Good landscaping is one of the best ways to add value to your property. Bad landscaping, on the other hand, not only hurts property value—it can also be painful to look at. Even if you’re not planning to sell your home, updating your landscape helps you enjoy your home more. Before you attempt to landscape your property, take a look at some of the most common landscaping mistakes below. By avoiding these mistakes you’ll be much happier with the finished project.
Starting The Project Without A Plan
Beginning any project without a plan is a bad idea. This is true whether you’re landscaping or going on vacation. Before you plant trees, for instance, think about whether you’ll be satisfied with those trees 10 or 20 years in the future. Trees grow for a lifetime while a simple flower garden may only last a season. If you have trouble picturing what you want your landscape to look like, you should consider hiring a landscape architect. A landscape architect can help you design your future landscape and give you advice on what plants you should purchase.
Not Leaving Enough Space
If you plant shrubs or perennials you should plant them in groups. However, if you don’t give the individual plants enough space to grow, then they will appear overcrowded when they grow larger. An overcrowded landscape means that each plant has more competition for water and sunlight. When you space young plants correctly, it might not look pretty at first. Yet in three years when the plants mature, they will fill in the available space and still have room to grow.
Not Paying Attention To Zones
When looking through garden magazines it can be easy to be seduced by the plants you see. However, you have to keep in mind the hardiness zone that you live in and the hardiness zone of the plants you purchase. If you don’t pay attention to hardiness zone and purchase plants that look pretty online or in a magazine, you’ll be disappointed when winter comes and those plants die.
Failing To Plan For Each Season
If you only plant your favorite plant or flower, your landscape will look boring. Yes, your yard may look beautiful when everything blooms, but once the season changes your yard won’t have any color until the blooming season returns. Instead, plant something for each season. Then you will have color throughout the entire year.