With the warm months arriving at a rapid rate, it’s almost time for swimming and outdoor BBQs. Get your yard ready with the right design. Making your landscaping look great for guests isn’t as easy as it seems.
There’s a lot of work that goes into planning. If you fail to account for your budget or the features that you want, you’ll fall into common landscape design mistakes that many homeowners fall into.
These mistakes can be a little expensive to fix, so you’ll want to know how to avoid them. Keep reading to learn more about what you should and shouldn’t do.
1. Not Hiring a Professional
The more landscape design ideas you have, the harder it will be for you to handle them on your own. It will cost you a lot of time and money if you mess up.
That’s why you should consider getting a top-notch landscaping company on the job. They have all the tools and experience necessary to make all your yard dreams come true.
If you have no idea what you want to do as far as the design goes, they can take one look at your yard and come up with a long list of ideas.
2. Failing to Set a Proper Budget
Landscape design costs aren’t cheap. If you fail to plan a budget, you’ll kick yourself later when you have to stop the project halfway through due to a lack of funds.
Sit down and come up with a list of features that you may want in your yard. Once you have a good number of things written down, head to the internet to get a price on everything.
Make sure that you allow for a little wiggle room when you make your list. Every landscaping company is different when it comes to labor costs. You want to make sure you have enough money left over in the budget to hire a good business.
3. Starting Without a Plan in Mind
There are many things in life when “winging it” is a perfectly viable option. Remodeling your backyard isn’t one of those things. The result will be a little clunky if you’re just making things up as you go along.
Put some thought into it before you start planting shrubs and trees. If you can, try to sketch your ideas. This will give the contractors something to go by.
4. Springing for Common Features Because They’re Common
Sure, all your neighbors have a fountain, and they look cool, but do you need one? You shouldn’t spring for common features because they’re common.
This is a good way to waste valuable money that could have been put toward a much better feature. Every yard and homeowner is different.
Spring for features that suit you. Not another person.
5. Trying to Do Too Much
No matter how large your yard is, there’s only so much that it can hold. Don’t let your eyes get bigger than your space. If you try to cram a bunch of features into your design, nothing will work as it should.
You may end up having to crowd plants together, which is a good way to kill them. If you have a tiny yard, try using things that have multiple features. This will allow you to make the most use out of your yard without overcrowding the space.
6. Not Considering Plant Growth and Root Systems
You have to put a little thought into where you plant your trees and bushes. If you place them too close to your home, for example, the roots may destroy the foundation.
Plant things too close together and there will be a competition for nutrients. Some of your trees may die, which won’t do your yard any favors aesthetically.
If you place bushes too close to walkways, you’ll have to prune them every week or so to stop them from getting in the way. It can be a mess.
Plants also need sunlight to grow. Don’t try to grow a garden in an overly shaded area, or you won’t get the results that you’re looking for.
7. Using Too Many Lawn Ornaments
Having one or two lawn ornaments sitting outside can add a cute touch to any backyard. You don’t want to overdo it. It will distract guests from all the hard work that you put into your yard.
Before you decide to set a lawn ornament out, ask yourself what its purpose is. If you can’t come up with an answer, chances are you can go without it.
8. Trying to Be Symmetrical
Trimming your shrubs into symmetrical patterns is elegant. The problem is keeping it that way is a lot of work. Once you trim them into patterns once, you have to keep up with it.
You need the plants to stay matched. The second they don’t, your yard will look messy rather than fancy. You should also consider housing value.
It may be hard for you to sell your home if all your plants are perfectly symmetrical. Not many homeowners want to have to bother with that.
Landscape Design Mistakes Everyone Makes
With the warm months coming up, it’s important now more than ever to get your yard ready for guests. Make sure that you don’t make any of these common landscape design mistakes in your attempt.
If you do, it might cost you more money than your willing to dish out to fix it. Always come up with a plan and don’t forget to hire contractors to make all your backyard dreams come true.
Now that you have your yard looking the way you want it, it’s time to dress up the inside. Check out the Ideas section of our blog to get started.
