5 Landscaping Mistakes to Avoid
Having a well-landscaped yard can be like adding another living space to your home, serving as a place for family and friends to gather in the warmer months. Maintain peace, joy, and serenity in your outside spaces by avoiding these five common landscaping mistakes.
Failing to Prepare
The saying “measure twice, cut once,” is true when it comes to the world of landscaping for your home. Knowing your budget, property boundaries, topography, areas of shade and full sun, soil type and pH, among other things will help prevent headaches down the road. No one wants to dig up a garden bed because they accidentally planted part of it on their neighbor’s property rather than their own. Also, no one wants to be met by a perpetually drooping, unhappy plant because it was placed in alkaline soil when it needs acidic.
The University of Connecticut’s soil testing lab offers nutrient and soil pH testing for gardens, lawns, and landscaping. The standard nutrient analysis test, appropriate for most home gardeners and landscapers, is currently $15. You can download the instructions here.
2. Underestimating Plant Spacing Needs
Give your plants plenty of room to grow and create a sense of proportional balance by opting for wider beds rather than narrow skinny beds. Plant beds at least three feet wide and keep ample room around outdoor furniture, walkways, or other paved spaces to prevent over-crowding. Allow your plants, especially shrubs and perennials, time to mature and fill-in. Remember that too much or overgrown landscaping will detract from the beauty of your outdoor space.
3. Ignoring Water Needs & Drainage Considerations
Some plants like “wet feet” or roots. Some plants like “dry feet.” Knowing the areas of moisture on your property can help you not only pick the right plants for the right location, but help with drainage and runoff considerations. Pay attention to how landscaping will handle heavy rainstorms and ensure that drainage systems are in place, if necessary, to prevent water damage and erosion.
Plants can also be used to help with areas of run off or sogginess. Plants such as flag iris and water iris, Joe Pye weed, and marsh marigold thrive in moist locations and can help absorb moisture in areas that are over-saturated.
4. Forgetting Inside Spaces
What does the interior of your home have to do with the landscaping outside? Plenty. Pay attention to the views you have from the inside of your home looking out. Views from the kitchen window of a tidy herb garden or from the great room, where your family often gathers, of colorful garden beds, allow you to enjoy your landscaped spaces all of the time, rather than only when you are outside.
5. Failing to Consider Long-Term Maintenance
Overgrown landscapes often occur when we underestimate the time and attention required for their care. Things can get out of control when we’re drawn to elaborate landscaping elements or care-intensive plants without fully understanding the effort required to maintain them. To avoid this, research the maintenance needs of plants and landscaping elements before incorporating them into your design. Using low-maintenance plants and sustainable landscaping practices helps to ensure a beautiful and manageable outdoor spaces for years to come.
Article Sources:
Soil Testing Questionnaire & Instructions, UCONN, College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory
Growing conditions for flag iris, water iris, Joe Pye weed, and marsh marigold, Gardening Know How
I find The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust, which contains an appendix grouping perennials by their maintenance needs, to be a helpful resource. ** Please note that when you buy through this affiliate link, I may earn a commission.