The first time you walk into your home, the landscaping is probably one of the first things you notice. It can make or break a house and give it that “wow factor”, but if not done right your yard could look like an eyesore instead. Follow these tips to get started on improving your yard today!
Choosing Your Trees
When choosing trees for your landscaping, look into the type that will need the least maintenance and cause the least problems. For example, if you live in an area with heavy snowfall, you won’t want to choose a tree such as a willow because they shed their leaves and therefore pose more of a hazard when wet. If you live somewhere hot year-round such as Arizona, be careful with varieties such as magnolias or cypresses because they only flower once every few years which may not match yearly seasons. Consider also how big the tree will grow and whether it will take away from your house or yard. If you have limited space, consider dwarf fruit trees like apples and pears which can be used to create an attractive landscape.
Choosing Your Shrubs
When choosing shrubs for your landscaping, take into consideration how much maintenance they will require. Some shrubs do not need pruning while others are very temperamental and can die if you get too close to their branches with shears or lawn mower. Be sure to place any potted plants near the house to avoid accidentally cutting or damaging them when mowing grass or edging sidewalks. The best type of shrub depends on the climate in which you live because some varieties are more fragile than others depending on rain fall, hot periods etc. However, you need any help, you can always get in touch with a reliable landscaping contractor like creativegreenaz.com.
Preparing the Soil
Poor soil is a major reason why landscaping fails. If your soil is too dry, the grass will die quickly and look patchy. If it is too loose and wet, the plants won’t root in their new home and will die. Before you start planting anything consider having a professional come to assess your yard and recommend amendments such as compost or fertilizing based on the results of a soil test so that you don’t cause any more damage than necessary.
Planting Your Flowers/Shrubs/Trees
After spending hours planning out what types of flowers, shrubs, and trees you want in your landscaping, this step seems like an easy one: simply put them all in the ground! However, there are some tips that you need to follow. First, you want to make sure that the holes are larger than the root ball of your plant and that you remove any large rocks or sticks that might prevent proper growth. Dig a hole at least twice as big as shovel width, place some good soil in the bottom, position the plant (with roots only) in where it should be ultimately positioned and backfill with soil so there is no space between its base and ground level. Make sure not to compact too tightly because if your plants don’t have enough room they may suffer from lack of water or nutrients. Finally, once all of your plants are planted spread mulch on top of the ground around them to prevent weeds from growing up among your beautiful flowers!
Watering
Because the sun beams down a lot of heat during summer months, you can easily dry out your yard and garden if they are not watered often enough. Make sure to check on your plants daily and water them as necessary, but before watering make sure that there is no excess rainwater sitting in puddles around their roots as this will drown them instead of nourish them. Water only when necessary so you don’t waste money or cause runoff from too much excess water being dumped onto your grass.
Maintaining Your Landscaping
The last step in landscaping 101 is to maintain your yard once it is all set up and planted with shrubs, trees, and flowers/grass! The easiest way to do this is by raking up any dead leaves in the fall before they have a chance to decompose and potentially harm plant life. Cut down any grass that has grown taller than the others so it becomes uniform in height. If you are planning on planting new flowers or shrubs, be careful not to damage anything that already exists when digging holes for them! Just remember, landscaping takes patience, effort, time, and money—but it is worth all of your efforts in the end when people stop in awe at how beautiful your yard looks.
Use Mulch To Avoid Weeds In The Garden Beds
An important tip is to use mulch around plants that will help prevent weed growth. Weed the garden area before covering it with mulch so you can remove any rogue weeds that didn’t die with the grass you killed during your lawn renovation/de-thatching efforts. Mulching is especially helpful in areas lacking direct sunlight, which keeps weeds from growing up through cracks in your concrete or sidewalk.
Use Drip Irrigation For Your Flowers/Shrubs
If you are planting new flowers, be sure to install a drip irrigation system to make caring for them much easier! A drip irrigation system delivers water directly to the roots of each plant rather than surrounding soil where it may evaporate or cause more harm than good by drowning plants that need consistent water. This is also great because it allows you gardeners to avoid over-watering! Just remember to turn your irrigation system off during winter months to prevent plant death.
