Common Landscaping Mistakes
Common Landscaping Mistakes
Professional landscapers understand that there’s a lot more to creating a beautifully landscaped yard than meets the average eye. Every day, we witness property owners trying to take the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) method for landscaping with sometimes comical or even disastrous results.
Don’t sacrifice your lawn’s potential to save a few bucks! By the time that you invest in all the tools and materials, waste time in an effort to teach yourself, and redo the same work multiple times due to rookie mistakes, it’s easier and probably more cost-efficient to let the professionals handle the landscaping.
Some of the most common landscaping mistakes that we see when people attempt to DIY their lawn or use a cut-rate landscaping service include:
Skipping the Planning Phase
Any professional will tell you that proper landscaping planning leads to the best possible outcomes. During the planning phase, you should draw out a clear picture of what you want the finished lawn to look like. It should be complete with all details like where each plant, flower, bush, shrub, and tree will go. Measurements should also be taken to ensure everything will fit with a space to breathe.
Sun and shade coverage in different parts of the property should also play a role in which plants are being chosen for those areas while keeping in mind the availability of irrigation. You should not plant water-loving plants near ones that don’t require as much water and avoid planting them at the edges of large lots where frequent heavy watering may become a hassle.
If you complete the planning phase correctly, everything else will fall into place much better. If you think you can just “wing it” and start dropping plants in the ground, don’t be surprised if your dream lawn ends up as a “failure” meme on social media!
Lacking Variety
Unless you’re trying to channel your inner Picasso and have your own Blue Period, it’s a good idea to use a variety of colors, heights, and textures all around your lawn and flower beds for the most aesthetically pleasing effect.
Monochrome yards that focus too heavily on one color or a specific color family can come across as rather boring and bland, which is never how a Florida lawn should be described. Taking advantage of the wide variety of plants that thrive in our subtropical climate will grace your borders and edges.
Scalping
This common landscaping mistake doesn’t just look bad, but it can actually damage your lawn grass, flower bushes, and other plants. Scalping is caused by overzealous property owners that cut their grass down as low as possible or prune their rose bushes until they are nothing but stems.
We’re not always sure why people want to cut things back so short, but it never gives the results they want as scalping does not reduce the frequency that a lawn needs to be mowed or make flower bushes and trees grow in fuller. When in doubt, you should just take a little off the top and see how things go. You can always remove more later, if necessary.
Overlooking the Big Picture
Have you ever envisioned something in your mind, only for it to not look anything like what you’d imagined once you’ve carried out your intended visions? DIY and inexperienced landscapers often overlook how their ideas will actually scale up when planted next to a two-story house, which is enough to dwarf even taller plants.
Taking a moment to think about the height of surrounding trees, buildings, and other structures during the planning stages is vital as you don’t want to end up with what looks like a miniature version of your intended final product.
Professional Landscaping Services in Tampa Bay
Don’t have time for DIY, or already tried it and know the struggle?
We understand. Let your dedicated lawn and palm care professionals at Oasis Palms & Landscaping take over and turn your lawn into the envy of the neighborhood with scheduled, timely, and season-appropriate care that avoids all the common mistakes. Call us today at (813) 370-1135 or schedule your estimate online!