Achievement in home landscape design is certainly attainable for do-it-yourselfers, but there are some problems that must be steered clear of if maximum satisfaction is to be accomplished. Therefore the requirement for this list of 10 mistakes to avoid in home landscape design. The boo-boos covered range from miscalculations that have practical implications to more refined inaccuracies that negatively impact your delight in your home landscape design.
1. Random Planting: Failure to Have a Plan
Many home landscape designs spring up helter-skelter. A plant is planted somewhere in the yard merely because there is room for it there at the time. Ideally, it is smart to begin from scratch, draw a plan for the whole yard, and stick to it. Short of that, try at least to sketch a rough plan for one large area of your yard, and put every last drop of your energy into implementing that plan this year.
2. Having a Lawn Just Because "Everyone Else Does It"
Many house owners make the error of presuming that having a grassy area in the yard chosen as "the lawn" is somehow an obligatory part of home landscape design. But historically speaking, the grass as we know it's a comparatively recent addition to landscaping. For those not drawn to that rather one-dimensional "green carpet" look or who dislike having to mow grass every week, it is very important to know that other good options exist, particularly for little spaces. Whose yard is it, anyway?
3. Insufficient Fall Color in Your Home Landscape Design
Spring and summer receive the majority of our attention when it comes to planting. Sadly, it's easy to forget to plant for fall. Yet the decline season holds large bonuses for those landscaping fans prepared to arrange plans for it. Don't permit your home landscape design to miss out on the colours offered by autumn's bounty!
4. Absence of Winter Interest in Your Home Landscape Design
If the autumn season is often neglected in home landscape design, matters stand twice as bad with the winter season. Yet in the North, it is precisely in wintertime that we most need a yard decor that will bring us cheer.
5. Failing to Irrigate
Many of us face a dilemma: we enjoy having plants in our yards, but we like to travel during the summer. So how do the plants get watered while we're gone? Sometimes a pal or relative can come to the rescue, but why chance it? There is a lot tied up in your home landscape design, both by way of cash and sentimental value. But do not ditch your travel plans! Just install an automatic irrigation system in your landscape design.
6. Planting on a Hillside Subject to Erosion
Have you got a sheer slope in your yard? Is it difficult to keep your topsoil there during a heavy rain? Have you tried growing your favourite plants there pointlessly? The problem is that you failed to fix your erosion problem prior to planting. Build a retaining wall first, then do your planting afterwards.
7. Failure to Work With What You HaveDo you have a rocky yard? A yard with plenty of shade? Or maybe your yards problem is a punishing summer heat that scorches all in its trail? Occasionally you can successfully fight the terrain you inherit in your yard, as in the case of building supporting walls for slopes to fight erosion. Other times, instead of fighting it, it's better to go with the flow and work with what you have. The key is to know what you're up against and what options you have.
8. Failure to Incorporate Deer-Resistant Plants in Your Home Landscape Design
You might think you have arrived at the best home landscape design. You carefully drew up a plan and stuck to it. The soil is productive, you've installed automatic irrigation, you've followed directions faithfully in planting your specimens, and you've applied a generous layer of mulch around them. But you come out of the house one day" and find your plants in shreds! What occurred? You forgot one thing: deer can make a snack of your plants faster than you can say, "Bambi goes to market."
9. You Never Get Anything Done in the Yard Because Tools Are Never Convenient
The best way to get next to nothing done in the yard is to realise you need a tool" only to realize that you can't find it! If you don't have enough space for storage, chances are your tools will all be rammed into one little area (maybe a corner of the garage), making it difficult to keep the area accessible and the tools arranged. What you want is a storage shed. The more you put off getting adequate storage, the longer you'll be disorganized" and the further you will fall behind in your yard work.
10. Forgetting Functionality in Home Landscape Design
When one thinks about home landscape design,. It is aesthetic concerns that straight away spring to mind. Functionality , however , takes precedence over aesthetics. There isn't any reason you should not be well placed to have both; but when push comes to shove, one has to be more concerned that a home landscape design is safe, convenient and serviceable.
Now you know a few of the problems and what to avoid, you need to decide if your landscaping is a do-it-yoursef project or whether it would be best to hire a professional landscaper.
