Landscaping projects pose numerous challenges that demand significant planning. Even if you're working with a property landscaping contractor, you need to understand these challenges. These four landscaping issues are among the biggest.
Climate and Microclimate
The plants in a landscape need to make sense based on the local climate. You can view this map of climate zones and compare your location to the listed zone for any given species. You may struggle to achieve a thriving landscape if the plants are even one zone outside of their preferred range.
Microclimates make the job trickier, though. Within a property, you may have different microclimates. For example, there might be a hill or a large building that shades the low areas and essentially moves the microclimate a couple of zones off-kilter. Adjusting to these microclimates is often critical to landscaping success when you run into stubborn problems.
Irrigation and Drainage
Plants need water to thrive. However, some parts of a property may have excessive or limited moisture. You could have a small depression on the property, for example. Even with a fairly flat landscape, a depression can collect water and create a swampier environment. Some plants just won't grow in environments with too much water. Consequently, you may need to install a drainage system to help the landscape.
The reverse can also happen. Your property could have an area that's always dry, yellow, and nearly dead. Irrigation may be necessary to improve something as seemingly simple as grass growth.
Long-Term Maintenance
A big part of property landscaping as a business model is long-term maintenance. Plants grow old, weaken, and die. Likewise, the plants could thrive a little too much and call for trimming. Some plants also demand more maintenance than others.
The planning decisions you make at the start of a landscaping project will determine how easy or difficult maintenance will be. If you have a large property, you might want to limit high-maintenance landscaping features to the most visible areas. You can then install lower-maintenance plans elsewhere to minimize upkeep demands.
Flow
Good landscaping has flow. When you look at the landscape from a distance, one visual element should draw your eye to the next one. This should feel organic. Good flow makes the landscape more visually sensible.
You also want a landscape to have flow for practical reasons. Pathways through the landscape should flow easily so you can walk through them.
Contact a local company to learn more about landscaping.
