Some Common Landscaping Mistakes

Now that the warm weather is here, your mind might turn to fixing up your garden or getting your lawn in order. While it’s easy to get excited while walking through your local garden center, it’s important to invest some time in simple planning before you start planting. From unnecessary decoration, to a lack of proper planning for your plants, some common mistakes can make it harder for plants to grow where you want them to. Here are a few of the most common errors, and how you can avoid them when making your own landscaping plans.

Plan Before You Plant

Landscape renovation starts with planning. Whether you are doing the work on your own, or you’re hiring contractors from a landscaping company, you need to plan what you are doing before you break any dirt. This is more than a simple matter of planting for the right amount of sunlight. You have to also consider:

• future growth of the plant, and other plants around it
• the plant’s impact on water or utility lines underground
• how a plant may shade or hide windows
• how you will irrigate the plant
• deer and other pests that can harm a new plant
• traffic patterns on your property, like existing sidewalks or slopes, that can impact plantings

Before you start to buy, take a walk along your street. What is thriving in your neighbors’ front yards? Every property is different, but if your homes face the same direction, it can give you a starting point in choosing plants. Compile a list of plants you like and bring it with you to the garden center. It is easy to get caught up in the variety of beautiful flowers and shrubs for sale and end up going over budget.

Maintenance Mistakes

Another mistake that home landscapers make is with maintenance techniques such as cutting the grass too low. Every grass variety has its own requirements. Bring a clump of grass with you to your local nursery. A professional should be able to tell you what variety it is and its requirements for care and feeding.

Improper pruning techniques are another issue. Most homeowners can handle simple pruning jobs like boxwood hedges. But when it comes to trees, let a professional handle the job. Professional landscapers understand the right time, technique and tools for a pruning job. A healthy tree can add thousands of dollars to your property’s value, so professional pruning to keep trees healthy is a solid investment.

Forgetting TLC

It can be stressful being a new plant. Help your new landscaping off to a good start by fertilizing when you plant and watering frequently for the first few weeks. Keep an eye out for disease and insect pests that could prove deadly to a new plant – or worse, be introduced from a new plant into your garden.

The Wrong Tools

Finally, remember that having the right tools is important for both garden installation and maintenance. Keep pruning tools clean by wiping them after use, and sharpen regularly with a sharpening stone. Keep other hand tools clean and rust-free by storing them in a bucket of oiled sand. Using quality tools in good condition will make any gardening job much easier.