Landscaping Mistakes

[missmanors]

Here are some landscaping mistakes that professional landscaping designers say are the worst mistakes that they run into on the job. They also give some tips on correcting the problems.

The " Meatball Shrub" seems to be one of the things that all the designers agreed on being one of the worst mistakes. Shrubs are not supposed to look like boxes, balls, squares, triangles or rectangles. One designer said that this makes a home look like a fortress, and makes for a very unwelcoming exterior.

To fix the "meatball shrub" look: A very natural, ecological landscape is the way to go. If the shrub is too large for the space in which it is planted, (such as against the house) simply remove it, or move it to a better location, so that it will be able to grow more naturally. If a shrub is in a good location, but has been excessively pruned, just allow it to grow out more naturally, and it will be much more appealing. (when pruning a bush, don't simply cut back the newest growth to tame it; try taking out perhaps 1/3 -at most- of the older wood in a quickly growing plant, allowing the newer wood to be the dominant part of the plant and letting it grow in a much more appealing way.

The next pet peeve for the designers is seeing plants marching along sidewalks or driveways in single fashion. No flowers grow this way in nature, and makes for an odd and unnatural look. Plants look much better in mass groupings, kind of like a bouquet effect, which attracts the eye. Everything can work this way, including shrubs, annuals, and perennials. Also let your planting beds flow in a more natural way. Linear lines don't look natural.

Mulch that has been dyed is another mistake. The eye should be drawn to the plants in a bed, not the mulch. Designers say that it sticks out like a sore thumb. Take color cues from the ground materials found in nature in your area. Mulch should be forgotten, and not draw the eye.

A cluttered landscape is another mistake. Some landscapes just have too much - of everything. Using lots of colors all over the place, gives the appearance of chaos. Take into consideration the colors of the home when planting, this is a main goal of landscaping - complimenting the home. Keep it simple by buying 5, 7, 11 of something and then combining it with another plant.

One very effective way to create a beautiful planting bed is to use a monochromatic color scheme. For instance using a purple theme, with colors ranging from lavender, plum, and purple.

If you want more color, choose 2 colors that are opposites on the color wheel, such as purple and yellow. White can always be mixed in for even more variation.

Using bad proportions in landscaping is another pet peeve. The designers say that many people tend to use things that are too small. This includes trees, shrubs, and containers. One of the designers recall seeing small islands made with newly planted trees, with single flowers looking like little polka dots among them.

Of course proportion can also go the other way, with too large features used. Giant landscaping boulders and huge water features, dwarfing a tiny yard is recalled by another designer. This is just a waste of money, because instead of creating a lovely, natural effect, it created a grotesque, unnatural effect.

Plant young trees that will mature into a grand addition to your yard. Planting a young tree gives you a greater rate for success and is less expensive.

Don't waste money on containers and decorative pots which are less than 24" tall and 24" in diameter. Using one or two large containers is much more dramatic than using a bunch of small containers.

If you have an 'island' planting bed in the middle of your yard, expand it to give those single plants company and create a gorgeous flower bed.

Skinny sidewalks that are only wide enough for one person, shooting off the driveway and leaving only room for a narrow planting bed, is the next mistake. A sidewalk should meander and be wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The walk should be a part of the welcome to your home.

You should be able to plant a 'layering' of plants (2 or 3 different groupings of plants of differing heights and textures) between the walk and the house.

You can also add color to the concrete, giving it more appeal. Stamping can also give more texture to the walk, giving it a realistic look of stone for example.

The last mistake - planting too close to the house. Deepen the beds to about 1/3 the height of the house, so that you can see the flower beds from inside the home.

Pull the shrubs away from the wall, so that you are able to walk between the plants and the wall. If you would like to have foundation plants here, use a small variety that will not grow so large that they grow to look like a fortress.

[homealone]

These are some truely great ideas. I Thank You for making this post. I have taken some notes, because next spring I want to make my yard more appealing. Right now it looks more like a mud pit, so hopefully with these tips I will be able to create something that will be beautiful and give my home a very welcoming feeling.