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8 Significant Landscaping Errors

If you’ve spent a bit of time contemplating landscaping at your residence, you probably started to amass a list of “things you should do” tips. While it’s all well and good to have recommendations about what you should consider doing when it comes to landscaping at your home, keep in mind that is only part of the story. You must have a decent understanding of what not to do when it comes to landscaping at your home. There are eight significant landscaping mistakes that you definitely will want to avoid

Mistake #1: Do Nothing at All

If you’ve recently moved into a residence that has little in the way of landscaping, or if you’ve lived in a home for a longer period of time and have done nothing in the way of landscaping, that can prove to be a mistake. A major error when it comes to residential landscaping is to do nothing at all.

The reality is that by taking the time to do at least some landscaping at your residence, you make your home more livable for you and your family. In addition, if you are like most people in Southern California, your home is your most significant investment. Thus, you will want to take appropriate steps that enhance the value of your home. One of these is steps is to landscape properly your property.

Curb appeal is an important element of enhancing and sustaining the value of a home. A key element of curb appeal is undertaking proper landscaping of the property. A smartly landscaped property will not only attract potential buyers if the day comes that you put your home on the market, but it is likely to be a tangible enhancement of the residence’s market value.

Mistake #2: Landscape without a Plan

Another commonplace mistake associated with landscaping at a residence is to blindly forge ahead without a well thought out plan. In other words, don’t immediately dive into planting until you have prepared a comprehensive landscaping plan for your property. Among other things, by taking this course you ensure that you end up in a position at which properly selected plants are placed in optimal locations on your property.

Mistake #3: Failing to Regularly Tend to Weeds

You may spend a significant amount of time planning and then planting your landscape. However, if you are like a considerable segment of the population, once you finish that endeavor, you become unfocused when it comes to tending to weeds. No, pulling and eradicating weeds is an unpleasant task. However, if it is not done, the overall appearance of your landscaping will be impacted negatively in a short period of time. Over time, weeds not properly addressed can end up choking off and killing the plants you’ve planted at your home.

Mistake #4: Permitting Garden Unfriendly Critters to Run Wild

There are certain wild critters that can live in harmony with your landscape. Whether a little animal can exist in harmony with your landscape depends largely on what type of plants you’ve placed on your property.

A mistake oftentimes made by a homeowner is the failure to control critter or animal access to a landscaped area. This doesn’t mean you have to kill intruders. It does mean that you have to take reasonable steps to prevent entry to a landscaped area. In some cases, the appropriate action plan can be the installation of a proper type of fencing.

Mistake #5: Overdoing It with Evergreens

Time and again homeowners go mad what it comes to planting evergreens. Yes, evergreens make a lush presentation and they are relatively easy to cultivate and maintain. With that said, going overboard with evergreens is a real mistake. An idyllic landscape nearly always is one that has variety in its presentation.

Mistake #6: Overgrown Hedges

Some homeowners think overgrown hedges radiate a “natural look.” While that is technically true, overgrown hedges in a residential setting are likely to look sloppy. Hedges that grow in an unattended fashion will obscure other positive aspects of your home. In addition, hedges gone wild draw the focus way from other plants you’ve incorporated into your overall landscape at your home.

Mistake #7: Too Much of a Good Thing is Too Much

Yet another recurring landscaping error is what might best be called over-landscaping. In other words, a homeowner crams far too much in the way of plants, vegetation, and flowers into a landscaped space. Just because a certain bush adds a marvelous touch to a landscape doesn’t mean that 10 of them will improve a landscape ten-fold. Moderation in landscaping is crucial. In addition, maintaining moderation underscores the importance of planning before planting.

Mistake #8: Failing to Know When to Hire a Professional

You may be able to tend to any number of landscaping efforts on your own. However, noting that, if you are like many people, there may be elements of your desired landscaping plan that are best left in the hands of a professional. In short, you will want to avoid the relatively frequent landscaping error of not knowing when the time has arrived to hire a landscaping professional.

By being conscious of these more common and significant landscaping errors you will place yourself in the best possible position to create a beautiful exterior space at your residence. You will created a vibrant landscape that you will enjoy, that will garner praise from the neighbors, and that will enhance the curb appeals and even the market value of your home.