Though the winter weather continues to rage and it may be hard to believe, warmer weather is right around the corner. Soon it will be time to get out and do some serious digging in the dirt.
But if you don’t want to be the person in your neighborhood with “that” yard, you’ll want to avoid making some relatively common landscaping mistakes.
Failing to plan.
The best landscaping works with the space it’s in. It’s not minimalist, but it doesn’t try to do too much. It mixes different elements to create a pleasing atmosphere.
Unless you’re exceptionally lucky, you’re not going to make that happen without a plan.
It’s not even hard to make one. There are tons of planning apps and software packages that can make it easy as pie. Some will even let you take a picture of the space so you can work with the exact dimensions and shapes on your app long before you take a shovel to your yard.
See also: Get Your Landscape Planning Done Now!
Overestimating the amount of time you have.
Sure, you might daydream about lovingly tending your lush, beautiful garden for long, leisurely hours. Sort of the same way you might dream of creating the kinds of meals they make on reality TV cooking show competitions.
Meanwhile, you’re working 60 hours a week and have to take the kids to soccer.
If you aren’t realistic about your schedule you could end up with some really high-maintenance plants that will die quickly, or just look scraggly, without constant attention. Meanwhile, you could have been focusing on native plants, which need hardly any maintenance at all.
See also: 4 Reasons to Use Native Plants in Your Landscaping.
Overdoing anything.
Any element can become tedious if it’s overdone, no matter how beautiful or clever. The big culprits, though, are usually lawn decorations and upcycling.
You can get away with reusing maybe one or two clever upcycled items in your garden. Don’t fill the entire landscape with it, and really consider what you’re using. Some daisies growing out of a pair of rain boots can look whimsical and cute.
A giant plant springing out of an old toilet just looks tacky, and maybe even kind of terrifying.
Failing to get to know your plants.
Some plants love direct sunlight. Others wither in it. Some plants can tolerate shade. Others can’t.
And there are some even more basic things to remember about your plants. Are you planting perennials? They won’t need to be replaced next year if you treat them right. Planting annuals? Plan on buying them all over again next year.
If you’re buying plants from your local nursery they should have notes about what the plant needs and wants. You could also take a few moments to talk to the staff to see what they recommend.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to follow some of these awesome Wisconsin landscaping blogs, which will help you get even deeper into what your plants want and need.
Performing tasks out of season.
Need to move a tree? That’s for fall. Want to fertilize? That was fall, too.
In fact, a great many gardening tasks don’t happen in the spring at all. You’ll just waste time and energy by doing them now.
Check out Spring Cleaning for Your Landscape to find out what you should be doing.
Failing to get professional help when you need it.
Incredible hardscaping, planting roses, or installing a fence. There are just some tasks not everyone is suited to doing. There’s nothing wrong with not being a DIY maven or with having brown thumbs.
When that happens, you just need to reach out to professionals who do know what to do. Honestly evaluate your capabilities so you don’t waste time or energy. You’ll also eliminate the extra expense of forcing your professional to execute a “do-over.”
What are your plans for your garden this year? Let us know in the comments below!
