The Biggest Garden Design Mistakes You Can Make
Over the past 18 years designing gardens for homeowners, I've seen the good, the bad, and the downright unsightly. Most of the time, those same simple design errors are on the one hand sloppy, unplanned, or bland. From initial site selection to selecting plants and positioning them in the landscape, pulling off a beautiful garden requires little knowledge. Whether you're planning a pollinator garden in the Midwest, a formal garden in the Northeast, or a drought-tolerant landscape in the Southwest, the same design considerations apply. Before starting your project, here's how you can avoid the most common garden design mistakes.
1. Even the number of plants
While natural things often come in pairs (two eyes, two legs, two wings, etc.), it's best not to combine or use a number of plants. While even and even numbers draw attention to the same space rather than designing a walkway or entryway, using odd numbers moves the eye across the field of view and gives your landscape a more natural, dynamic feel. Avoid awkward-looking asymmetry by placing groups of plants in odd numbers from 3-11 and avoid planting them in too straight a line. Anything past 11 is too much for the eye, so even numbers can be used if desired.
2. Clash colors
Often, we grow our gardens colorfully. But when those colors start to clash with other plants and nearby structures, the whole effect becomes overwhelming and washed out. This happens when someone really loves bright colors; For example, a bright yellow house with bright yellow flowers everywhere. To avoid contrasting colors, choose yellow, white, and orange flowers in front of dark houses, and blue, purple, and red flowers in front of light-colored houses that stand out against their background.
3. Mismatched garden attire
When it comes to garden design mistakes, not paying attention to the architectural design of the house or other buildings is a big mistake. For example, a renovated Victorian house with its classical style and boldness would look out of place paired with the clean design of a modern-style garden. Likewise, the smooth lines and angular shapes of modern and contemporary-style homes are overpowered by large, showy flowers. Avoid this big mistake at all costs to avoid having to remodel the entire yard again.
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4. Empty beds
One of my primary pet peeves in garden design is when plants are unnaturally spaced, often in bare planting beds, surrounded by mulch. I often see this look in commercial and dense residential landscapes because they are considered "low maintenance". However, they are quite the opposite because weeds are always eager to fill in the gaps. Plus, these mulch gardens aren't exactly pretty. A more organic and fully planted design will be better but will require less frequent weeding.
5. Not following a plan
Over the years, gardeners can end up with a hodge-podge of different plants that don't really go together. I'm often asked to redesign landscapes like these, which have been planted, replanted, and replanted until the mashup of plants is a mess. To avoid this garden design mistake, it's important to create a plan and stick to it. The plan must be uniform over the entire field of view, meaning that all areas viewed from a given angle must match.
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Shrubs for shade gardens that will brighten up your yard
Landscaping a shady area is easy with this select group of shrubs that excel in low-light situations. Most of the following plants will produce colorful and fragrant flowers that will brighten up hard spots in your yard.
Sumac
Although it is considered a small tree, sumac has a compact, shrub-like form that fits into any size landscape. Sumac grows quickly and prefers rich, slightly moist soil and a partially shaded location. Wild sumac can become invasive, but most of the new dwarf hybrids stay within borders, growing 6 feet tall and wide. Some varieties like full sun, but 'Tiger Eyes needs at least partial shade, and its leaves have a beautiful golden color.
Growing Conditions: Part shade or full sun in well-drained, consistently moist soil
Lily-of-the-valley shrub
This eye-catching broadleaf evergreen gets its name from the lily-of-the-valley-like cascade of white or pink flowers it produces in spring. It is a slow-growing shrub, but if you are patient, it will eventually become the centerpiece of your garden. The lily-of-the-valley shrub prefers partial shade and slightly moist, acidic soil, making it an excellent companion to azaleas and camellias.
Growing Conditions: Partial shade in well-drained soil
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Yew
One of the most versatile shrubs on the planet, yews come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can easily be clipped into hedges or screens. Yews prefer part sun but will thrive in shade or full sun depending on the variety. Use spreading varieties in a basement or path, and line upright forms to create privacy around a patio or spa. The plant's soft, dark green needles are beautiful year-round.
Growing Conditions: Full shade to full sun in well-drained soil
Size: Can vary across varieties; Some are 2- to 4 feet tall, while others are up to 30 feet tall
Serviceberry
If you're looking for four-season interest, you can't go wrong with serviceberry, sometimes called shadblow. This magnificent native tree has a bushy form and produces small white flowers in early spring, followed by edible blue-black berries in summer. In the fall, the leaves turn bright red, and as winter approaches, the bark of the plant adds textural interest to an otherwise inert landscape. Use serviceberry as a specimen tree or in multiple clusters along a line or fence.
Growing Conditions: Part shade or full sun in well-drained soil
Size: Varies with a variety
Clethra
Aroma and color – you will get when you plant Clethra in your garden. Also known as summer sweet, this easy-care shrub blooms in late summer, sporting spikes of highly scented white or pink flowers. In addition, in autumn, the leaves turn bright yellow. Clethra is a native shrub that tolerates moist acidic soil and salt spray. Use it as a foundation planting or in a mixed border. Hummingbirds love this shrub, so if you plant it, it will start flying into your yard.
Growing Conditions: Part shade or full sun in well-drained, consistently moist soil
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Azalea
Celebrate the return of spring with a colorful collection of azaleas. These spectacular shrubs thrive in partially shaded locations with rich, acidic soil. Azaleas in the rhododendron family come in a variety of colors, and some newer varieties put on an extra flower show in the fall. Once established, azaleas can survive for decades, especially in the southeastern United States.
Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade in slightly moist, well-drained soil
Rhododendron
In general, rhododendrons are slightly larger and bolder than their close relatives, the azaleas. These beauties produce softball-sized flower heads perched atop leathery, dark green leaves. Rhododendrons prefer slightly moist, acidic soil and can grow up to 20 feet tall, although ground-covering varieties also exist. Colors include lavender, pink, white, purple, yellow, rose, and bicolor.
Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade in slightly moist, well-drained soil
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