Five Common Landscaping Fails

Image: www.geograph.org.uk

Sometimes, the gardens you lust over in the upmarket magazines can seem so doable; but landscaping a garden is fraught with pitfalls and things to think about before you start planting those gorgeous perennials you saw at the garden centre.

Here are a few words of advice from garden landscaping experts …

1. Choosing the wrong plants 

Don’t buy everything you like the look of; not everything will flourish in every type of soil, or in the particular part of the garden you have in mind for it.

Check the spot you want to fill with foliage first thing in the morning, at noon, and mid-afternoon, note down where the sun hits and take your notes with you to the garden centre. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice about what should go where. Check the soil too –if you’re not sure what type of soil you have (chalky, sandy, clay, silted, peaty, loamy) get some tips here:

2. Bad patio and pathway foundations

This is one area you probably will need professional advice, even if you intend to do the work yourself. Make sure that the base materials are right for the job, that the depth is right and that the materials used for the pathways have been properly chosen to withstand the amount of use they get.

3. Not matching the garden to the home

It doesn’t matter what you’ve seen in the gardening magazines, if the garden doesn’t match the property, it will look out of place. A charming Victorian cottage demands a country style garden with plenty of flower beds, while a newer property can embrace simple lines, and plants that complement the minimalist styles of newer homes.

4. Forgetting about the weather

Don’t ignore the fact that it can rain a LOT in Scotland, and the rest of the UK. Recent weather events will attest to the power of the British climate. The last thing you want is a flooded patio or waterlogged lawn. It’s not all bad though; rain is full of nutrients that can benefit your garden, so find a way to collect it up.  Water butts, drainage systems, or filter strips are all options, depending on the size of your garden.

5.  Not thinking ahead when planting trees.

Many people forget the capacity of trees to grow – fast growing trees can be a real problem if they get too tall (don’t mention the dreaded Leylandii) and it’s not just your sunlight that could be at risk from ill-thought out trees, some trees compete with other plants or even cause problems with the foundations of houses if they are built too close. You need to decide what the tree is for; just to look pretty, privacy, shade or anything else?

For expert advice, speak to the team at John Lessels Landscaping.