What’s the last skill that you set out to learn for yourself? If it’s landscaping, then you have come to the right place! As it is with most things in life, learning a new skill requires patience, understanding and most importantly, time. Landscaping and yard maintenance are no different because there isn’t a “one size fits all” fool-proof yard. In this post, we will discuss the most common mistakes made during planting and maintaining a yard, so continue reading for advice from professionals on what not to do.
Landscaping Isn’t as Easy as It Seems
Landscaping isn’t a job for the faint of heart. It requires a general love for plants and the earth in order to tolerate hours in the sun, on your knees, and with soil everywhere. It also requires creativity. Common mistakes include:
Starting a Landscape Project Before Setting a Budget — Installing hardscapes — such as a fireplace or a large patio — can be costly. Therefore, you’ll need to be aware of how much you are willing to spend and how much these items cost. If you are on a budget, updating your yard in stages will help save time, money and energy.
Installing Landscape Elements Without a Plan — Landscaping is about adding curb appeal to your home. Without a plan, your yard can end up looking chaotic and uncoordinated. You want to make sure that your choice of plants complement each other and have compatible needs for water, sun and fertilizer. It’s a rookie mistake to buy whatever catches your eye at the gardening center with no thought as to how the plants will look when grouped together or placed throughout your yard. When shopping for bedding or container plants, make sure they have the same care requirements — or plan on losing those that require shade while the others thrive in full sun.
Reading and Following Package Instructions — If you’re still “green” at gardening, reading the product’s instructions is the first step to any task. This especially applies to fertilizer, weed killer and insecticides. There are proper times of year to apply them, and ignoring the manufacturer’s advice could cost your yard greatly. Also, recent transplants to Central Florida often don’t realize that our subtropical climate may affect application timing (except for weed killer). When in doubt, ask at the garden center or nursery. The people who work there are locals, and knowledgeable about lawn and garden care.
Maintaining a Landscape — If you do choose to care for your lawn yourself, you will have to make lawn care a part of your regular chores. Without proper watering, cutting, pruning and fertilizing, your yard could end up in great disarray instead of a slice of Florida paradise! At the risk of seeming cynical, if you assume that the healthy, growing teenager in your household can be depended upon to give up school vacation time, weekends or after-school time to keep the landscaping in shape, you may be assuming a bit too much! We’re going to do a little early self-promotion and recommend you hire a professional landscaping/yard care service to achieve the desired result.
Know Where and When to Plant
Planting Shrubs, Bushes and Trees Too Close to Structures — Knowing how tall or wide trees and shrubs can grow is important before planting. That little shrub can eventually grow right up against the front of your house, which will make painting the exterior pretty much impossible when the time comes. Because we Central Floridians always keep hurricane season in mind, make sure you plant trees so that branches won’t hang over your roof as they mature. The experts recommend measuring about 3-4 feet worth of distance from your property’s hardscapes, such as sidewalks, walkways and driveways. This will give them enough space to mature without overgrowing onto pathways.
Planting Too Close to Other Plants — Much like planting too close to your home or sidewalk, you need to account for space when planting in rows. Read the planting instructions to learn how large your plant will be at maturity and measure a space in your yard that is suitable and spacious for your new plant as it progresses.
When To Plant — This especially applies to the seed enthusiasts out there! Whether you bought them on impulse or want to try your hand at growing heirloom varieties, keep in mind that successfully coaxing seeds out of the soil as healthy plants requires doing your homework. Once again, it’s best to read the instructions, as different plants require different growing seasons and temperatures for optimum growing conditions.
Even when buying plants from the garden center or nursery, be aware that the young flowering shrub you purchase that day may be near the end of its blooming season. If you want to “time” your flowering plants to burst into color simultaneously, know the time of year they bloom.
Advantages of Hiring a Landscaping Professional
The advantages of hiring a professional landscaping company allow you to have a beautifully designed garden and yard that brings out your unique personality and sets your home apart from others with its natural beauty. A professional landscape designer will know which materials fit well with your ideas and suggest the best color palettes to match.
There are many factors to consider when it comes to landscaping, and one of them is to consider hiring a professional landscaping company for the more difficult or time-consuming tasks. Our blog post “Why Do You Need a Lawn Service Company for Your Home?” tackles the basics to help your decision.
If you’re apprehensive about how much time you want to spend working on your yard rather than relaxing it in, call Daniel’s Lawn Service & Pressure Washing for all your landscaping and lawn care needs. Our experienced professionals take pride in making your Central Florida lawn the best on the block! All you have to do is pick up the phone and call us today!
