Landscaping Mistakes You Should Avoid
Well-planned and well-maintained landscaping can completely change a home’s value and curb appeal. However, many things can go wrong due to a lack of experience, improper planning, and other outside influences. Here are eight all-too-common landscaping mistakes you must avoid to ensure your project’s success and sustainability.
Photo by Dianne
1. Not Understanding the Project Needs and Requirements
The first mistake to watch out for is not meeting the project’s needs and requirements. These can incorporate various factors, such as the budget, materials, design layout, and time. Each element is vital to the success of an excellent landscaping job — failing to account for them can lead to many avoidable struggles down the line.
For instance, not sticking to the budget and splurging before the project breaks ground can be a problem if there are unforeseen issues later. Not planning out the design layout can become messy if there isn’t any idea of where the materials should go. Before beginning a job, it is critical to outline every possible requirement and stick to it instead of looking for shortcuts or expansions.
2. Not Having a Flexible Schedule
Almost every landscaping project encounters unexpected delays. Sudden storms, equipment malfunctions, and safety hazards have always been thorns on the sides of landscapers. Now, they also have to worry about supply chain issues and labor shortages slowing their projects. You must have a flexible schedule to account for these potential delays.
The landscaping contractor you hire will greatly appreciate an adjustable timeline. It puts less pressure on them to meet a specific deadline, which makes for a better-finished product. You can also supervise the project’s progress more closely and make small changes based on the contractor’s advice. Good things take time.
3. Forgetting to Account for Inclement Weather
Inclement weather isn’t just a potential delay during the project’s early stages — it remains an essential factor indefinitely. Will the finished product be able to withstand heavy winds, rainfall, snow, ice and other forms of bad weather? Can it last through all four seasons without requiring you to make significant adjustments?
Make sure you incorporate strong weather-resistant materials into your landscaping project. Hardscape structures such as fences and stone walls will help protect the plants. You can’t expect your landscaping to escape harsh weather unscathed, but you can take measures to minimize the damage.
4. Underestimating the Project’s Scope
Landscaping projects experience the most significant delays when the homeowner or contractor underestimates the project’s scope. Even the most routine tasks — such as flower bed installations or tree removals — can widely vary in terms of the required funds, labor, and materials. You can’t afford to guestimate these factors.
It would be best if you took the time to calculate precise totals for your project. This attention to detail prevents shoddy workmanship and ensures the project stays on schedule, barring any external delays. Every moving part of the project must be accounted for before the contractor breaks ground.
5. Not Making the Project Eco-Friendly
Many landscaping projects end up being counterintuitive. Rather than complementing the surrounding environment, they add unnecessary strain to it. They can disrupt the growth of native plant species, invite foreign insect or animal infestations and introduce harsh chemicals that contaminate the soil.
You need to make sure your project improves your property’s environment. Planting trees and shrubs helps regulate your yard’s temperature and provides extra cover for your shade-loving plants. They also provide safe habitats for local animal species that help the ecosystem thrive. Birds, bees, predatory insects, and other small critters are more beneficial than most people realize.
6. Neglecting Children and Pets
Neglecting to account for children and pets can lead to injuries and even death in some cases. Young kids, dogs, and cats may try to eat the newly installed plants, so you must avoid poisonous plant species that may harm their health. This advice also applies to people who plan on having children or adopting pets in the future.
You should also consider including kid-friendly features, such as a special type of thick grass, a swing set, or a sandbox. You might not need these accessories now, but your family might expand soon. It’s crucial for homeowners to have a long-term outlook on their landscaping projects.
Multipurpose areas with tanbark, gravel, artificial grass, and other safe materials are also great for children and pets. They can run around outside freely with minimal threats to their physical well-being. Landscaping materials that won’t get urine stains from pets are another factor to consider.
7. Failing to Establish Proper Drainage
You never know if a landscaping project is truly successful until the first rainfall. Failure to establish proper drainage creates puddles and swampy areas that can ruin your entire yard or garden. These areas must slope away from the house and have no standalone low-lying areas that might create puddles.
Running water is one of the most potent forces in nature. It can be strong enough to uproot plants and damage hardscaping features. Ironically, water is one of the greatest threats to your landscaping project, so you must allow for proper drainage.
8. Not Tracking the Sun
Plants have a wide variety of moisture and sunlight requirements. Failing to track the sun concerning your project could cause you to choose the wrong spots for your plants. Ensure you observe the parts of your yard that get the most sunlight. This basic analysis helps you get the plant placement right the first time and avoids having to uproot them later on.
It’s also important to note the areas with the most shade. Some plant species prefer fully shaded environments and wither under constant sunlight exposure. These are popular for home gardens because they require minimal maintenance, take up empty space and brighten up dark spots.
Landscape Like a Pro
Nature is unpredictable, so you won’t be able to avoid all delays and shortcomings. You only have complete control over your actions. Take your time during the planning stage to avoid these rookie mistakes and you’ll be landscaping like a pro after a few projects.
Author: Olivia Elsher is a Senior Writer & Editorial Manager at Renovated. She has 5+ years of expertise writing about home improvement, maintenance, and landscaping/gardening related topics.
