Natural landscaping is adapted to the climate, geography and hydrology and should require no pesticides, fertilizers and watering to maintain, given that native plants have adapted and evolved to local conditions over thousands of years. In some planned developments, natural landscaping is the requirement. Fertilizers are required for this purpose in excess amounts as natural landscaping is done.
Perhaps the most common landscaping mistake is not to have a plan. A very common landscaping mistake is to go out and buy a bunch of gallon-sized landscape plants and plant them close together, just so the yard looks good right away. One important part of sustainable landscaping is plant selection.
With winter comes hope and optimism that if you put the effort into it, you’ll have a beautiful yard come spring. And you should, if you shun the following design blunders.
1. Plant Only Evergreens: We all like green. After all, that’s the color of money. But in your landscaping, it gets tedious. Shop for perennials that bloom in different seasons to add pops of color to your garden and shower the garden with different textures.
2. Dismiss a Basic Color Scheme: Experts suggest including just three harmonizing colors in your landscape instead of going for the rainbow effect.
3. Let Hedges Go: When these bushes hide your home and block the view through the windows, you need to prune or even remove the hedge.
4. Sow Invasive Species: People don’t always know they’ve planted invasive species because some retailers actually sell them. Do your own due diligence by searching on the internet for invasive plants in your area before going shopping.
5. Plant Too Much: Don’t crowd your landscaping by including too many trees and plants. Remember most of them grow out as well as up, so allow for that. When you squeeze plants in too close together, they have to fight for sunlight, water and nutrients and not everyone will make it.
6. Over or Under Fertilizing the Lawn: Giving your grass too much nourishment burns it, while not enough fertilizer also damages your lawn. Find out which products protect and preserve and then adhere to a regular feeding schedule.
7. Countless Pots and Yard Décor: Items that don’t come from nature like signs, statues and decorative pots can easily overwhelm a yard. You want the focus to be live plants and grass and decorations to just be an accent.
8. Not Limiting Hardscaping Materials: Bricks, pavers and stones should complement your house, front door and roof. Hardscapes also need to emphasize the growth in your yard, not overshadow it.
9. Ignoring Your Zone: Not all plants grow well in all locations. Everyone lives in their own hardiness zone. Don’t be tempted by photos in catalogs or on the Internet to buy flowers or seeds that won’t survive your climate.
10. Allow Weeds to Run Wild: Stop these pests before they germinate if you can by applying a pre-emergent. Otherwise, pull them so they don’t take water and food away from the good vegetation.
