Top 10 Mistakes Made By Do-It-Yourselfers

Success in home landscape design is certainly attainable for do-it-yourselfers, but there are some pitfalls that should be avoided if maximum satisfaction is to be achieved. Thus, the need for this list of 10 mistakes to avoid in home landscape design. The mistakes covered range from miscalculations that have practical ramifications to more subtle errors that negatively impact your enjoyment of your home landscape design.

1) Piecemeal Planting: Failure to Have a Plan

Many home landscape designs evolve helter-skelter. A plant is planted somewhere in the yard simply because there is room for it there at the time. Ideally, it's best to start from scratch, draw a plan for the whole yard, and stick to it. Short of that, try at least to sketch a rough plan for one large area of your yard, and put all your energy into implementing that plan this year.

2) Having a Lawn Just Because "Everyone Else Does It"

Many homeowners make the mistake of assuming that having a grassy area in the yard, designated as "the lawn," is somehow an obligatory part of home landscape design. But historically speaking, the lawn as we know it is a relatively recent introduction to landscaping. For those not attracted to that rather monotonous "green carpet" look or who dislike having to mow grass every week, it's important to know that other acceptable options exist, especially for small spaces. Whose yard is it, anyhow?

3) Insufficient Fall Color in Your Home Landscape Design

Spring and summer receive most of our attention when it comes to planting. Unfortunately, it's easy to forget to plant for fall. Yet the fall season holds enormous promise for those landscaping enthusiasts willing to plan for it. Don't allow your home landscape design to miss out on the colors offered by autumn's bounty!

4) Lack of Winter Interest in Your Home Landscape Design

If the fall season is often neglected in home landscape design, matters stand twice as bad with the winter season. Yet it is precisely in wintertime that we most need a yard decor that will bring us cheer.

5) Failure to Irrigate

Many of us face a dilemma: we enjoy having plants in our yards, but we also like to travel during the summer. So how do the plants get watered while we're gone? Sometimes a friend or relative can come to the rescue, but why chance it? There's a lot tied up in your home landscape design, both in terms of money and sentimental value. But don't ditch your travel plans! Just install an automatic irrigation system in your home landscape design.

6) Planting on a Hillside that is Subject to Erosion

Do you have a steep slope in your yard? Is it tough to retain your topsoil there during a heavy rain? Have you tried growing your favorite plants there to no avail? The problem is you failed to fix your erosion problem prior to planting. Build a retaining wall first, and then do your planting afterwards.

7) Failure to Work with What You Have

Do you have a rocky yard? A yard with a lot of shade? Or perhaps your yard's problem is a punishing summertime heat that scorches all in its path? Sometimes you can successfully fight the terrain you inherit in your yard, as in the case of building retaining walls for slopes to fight erosion. Other times, instead of fighting it, it's better to go with the flow and work with what you have. The key is to know what you're up against and what options you have.

8) Failure to Incorporate Insect-Resistant Plants in Your Home Landscape Design

You may think you've arrived at the ideal home landscape design. You meticulously drew up a plan and stuck to it. The soil is fertile, you've installed automatic irrigation, you've followed directions faithfully in planting your specimens, and you've applied a generous layer of mulch around them. But you come out of the house one day -- and find your plants in shreds! What happened? You forgot one thing: insects can make a snack of your plants quicker than you can say, "Grasshopper goes to market."

9) You Never Get Anything Done in the Yard Because Tools Are Never Handy

The surest way to get little done in the yard is to realize you need a tool -- only to find that you can't find it! If you don't have enough storage space, chances are your tools will all be jammed into one small area (perhaps a corner of the garage), making it tough to keep the area accessible and the tools organized. What you need is a storage shed. The longer you put off getting adequate storage, the longer you'll be disorganized -- and the further you'll fall behind in your yard work.

10) Forgetting Functionality in Home Landscape Design

When one thinks about home landscape design, it is aesthetic considerations that immediately come to mind. Functionality, however, takes precedence over aesthetics. There is no reason you shouldn't be able to have both; but when push comes to shove, one needs to be more concerned that a home landscape design is safe, convenient and usable.

Three ways trees make your life easier, more comfortable

Trees. Do you plant them on your property so you can enjoy their growing beauty over many years while adding to the value of your home in the future real estate market? Nothing wrong with that! But in addition to aesthetics, trees provide three very practical benefits that add to your comfort and well-being... and even save you some of your hard-earned money.

Trees create a sound barrier; living close to persistent noise can make you sick. In addition to the possibility of hearing loss, noise has been shown to cause stress, tension and anxiety. If your home is close to a noise source, such as a highway or an industrial complex, planting a “noise buffer” consisting of trees and shrubs can reduce noise by 5 to 10 decibels, effectively reducing the sound by up to 50% to the human ear.

According to an excellent Web site hosted by Agroforestry, the best results are obtained when the noise buffer is planted as close as possible to the source of the noise (rather than close to the area you wish to protect).

The Agroforestry site also recommends planting the trees and shrubs as close together as the species will allow. Additionally, choose plants with dense foliage, preferably foliage that is growing all the way to the ground. As you might guess, evergreen trees provide better year-round noise reduction.

