10 common landscaping mistakes - moyersinc.net · 10 common landscaping mistakes & how to avoid...
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10 Common Landscaping Mistakes& How to Avoid Them to Make Your Curb Appeal
Even Better
Presented By: Jeff Moyer & Brit McCoy
1: Not Starting with a Professional Plan
Avoid:
‘Piecing’ together a landscape through a collection of small, individual
projects
Putting together a plan without the knowledge and expertise of plant
growth and maturity, material habits, and a full understanding
of balance.
Pursue:
Professional consultation and a professional 2-D or 3-D plan
customized for your home and lifestyle from an accredited
landscape designer.
A vision of what you want your entire space to look like when
completed, even if you are going to complete it in ‘phases’;
planning out the entire landscape before allows you to think
through the space in its entirety, in the long run it will save
you time and money
2: Poor Drainage
Avoid:Allowing downspouts to drain near the foundationNot addressing existing poor grade in a landscape
renovationPursue:
Proper drainage away from the house foundation; compact soils around the foundation
A properly graded yard so pools of water do not formInstallation of subsurface drainage via drain-tile through
downspouts leading to pop-up emitters to direct water away from homes, while addressing potential erosion, legally
Pop-Up Emitter
3: Improper Selection of Plant Specimens & Installation
Avoid:Selecting plants that do not fit the sun exposure
and/or water requirementsPlants that thrive and survive only in a warmer
zone: 6, 7, 8, etc.Know:
The sun exposure of the area you are plantingThe soil condition: rocky, sandy, clay, pHWhat growing zone you are located in: Madison
area zones are 4b & 5aGrowth maturity and habits
4: Not Accounting for Seasonal Interest
Avoid:
Planting specimens that only provide spring and summer interest; only planting
perennials with spring and summer flower, or deciduous shrubs
that only provide spring flower and drop their leaves in winter
Planting only deciduous specimens and specimens that do not have unique
structural elements to provide winter interest.
Pursue:
A variety of plant specimens that have interest in multiple seasons; look for
shrubs that have early spring flower and fall color. Ornamental
grasses can provide summer, fall and winter interest. Some deciduous
trees and shrubs offer a unique branching structure that provides beautiful
winter interest
A balanced landscape of evergreen, deciduous and perennials
(don’t forget about shrubs that are showy for fall)
5: Not Creating a Focal Point
Avoid:
Using the same plants throughout the entire space; variety
keeps your eye moving over the landscape and
exploring the entire outdoor space
Overlooking important views and/or areas within your landscape
Pursue:
Creating a focal point within the most important views from
outside and inside
A unique plant specimen, pergola, fire feature, or water feature
to highlight an area of your landscape
6: Forgetting Views from Inside
Avoid:
Planting specimens that will mature too large and
cover your windows
Placing a focal point (pergola, fire feature, water
feature) that is not also viewable from inside
Pursue:
Views of focal points in the landscape; views from the
main living areas of your home
Connection from indoors to outdoors
7: Overlooking Lighting
Avoid:
Discounting lighting because of budget
Disregarding lighting because you have never had lighting within your
landscape
Pursue:
Highlighting the most beautiful parts of your home and landscape:
trees, water features, architecture.
Functional lighting to provide safety: path lights, stair lights
Lighting up your outdoor space for use at night: patios and fire pits are
a great space to use for entertaining even after the sun sets
Lighting extends your usable and visible investment of your landscape
8: Improper Layout and Undersizing Outdoor
Spaces
Avoid:
‘Guessing’ on the size needed for your desired activities
Making a space larger than you need; too large of a patio can result in un-
utilized space and make the patio feel uninviting
Making a space too small for its intended use or uses. Trying to fit in too many
uses in a small space will cause poor traffic flow and may lead to
lack of use of the space
Pursue:
Complete understanding of the size and intended use of the space prior to
installation; paint out a patio space and ‘set it up’ as you would if
you were using it to insure you have adequate space for your
needs and lifestyle
Understanding standard dimensions of dining areas, cooking areas, and fire
feature areas. Following standard dimensions will give you a good
starting point
9: Lack of Variety and Material Diversity
Avoid:
Planting only a few plant specimens in your landscape; avoid the
sea of spirea and daylilies
Choosing only one type of mulch; especially in large landscape
beds multiple mulches can add interest to an otherwise
uninterrupted surface
Choosing only one type of paving material
Pursue:
A variety of plants; don’t forget about choosing a specimen for a
focal point, and utilizing plants for seasonal interest
Changes in mulch; perhaps landscape beds along the house
have rock mulch and exterior island beds have wood
mulch, or a large bed has both wood and rock mulch
Variety of hardscape texture and color
10: Not Performing Proper Maintenance
Avoid:
Overwatering and under-watering plants
Over-fertilizing and under-fertilizing plants
Ignoring pruning your plants
Pursue:
Proper watering; know the plants, some require regular moisture while others
can tolerate dry soils. As a rule establishing plants require 2” of
rainwater each week. After establishment water as needed, and
pay special attention to plants during drought periods.
Fertilization during key growth periods, spring and late fall.
Enhancing your landscape with proper pruning. Spring flowering shrubs should
be pruned right after flowering, summer and fall flowering plants
can be pruned at any time. Make all your pruning cuts at an angle
and prune live branches back to the closest growth node.
Thank you!