The Do’s and Don’ts of Proper Landscaping  

Many homeowners make the mistake of starting landscaping projects without understanding the rules of sound landscaping design. Working with a good team is one thing, but there are some things you will have to handle on your own too. Knowing a thing or two about landscaping could also help you have more of an insight into the whole project. Many homeowners don’t really understand how to care for their landscape either and end up making errors that could cost them dearly. Let’s take a look at some of the do’s and don’ts of proper landscaping so you won’t have to commit these errors yourself.

Do – Start with a Plan

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Nothing should complete before you have a well-detailed plan. Planning will be important as some plants might need specific conditions to thrive, so you may have to plant them in a way that allows them to get less or more sunlight or retain more moisture.

Don’t – Overlook the State of the Soil

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This will be very important if you want to do something like plant a lawn. If you want to plant a lawn on a sloped landscape, for instance, erosion is something you will have to consider. There are some planting techniques that you may have to scratch off your list if that’s the kind of landscape you have to deal with.

Seeding grass on a sloped landscape with dry topsoil will be difficult and you may have no choice but to turn to sodding. This is something you will have to take into consideration as sodding can cost significantly more than seeding.

Do – Protect Your Property

Understanding the importance of landscape design beyond aesthetics is very important. Your landscaping could be used to protect your property in many ways.

You could use greenery instead of a fence or in addition to one to provide your home with more privacy. Trees can use to shield your home from direct sunlight or even to shade over an AC system to preserve it and reduce the amount of energy it consumes.

Shrubs and trees can be used for everything from blocking noise to purifying the air, or they can be used to prevent water from pooling near your home’s foundation. This is why you have to make practical choices as landscaping elements can do much more than make your house look nice. 

Don’t – Forget Your Pets

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You might adore them to pieces but pets can be your worst enemy when it comes to landscaping designs. You also have to think about predators and wildlife.

There are over 10 million deer in North America, and if they are an issue where you live, you’ll need to take precautions. Consider elevating your flower beds so they can be dog resistant. A dog-resistant landscape will also usually be deer-resistant, so you’ll be killing two birds with one stone.

Now that you know the do’s and don’ts of proper landscaping, you can start brainstorming ideas. Always remember that landscaping is not only about looks, and you should build according to a plan so you don’t end up with a nightmare.