Landscaping ideas are for everyone. Anyone that can use a spade can landscape. Designs, ideas, pictures abound, and landscaping firms are for hire. There are certain ground rules to landscaping that will help an individual homeowner avoid costly mistakes, wasted time, and much effort. The following are six typical rules.
Rule #1: Making Changes Too Soon
When spring arrives, thoughts of garden and landscaping come to mind. Tackling a project without pre-planning is a mistake. Have a plan. Consideration given to aspects of soil, drainage, sunshine, shade, and most of all the plants used, is necessary. Even a small space will have varied sun or shade, and different soils.
It is best to live with the current layout for a year to observe the differences over each season. Take soil samples from various locations on the site to the local Extension Agent to have testing done. This assures proper plants that adapt to the soil conditions of the space. Plants not suited to the soil will eventually die.
Water drainage conditions are important. Slopes make natural terrace gardens. Drainage areas make beautiful dry creek beds. Natural bogs can be developed in wet areas. Take time before making changes.
Rule #2: Planting Without a Long Term Plan
Think about the future. Putting in a time-consuming, expensive landscape project in a space where there may be a future addition to the home, such as a deck, or a new pool, is senseless. Consider long-term projects while planning landscaping ideas.
Avoid this mistake by sketching a simple bird's-eye view of the property. Consider any future construction plans or possibilities and plan landscaping around them.
Rule #3: Planting Too Close Together
Once the landscaping plan is complete and the new plants are in hand, planting is the thrilling part of the project. Once finished, if the space looks suitable, the plants are actually planted too close together. A plant usually takes three years to mature. By maturity, they will either have to be dug up and spaced out or possibly thrown away. Plants spaced too close together compete for soil nutrients, sun, and water. Eventually they will die.
Avoid this mistake by following the label spacing requirement on the plant. In the beginning, the bed will look sparse. That is as it should be. By the second growing season, the plants will blend.
Rule #4: Neglecting the Root Ball
Once the plants are in the ground, a simple sprinkler placed on the bed once a day is not enough. The water needs to get to the root ball of the plant. Placing the hose at a slow trickle near the base of the plant allows the root ball to be soaked. Doing this two times a week for about 20 to 30 minutes each time is sufficient to keep the plants from being stunted, or short-lived.
Water the plants for the first four to 12 weeks, depending on the season of planting. Choosing an irrigation system will help with time and water consumption. Installing a drip system is ideal and easy for any homeowner to achieve. It is better to use more water, less often. Spraying each morning for 10 to 15 minutes does nothing for the root ball of the plant.
Rule #5: Ignoring Sun Conditions
Many homeowners choose plants based on how they look instead of sun and soil conditions needed to thrive. The conditions are shown on a tag at the base of a tree or on a label inserted into the pot. Pay attention to these details. A full sun plant planted in the shade, or a shade loving plant put in full sun will look great for about a week. Then it begins to die.
By watching the sun conditions of the space for a time, estimate the amount of sunshine the plant will receive.
- Full Sun – 6 hours a day or more
- Part Sun/Part Shade – 3 to 5 hours
- Shade – less than 3 hours
Rule #6: Not Budgeting for Landscaping
Whether building a new home or adding an addition onto an existing home, allocate 10 to 20 percent of the construction budget to the landscape. At least plan to spend that money soon after the project is complete. Ending up with a beautiful new bedroom addition and bare foundation is not satisfactory to most homeowners.
Worse yet, throwing a few azaleas or evergreens around make the additional landscaping look like what it really is….an afterthought.
Gardeners love to garden, and landscaping is gardening with the purpose of providing enjoyment of surroundings and eye appeal. Proper landscaping with trees will aid with reduced energy consumption and a lovely landscaped yard adds value to any property.
Beverly Bright - Beverly worked in industrial/commercial Architectural Drafting and Design for 35 years and owned and managed her own business for 17 of ...
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