Common Landscaping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Perhaps the most common landscaping mistake is not to have a plan. Most people buy a plant on impulse because it looks pretty. Or they get cuttings from their friend’s garden. Then they take them home and stick it in the garden wherever there is a bare spot without stopping to find out the plant’s needs or how large it will be when mature.

The result is a hodgepodge of plants with no cohesion. Some may need pulling out, but have grown too big to remove easily. Others have roots that suck moisture out of the entire garden to the detriment of those plants around them. Some are never seen at their best because they are hidden behind something that grew bigger than expected.

Another mistake is to have an extensive lawn just because everyone else does. Do you love mowing that much? If not, replace the lawn with something else. Grow moss if your lawn is a shaded area. Moss is a natural plant for shade so why constantly try to eradicate it? Moss is beautiful.

Many gardeners plant for spring and summer, but when fall arrives their gardens are bare. Not planting for every season is a common mistake, but easily rectified. Think of colorful berries if fall flowers seem rare in your area. Arrowwood viburnum has beautiful fall foliage and blue berries in the fall. Red and gold berries are provided by the non-poisonous Sumac varieties.

Many of these shrubs grow quite tall, but if you want something a little shorter, go for ‘Tor’ spirea (Spiraea betulifolia ‘Tor’) which grows to 2-3 feet both tall and wide.

For winter, a flat white landscape needs to be broken up by planting trees and shrubs. There are many available, so choose those that you like best. Considerations may be the kind that catch snow in the branches, have berries, pretty bark and interesting branch shapes.

Once you have a great landscape, you need to water it adequately in the hot summer months, but what happens when you go on holidays? Is all your hard work and expense left to frizzle up? The installation of an automatic watering system will ensure that this does not happen. It will also save you time and effort when you are at home.

Other problems cannot always be eliminated, so you need to work with what you have. If deer are a problem in your area, plant those kinds of shrubs and trees that do not attract them. If you have steep, rocky ground then work with it instead of against it. Growing plants suited to the environment is a less expensive option than trying to change what is there.

Don’t forget to make your landscape area into something that will fit your lifestyle. If you resent the time and effort that must be put into upkeep, or have nowhere for the children to play safely, you can change it to suit you with a little forethought and planning.

Get This Great MP3 Audio & E-book!

Tips for Designing a Planting Pattern Before you can design a planting pattern for your garden, you’ll need to walk ...
read more

How to Select Trees and Shrubs for Your Yard The type of trees and shrubs you select for your yard ...
read more

How to Incorporate Colorful Plants in Your Design There are many ways of achieving color in your garden. It doesn’t ...
read more

Tips for Choosing Groundcover and Grasses The type of groundcovers and grasses that you choose will be determined by your ...
read more

Tips for Creating a Low Maintenance Landscape A low maintenance landscape or garden is the ideal solution for those people ...
read more

Common Landscaping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Perhaps the most common landscaping mistake is not to have a plan. ...
read more

How to Create an English Style Landscape English style landscapes are famed for their romantic appeal. Softly curving pathways lead ...
read more

Creating an Asian Style Landscape An Asian style landscape will fit into a very small or a very large area, ...
read more

How to Create an Italian Style Landscape An Italian or Mediterranean style landscape is one with an abundance of heat-loving ...
read more

How to Plan a Landscape for Easy Outdoors Entertaining Outdoor entertaining can be a dream or a nightmare, depending on ...
read more

What Do You Want Your Landscaping to Do for You? Before you start any landscaping work, it’s a good idea ...
read more

Great Features to Add to Your Landscape Design There are many wonderful features you can add to your landscape design ...
read more

How Climate Should Affect Your Landscape Choices The choices you make for your landscape design will be influenced to a ...
read more

Tips for Improving Your Home’s Resale Value with Landscaping It’s true that landscaping can improve a home’s resale value greatly. ...
read more

How to Create Outdoors ‘Rooms’ with Landscaping It is possible to create divisions in your outdoors area so that it ...
read more

Landscaping Maintenance Tips There are always maintenance chores to do in a landscaping project, no matter how low-maintenance you have ...
read more

Landscaping Tips for Families and Pet Owners If you have pets or small children - or even larger children, you ...
read more

How to Find a Landscape Style that Suits Your Life and Home Before you begin on any landscaping activity, think ...
read more

How to Create a Realistic Landscaping Budget All landscaping requires a budget so planning one is essential, especially if there ...
read more

What Work Can You Do Yourself? The work you do yourself will depend on your ability and skills - and ...
read more

When Should You Hire Professionals for Projects? Professionals have the right equipment to do heavy work - and they have ...
read more

Tips for Planning Walls and Fences Before you rush out and build that fence or wall, you need to know ...
read more

Tips for Planning Pathways Most landscaping designs include pathways. Having a pathway can save you getting wet or muddy shoes ...
read more

Tips for Designing Patios and Decks A deck or patio is what makes a house a home. It frees up ...
read more

How to Create a Drainage System for Your Landscaping Good drainage is important for carrying excess water away from buildings, ...
read more

Increase Your Home's Curb Appeal with Front Yard Landscaping Ideas Whether you are selling your home or you just want ...
read more

Simple and Easy Landscaping Around a Patio While a patio is a wonderful addition to any yard, for the best ...
read more

You'll Love These Backyard Landscaping Ideas Do you have a nice backyard but you just haven't decided what to do ...
read more