This week, I will continue with my treatise on common landscape design mistakes. In addition to not having a well thought out plan for the landscape, not considering views both into and out of the defined space, and under-sizing various spaces within (patios, walkways, etc.), too often homeowners make the mistake of mismatched style. Old-fashioned homes with bilateral symmetry usually dictate a more formal style in the landscape. The exception to this might be the use of cottage garden style, with an abundance of flowering plants enclosed by a wooden fence of some sort. Ranch homes often look best with an informal and curvilinear layout and simple foundation plantings, island beds and swathes of lawn between. Modernist houses call for uncomplicated design with clean lines and architectural plantings.
More recently, the desire to contrast landscape with urban life in general has brought a more natural and wild feeling to the modernist residential garden. Limiting hardscape materials to three different treatments at most and choosing existing building materials from the structure itself (i.e. brick, stone, etc) can also help to connect the style of the home with the surrounding landscape.
Failing to plan for landscaping that is energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable is another common problem. Planting large trees that will shade the southern and western exposures, screening large windows from afternoon sun and planting evergreen hedges that will diffuse cold winds out of the northwest are all ways of using landscape plantings to temper harsh environments and save energy overall. Choosing plants that are well adapted to the climate, as far as both temperature extremes and water requirements, will also create a landscape that requires far less maintenance while still providing beauty and interest over time. Less maintenance allows for more time spent relaxing in the garden.
Many homeowners forget to consider adapting their landscapes to children, pets and wildlife, as well. Choosing plants that are not poisonous to humans and animals, organizing the garden in layers that provide cover and nesting places for birds and other fauna (and hiding places for children), choosing plants that are less often eaten by deer (in the suburban and country setting) and providing a safe water source for wildlife without the depth that could lead to a child drowning might all be considered in the design.
Another common mistake is impulse buying at the nursery and then bringing home plants without thought for where they will best succeed in the garden. This can also lead to too much variety in plantings and a sense of confusion rather than a sense of order and serenity. Planting specimens too close together, too close to the structure and too large for the space in general also happens too often. Park-like trees in a small town garden may shade the entire lot and planted too close to the house may, with time, encroach on a roof-line or exterior wall. Planting trees, shrubs and perennials too close to each other sets the homeowner up for a lifetime of unnecessary pruning and potential problems that result from poor air circulation, such as fungal diseases. Planting trees and shrubs too deeply can also cause death of a plant in the long run.
Many homeowners don’t consider designing for interest in all four seasons. Choosing plants that will provide a sequence of bloom from spring to summer and then into fall and winter makes for a much more interesting garden. Plants that not only flower, but provide fall leaf color, berries and seed pods, add to the charm of a well-planned landscape and also provide food for wildlife. The bark of trees such as sycamores and crepe myrtles bring beauty to the garden when little other color or texture is apparent.
A garden need not be developed all at once, but spending time and money to develop a plan in the beginning will save money and mistakes in the long term. One can hire a landscape designer to assist in the planning or attempt to design on your own, with the help of books and information from the internet. Either way, the results will be much more sustainable and pleasing than the “plant as you go” method taken by many homeowners.
Speak Your Mind