10 Common Landscaping Mistakes. & How to Avoid Them to Make Your Curb Appeal Even Better Presented By: Jeff Moyer & Brit McCoy

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Dorcas Lesley Arnold
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1 10 Common Landscaping Mistakes & How to Avoid Them to Make Your Curb Appeal Even Better Presented By: Jeff Moyer & Brit McCoy

1: Not Starting with a Professional Plan Avoid: Pursue: Piecing together a landscape through a collection of small, individual projects Putting together a plan without

Professional consultation and a professional 2-D or 3-D plan customized for your home and lifestyle from an accredited landscape designer.

2 1: Not Starting with a Professional Plan Avoid: Pursue: Piecing together a landscape through a collection of small, individual projects Putting together a plan without the knowledge and expertise of plant growth and maturity, material habits, and a full understanding of balance. Professional consultation and a professional 2-D or 3-D plan customized for your home and lifestyle from an accredited landscape designer. A vision of what you want your entire space to look like when completed, even if you are going to complete it in phases ; planning out the entire landscape before allows you to think through the space in its entirety, in the long run it will save you time and money

A properly graded yard so pools of water do not form Installation of subsurface drainage via drain-tile through

4 2: Poor Drainage Avoid: Allowing downspouts to drain near the foundation Not addressing existing poor grade in a landscape renovation Pursue: Proper drainage away from the house foundation; compact soils around the foundation A properly graded yard so pools of water do not form Installation of subsurface drainage via drain-tile through downspouts leading to pop-up emitters to direct water away from homes, while addressing potential erosion, legally

5 Pop-Up Emitter

3: Improper Selection of Plant Specimens & Installation Avoid:

water requirements Plants that thrive and survive only in a warmer

The sun exposure of the area you are planting The soil condition:

6 3: Improper Selection of Plant Specimens & Installation Avoid: Know: Selecting plants that do not fit the sun exposure and/or water requirements Plants that thrive and survive only in a warmer zone: 6, 7, 8, etc. The sun exposure of the area you are planting The soil condition: rocky, sandy, clay, ph What growing zone you are located in: Madison area zones are 4b & 5a Growth maturity and habits

4: Not Accounting for Seasonal Interest Avoid: Pursue: Planting specimens that only provide spring and summer interest; only planting perennials with spring and summer flower, or deciduous shrubs

A variety of plant specimens that have interest in multiple seasons; look for shrubs that have early spring flower and fall color. Ornamental grasses can provide summer, fall and winter interest.

8 4: Not Accounting for Seasonal Interest Avoid: Pursue: Planting specimens that only provide spring and summer interest; only planting perennials with spring and summer flower, or deciduous shrubs that only provide spring flower and drop their leaves in winter Planting only deciduous specimens and specimens that do not have unique structural elements to provide winter interest. A variety of plant specimens that have interest in multiple seasons; look for shrubs that have early spring flower and fall color. Ornamental grasses can provide summer, fall and winter interest. Some deciduous trees and shrubs offer a unique branching structure that provides beautiful winter interest A balanced landscape of evergreen, deciduous and perennials (don t forget about shrubs that are showy for fall)

and/or areas within your landscape Creating a focal point within the most important views from outside and

10 5: Not Creating a Focal Point Avoid: Pursue: Using the same plants throughout the entire space; variety keeps your eye moving over the landscape and exploring the entire outdoor space Overlooking important views and/or areas within your landscape Creating a focal point within the most important views from outside and inside A unique plant specimen, pergola, fire feature, or water feature to highlight an area of your landscape

feature) that is not also viewable from inside Pursue: Views of focal points in the

12 6: Forgetting Views from Inside Avoid: Planting specimens that will mature too large and cover your windows Placing a focal point (pergola, fire feature, water feature) that is not also viewable from inside Pursue: Views of focal points in the landscape; views from the main living areas of your home Connection from indoors to outdoors

Functional lighting to provide safety: path lights, stair lights Lighting up your outdoor space for use at night: patios and fire

14 7: Overlooking Lighting Avoid: Discounting lighting because of budget Pursue: Disregarding lighting because you have never had lighting within your landscape Highlighting the most beautiful parts of your home and landscape: trees, water features, architecture. Functional lighting to provide safety: path lights, stair lights Lighting up your outdoor space for use at night: patios and fire pits are a great space to use for entertaining even after the sun sets Lighting extends your usable and visible investment of your landscape

8: Improper Layout and Undersizing Outdoor Spaces Avoid: Pursue: Guessing on the size needed for your desired activities Making a space larger than you need; too large of a patio can result in

Trying to fit in too many uses in a small space will cause poor traffic flow and may lead to lack of use of the space Complete understanding of the size and intended use of the space prior to

16 8: Improper Layout and Undersizing Outdoor Spaces Avoid: Pursue: Guessing on the size needed for your desired activities Making a space larger than you need; too large of a patio can result in unutilized space and make the patio feel uninviting Making a space too small for its intended use or uses. Trying to fit in too many uses in a small space will cause poor traffic flow and may lead to lack of use of the space Complete understanding of the size and intended use of the space prior to installation; paint out a patio space and set it up as you would if you were using it to insure you have adequate space for your needs and lifestyle Understanding standard dimensions of dining areas, cooking areas, and fire feature areas. Following standard dimensions will give you a good starting point

9: Lack of Variety and Material Diversity Avoid: Pursue: Planting only a few plant specimens in your landscape; avoid the sea of spirea and daylilies Choosing

paving material A variety of plants; don t forget about choosing a specimen for a focal point, and utilizing plants for seasonal interest Changes in mulch;

18 9: Lack of Variety and Material Diversity Avoid: Pursue: Planting only a few plant specimens in your landscape; avoid the sea of spirea and daylilies Choosing only one type of mulch; especially in large landscape beds multiple mulches can add interest to an otherwise uninterrupted surface Choosing only one type of paving material A variety of plants; don t forget about choosing a specimen for a focal point, and utilizing plants for seasonal interest Changes in mulch; perhaps landscape beds along the house have rock mulch and exterior island beds have wood mulch, or a large bed has both wood and rock mulch Variety of hardscape texture and color

10: Not Performing Proper Maintenance Avoid: Pursue: Overwatering and under-watering plants Over-fertilizing and under-fertilizing plants Ignoring pruning your plants Proper watering; know

After establishment water as needed, and pay special attention to plants during drought periods. Fertilization during key growth periods, spring and late fall.

20 10: Not Performing Proper Maintenance Avoid: Pursue: Overwatering and under-watering plants Over-fertilizing and under-fertilizing plants Ignoring pruning your plants Proper watering; know the plants, some require regular moisture while others can tolerate dry soils. As a rule establishing plants require 2 of rainwater each week. After establishment water as needed, and pay special attention to plants during drought periods. Fertilization during key growth periods, spring and late fall. Enhancing your landscape with proper pruning. Spring flowering shrubs should be pruned right after flowering, summer and fall flowering plants can be pruned at any time. Make all your pruning cuts at an angle and prune live branches back to the closest growth node.

22 Thank you!

HOW TO DESIGN AND BUILD YOUR OWN GARDEN. By Dave Limburg

HOW TO DESIGN AND BUILD YOUR OWN GARDEN By Dave Limburg Function first! Simply work out what you want to do in your garden and forget all about plants! The overall layout of the garden and the function