18 Dec 2021

If you do not believe that the landscape can affect your home, think about the other houses in your neighborhood. The homes that stand out are likely to because of their landscape, for better or worse. 

It has also been reported that a good landscape can increase the value of your home, almost as much as 30% depending on your area. This is because the landscape is the first thing potential buyers will see, and first impressions count.

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With that being said, if you want to make the right impression, then you will need to avoid the following landscape mistakes:

  • Not having a plan

You have heard the old saying ‘fail to plan and plan to fail,’ which also applies to your landscape. You need to know what you want to do in your landscape and the steps it will take to get there so you can get things right.

Without a plan, you could end up spending more time and money than necessary. 

  • Planting in the wrong places

While you may have plenty of room for plants in the landscape, you must consider where they will be located to ensure their health. 

You need to consider the lighting and the kind of soil that grows in the landscape, as this can affect how plants grow. Before buying plants, make sure to read the labels, so you understand exactly what their needs are and where they need to be planted.

  • Failing to properly fertilize

All plants have needs when it comes to water, sunlight, and fertilization. Fertilizer can be natural or synthetic and is designed to be added to the soil of plants to provide them with one or more nutrients.

There are three main ingredients to all fertilizers: nitrogen which supports leaf growth; phosphorus for the development of roots and flowers; and potassium for strong stem growth. 

No matter what kind of fertilizer you use, there are three main issues that people fall into. You can either fertilize the plants too much, not at all, or with improper fertilizer. Make sure you know how to look after your landscape for the best results.

  • Incorrect irrigation

We all need water, and the same applies to your landscape. But when it comes to your lawn, there is a balance that needs to be met to ensure that it grows well. 

The key to watering your lawn comes in the planning, as there are times of the day which are best for this chore (between 6 am and 10 am), as well as how much you use each time.

  • Cutting the lawn too short

While it is a good idea to maintain the length of the grass, overcutting the lawn and making the grass too short can cause more problems in the landscape. 

When you cut the grass too much, you could be putting the lawn at risk of bald patches where leaves and weeds can start to grow.

There are seasonal requirements for the lawn that you should follow to ensure year-long lawn health:

  • Grass should be longer during the summer and drought seasons
  • Warm-season turf should be kept short in spring to remove dead blades
  • Cool-season turf should be kept short in the winter to prevent snow mold
  • Grass growing in the shade should be tall

 

  • Neglecting the curb

The landscape of your home does not just refer to the yard but also the curb outside of the home. As we have said, first impressions count when it comes to selling your home, so do not neglect any part of the landscape – including the curbside.

  • Too many ornaments

Adding a personal touch to your landscape can be fun and is a sweet way to make your home feel unique, but too much can be a bad thing. Consider the phrase ‘less is more’ when it comes to ornamenting your garden because too much can make the home look tacky.

Too many ornaments, like gnomes, lights, and birdbaths, can take away from the natural beauty of the landscape and will not give the impression you are going for. 

The only time that a lot of décors can work in your favor is on holidays, such as Halloween and Christmas, where anything goes. 

  • Overlooking exterior lighting

When you are working on the landscape, it is easy to only consider how the space looks during the day. But when the sun goes down, how will your efforts pay off if no one can see what you have going on outside?

With exterior lighting, not only can you show everyone your work on the landscape at all hours of the day, but it will also allow you to use the garden for longer. 

  • No variety

Just because your landscape should be neat and fashionable does not mean it has to be boring. While there will be rules for your landscape based on your neighborhood, this does not mean that your home has to look the same as everyone else’s.

  •  Not accounting for wildlife

You can spend a lot of time and money on your landscape only to see your efforts ruined by the local wildlife. 

Make sure to consider your area and what kind of wildlife has access to your landscape before making changes, as this can make all of the difference to what you can do.