Don't Make These Seven Front Yard Mistakes

This is a quick one to get you thinking about spring! It's early, but let's face it...we all kind of know spring is around the corner. And it always comes faster than we expect!

Here are some things not to do if you are working on any kind of planting design for your front yard, especially the foundation plants.

2.Not placing height at the ends of the house. You must frame your house for it to look picturesque. You can use trees or large shrubs. Find out their mature size and then place them a minimum of ½ that width from the house.

3.Using too many of “one of this and one of that”. Mass your shrubs to make the design look more cohesive.

4.Not admitting that you have a deer problem, if you do. Then, only use deer resistant plants or commit to a spraying program.

5.Purchasing plants trees or shrubs that get too large for the space. Again, know the mature size. If your windows are 3 feet high, don’t buy plants that have a mature size larger than that. (You can cheat a little bit.) Don’t be swayed by that good looking plant at the nursery!

6.Purchasing plants that will need a lot of water when you do not have a sprinkler system or cannot commit to regular watering. The plants will not do well or die. If you do not have a sprinkler system or do not want to water as needed, consider drought tolerant plants. These can be quite nice.

7.Not planning out your space. This can be done roughly, but you should always take your sketch to the garden center. You can always substitute, but at least you will know, how many, how tall, etc.

For more tips, see my page on Front Yard Designs

Susan