It doesn’t matter if you are new to dealing with garden design, an experienced homeowner or simply just trying to make the most out of your garden, each person and their space will be different. Although you may not have the same goals or objectives as the next person, there are some commonly occurring mistakes that many people will make when designing their gardens. Luckily, they are all easily avoidable with correct planning and forethought. Here is a list of some of the most common garden mistakes, and a few ways you can avoid making them.
Not decluttering
When you finally move into or buy your own property, it will become apparent to you how much clutter can accumulate over even a short period of time. Generally, when people talk about clutter (especially indoors) it refers to unwanted or unused gifts, the number of decorative ornaments, or anything else that has little to no daily purpose. However, the same applies to your garden and what is stored in it, for example, outdoor gym equipment, garden ornaments, or rubbish that you haven’t taken to the dump. You can just as easily accumulate this clutter outdoors in your garden, so it is important that when you are designing or changing the use of your garden that you actively choose to declutter it, and not just tidy everything that you don’t use into a corner, behind a shed, or under a tarpaulin.
Not creating any storage spaces
Following on from decluttering your garden, often it is not practical or sensible to just throw away everything that you have lying around in your garden, even if the items are not regularly used. For example, you wouldn’t throw away your lawnmower, gardening tools or bikes. Instead of just clearing everything out of your garden, what you need to do is create storage spaces for these items. This is surprisingly something that many people don’t do and instead opt for having an untidy garden. All you need to do as a minimum is erect a small shed in which to store these items. However, there are many other creative and space-saving options out there to choose from too.
Not creating a good foundation for your garden
Regardless of whether you are newly moved in or are just finally getting around to attacking the garden of your property, something that people will often gloss over in the interest of speed is the quality of ground in their garden. For example, the garden could have poor grass coverage, and instead of turning and airing the soil before spreading new grass seeds all over the lawn, often people will go for the easier option of just spreading seeds over the patchy areas. This can of course be enough in some cases, but if you want a strong and healthy lawn, then it is advisable to start from scratch. Other examples could include old broken pathways that need removing, uneven grounds that need levelling, or remnants of old structures that need demolishing and removal.
Not considering the weather
When planning or designing a garden, something that is easy to forget is the general weather conditions. Often when people start working on their garden it is prior to or during the summer months, therefore it is generally dryer, warmer, and with longer days. This can lead to decisions such as installing hot tubs, swimming pools or barbecue areas. These are all completely fine and reasonable garden additions to add, but you just need to consider the amount of use they will get during the winter or colder and rainier months. Plan ahead so that you can not only use these installations or changes to your garden when the weather is less fair, but also so that you can protect them from the elements. For example, if you decide to install a hot tub, you could erect a shelter for it to be under. This way it is not only protected from harsh weather but you will still be able to use it when it is raining.
Not creating proper space to house vehicles
It is now more common than ever for households to own multiple cars, and as such, it can become increasingly more difficult to find parking when you come home at the end of the day. Something that many people will do, especially if they have a front garden or a bit of land alongside their property is to just stone it or lay bricks, allowing for private vehicle storage space. Even those of us who are lucky enough to live in quiet areas or who own large driveways will opt for this as it is generally functional and practical. However, something that everyone should consider is the curb appeal of their property – meaning how aesthetically pleasing your property looks from a street view. If you have just got vehicles parked all over the front of your property, this can look untidy and unappealing. To rectify this, you could consider installing a carport. Not only will this help with the aesthetic of how your property looks from the front, but it will also help protect your vehicles and create small storage areas.
Only considering the aesthetics of your garden and not its functionality
A common mistake that can often happen when designing your garden space is creating it purely for aesthetics and then realising later down the line that functionally you are unable to use it in certain ways. An example of this is when people install artificial grass in their gardens. Although for many this style and aesthetic is sort after, it comes with several drawbacks such as you will no longer be able to grow plants or vegetables, and although you no longer need to maintain the length of grass in your garden, you will instead be tasked with constantly picking up or clearing debris throughout your garden as they will no longer decompose and feed into your natural grass and soil. So be sure to think about the functionality of your garden when planning to incorporate any large changes to it.
Designing your garden for one use only
Gardens can be used for a variety of things from growing vegetables to hosting dinner parties, playing games, relaxing, or even making a wildlife haven for all the creepy crawlies and local wildlife that comes with them. It doesn’t have to be one or the other as you can organise or section your garden off into different areas to accommodate different situations. Something that many people do, however, is decide on only one function that their garden can and will be used for, and then plan everything around that one function. This can cause issues or regret later, so just remember when planning your own garden that for many years gardens have been used for multi-functional purposes and you don’t need to just settle on one use for yours.
Not considering the value increase or decrease
Just like with any home renovation project, changing aspects of your garden could potentially increase or decrease the value of your property significantly depending on what you do or don’t do to it. For example, an obvious way of decreasing the value of your property is to let your garden become overgrown and untidy. Not only does this generally look terrible, but it can be a long and expensive procedure to rectify. If you are looking to create a wilder and more nature-friendly garden, then there are other ways to accomplish this without letting your garden become overgrown. Just as neglecting your garden can decrease the value of your property, spending time and effort on it can help increase it. This can be as little as mowing the lawn once a month, and regularly de-weeding and trimming any bushes or trees to keep a tidy and well-kept appearance.
Not considering trends that are happening
It is easy to become swept away in trends that happen or want the next best thing that you have seen on social media. However, take some time to think about what you are about to purchase or add to your garden, and decide whether this is a worthwhile investment or if it is just a garden trend that you are currently fixated on. This is a fast way to accumulate clutter, and as previously discussed this has a negative impact on your garden space.
Not creating enough privacy
Gardens can be a very private place for many people, and if you work hard on getting it to a certain way that you like, then, of course, you will want to spend time in it. Something that can stop people from spending time in their garden is privacy issues and nosy neighbours. So, when you are planning your garden design make sure you take into account your privacy, and any fences, trees or objects that you can strategically place within your garden to give you this privacy, while also not overpowering your garden or becoming an eye sore.
In conclusion, gardens are there to be enjoyed, and most mistakes are fixable, but it is within your own interest to avoid making them. Hopefully, these pointers will help you avoid or rectify these common mistakes and create a garden that you love.
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