So you have decided to do some landscaping! It is the end result that counts. You can turn your yard into a very beautiful, comfortable and quiet location or with some disastrous mistakes you can end up with a mess. With the proper planning and some patience, avoiding some common mistakes can make the entire project proceed without many problems and give you the result you have always wanted.



To start, you should come up with a drawing or plan of what you would like your design to look like. This is one of the most important steps of all. Draw up a general idea of what you would like, and ask questions, lots of questions and do your research. Your local garden center would be more that willing to help you with your plans and ideas. Using the internet is another option to most people today.

If you do not have internet access, go to your local library where you can review gardening books or access the internet. Talk to experts who can answer most of your questions before you get started. If you are planning on landscaping a small area, you shouldn't have any problems doing this small project yourself. But for bigger projects you might want to hire professional landscapers to at least draw out the plans and help you decide how to proceed.

Make sure that you have proper drainage for your landscaping project. Improper drainage can lead to water in your basement, water draining under your driveway, or sitting in pools in your yard. This could lead to even bigger problems with an end result that could cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.

If you need to build a retaining wall to help with drainage, you should first be aware of how your drainage will be affected overall. You will need to know the proper method of installing a retaining wall. And you will need to check with your local municipality to insure you are within the guidelines and laws regarding drainage.

When choosing plants for landscaping make sure you know what planning zone you are in and which plants for that zone are the best for your climate conditions. Some plants will either die from heat or will not be able to survive the harsh cold winters in other zones. Plants can also feed off each other or take away nutrients from each other. Where one hardy plant may grow and flourish, another type plant may be overcome by the more hardy plant.

By the end of summer, beginning of fall, your plants are starting to loose their coloring and are slowly starting to die off for the winter. If you would like to keep some of the color longer it is suggested that you plant some of the following for beautiful fall colors.

- 'Rudy Haag' Burning Bush

- Sumac

- Fothergilla

- 'Tor' Spirea

- Blackhaw Viburnum

- Bittersweet

- Oakleaf Hydrangea

- Virginia Creeper

- Red Chokeberry

- Viking Black Chokeberry

If you obtain some berry producing plants, you will help feed the birds in the winter time when food is scarce. If you like early blooming flowers and plants in the spring, try to choose plants that can be placed in the fall before the first snow. Try to choose plants that are annuals so they need not be replanted every year.

These are some key points to remember when making important decisions in planning your landscaping ideas. By following the proper guidelines, you landscaping project should be around for a many years. Proper landscaping not only can increase the beauty of your lawn but can increase the value of your property as well.

By following these simply guidelines to you can insure you have few problems during your landscaping projects.