1. Random Planting: Failure to Have a Plan
Many home landscape designs spring up helter-skelter. A plant is planted somewhere in the yard merely because there is room for it there at the time. Ideally, it is smart to begin from scratch, draw a plan for the whole yard, and stick to it. Short of that, try at least to sketch a rough plan for one large area of your yard, and put every last drop of your energy into implementing that plan this year.
2. Having a Lawn Just Because "Everyone Else Does It"
Many house owners make the error of presuming that having a grassy area in the yard chosen as "the lawn" is somehow an obligatory part of home landscape design. But historically speaking, the grass as we know it's a comparatively recent addition to landscaping. For those not drawn to that rather one-dimensional "green carpet" look or who dislike having to mow grass every week, it is very important to know that other good options exist, particularly for little spaces. Whose yard is it, anyway?
3. Insufficient Fall Color in Your Home Landscape Design
Spring and summer receive the majority of our attention when it comes to planting. Sadly, it's easy to forget to plant for fall. Yet the decline season holds large bonuses for those landscaping fans prepared to arrange plans for it. Don't permit your home landscape design to miss out on the colours offered by autumn's bounty!
4. Absence of Winter Interest in Your Home Landscape Design
If the autumn season is often neglected in home landscape design, matters stand twice as bad with the winter season. Yet in the North, it is precisely in wintertime that we most need a yard decor that will bring us cheer.
5. Failing to Irrigate
Many of us face a dilemma: we enjoy having plants in our yards, but we like to travel during the summer. So how do the plants get watered while we're gone? Sometimes a pal or relative can come to the rescue, but why chance it? There is a lot tied up in your home landscape design, both by way of cash and sentimental value. But do not ditch your travel plans! Just install an automatic irrigation system in your landscape design.
6. Planting on a Hillside Subject to Erosion
Have you got a sheer slope in your yard? Is it difficult to keep your topsoil there during a heavy rain? Have you tried growing your favourite plants there pointlessly? The problem is that you failed to fix your erosion problem prior to planting. Build a retaining wall first, then do your planting afterwards.
7. Failure to Work With What You HaveDo you have a rocky yard? A yard with plenty of shade? Or maybe your yards problem is a punishing summer heat that scorches all in its trail? Occasionally you can successfully fight the terrain you inherit in your yard, as in the case of building supporting walls for slopes to fight erosion. Other times, instead of fighting it, it's better to go with the flow and work with what you have. The key is to know what you're up against and what options you have.
8. Failure to Incorporate Deer-Resistant Plants in Your Home Landscape Design
You might think you have arrived at the best home landscape design. You carefully drew up a plan and stuck to it. The soil is productive, you've installed automatic irrigation, you've followed directions faithfully in planting your specimens, and you've applied a generous layer of mulch around them. But you come out of the house one day" and find your plants in shreds! What occurred? You forgot one thing: deer can make a snack of your plants faster than you can say, "Bambi goes to market."
9. You Never Get Anything Done in the Yard Because Tools Are Never Convenient
The best way to get next to nothing done in the yard is to realise you need a tool" only to realize that you can't find it! If you don't have enough space for storage, chances are your tools will all be rammed into one little area (maybe a corner of the garage), making it difficult to keep the area accessible and the tools arranged. What you want is a storage shed. The more you put off getting adequate storage, the longer you'll be disorganized" and the further you will fall behind in your yard work.
10. Forgetting Functionality in Home Landscape Design
When one thinks about home landscape design,. It is aesthetic concerns that straight away spring to mind. Functionality , however , takes precedence over aesthetics. There isn't any reason you should not be well placed to have both; but when push comes to shove, one has to be more concerned that a home landscape design is safe, convenient and serviceable.
Now you know a few of the problems and what to avoid, you need to decide if your landscaping is a do-it-yoursef project or whether it would be best to hire a professional landscaper.
About the Author:
Jim Bextermueller owns of HomeServicesLink, a Cincinnati, Ohio firm that connects homeowners to landscaping and home-improvement contractors and repair service providers they can trust to do the work and trust in their home.
