The right landscaping can make your home seem welcoming and attractive, and create an outdoor space that you and your guests will love. You may love to work on your home's landscaping and do whatever is necessary to help the plants thrive, but this doesn't mean you should go without some preplanning of the landscaping features, as well as planning how the landscaping fits into your property. Note a few common mistakes that many homeowners make with landscaping so you can ensure you avoid them and can create an outdoor space you'll love.
Not choosing native plants
No matter how much you may love to nurture your plants and how dedicated you are to caring for them, if they're not native to your area or aren't meant for your climate and environment, they simply won't thrive. You can only do so much to feed and water your plants properly and encourage them to grow; tropical plants simply won't grow in colder areas and delicate flowers may wither in long, hot summers. Opt for plants that can grow and thrive in your area rather than choosing those whose looks you love, and it's more likely they'll be healthy and attractive.
Not thinking of how the landscaping and the home interact
Tall shade trees can keep the home from getting too hot in summertime, but you might not want them to cover your home if you live in a cold climate. You might also not want areas of your home shaded, if it doesn't get much direct sunlight. Planting tress too close to the home can also mean the roots wrap around the home's foundation and cause cracking.
Tall shrubbery might block off windows and this may give intruders a hidden space to try to break in. Delicate flowers near the pool area may get damaged by the chlorine in pool water that splashes them. Consider how your landscaping features will interact with the home in these ways and opt for plants and flowers that work well for how your home is designed overall.
Not covering the soil
Too much sunlight on the soil around your landscaping features can mean scorching that soil and allowing moisture to evaporate. This can mean plants that dry up and wither away. To avoid this, be sure you don't cut your grass too short so that too much sunlight hits your property's soil. Also, be sure you use mulch around your landscaping features, to hold in moisture and keep the soil healthy.
