5 Landscaping Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Real estate experts believe that great landscaping can increase the value of your home. In fact, well-landscaped homes could add up to 13% to your property value. Beyond value, a well-landscaped home looks great and is the envy of a neighbourhood.

However, there are many mistakes that could erode the return on your landscaping investment. Read on to learn all about common landscaping design mistakes. Explore five design mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Patience Is Key

The most common mistake that homeowners make is buying mature shrubs and trees. When planting, patience is the key to the best landscaping results.

Instead, you should purchase shrubs and trees in the earlier development stages. This approach is going to save you a lot of money and increase your return on investment.

For instance, a one-gallon potted plant costs a fraction of a five-gallon one. Within a year or two, there will be little noticeable difference between the infant and mature plants.

2. Follow Spacing Recommendations

Plant growers know exactly how tall and wide their product is going to get. This is the reason they put spacing recommendations on the label.

The last thing you want is plants overlapping each other and turning into unorganized chaos. Instead, your shrubs and trees should have room to breathe.

It will also save you time in maintenance and upkeep. If your plants are too close together, you will be routinely trimming and cutting plants back. Trees that are too close to the house will cause issues as well.

3. Research Shrubs and Flowers

Before planting, you should research shrubs and flowers. Are you purchasing perennials or annuals? You should only purchase annuals if you are prepared to replant and change it up each year.

Also, see what type of climate that they thrive in. How much sun do they need to survive and thrive? You need to observe sun patterns around your home before deciding where shrubs and flowers are planted.

4. Overlooking Erosion Issues

Not every property is built on a nice, flat piece of land. Even relatively flat properties have slopes and pitched land. Unfortunately, many homeowners overlook soil erosion and their mulch beds are washed away.

You can avoid erosion issues by building a retaining wall. This wall will prevent topsoil and mulch from running into the yard during heavy rains or wind.

5. Don’t Forget the Infrastructure

There is more to landscaping than meets the eye. Behind your landscape is an infrastructure that maintains it and shows it off. Here are some examples of landscaping infrastructure.

You should ensure all your shrubs and flowers receive enough water. This means installing an irrigation system. It is crucial to have this infrastructure on a hot day or when you are away on vacation.

Another important piece of landscaping infrastructure is lighting. You want to enjoy neighbours and friends to marvel at your landscape even at night. This is where spotlights, string lighting, and other illuminating tools come in.

A Recap of Common Landscaping Design Mistakes

These are just a few of the common mistakes that are made. It is critical to know what you are planting and build the infrastructure around it.