make a more beautiful landscape by avoid these uncouth design blunders .
While designing garden for homeowners over the preceding 18 years , I ’ve seen the good , the bad , and the just plain unsightly . Most of the metre , it ’s the same simple design errors that entrust a yard looking disorganize , unwitting , or bland . From the initial site selection to pick out plant andpositioning them in the landscape , pulling off a gorgeous garden does take a little know - how . Whether you ’re design apollinator gardenin the Midwest , stately garden in the Northeast , or drouth - tolerant display in the Southwest , thesame pattern thoughtfulness apply . Here ’s how you could deflect making the most common garden design mistakes before even starting your labor .
1. Even Numbers of Plants
While natural things often come in pairs ( two eye , two leg , two wings , etc . ) , it ’s best not to geminate up or utilize even act of plants . Outside offraming a walkway or entrancewhen distich and even bit draw attention to a individual localization , using odd number keeps the eyes moving across the subject area of sight and gives your landscape painting a more natural , dynamic feel . stave off sticky - looking symmetry by placing groupings of plants in unexpended numbers racket from 3 - 11 and nullify plant them in excessively full-strength line . Anything past 11 tends to be too much for the eye , so even numbers can be used then , if desired .
2. Clashing Colors
More often than not , we plant our gardens to be colourful . But when those colour set about to collide with other plants and nearby structures , the whole issue becomes overwhelming and washed out . It be given to happen when someone really loves bright colors ; for model , a brilliant yellow sign of the zodiac withbright yellow flowers everywhere . To remedy clashing colors , choose flowers that stomach out against their backdrop such as yellow-bellied , white , and orange flowers in front of dark houses and blasphemous , imperial , and red flush in front of lighter colored house .
3. Mismatched Garden Style
When it comes to garden design mistakes , not paying attention to the architecturaldesign of a house or other buildingsis a major botch . For model , a renovatedVictorian style homewith its classical elan and bluff character can expect out of place and overbearing couple with the clean design of a innovative style garden . alike , the smooth logical argument and angular form of most modern andcontemporary - style homeswould be overpowered bylarge , showy peak . forefend this huge error at all costs to forfend remodeling the whole yard yet again .
4. Empty Beds
One of my top pet peeves ingarden designis when flora are unnaturally spaced out in mostly empty planting beds , surrounded by mulch . I often come across this look in commercial-grade and impenetrable residential landscapes because they ’re thought to be " crushed maintenance . " However , they ’re quite the opposite becauseweeds will eagerly seek to fill in the gapsall the time . Plus , these mulch gardens are n’t exactly pretty . A more realistic and fully planted intent would not only take care better , butrequire less frequent weeding .
Over the years , nurseryman can end up with a hodge - podge of various plants that do n’t really go well together . I ’m often asked toredesign landscapes like these , which have been planted , replanted , and then planted again until the mashup of plant just looks mussy . To keep off this garden design mistake , it’simportant to make a planandstick with it . This programme should be consistent across the intact field of study of vision , mean allareas view from a give slant should meet .
Creating a garden is an excellent way of life toget out of doors , enjoy the natural world , and let your artistic side shine through . However , you ’ll get the practiced results by avoiding these common garden design flaws .
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Credit: Kindra Clineff
