7 Common Garden Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Learning the hard way is never fun, so steer clear of these seven mistakes so you don't stray down the wrong garden path
Naomi Wynn
16 October 2014
Horticulturalist, garden designer and Houzz contributor based in Brisbane, I love everything about outdoor spaces and bringing clients style into their gardens.
Horticulturalist, garden designer and Houzz contributor based in Brisbane, I love... More
There is more than one way of creating a beautiful garden. Thankfully, most plants are pretty forgiving and can tolerate and adapt to lots of situations. But to get the most from your garden and have it looking fantastic all year round and for many years to come, there are some simple garden mistakes to avoid that could save you time and money. So, here is what not to do in your garden…
We’ve accompanied this story with images of beautifully designed gardens from the Houzz archives to fuel your design ideas.
We’ve accompanied this story with images of beautifully designed gardens from the Houzz archives to fuel your design ideas.
1. Planting before considering the water tank
Rainwater tanks help drought-proof gardens and reduce the cost of using only the public water supply. By deciding where you are going to put your tank while designing your garden, you can position the plants in relation to the tank based on their water needs.
For example, the plants that are more hardy, such as natives, can be further away from the tank, allowing those with higher water needs, such as the veggie patch, to be closer to the water supply.
Rainwater tanks help drought-proof gardens and reduce the cost of using only the public water supply. By deciding where you are going to put your tank while designing your garden, you can position the plants in relation to the tank based on their water needs.
For example, the plants that are more hardy, such as natives, can be further away from the tank, allowing those with higher water needs, such as the veggie patch, to be closer to the water supply.
2. Installing wires and pipes after planting
Lighting in a garden can take it from modest to magical. It can also extend the time you spend in your outdoor room as you won’t be restricted to enjoying it in only the daylight hours. If you think you might like outdoor lighting at some point, do the ground work before you plant to prevent having to dig up the garden to install the cabling once it is established, or trying to find ways to hide unsightly wires.
Lighting in a garden can take it from modest to magical. It can also extend the time you spend in your outdoor room as you won’t be restricted to enjoying it in only the daylight hours. If you think you might like outdoor lighting at some point, do the ground work before you plant to prevent having to dig up the garden to install the cabling once it is established, or trying to find ways to hide unsightly wires.
There are lots of different irrigation systems on the market and some are installed before planting and some after. Don’t wait until after you have planted your garden to decide which one is best-suited to your needs or you could risk defacing your garden beds. And whether you have a rainwater tank or not, make sure there is an easily accessible tap nearby to plug into.
Ready to redo your garden? Find a garden professional near you on Houzz and get the process started
Ready to redo your garden? Find a garden professional near you on Houzz and get the process started
3. Forgetting about access
Getting around your garden seems simple when you are walking, but you may need to move a wheelbarrow or lawnmower from one end to the other. Steps and narrow paths can make normally easy jobs difficult and take twice as long.
While steps are hard to avoid on steeper blocks, make sure they are not at too steep a gradient to negotiate a load and that paths are generous enough to allow a wide load if necessary.
Getting around your garden seems simple when you are walking, but you may need to move a wheelbarrow or lawnmower from one end to the other. Steps and narrow paths can make normally easy jobs difficult and take twice as long.
While steps are hard to avoid on steeper blocks, make sure they are not at too steep a gradient to negotiate a load and that paths are generous enough to allow a wide load if necessary.
4. Selecting the wrong rocks as ground cover
Rocks as a ground cover can be a beautiful and striking feature, but there are few things to remember. During the day when they are in full sun, rocks can get hot and radiate quite a lot of heat (especially in summer), causing plants and the soil to dry out quickly.
Larger rocks can also stop plants from growing and expanding. When you choose what sort of rock you are going to use and where you’ll put it, ensure it suits the plants and their growth requirements. Also, because rocks prevent organic matter from easily returning to the soil, you may need to fertilise your plants to ensure good health.
Rocks as a ground cover can be a beautiful and striking feature, but there are few things to remember. During the day when they are in full sun, rocks can get hot and radiate quite a lot of heat (especially in summer), causing plants and the soil to dry out quickly.
