As landscapers, there’s always a certain element of trial and error involved in achieving our goals. We can’t expect to create a beautiful outdoor area on the first try, as there are so many different variables that can affect the outcome. For example, things like the weather and how plants respond to certain landscaping maintenance are out of our control. However, we can strive to consistently improve our landscaping by learning new techniques and figuring out what landscaping mistakes to avoid.

Some of the biggest landscaping mistakes can completely sabotage your progress and make your job harder as a landscaper. That’s why it’s so important to avoid making these errors so that you can focus on constantly moving forward. We want to help you avoid making these landscaping mistakes at all costs, which is why we’ve put together the following list of 5 of the biggest landscaping mistakes. This article is brought to you by Cal Blend Soils, the leading supplier of landscaping products in the California area. Reach out to one of our team members today to learn more about how our great landscaping supplies can help you to achieve your landscaping goals.

Big Landscaping Mistake 1 – Unsuitable Planting

One of the classic mistakes that new landscapers make is not thinking through whether or not something should be planted in a certain area on their property. Just because you love a certain type of plant doesn’t mean it will work in your outdoor area. Each plant has its own unique set of conditions that it needs to grow and thrive. It’s important for you to think through each one of these conditions before you commit to anything. That way, you can avoid planting something that will struggle to survive and cause more work on your end.

Consider how much sunlight a plant needs, what its water requirements are, and whether or not it can grow in your local region before you decide to add something to your landscape. This will help you out in a big way over the long run and ensure that you avoid making the classic landscaping mistake of planting in the wrong place.

Big Landscaping Mistake 2 – Avoiding Maintenance

Let’s face it, if you want to create a truly memorable outdoor area, you will need to put in the work to maintain it. Regardless of how big your landscape is, there are a certain number of basic landscape maintenance tasks that you will need to take care of if you really want your property to flourish. Oftentimes, landscapers make the mistake of avoiding doing the basic maintenance required of them or they simply are too ambitious when adding things to their landscape and don’t think about the amount of work it will take to maintain everything.

Make sure you are committed to regular landscape maintenance so that you can avoid the quality of your outdoor area deteriorating over time. Things like lawn maintenance, pruning, fertilizing, and watering are all basics that every landscaper understands will need to be kept up with. You should also try to keep things clean on your property, especially during the fall time when leaves are constantly piling up.

Big Landscaping Mistake 3 – No Plan

Failing to plan is planning to fail. This statement holds true for landscaping as well, as one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a landscaper is not having a plan. Before you decide to head out and purchase things for your outdoor space, you need to have a detailed plan in place so that you don’t end up overwhelming yourself later on down the road.

Try to create a detailed budget for your landscaping, think about what kind of maintenance it will require, and have a vision for what you want your outdoor area to look like when it is finished. Consider what the landscaping will look like in contrast to the style and architecture of your house. The more you can plan ahead, the better the chances are that you will create a fantastic landscape.

Big Landscaping Mistake 4 – Forgetting About Wildlife

One of the great things about landscaping is that you get to work outside in mother nature. There’s something special about soaking up some sunshine and working hard on your landscape on a beautiful day. With that said, many landscapers make the mistake of forgetting about how wildlife can affect a landscape. This mistake can lead to serious issues and result in frustration if you aren’t thinking ahead.

There’s nothing worse than putting in a lot of time and effort only to see things derailed by wildlife. Deer are known to eat flowers and vegetable gardens while pests can completely derail your lawn goals if you aren’t careful. The plants that you use and the landscape design you have can both either attract or repel wildlife if you know what you are doing. Try to learn a little about the animals in your region and how they might impact your landscaping so that you stay prepared for anything.

Big Landscaping Mistake 5 – Overcrowding

The final landscaping mistake we are going to feature is overcrowding. This mistake can completely ruin the way your property looks and leave you scrambling to figure out what’s going wrong. With so many great options in terms of plants, design elements, and more to choose from, it’s easy to want to fit as many things as possible into our outdoor areas. This is not the right approach and can be a big mistake.

Overcrowding is bad because it can detract from the overall curb appeal of your property. It’s also a mistake because it makes it more difficult for your plants to survive if they are competing with each other in an overcrowded garden bed or outdoor area. Keep in mind that plants will grow bigger as time passes, which is an important detail if you want to avoid overcrowding your landscape.