you can maintain it easily and keep it looking as fresh and slick as it did when you got it installed.

For the ground you will likely choose some kind of tiles which can be a range of materials from marble to concrete. Either way, you should try to use a light colour so that you again create more feeling of space and cleanliness in your space and whites, light greys and beige are always good options as darker or brighter colours can end up feeling more oppressive. You might also want to get your concrete or tiles printed or stained in order to add another element to them, this way you can create marble like patterns which will not only hide dirt and dust, but also make space more attractive and more expensive looking. Shapes stamped onto the tiles, or the use of different shades can be what helps to create interest in your modern courtyard design ideas and this is something you should talk through with a designer.

To maintain this modern looking design you should also be sure to get maintenance for your tiles and this will prevent things like pot holes etc from forming which will make your tiles look untidy and dirty. You can also get underfloor heating for your tiles however to prevent this and this is an aspect of modern courtyard design that is quite practical.

You will also want some form of seating in your courtyard, and you should have somewhere nice to sit while you read your book outside as well as somewhere social for people to gather when you have guests (courtyards are perfect for parties). Try and choose a seat that continues the modern minimalist look but that also offers comfort while being suited to an outdoors location.

Modern courtyard designs also need some kind of feature and there are a range of features you can use here - from a pond to a fountain to a statue or plants and trees. This will make your courtyard more than just an open space and will give something to look at. With a fountain or pond you also get the sense of purity that comes with water as well as the trickling noise and the constant movement which can add a lot to a courtyard. The correct mood lighting, in conjunction with this water, can cast patterns around the whole area. Have sliding glass doors leading onto your courtyard to ensure that you can appreciate it while indoors too.

Angel have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au

Melbourne - Box Hill

Box Hill is near the state capital of Melbourne and has the honour of housing a famous art community from 1885 to 1888. Many of Australia's most popular artists came to that area to learn from each other and paint the landscape of the town. Today Box Hill has become an outlying suburb.

Australian Landscape Artist, Tom Roberts came to Box Hill after he experimented with impressionist painting in France and Spain. He loved the Australian rural environment and wanted to find a place where he could paint to his hearts content. He and another artist friend named Frederick McCubbin did not appreciate the way students were being taught how to paint landscapes and they decided to go to Houston's Farm in Box Hill to experiment with different techniques. Several other artists joined them. After awhile tourists began to come to see what the artist group was up. This disrupted their peace and quite so the group moved on.

The area's first settler was named Arundel Wright who built a house on some land he came across in 1838. The land he squatted upon was eventually sold and he was forced to leave. The stone from his chimney was used to make the Pioneer's Memorial that is currently in front of the town hall.

The city centre was built up in 1854 and the name of the area was picked in 1860 and was given the same name as an area in Surrey England, the area the postmaster came from. Some say it was actually named after the type of plant that grew in the area called box eucalyptus. The area was slow in growth until the railway was built through town in 1882 making it much easier to travel to Melbourne. A farmers and livestock market was founded in 1895 and was placed close to the rail station and from that day on Box Hill was known for being a commercial shopping area.

Today there is a statue of a horse that stands upon a large pedestal where Whitehorse Road passes through the main shopping precinct. Box Hill has adopted the horse statue as a symbol of its city and it appears in the coat of arms. The temperance movement was a popular platform in the 1800's and both the Presbyterians and Methodists took up the cause with great zeal. Box Hill was known for being an area that supported this movement with much vitality and in fact, there was no liquor sold in the area until 1966.

During the 1950's many shopping centres were opened in Box Hill including Myer Eastland and the nearby Doncaster Shoppingtown. In the 1960's more parking was added by placing the railway line underground. Other stores followed and the area today enjoys the title of the second largest office and retail area outside of the city of Melbourne. There is a large variety of restaurants and cafes some of which serve the best ethnic cuisine in all of Australia.

Box Hill Indoor Sports Centre is a place many go to see games in town. You can see soccer, volleyball and cricket games. The local population loves sports and they have several football leagues, an archer club, and Australian football club. Box Hill Athletic Club has been around since 1932 and was active in the 1956 Olympic Games that were held in Melbourne. Box hill is home to a wonderful golf course that will challenge the beginner and the seasoned golfer. There is an indoor outdoor pool called 'Aqualink', several basketball courts, a gym and tennis courts. You can always find a game at the baseball diamond and football oval. Outdoor sports are a major force in Box Hill.

Andrea have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au