Larger rocks can also stop plants from growing and expanding. When you choose what sort of rock you are going to use and where you’ll put it, ensure it suits the plants and their growth requirements. Also, because rocks prevent organic matter from easily returning to the soil, you may need to fertilise your plants to ensure good health.
5. Choosing weed mat
As the name suggests, weed mat is used to stop weeds growing in gardens. Despite its common use, however, it rarely does what it is supposed to do and instead starves the soil of organic matter and moisture.
For good long-term soil health, there needs to be a cycle of returning organic matter back into the soil to be broken down into a food source for plants. Like rocks, weed mat serves as a barrier to stop the organic matter from getting into the soil. Using a good-quality mulch is a much better alternative and will allow your garden to flourish.
How to Get Fertile Soil for Your Edible Garden
As the name suggests, weed mat is used to stop weeds growing in gardens. Despite its common use, however, it rarely does what it is supposed to do and instead starves the soil of organic matter and moisture.
For good long-term soil health, there needs to be a cycle of returning organic matter back into the soil to be broken down into a food source for plants. Like rocks, weed mat serves as a barrier to stop the organic matter from getting into the soil. Using a good-quality mulch is a much better alternative and will allow your garden to flourish.
How to Get Fertile Soil for Your Edible Garden
6. Misusing mulch
As far as your garden is concerned, mulch can be worth its weight in gold. The ultimate slow-release fertiliser, good mulch should break down and need to be replaced every few years. There are many different types available and you should make your choice based on the benefits to your garden and soil health as much as its looks and cost. Some mulches may look good but offer no benefits to your soil and, in fact, could be doing your garden damage. Look for a mulch that has a good mix of large and small chunks.
As far as your garden is concerned, mulch can be worth its weight in gold. The ultimate slow-release fertiliser, good mulch should break down and need to be replaced every few years. There are many different types available and you should make your choice based on the benefits to your garden and soil health as much as its looks and cost. Some mulches may look good but offer no benefits to your soil and, in fact, could be doing your garden damage. Look for a mulch that has a good mix of large and small chunks.
Instead of conventional mulches, living ground covers are a great alternative. Their thick, low growth covers the soil protecting it from weed growth, the sun and eroding rains, and they help retain moisture and return organic matter back into the soil. But if you prefer mulch, and it does these four things, you will have a healthy garden.
7. Getting complacent with fertilising
In a perfect ecosystem there would be no need to fertilise. But in our gardens we need to give our plants a bit of a helping hand once in a while to make sure they look their best and are healthy. Make sure you follow the directions on the packaging, remembering more is not always better. And if you have a native garden, be sure to choose a fertiliser to suit.
In a perfect ecosystem there would be no need to fertilise. But in our gardens we need to give our plants a bit of a helping hand once in a while to make sure they look their best and are healthy. Make sure you follow the directions on the packaging, remembering more is not always better. And if you have a native garden, be sure to choose a fertiliser to suit.
Your turn
Have you made any of these mistakes? Tell us about your experience in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Want more on gardens? Don’t miss 21 Urban Garden Paths to Follow
Have you made any of these mistakes? Tell us about your experience in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Want more on gardens? Don’t miss 21 Urban Garden Paths to Follow
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brslandscape,
Whilt I agree totally with all your points about the use of either black plastic or weed mat, there are people out there in the real world who are just trying to make gardening easy for themselves and perhaps whilst ill informed, I still think if it works for them then that's all the better for them even having a go at gardening.
In time some might come to realize that there are better alternatives and if they are planting cacti or succulents, they are pretty hard to kill - period and will still survive quite ok.
I personally only use mulch, not necessarily wood mulch, I have used stone mulch extensively too and I find my pretty largish garden pretty easy to care for but for the weeds in my lawn now ha-ha
I bought a house whose garden had weed mat in some sections. It had obviously been put down some time previously and organic matter had accumulated on top of it. Weeds (especially cobblers pegs) loved growing among the stones on top of the weed mat. They grew so well there that I thought they must like the lesser competition. We pulled it all up!
I think you should add to the list of mistakes things like planting couch runners as lawn. You end up with the couch invading garden beds making them unsightly. Maybe a list of non invading alternatives to couch grass