If you've never tackled landscaping before but you’re eager to do so, you might be overwhelmed with all the work and upkeep. Get started with these 12 tips!
Fortunately, you don’t have to be an expert in landscaping design or a seasoned gardener to achieve a pretty, well-kept, and planned yard.
Here are 12 quick and easy landscaping tips for first-timers.
1. Clean up.
Even though you might not want to hear it, it is still the first and most important thing you can do – and it’s a no-brainer.
Pull out weeds, mow the lawn, and give the surrounding area a good raking. It might be a little bare when you’re done but it’s very satisfying to know you’ve accomplished something for starters.
2. Drive around neighborhoods and observe their landscaping.
By doing so, you can compare and contrast until you figure out what you want and don’t want in your own garden.
3. Visit a local nursery.
Don’t be embarrassed to ask a garden specialist to walk you through the landscaping basics. Let them know how much work you want to commit in this project, what style of plants you like, and what level of weather tolerance is needed for your own yard.
4. Work on your garden beds.
The better prepared your garden beds are, the less complicated your landscaping work will be.
Edge your bed using a flat-edged shovel and make sure not to step on it, especially if you’re intending to make a raised bed. Then dig back a few inches of soil so you can turn them over until there is light, fluffy, well-drained soil that facilitates vigorous plant growth.
5. Mulch.
This is an essential part of your landscaping project especially if you don’t have many plants.
Mulching provides much-needed insulation and moisture for the soil, creates a tidy look, and suppresses weed invasion.
6. Trim and edge the lawn along sidewalks and the driveway.
It gives that complete and finished look, making everything around the garden pop, especially when it’s emerging out of its winter dormancy stage.
7. Prioritize.
Decide where you want to start. Make a list of your wants and needs so you can easily play around with ideas without exerting too much time and effort.
Even if you have a slow start, don’t be discouraged. Getting things cleaned up, trying out simple landscaping techniques, and establishing new yard maintenance routines might be all you need to do during your first season.
8. Determine your style.
Whether you love symmetrical balance or a happy, relaxed ‘mess’ of a cottage garden, you have to discover what you envision your yard to be, and whether it adheres to your own sense of taste and style.
9. Assess conditions.
You need to work on your yard and plant accordingly, depending on the amount of sun and rain it gets. Consider also what you already have, what you want to remove, and if there’s anything you want to add or change.
10. Start small.
Don’t be pressured to accomplish a complete outdoor makeover in just one week – similar to reality TV shows. They have a bunch of skilled and fast workers, and you’re just a single individual trying to experience the joy and wonders of landscaping design for beginners.
Take time with each step and do it in pieces, until you’re satisfied with the end results.
11. Work around a focal point.
For landscaping newbies, this is an easy principle to put in place. It can be an old, historic tree or a series of gorgeous shrubs – the point is to draw the eyes and be enticed by the beauty of the landscape.
12. Be open to change.
The key to a successful landscaping project for any beginner is patience. And a little flexibility – when things don’t go the way you expect them to be.
If something you’ve worked hard for falls out of your favor after some time, don’t regret taking it out and putting in a new one. And if you don’t have the extra time and effort to do so, just be contented with what you have out there. Enjoy what you’ve accomplished and you’ll find soon enough you’re already inspired to work on it again.
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