Common Landscaping Mistakes to Avoid

There are a number of common landscaping mistakes a person can make while attempting to beautify their yard. These mistakes can range from garish design choices to actions, or failures to act, that harm the health of grass and other plant life.

Landscaping is a balance between aesthetic additions to a space and choices that allow a yard’s natural beauty to speak for itself. Lawn ornamentation can allow property owners to express their personal styles, but excessive lawn ornamentation can result in a confusing or cluttered design space. Every ornament should be selected for a purpose and placed with intention, particularly in relation to existing ornaments and the overall look and feel of the environment. There is nothing wrong with a humorous or whimsical lawn ornament, but one or two of these additions will speak more clearly than a dozen.

At the same time, landscaping enthusiasts should avoid too much of the same thing in one space. This is both a visual and horticultural tip, as different plants are more pleasing to the eye while attracting different pollinators to the yard.

A good deal of landscaping involves aesthetic choices. However, landscaping decisions should also be practical. For example, gardens and flower boxes must be placed in such a way that they receive the proper amount of sunlight and precipitation. Individual plants and trees have distinct requirements that must also be taken into account during planting season. For instance, a bed of hibiscus might look perfect alongside a shaded front walkway. However, hibiscus requires large amounts of sunlight and will struggle to survive in a shady part of the yard.

Gardening and lawn maintenance provide property owners with plenty of chances to make landscaping mistakes. Some individuals may believe that the more soil a tree has around it, the better. In reality, planting a plant or tree too deeply is one of the quickest ways to kill it. On the other hand, many homeowners love a well-kept lawn. But cutting grass too frequently or too short can expose the lawn, making it more susceptible to pests and disease.

Other common landscaping mistakes include selecting pots that are too small or large for the plants and failing to properly fertilize and water a lawn. They also include overlooking the potential impact of local wildlife and seasonal changes, and underestimating the cost and time commitment of a specific landscaping project.

Inadequate recycling practices can spell an altogether different kind of trouble for home and business owners. Outdoor spaces produce various kinds of waste, including dead branches and lawn clippings. Shredders are one of the simplest ways to dispose of such debris in an eco-friendly manner. Not only does recycling debris prevent harmful waste from building up throughout a yard, but the shredded debris can be turned into an effective fertilizer for the lawn or mulch to put around bushes and trees.

While many decisions regarding landscaping involve aesthetics and lawn health, homeowners should not overlook the fact that they should be able to take joy in their own hard work.