Top 5 Landscaping Mistakes to Avoid

You can create stunning landscaping designs if you avoid these common pitfalls. Beautiful landscaping can increase the value of your house and compliment the other aesthetic qualities of your home.

The Top 5 Mistakes

1. Losing the House. There is such a thing as too much landscaping. Carefully consider the style, size, and shape of your home before you plan the landscaping. Your home should not be overwhelmed by foliage. Rather, the lawn should smoothly transition into the house.

2. Have a Plan! A dangerous combination of excitement and hastiness can result in a landscaping disaster. Carefully plan every detail of your landscape, and don’t stray from the plan! Otherwise, you’ll end up with an ugly hodgepodge of design. Sudden, dramatic changes of design result in a spotted lawn where you had to dig up your mistakes.

Parts of the Plan:

Planting Techniques -- Prepping the Soil

Plants can be grown in almost any kind of soil. You just need to break up the soil so the roots can grow freely. Add lime and the proper nutrients suggested by your soil test report. The depth at which you plant is also important. Shrubs and trees need to be planted at the same depths as they were planted in their pots. Flower seeds and bulbs come with planting instructions, so follow the directions carefully!

Fertilization

Most shrubs and trees need to be fertilized early in the spring. There is such a thing as too much fertilizer, so use it with discretion.

Plant Selection

If there is an exotic plant you have your eye on, consult the USDA Hardiness Zone Map to see if the plan even has a chance of survival in your climate.

Plant Location

Once you have selected your plants, the next step is to decide where you want to plant them. Familiarize yourself with all aspects of your lawn. Where is it sunny all day? Where is there shade? Is the soil wet, or dry? Certain plants grow better in dry dirt with sunny conditions, while other plants need more shade and wet soil. Find out the needs of each plant and discover which plants your lawn can sustain. Also, remember that plants grow! Be sure to plant shrubs far enough away from each other so they have plenty of room to grow.

Be Brave!

There are certain, safe plants everyone uses in landscape because they are known to be hardy, cheap plants. Well, be brave and try something new! You’ll be the envy of the neighbors if you plant beautiful, exotic-looking plants on your front lawn.

3. Know Thy Budget. Plants can be expensive, especially if they are shipped into the country. Make a budget ahead of time, and be realistic about it. Don’t blow your entire budget on one plant.

4. To reiterate: Plants GROW! Make sure you know the exact size that tree will be five years from planting it. You don’t want a gigantic tree in front of your home, obscuring everything.

5. Straight Lines are Out. Traditional landscaping was all about grids and straight lines. That’s over. Experiment with curves! Make a plan with curving lines. It looks more natural and organic.