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You wouldn’t simply put old, clunky furniture in a great, modern home, would you?
A modern house requires that you furnish it with beautiful, sleek furniture that fits in style, in order to create a level of consistency that helps tell the tale you’re trying to tell.
It’s all about creating a certain type of flow and consistency, and each type of home commands its own type of landscaping as well. In a historically-inspired home.
You wouldn’t be putting the same types of amenities that you would be putting in a minimalist home.
The same way that you would want the right type of equipment when you’re working on metal, you will also want the right type of equipment when you’re working on your lawn.
Planning For Your Dream Yard
While having the right equipment goes a long way in ensuring that you can manage to keep up the garden that you have. You will want to ensure that the foundation has been laid so that you create the outdoor entertainment area that you’ve always dreamed of.
One that creates a certain feel.
And yes, in the process, you will want to make sure you’re getting rid of ground moles that will interfere with the masterpiece that you’re creating.
However, there are some landscaping principles that you must abide by that go beyond simply removing the snow in the winter.
Let’s walk you through some of the landscaping mistakes you should be avoiding in order to make sure you get the flow and feeling out of your backyard that you have always dreamed of.
Mistake #1- Choosing the Wrong Tree Or Planting it in the Wrong Spot
You can change the landscaping of your home, but with the cost to install a tree being roughly $200 per tree, wouldn’t you rather want to make sure they’re the right trees you’re having planted in the first place?
Furthermore, wouldn’t you also want to make sure that you’re only installing bushes that are easy to trim, while still working with the overall design of your garden?
The first common mistake we see people making is that they don’t consider what types of trees and landscaping really go well with the house that you’re working with.
If you’re doing the work yourself, you will want to close your eyes and imagine that you’re the landscaping architect above them all and try to find the common ground that unite the great indoors and the great outdoors.
Great powers are at play here, and if you don’t get them right, you will never reach the state of zen you deserve.
What are the interesting characteristics of your house that makes it exactly what it is you want it to be?
What types of plants would compliment those characteristics?
Consider: Will your landscape be modern or traditional?
When you think of modern architecture, you think of clean lines. Sharp lines. And your landscaping needs to have that same level of precision. You can’t have big clunky trees planted in the middle of the yard.
Everything needs to seem well thought out.
When you’re thinking about modern design, you should be thinking about plants like the Yucca, which is a great drought-tolerant plant, although you will want to make sure they’re hardy in the zone that you live in.
Hostas are also great, c with impressive foliage.
The key ingredient with modern homes is that less is often more.
On the other hand, if you live in a more traditional farmhouse, going big with the various plants isn’t as much of a concern.
Laying down a stone walkway with mismatched stones will only add to the overall charm of the house. In terms of flowers, lilacs are a sure winner, both in terms of the way that they smell and the flowers they produce!
Mistake #2- Spacing Plants Too Closely
While you will want your plants to emphasize the aspects that you’re trying to highlight, there’s no reason why you should be planting them closer than they need to be either.
Plant them too close and you will feel trapped.
Not only could it cause a mild case of claustrophobia, but it will also severely hinder the movement of daylight on your property.
Make sure you account for plants growing and don’t plant them too close together.
Mistake #3- Not planning for traffic patterns
Building a house or doing the landscaping?
The first part is always to lay the foundation - creating the plan that you will execute on. Without a solid plan, you will easily find yourself having to redo a lot of work.
Without a plan, it is easy to create landscaping that simply doesn’t make sense because you don’t have the natural traffic patterns that you need for it. Without laying a plan, how can you know that the pavers you’re laying for a patio will properly flow with the rest of the design?
Before the first paver is laid, the first tree planted, you should stand on your property and envision exactly what it is you want out of it.
Does the layout work with the traffic pattern you have in mind? Make sure that you put pen to paper and properly sketch the house as well as the entire property so that you can start visualizing everything.
If you are planting any trees, make sure that you’re accounting for the amount of space that it will take up when fully grown and how these affect the traffic patterns at their full vigor.
Additionally, make sure that the roots do not start interfering with the home’s foundation either.
Mistake #4- Choosing the wrong size patio
While you will want a patio that is consistent with your home, you will also want to make sure you know exactly how you will use it.
It’s very easy to regret getting a patio that was built too small, but on the other hand, you will also want to make sure you have enough garden.
Whether you’re simply intending on growing grass, or whether you want to fill it with a wide variety of plants and trees.
Consider the size of your patio and how it interacts with your landscaping.
The Bottom Line!
There’s no one-size fits all landscaping.
And what works with the flow of your house, depends on what you’re working with.
We hope this article spurred some inspiration and at the very least helped you avoid making some common mistakes!
Author Bio: Thomas Jepsen is a 3x founder who has always had a passion for the construction industry. One of his current companies, Atlantic Aspiration, helps pros find the tools they really need, whereas his other company helps aspiring home builders build their dream home.
