Your landscape should reflect your personality and family needs. For example, if you love hummingbirds add feeders and a birdbath.
Using unique plants, structures and garden ornaments will create focal points in your yard. Balance is also important, so use a mix of varying heights throughout your planting beds and lawn.
Don’t Overdo It
A colorful flower garden, shapely hedges, or a lush Zoysia lawn are the stuff of curb appeal dreams. However, if you’re not careful your DIY project can turn into an overgrown mess. To avoid this common gardening mistake, think of your yard as having different “rooms.” Place shade-lovers in shady spots and sun-lovers in sunny ones for a balanced landscape that’s eye-catching from both up close and afar.
Another mistake homeowners often make is planting too many plants that grow to the same size. This creates a monotonous landscape that looks unkempt and overshadows your home. Instead, use a mix of evergreen trees and shrubs accented with flowering perennials or annuals that bloom year after year. Keeping these do’s and don’ts in mind, you can transform your outdoor space into one that’s more beautiful, easier to maintain, and more valuable to your property. Good luck! -Maggie Holmes, Editor in Chief, HGTV Magazine
Don’t Overcomplicate Things
When it comes to landscape design, there are many things that can go wrong. It’s important to plan carefully and take a slow approach to the project.
For example, it’s important to consider the scale and proportion of plants as well as the way they are grouped together and how they are layered or staggered (generally larger plants are used behind smaller ones). It’s also important to use repetition on a horizontal and vertical plane to create a sense of unity and balance.
Also, it’s a good idea to limit the use of different focal points (like garden ornaments and statuary) within the landscape. This will help to keep the garden looking unified and clean, Lipanovich says. Finally, it’s a good idea to think about privacy when defining the landscape. Putting up a fence, creating a backyard pergola or using DIY garden screening can all help to make your garden feel more private and enclosed.
Don’t Go Overboard
It’s easy to get carried away when constructing your ideal garden. But like any other home improvement project it pays to stick to a plan. This will help your property stand out for all the right reasons, be more enjoyable to live in and increase in value when it comes time to sell.
Start by determining what you want to accomplish and then make a list of the materials, plants and other details you’ll need. This will help you stay on budget.
Remember that the size of a plant at maturity is determined by climate and other factors. Don’t place large trees near walkways that will impede comfortable movement. Leave at least two feet of space.
If you’re doing a complete landscaping overhaul start with the front yard to ensure that design motifs carry through from front to back. And be sure to add lighting throughout your property to illuminate the beauty of all the work you’ve done.
Don’t Overspend
A beautiful home landscape will add value to your property, but it’s important not to overspend. The key is to focus on the bread and butter items that will appeal to a wide range of buyers, like enhancing the soil or installing a sprinkler system.
Then you can spend your budget on luxuries such as garden ornaments and this year’s trendy annuals. Just be sure to remove plants that are dead or overgrown as they take nutrients from the soil and prevent new growth.
It’s also helpful to take a phased approach to your landscaping project. A complete makeover of your yard will most likely take more than one season, so it’s best to start with the “meat and potatoes” elements of a garden, such as planting trees and shrubs, laying a foundation, and adding an irrigation system before moving on to the more decorative details. It’s a good idea to consult a professional landscaper early on so that they can create a plan that’s balanced and functional.