Top 10 Mistakes Homeowners Make in Landscape Design

If you own a home, you’re likely going to be talking to a professional about landscaping at some point. Unfortunately, that point is often at the worst possible time.

When is that? After your real estate agent refers to you to one because there’s no way in H-E-double-hockey-sticks you’re going to sell it in this condition!

You might think that’s a great time to make a plan but think about it. How much time, money and energy did you spend just to get yourself into this mess? Not to mention, you’re about to make an investment in landscape design you won’t even be there for long enough to enjoy!

Here are 10 points that landscape designer is likely to make about the state of your property.

1. When you bought the house, you only planned for that first year.

You learned over time that plants don’t just grow steadily upward, they grow however they want to. It all looked perfect that first spring. Then everything grew taller, wider, and at different rates than you expected. Now it’s looking … less than perfect.

2. You made it so much harder to mow than it had to be.

The “before” picture looks so orderly. Your flower beds, your shrubs, and your vegetable garden are all where they should be, right at the edge of the grass. The “after” picture shows the result of years of unexpected plant creep, which you spent an extra half hour every time delicately mowing around.

3. You put all your eggs in one basket, and nobody can see it.

You made that backyard into a lovely oasis where you’ve always been proud to invite guests for cookouts and garden parties. The trouble now is, your Realtor cares a whole lot more about what’s facing the street, your curb appeal. And the view ain’t pretty.

4. You put plants wherever “felt right.”

Some require more sun, some less; some could use more water, others less; some need to be buried deep in loose soil while others could make it in a driveway crack. Your guesswork meant many of those plants died. You spent money to replace them, they died, and the cycle repeated. You worked too hard!

5. You picked flowers based on the beauty of each one individually.

It’s understandable. When shopping for flowers, you simply pick the ones you like. The trouble with this method is it leaves you with a mismatch of flowers, both in color and in blooming schedules. They just didn’t go well together as a whole, and even where they did, they didn’t flower at the same time of year.

6. You used the wrong tools.

Sure, you got the job done. But you could have saved a lot of time with the right tools and improved the finished product. Those rocks might have stayed in place had you been using a tamper to drive them into the ground, and with the help of a post-hole digger your fence would be far sturdier today.

7. Your focus was so much on looks you didn’t think enough about safety.

The wading pond was a nice touch. Then you started having kids, and that two feet of water kept you up at night, didn’t it? You couldn’t keep your eye off the jagged rocks just off the deck when your grandmother came over with an unsteady hand on her all-too flimsy cane.

8. You underestimated cost.

Everything – the mulch, soil, plants, tools, lawn décor, fertilizer – costs more than you expected. Your budget was too thin for the initial work, and it remained too thin for replenishing plants, soil, mulch, etc. The lawn became more of a burden than a source of enjoyment at times.

9. You underestimated maintenance.

It became far more time-consuming than you expected to keep up with the mowing, trimming, pruning, watering, weeding and chasing off gophers. You didn’t expect the gophers. If only you had planted some natural barriers!

10. You forgot about snow … and the plows that come with it.

The first set of plants that lined your driveway didn’t make it past that first winter. The plow driver saw only three feet of piled up snow, not the hostas underneath that he was ripping out of their hibernation by the roots. That certainly wasn’t in the plan.

There is a much better time to work with a landscape designer.

You’ve probably guessed it. Before you start putting plants in the ground! Whether you just moved in or just getting ready to spend another summer enjoying your abode, now is the time to make a plan for success.

Spring is coming. Are you ready? Find out now. We’re here to help.

Clean Cut Lawn & Landscape
7415 W Jackson St
Muncie, IN 47304-9759
(765) 759-8575
info@cleancutlandscape.net