No Specific Landscape Design
You can't expect a spectacular landscape if you don't have a specific landscape design when you start out planting your trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Random planting won't be good for your house because you might put the plants too close to the foundation, the colors of the blooms may work against the house paint instead of enhance it, certain plants attract certain insects and rodents.
Landscaping doesn't mean planting what you want where you want. A stunning backyard or front lawn means serious landscape design or landscape planning. This means knowing what the possible colors of the blooms will be, which plant goes for the shade, which shrubs are good for a natural fence or hedge, etc. So before you go ahead with your landscaping, sit down and draw a rough layout or rough sketch of your landscape design.
Plants are too close to the house
When shrubs and most especially trees or small trees are planted too close to the house, they eventually interfere with the house's foundations or walls. At the very least, plants should be three feet away from the house. Nothing ruins a landscape design than tree roots breaking through the wall or the stone path or the porch floor.
Plant Death by soil choke
One of the most common landscaping mistakes is planting shrubs and trees too deeply that there's no room for air to pass through the roots. It's a myth that a lot of soil is good. Not exactly. Just as plants need sufficient food, water and sunlight, they also need sufficient air circulation around their roots.
Random Fertilizing
You can't just go out and buy some fertilizer and apply it over your landscape. There's a minor science to fertilizing the lawn or yard. You first need a soil test to know if your soil is acidic or lacking in nutrients. A soil test will help you determine what kind of fertilizer, how much fertilizer and how often you should fertilize. Random fertilizing will leave your landscaping with bald patches because it might be actually toxic for your plants. Or you can have a portion of the landscape so lush while other parts are threadbare. Knowing correct fertilizing methods results in a healthy balance for your plants and a prettier landscape.
Every plant has its hardiness level and zone. Be sure to select plants that belong to your zone. Check listings at your local nursery. This way, your plants will most surely grow and thrive where you plant them and your landscaping won't suffer from dead-looking or scraggly plants.
Random watering
If there is random fertilizing of your landscaped yard or lawn, there is also such a thing as random watering. This means you're either watering too often or you aren't watering long enough. Again, just like in fertilizing, soil type is a huge factor. The kind of soil you have significantly determines when and how much watering is needed. Unless you have a computerized sprinkler system where you can digitally set when and how much water is released on the lawn at a particular season, automatic sprinklers can be the death of your landscaping.
Disregarding outdoor lighting
Your landscape looks great in the daylight--a beautiful balance between profusion of colors and cool shady spots. But what happens when the sun goes down and it slowly turns dark? Scattered lighting might just cast an eerie glow on the landscape. Pay attention to what kind of outdoor lighting will highlight the best spots on the yard or lawn. Having the right kind of lights will either put a romantic mood to your place or add a touch of whimsy. Landscaping isn't just about plants; it's also about the lighting.
To get the most enjoyment from your landscaping, always remember these important factors. Keeping them in mind will save you time, effort and most especially, money.
Kate Latierra is a freelance writer and blogger who writes just about anything from landscaping and landscape design to web marketing and website design. She also writes about hiking and hiking trails. Kate is a nature explorer and enjoys long nature walks as well as urban hikes.
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