If noise is giving you a migraine, I recommend a visit to http://www.agroforestry.net/overstory/overstory60.html where you can find detailed planting solutions to various noise pollution problems.

Trees provide wind protection if you are troubled by blowing dust and debris around your home, thoughtfully planted trees can reduce the problem. But reducing the effect of wind on your home can also keep some dollars in your pocket.

Research conducted on the Great Plains has shown that up to 25 percent energy savings for heating is possible from windbreaks. An evergreen, properly placed, can divert cold winds away from the home. Locate the windbreak upwind from the home, according to advice from the Colorado State University Co-operative extension.

To reduce wind velocity, the recommended distance from your house is between and three times tree height (at maturity) but you’ll still reap wind-reducing benefits from trees planted at a distance of up to six tree heights.

Trees provide shade before you say “Duh,” I’m not just referring to the shade you enjoy while sipping lemonade in your hammock. Your home benefits from being shaded from the heat of the sun, and trees are a natural sunshade.

Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a household's energy consumption for heating and cooling, according to computer models created by the U.S. Department of Energy. They estimate that the proper placement of only three trees would save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually.

While you’re at it, create some shade for that air-conditioning unit that’s chugging away under the broiling summer sun.

In a nutshell, trees can reduce the headache-inducing effects of noise, the nuisance of wind and the size of your utility bills.

Which specific trees and shrubs should you plant to achieve one or more of these results? In many cases, this will depend on your geographic location and any unique contributing factors that affect your landscape. If you’re unsure about what would work best for your particular situation, send some basic details in an e-mail to jimmie@absolutelybushed.com and I’ll do my best to reply with some suggestions.

Landscaping Accent Fountains

Garden fountains add detail and a feeling of warmth to your landscaping. They make the area look elegant, yet inviting to explore. Garden fountains are generally made out of cast stone. They come in many sizes to accommodate any landscaping area you have available. There are several types of garden fountains to choose from. If you have limited space, consider a wall fountain.

Garden fountains are designed to add breathtaking brilliance to your garden area. You will find garden fountains in an array of sizes and designs, all to add beauty to your garden area. Fountains can be found with one, two, and three tiers. Generally, the bottom tier is the largest and they get smaller as you go up the fountain. Many garden fountains feature a statue of a child or other design at the top for added appeal. Buddha heads and other religious designs are also very popular.

The size and shape of garden fountain you will choose depends on the area you have available and the décor of the other landscaping you have in the area. While the classic design of a garden fountain made out of cast stone is still very popular, many individuals are starting to use more unique garden fountain options.

The Barcelona garden fountain is square shaped; with the top part looking like well-designed candles. This is a very classy looking fountain that is definitely original. The Bilbao fountain is also square shaped with smaller squares on top just like the traditional round tier garden fountain.

For an even more distinct garden fountain, consider the bronze mirror fountain. This is a tall piece of bronze in a wooden frame. The base of the fountain has colorful rocks. The water flows over the bronze piece. This is a gorgeous garden fountain with the sun reflecting off of it or the moonlight gently illuminating it. A very similar garden fountain is the clear garden fall. It is designed the same as the bronze mirror fountain, but the middle piece is clear. Sometimes you can find the clear glass with a pretty picture etched into it for a very appealing look.

The sky is the limit when it comes to the garden fountains available. Choose from a favorite animal or religious fountain. Women and children are also great garden fountain ideas and are probably the most popular. To add appeal to your garden fountain, select one that has a very detailed layout regardless of what it characterizes.

It is very easy to install your own garden fountain. You can purchase a complete set at any home improvement retail store or online. For those individuals who are creative and willing to tackle a challenge, you can build your own garden fountain rather than buying one that has been pre-fabricated.

You will want to install your garden fountain on a flat surface that is free of tree roots. This may require some leveling prior to set up. Place the pre-fabricated fountain in the exact spot you want it to be. Then trace around it. This will help you dig the hole properly for a good fit. Dig about two inches deeper than you need, then fill with two inches of sand base. Then simply slide the garden fountain into place.

You will need to add water to the garden fountain. They instructions for each particular fountain will provide you with the information on how to operate the pump as well as how much water to add. If you plan to add fish to your garden fountain, you will want to use proper chemicals to keep it clean that won’t harm the fish.

Garden fountains add the look of elegance and class to any garden. There are so many styles and designs to choose from that it will not be easy to decide which one to add to your garden. Take your time to make sure you choose one that is going to fit the other landscaping items you have laid out in your garden area. You also want one that is a good fit in size for the opening you have. Smaller fountains can help make your garden look bigger as well as divide the area into sections. It is a good idea to get a catalog of various garden fountains or to search the internet to help you make an informed decision about the garden fountain to choose

While garden fountains look elegant, you will be very surprised at how reasonably priced they are. You can get a magnificent looking garden fountain with all the necessities for less than $200. The higher end fountains are also available to you for larger areas or estate landscapes. We have installed many of these over the years for clients. They can make a grand statement at your residence. I have often seen these fountains actually help sell a residence by making it part of the homes appeal. We have also moved these types of fountains for clients to their new residence as they became sentimentally attached to them over the years.

Whatever fountain suits your needs best it will be an addition to your homes landscaping you will not regret! Until next time...Happy Gardening!!

Jimmie