Avoid These Mistakes When Landscaping Your Yard

Landscaping your yard enables you to have your own little slice of paradise. Depending on your goals, you can admire your plants, walk barefoot on the grass, entertain your family and friends, or simply have a private space to reflect and relax. 

Landscaping is overall a positive experience, especially when it reaches the completion stage, and you can finally enjoy it. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not possible to make mistakes before you get to that point. If you’re new to landscaping and want the process to go off without a hitch, avoid these common mistakes: 

Not Performing Research

If you’re a complete landscaping novice, starting the landscaping process without first performing research can be a big mistake. Without reading a landscape design and build guide, talking to experts, or even hiring the experts, you risk doing things like planting the wrong plants, planting trees in unsuitable spaces, and designing a yard that’s not future-proofed. 

A small amount of research and planning goes a long way. Talk to friends and family with beautifully landscaped properties, read landscaping guides, and talk to garden store workers. You may be surprised by how much knowledge you obtain that sets you up for future success. 

Choosing Plants That Don’t Fit Your Climate

Not all plants suit all environments, soil types, and climates. By not researching varieties that suit your local climate, you risk spending a significant sum of money on plants that ultimately die. 

Instead, perform research before visiting your local plant nursery. Find out about the type of soil you have and the expected weather patterns and temperatures. Most plants are categorized by zone – specifically, the USDA plant hardiness zones: 

• Zones 3-5 (Cold): Average annual minimum winter temperatures ranging from -40°F to -10°F
• Zones 6-7 (Moderate): Average annual minimum winter temperatures ranging from -10°F to 10°F
• Zones 8-10+ (Warm): Average annual minimum winter temperatures ranging from 10°F to 60°F+ 

Overplanting

Visiting a nursery can be exciting. There are so many wonderful plants to choose from! As a result, many eager gardeners make the mistake of overloading their gardens with a vast range of them. 

As beautiful as a garden bursting with color can be, overplanting is a genuine issue. Small plants can look sparse in your soil at first, but they later grow large and compete for space and nutrients. Instead, exercise restraint when making your plant purchases, despite your desire for a vibrant oasis. Plant them far enough apart to allow for their mature size. 

Not Hiring the Experts

Creating a garden or entire landscaped property from scratch is a significant undertaking. There is much to think about, like soil quality, drainage, plant varieties, and future maintenance. Despite how much is involved, many people travel down the DIY route to save money.

While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to save money, inexperience can mean you end up spending more to fix the mistakes you made the first time around. By hiring a landscaper, you can enjoy the landscape you dreamed of from the beginning. 

No gardener is perfect, and even seasoned professionals make mistakes. However, awareness of the most common mistakes can serve you well. The more you know, the easier it can be to avoid making those same mistakes.