Attractive landscaping can add a lot to your home. A well-executed landscape design adds value when you go to sell, and it makes the property a more pleasant place to live as long as you stay there. Poor landscaping, on the other hand, makes your house look sloppy and unkempt. Help keep your home looking its best by avoiding these 10 common landscaping mistakes.
1 – Leaving Hedges Untrimmed
Hedges can be a relatively low maintenance way to set your property apart, especially when you use them creatively. You can use hedges to mark the dividing lines between your yard and your neighbors’ yards or create different sections on your own property. Even these low maintenance plants still require some effort, and hedges can get out of control if you neglect them for too long. Trim your hedges regularly to keep them looking their best.
2 – Letting Symmetrical Pieces Get Mismatched
If your original landscaping design included matching elements used to create a symmetrical appearance, don’t let it give a lopsided look to your property over time. For example, if you line a path or a doorway with matching plants on both sides, you need to make sure you keep everything pruned to the same size.
3 – Using Ugly Planters or Yard Ornaments
If you care about the value of the property or how your yard appears to the passer-by, avoid using excessive or low-quality yard decorations. A few tasteful ornaments can bring some flair to your design, but too many will look tacky. Similarly, make sure that your planters are in excellent condition. It’s important that your pieces be both attractive and functional to help your landscape look great.
4 – Buying Plants Without Researching Them
If you design your landscape without putting proper thought into it, you could be setting yourself up for disaster down the road. It’s important to research what kind of living conditions the plant requires so you know if it will survive in your landscape. Otherwise, it could become a dead eyesore. It’s also important to know how big the plant will get, so it doesn’t grow out of its intended space.
5 – Ignoring the Height of Your Grass
Everyone knows that your lawn can start to look bad if you go too long without cutting it. Fewer people are aware that grass is actually healthier at certain heights and with certain mowing habits. The ideal height and mowing frequency depend on several factors including what kind of grass you have and how much you water it.
6 – Leaving Utility Boxes Visible
The best landscaping uses creative solutions to hide utility boxes, raised septic systems, and trash barrels from street view. Certain types of hedges are perfect for this type of function, especially because they can be trimmed to provide whatever access is required for the object you’re hiding. Using plants to cover up objects like these will make your yard look more natural.
7 – Ignoring Weeds
Weeds have no place in any landscape design. The longer you ignore your weed problem, the worse it will get, and the abundance of weeds will completely overshadow the rest of your landscaping choices.
8 – Overdoing Your Design
We know as well as anyone how easy it is to get excited about gardening. That said, if you overdo your design, you’re going to have to live with your choices. Don’t plant more than what you can maintain, or your thoughtful design will become an unkempt mess.
9 – Not Preparing and Maintaining Your Soil
If you don’t prepare your planting area, there’s a good chance your plants won’t do well there. You also need to care for your soil over time. Either too much or too little fertilizer can leave your plants and grass in bad shape.
10 – Getting in Over Your Head Without a Professional Landscaping Service
Many people think they can care for their home or corporate landscape themselves until they realize how much work it requires over time. There’s no shame in hiring out a professional to help you with the yard work, or at least provide occasional consultations. Your yard will look fabulous, and you’ll have even more time to enjoy it!
Landscaping Company in Florida
The easiest way to ensure that you won’t have any of these landscaping blunders in your yard is to use professional landscaping services. Plant Professionals is one of the most trusted landscaping companies in South Florida because of our commitment to customers. We take the time to understand your home or commercial landscaping project so we can get everything just the way you want it.
Our skilled designers create a customized plan for your project, then we handle the entire installation, so no part of your vision gets lost along the way. We can even perform ongoing maintenance to keep your property looking its best for years to come. Contact our friendly customer service professionals today, and we’ll make sure you receive the best landscaping services available for your home or business.