Landscaping, no matter the scope, requires a bit of foresight and previous knowledge. If you don’t know what you’re up against, you’re highly likely to fail. Reading this article will help you get your landscaping project under control.
Prior to starting your landscaping, sketch out how you envision it. Making a drawing of your ideas can help you anticipate problems you may encounter, later on. It also can assist you in gathering the right materials needed for the project. Remember, it’s much simpler to alter a drawing than completed landscaping.
Choose appropriate plants for your climate zone, and learn which plants are perennial and which only last for a single year. You should keep seasonal variations in mind when you choose plants, too. Know this information so you can have a great landscaping experience with good results.
It’s well worth the money to get a soil test before you landscape your garden or yard. Testing the soil will determine if anything should be eliminated or added to the soil to make it more healthy. Your plants will be healthier and your garden more successful if you take this step.
Shop around on the Internet to keep costs down and to find a wider variety of products. Many landscaping supply websites offer a tempting combination high quality and affordable prices. It is always a good idea to read reviews that are written by other customers. This will provide you with valuable information, such as whether people received good products and if they were properly protected. Also, check various sites to see if you are getting a good price.
Before going to the local lawn and garden store to pick up landscaping materials, you should get the correct measurements of the area you plan on working in. This makes it easier to know how much of every item you will need. Doing so can help you to avoid purchasing too little–or too much–of anything.
Before you actually break ground, remember any structures in the area, and try not to harm anything. Always know the location of utility lines, buried cables and similar things so that your plants won’t interfere with them. You should always call your utility company before you dig, to avoid a costly or dangerous mistake.
If you’re planning a large DIY landscaping project, it’s a good idea to pay for an initial consultation with an experienced landscaper. A professional landscaper will have great tips that can save you down the road. Professional landscapers and architects both charge about $75/hour, which can easily pay for itself if you put their advice to use.
Wildflowers are a great way to inject a great deal of color without breaking the bank. You can find wildflower seeds at most home improvement stores. Just scatter them over a large area or anywhere that is difficult to plant. The result of this simple task will be a gorgeous, multicolored array of all different types of flowers. They will be great for bouquets!
When mowing the lawn, it’s wise to leave glass clippings as they’ve fallen. Clippings will help your lawn retain moisture easier, and they also help provide important nutrients your lawn needs as the clippings break down.
Stop thinking that you should try and spend less on every item. While you may find cheap supplies for your project, your probably looking at quality that is not up to par. If you haven’t done this much before, a store that specializes in landscaping and landscaping supplies may be the best place to buy your stuff because they can make sure you have everything you will need.
Less Expensive
Many times you can successfully use less expensive products in your landscape without sacrificing beauty. When looking at mulch, perennials and containers, you will notice that there is not much of a difference between the pricier and less expensive versions. Check your plants over carefully. Cut rate plant sellers may not have taken good care of the plants before selling them to you.
It may be difficult to determine what sort of flowers will do well under an established shade tree. Find another form of ground cover. This makes your yard look fantastic, and it doesn’t require a lot of effort to maintain. Some options for ground cover include hosta and sweet woodruff.
Landscaping is much like home renovation–knowledge is the major factor. Educate yourself as much as possible so that you can come up with a solid plan that will result in a beautiful looking landscape.