Are you looking to boost your curb appeal and install a landscaping design to your property? DIY landscaping design can be fun but it’s a lot more work than it seems. Read more to learn the common landscape design mistakes and how to avoid them.
1. Not Having a Landscape Plan
Not having a cohesive plan is likely the most overlooked step when creating a landscaping design. You want your landscaping to provide your property with curb appeal. Without a proper plan, certain elements may not complement each other and may just appear chaotic looking rather than unified and balanced. In addition to color and balance, you’ll want to consider functionality. Are you planting shrubs where your kids like to play or installing a flower bed where passersby frequent? Jot down what you want to do to your property, ensuring everyone’s needs are met. You may also want to consider how future homeowners may use the yard if you’re thinking of selling in the future.
2. Not Setting a Budget
A big part of the planning stage is knowing how much you can afford on your landscaping project. You want to be well-informed about how much each element in your project costs so you can plan accordingly. Research and write down what you absolutely must-have in your landscape design. If you’re planning to install hardscapes throughout your property, keep in mind those are more costly. And if you don’t have the budget you need right now to complete your dream design, you can always complete your landscape project in phases.
3. Not Having Appropriate Irrigation
If you don’t have proper irrigation installed on your property now, you may want to include it in your landscaping project. Each plant in your design may require different watering needs in addition to sun exposure — and you may not want to dig up all of your plants later to install new irrigation lines. By having your irrigation lines installed while your landscaping project is being performed, you can also creatively conceal those lines.
4. Not Having Enough Space Between Plants
One important fact to keep in mind with plants is when you’re installing them in your yard, they’re smaller than they will be in a few years. This is because they haven’t reached their full maturity. Give them enough space to grow and expand. With shrubs and trees, keep them at least four feet away from your home. If you plant them too close they could disrupt your home’s foundation or siding. This also includes sidewalks and hardscapes. If you’re planting roses or other thorny plants, keep them well away from sidewalks and other areas where people frequent that way they won’t brush against them as they walk passed.
5. Not Understanding Plants
When creating a landscaping design, it’s important that you have a basic understanding of plants so you know how each one will perform. You’ll want to know if your plants or perennials or annuals, if they need a lot of sun or very little, and when they bloom.
6. Overlooking Your Landscape Lighting
You may have performed your landscape design planning during the day, but don’t forget you want to showcase all that beauty at night too! Think about what plants, shrubs, or hardscapes you want to highlight and utilize exterior lighting.
Avoid the Mistakes, Hire a Landscaping Company
Your yard is an extension of your home, in fact, it’s the first thing a person sees when arriving at your property. If you’re looking to add a beautifully-curated landscape design to your property, you may want to consider hiring a professional landscaping company like Grasshoppers. At Grasshoppers, we use state-of-the-art technology to ensure every detail of your project is perfect. We also install irrigation and perform hardscape design.
