Tips On Landscaping In A Wetter Climate

Posted on September 18, 2012 in landscaping

TIP! Check other sources besides catalogs and stores to buy your plants. Many towns have plant and mulch sales at the local gardens and arboretums in the spring.

Learning how to landscape your home will help beautify the overall appearance of your home. Everyone wants to make their home look great, but they have no idea where to start. That’s where this article will come in handy. Continue to read on to find great advice on being a good landscaper.

TIP! Often, people don’t think of shopping online for landscaping materials. Not only will it be simple and convenient, you can find a variety of rare plants which you may never find locally or in one of those large retail stores.

Plan out everything before you buy materials so you don’t spend what you don’t need to. Figure out exactly what items you require by making a landscaping sketch. By having a materials list you can avoid impulse buying.

TIP! Find out about the climate and hardiness zones of the plants you choose. Also think about whether annuals or perennials will work best for you.

Check your property boundaries before beginning a landscaping project. This is particularly important if there aren’t fences to separate the properties. It won’t do you any good to plant on your neighbor’s property and you may inadvertently create quite a rift. Visit the county courthouse or view a plat book to determine your property lines.

Ground Cover

TIP! To keep your landscape looking great, you must shape all shrubbery and trees. Prune and shape overgrown trees and shrubs to keep your yard neatly groomed.

If you’ve got a big shade tree in the yard, it won’t be easy to put flowers underneath. Find another form of ground cover. This will add a lot of visual appeal and be quite easy to take care of as well. Cool ground cover varieties include hosta and sweet woodruff.

TIP! Once you begin contemplating your new landscape design, it makes sense to examine it in the context of your entire property. You can make a sketch of your property to visualize where you can place specific designs and how it will look when completed.

There is more to landscaping than just plants. When you are creating a design for your yard, you may find it easy to put too much emphasis on plantings. However, don’t forget any non-living accents either. Some nicely arranged pottery, scattered rocks, and an arbor, can all add to a nice landscape design which naturally flows together, even during the winter when the plants aren’t blooming.

Grow Quickly

TIP! It is not necessary – or even wise – to try to landscape your entire property all at the same time. It is best to break up an endeavor this large into smaller individual projects that are easier to budget and execute.

Trim plants regularly so that your yard won’t turn into an overgrown, unmaintained eyesore. Plants such as azaleas or forsythia often grow quickly and can overtake your yard if you don’t maintain it properly. Don’t be scared to cut them back quite a bit, as they grow quickly.

TIP! Don’t just consider a plant by what you see now; always consider the final size it will grow to! You may discover that your plants become overcrowded or have to compete for sunlight or water. Proper spacing of plants is very important, so be sure you know how large the plants you choose will grow.

Focus on accomplishing your landscaping projects in phases. If you plan on doing your whole yard, you might want to break up your yard and work on it section by section. This can make it more affordable. Another option is to start with a single type of plant and plant it n various areas in your yard.

TIP! A great landscaping tip that everyone should use is to make a list of all the materials you will be needing prior to starting on your project. After all, you don’t want to have to stop your work halfway through to get needed supplies you are missing.

Make sure you know your hardiness zone, and purchase plants for your landscaping accordingly. In 2012, the USDA hardiness zone map has been updated. You will be able to choose plants that can thrive in the climate of your area, with less risk of freezing.

TIP! A great way to save some money on plants is by shopping from catalogs or the Internet. Many rare, or specialty plants can be purchased at a lower cost online, or by phone, rather than at your local nursery.

Your landscape design is very much influenced by the kind of soil you are going to be using. Some plants have trouble growing in certain kinds of soil. If your soil inhibits your creativity, you can replace it or create separate bedding areas consisting of wood chips or mulch.

TIP! Remember that a landscape plan should address the paths and walks that cut through the growing environment. Avoid the ugly, concrete walkways that often come with homes.

Landscaping is an evolving process. You should not worry yourself that everything must be done immediately. You can step your progress to correspond with the seasons. This also helps with your budget. Write each step in the process down and choose ones that are important to do first.

Larger Plants

TIP! Use evergreen and other foliage plants to give your yard a sense of continuity. Most plants only blossom for a short period so your yard may look barren between seasons.

If you are utilizing large plants, remember that they will create shadows. Use this natural shade as a benefit rather than a hindrance, and position the larger plants somewhere where they can protect your house or deck from the heat of the sun in the warmer months. Try to ensure that no smaller plants are enveloped in the larger plants shadow.

TIP! Think about the existing structures around the landscaping project before starting on it. You need to make sure your landscaping changes will not interfere with any features on your property, such as sprinklers, overhead wires, air conditioners and gutters.

Add special aspects, like a water fountain. For these focal pieces, you will want to increase your budget and work with a store that focuses on these types of projects. You will be able to get great tips from the employees at these very stores.

TIP! You can fill in empty spaces while making your landscape beautiful by using groundcover plants. You can inhibit the growth of weeds and cut back on the amount of grass you need by using creeping, spreading species such as vinca, juniper, ivy, or creeping phlox.

If you want to hire a landscaper, get references. Price is important, but if you ask to see some pictures or addresses of work a landscaper has done, you will be able to see first hand if they are right for the job you want accomplished.

TIP! Choose from a wider variety of plants and save money by shopping online. Many landscaping supply websites offer a tempting combination high quality and affordable prices.

After reading the tips in this article, it is time to get started. You may find that this article has enhanced your landscaping ability a lot. Take this article’s advice and beautify your land today!