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Mistakes you might be making when it comes to landscaping
When it comes to landscaping, there are a lot of mistakes you might be making without even realizing it. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled the most common errors so that you can avoid them in your backyard design.
From not considering drainage at all to planting an entire strip of trees with no room between each one, these are just some of the more egregious blunders homeowners make when they don’t know any better or have never been trained on how to landscape properly. It doesn’t matter if this is your first time creating a garden bed from scratch or if you’re an experienced plant breeder who’s looking for new ideas – our list will help teach anyone the basics about what makes good landscaping great and why it matters!
Not planning enough space for plants to grow
By failing to provide adequate space between plants, you’re not only restricting the root development of your plants but also their access to water and sunlight. Without those two key ingredients in a plant’s diet, it will quickly wilt and die… leaving behind a big mess that you’ll have to clean up for weeks! To avoid this mistake, be sure that each species is allotted its root zone as well as its section of garden or hardscape where the foliage has both room to stretch out and sufficient light exposure. If possible, look into trees with shallow root systems. While they won’t provide much shade on there own relative to other species, planting a concentrated strip along a garden or walkway will help shade plants that are planted on the ground.
- Plant your trees 10 feet away from driveways, sidewalks, and building foundations
- Plant your shrubs 5 to 6 feet apart if you plan on pruning them regularly
- Leave 2 to 3 feet between perennials
- Divide grasses into three sections separated by hardscape elements like rocks, fences, patios etc.
It doesn’t matter how much water your plant is given or how big its root zone is – without sufficient light exposure, it’s not going to grow properly! Therefore, be sure that you’re taking a look at where the sun travels throughout the day before settling on a location for new plants. Even if you can’t see the sun during most of the day, plants still need indirect light exposure to photosynthesize and survive comfortably. Plants with ample shade exposure might even outgrow those that are given more sunlight! So be sure to check daily weather forecasts and always cast your eyes skyward when designing a garden bed to avoid this mistake, as well as many others like it.
Trying to fix poor soil drainage with expensive topsoil
When it comes to landscaping and gardening, water drainage is an essential part of the design process because if it’s not done properly, your plants will begin dying off almost immediately after installation. Why? Because they will essentially drown from their root zone being submerged in moisture for prolonged periods. While poor drainage might be part of the reason your plants are withering, taking a look at how you’re altering soil composition can also help you determine if this is the case or not! For new garden beds and landscaping ideas, some people choose to use pre-mixed topsoil as a way to amend poor quality earth but even though it’s an effective option for those who want to improve their existing landscape quickly and cheaply, it doesn’t always lead to better results when used alone.
- The best way to improve drainage without disturbing your existing soil is by adding organic material like compost or peat moss
- To reduce water retention in non-porous soils, try mixing in sand or perlite to reduce drainage time
- For clay soil, try adding gypsum or calcium carbonate until it becomes more porous and able to drain water easily
- If you’re still having trouble after all of this, consider using heavy-duty lattice girders connected to posts buried in your garden bed that are strong enough to hold the weight of your hardscape elements.
Planting flowers that will grow too tall for their location
As tempting as it might be to cram as many plants into your landscaping space as possible, doing so is a good way to waste money because most perennials tend to outgrow their current location quickly. This means more money spent on transplanting shrubs and flowerbeds which can become expensive after several years of doing it over and over again. So if your landscaping budget is limited (and let’s face it, who isn’t?) then you’re better off spacing out your flowers at the right distance, to begin with. If you have an existing garden bed that doesn’t have evenly spaced elements, eye up to where plants are being crowded together before removing them so you can plan accordingly!
Fertilizing grass but not other lawn care products
Crabgrass likes to grow all year round, so it should come as no surprise that fertilizers are designed to help kill off this pesky weed quickly which means less work for homeowners. However, while fertilizer might be effective at killing crabgrass, don’t just assume that it will take care of all of your lawn’s problems. You see, fertilizers are designed to alter soil composition which means that if you use them, there’s a chance that they can cause additional weed growth in addition to killing off crabgrass! So just be aware of what kind of fertilizer product you’re using and how it’ll help or hurt your landscape to avoid these types of mistakes when landscaping your backyard.
Avoid using too many different types of plants - stick with one type per area so there's consistency throughout the yard
The design of your yard can affect the way you feel about it. For example, having a variety of different plants in one area will make the space look busy and unorganized. It’s important to stick with one type of plant per area so there is consistency throughout the yard. This also allows for more creativity when choosing new plants because they all work well together without clashing colors or styles. A great idea is to use low-maintenance plants, like succulents, which are easy to grow and require little care. Areas that need lots of shade should have dark green leafy plants while areas in direct sunlight should be filled with brightly colored flowers or vegetables that bring joy into your life every day!
