Nearly 36 million households participate in landscaping each year, making it an industry worth over $115 billion. From planting trees to installing fountains, you can use numerous landscaping activities to spruce up your personal outdoor space. However, though it may seem simple, landscaping can bring about an array of problems you could easily avoid if you knew about them in advance.
If you’re curious to know what these are, we’ve put together a convenient list to help you.
1. Excessive Garden Ornaments
It’s easy to get swept away by the beauty of garden ornaments when you’re at your local Home Depot. You might’ve only set out to get a pair of garden shears, but when your 10-year-old hands you a particularly cute-looking gnome, it’s hard to resist. Garden ornaments can do wonders for your landscape—but having too many takes attention away from the spaces’ natural beauty.
An excellent way to avoid excessive garden ornaments is to keep updated pictures of your yard on your phone. That way, you’ll stick to only getting what you need when you’re shopping. You should also plan to purchase only a couple of high-quality and unique ornaments that’ll complement your space. This approach will prevent you from littering your landscape with cheap decorations. Who knows—maybe your expensive ornaments will turn out to be ancient Egyptian relics!
2. Neglecting the Grass
Surrounding your home with grass is pivotal to preventing several problems at once. This starts with knowing what’s healthy for your grass. Cutting your grass too short could kill it while also helping weed seeds germinate. Therefore, in Maine, it’s best to keep your lawn grass between 3.5 to 4 inches, and you should never remove more than a third of each leaf. You must also use a sharp mower blade to prevent brown tips in your grass.
It’s also worth inspecting your sprinklers at least once a week to see if your grass is getting an even coverage of water. Excessive water pooling in one part of your lawn will cause soil erosion that’ll kill both your grass and the natural ecosystem under it.
We know that this is quite a lot to remember, which is why we recommend hiring professional landscaping services to keep your grass healthy.
3. Buying Plants Without Researching Them
Not every plant can grow in every state. For example, Maine is home to more than 20 native trees, shrubs, and invasive species. Each plant requires different soil, watering, and pruning. Therefore, planting these species in your yard without researching them will cause them to die.
Improper research will also cause you to buy plants without knowing how big they’ll get. For instance, if you buy a shrub that grows big enough to hide your other plants, then those plants will die from a lack of sunlight. At that point, your only option will be to uproot the plant you spent your hard-earned money and time on.
If you’re struggling with your research and want to avoid ill-advised purchases, we suggest contacting professional landscapers. They’ll assess your lawn and advise you on the best plants for it.
4. Planting Too Much
Plants are living organisms that need space to grow. Without it, those that grow faster will take up all the sunlight and prevent it from reaching other plants underneath them. Crowding too many plants together will also cause their roots to tangle. This will result in some plants dying from being undernourished.
To avoid uprooting your plants unnecessarily, we suggest carefully planning your outdoor spaces before making any purchases. Consider how big each plant will be when it’s grown, how much space there is for each plant, and whether your sprinklers will cover them all.
To get the best advice on what plants to purchase and how to manage your landscape, we highly recommend getting in touch with experienced landscapers.
5. Forgetting About Insects
Insects are an essential part of the ecosystems in your outdoor spaces. Although they have many roles, the most important for landscaping is plant pollination. Without pollination, your lawns and gardens won’t fill up with flowers in the Spring season. Unfortunately, some insects, such as caterpillars, will eat your plants’ leaves before you get a chance to show off your lawn. Therefore, it’s crucial to eliminate pests without killing the good bugs that work hard to help your landscape stay alive.
Stone Solutions Maine has over 26 years of experience in landscaping and masonry. Our passion and dedication have helped us consistently deliver high-quality results to clients in Maine for years. From breathtaking patios to custom outdoor fire pits, we pride ourselves on making clients’ dreams a reality.
Get in touch with us today to see how we can help with your home.