By Harley Grandone
Landscaping your property can provide immediate satisfaction and a sense of pride when everything goes as planned. However, your dream yard could become a nightmare if you ignore your budget or skip the landscape plan. I’ll walk you through some of the landscaping mistakes to avoid, specifically common pitfalls and how to fix them.
So, let’s get into it.
1. Realistic Budget
Homeowners often rush into projects without establishing a realistic budget, resulting in unfinished areas or the need to cut costs later due to overlooked expenses.
How to Fix It
Set a clear budget for your landscaping, and determine if you want to tackle the project or break it into phases. Your budget should guide the design process, not the other way around.
My Tip: After over 20 years as a landscape designer, I know the budget drives the design process. When asked about their landscaping budgets, many homeowners said they had no budget because they didn’t know the costs of the plants, hardscaping, etc. It then becomes challenging to create a plan without being overdesigned or underdesigned and with many revisions.
2. Landscape Plan
Without a landscape plan, it's tempting to impulsively purchase mismatched plants and place them randomly wherever there's space. This can lead to a chaotic and uncoordinated yard, particularly given California's diverse microclimates ranging from coastal regions to mountainous areas.
How to Fix It:
Measure your yard and consider where you’d like garden beds, hardscaping, plant arrangements, and focal points. If this feels too overwhelming, consider hiring a landscape designer familiar with your area to help bring your vision for your dream yard to life.
My Tip: Start with a plan – not a bunch of pretty plants. I've visited homes to meet with homeowners looking to transform their yards, often due to the impulsive purchase of plants that lead to a chaotic and disconnected outdoor space.
3. Planning
Poor planning during project execution can lead to delays and unnecessary stress. Many homeowners tend to underestimate the importance of planning and coordinating the different elements of their project.
How to Fix It:
Allocate enough time to hire a landscape contractor, ensure that nurseries have the plants specified in your landscape plan, and schedule your project. Also, remember unexpected bad weather can impact your landscaping installation.
My Tip: Delaying your landscaping installation until fall could lead to nurseries running low on the plants outlined in your landscape plan. This may force your landscape contractor to find substitutes, which could vary in shape, texture, size, and color – and disrupt the overall design vision you initially had in mind.
4. Right Plant, Wrong Spot
Choosing the right plant but installing it in the wrong spot will lead to poor plant growth. If you’re why your favorite tree is dying, it could be its location. Consider each plant’s light, water, and space requirements.
How to Fix It:
Research your plant’s care instructions. Sun-loving plants do best in full sun. Larger trees need plenty of space to grow.
5. Plant Growth
Be aware of the plant’s mature size when you purchase them. Plant them with enough space to grow according to their growth habit.
How to Fix It:
Research how big trees, shrubs, and perennials will get when fully grown before you install them.
My Tip: As a homeowner, anticipate space between the plants when the plant material is installed. This space prevents overcrowding once they reach maturity.
6. Climate-Friendly Plants
Selecting plants that are not adapted to your climate will make them struggle and more susceptible to pests and diseases.
How to Fix It:
Selecting native plants and/or drought-tolerant plants that have adapted to your specific area of California is the best way to achieve success, as they'll have a better chance of flourishing.
7. Soil Type and PH
Without understanding your soil's type and PH, you may select plants that won't thrive in your environment, leading to deficiencies and poor growth.
How to Fix It:
Conduct a soil test to determine your soil type and pH level. Your local Extension Service is the best resource for testing soil in your garden.
8. Drainage
Wet areas in your yard can lead to soggy soil, root rot for plants, and favorable conditions for mosquitoes to breed. Proper drainage is essential for a healthy yard.
How to Fix It:
Depending upon the volume of water and where it accumulates, several solutions can help with drainage issues. You can regrade your property, install a drainage system, or install a rain garden.
9. Irrigation System
Hand watering your lawn and landscaping with a garden hose will drain your time, energy, and finances with high water bills. You also have to guesstimate how much water to apply and how often to water.
How to Fix It:
Setting up an irrigation system with sprinklers or drip hoses lets you control where the water goes, how much you use, and when it’s applied. With a programmable system, you stop stressing over your watering schedule!
Landscaping doesn’t have to be a trial-and-error process now that you know what common pitfalls to avoid. Whether starting from scratch or revamping, keep these tips in your back pocket to help you succeed.
Harley Grandone is a writer and landscape designer with 20+ years of experience. In her free time, she enjoys spending time on her sailboat, completing DIY home projects, and having fun with her family in the Philadelphia suburbs.
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