Most Common Custom Landscaping Mistakes to Avoid

Jennifer Foster • August 22, 2024

Your yard can be a beautiful and relaxing space. It should improve your home's appearance, work well, and be environmentally friendly.

With all the best intentions, mistakes creep in, and landscaping dreams quickly become expensive and frustrating. To help you avoid common pitfalls, let us discuss some of the more frequent errors in custom landscaping.

Not Having a Plan

The greatest mistake in custom landscaping is starting any project without a plan. Many people want to start planting immediately, but a garden can get too crowded without a plan.

A plan helps you choose plants and materials that fit your yard's size, sunlight, and soil type, ensuring everything works well together. Otherwise, you will change things, increase costs, and become frustrated.

To avoid this mistake, spend time on detailed planning. Get advice from residential landscaping contractors for professional input and a cohesive design that fits your needs.

Not Considering Maintenance

Another common mistake is overlooking maintenance requirements. This beautiful garden can be overwhelming for the owner if they need more time or money to maintain it. Plants, lawns, and hardscapes require some upkeep, and getting out of control can result in an overgrown, unsightly landscape.

Before finishing your design, think about the time needed for care. For a low-maintenance garden, choose drought-tolerant plants and easy-to-care-for hardscapes. By landscape-matching your lifestyle, you can have a beautiful backyard without the anxiety of upkeep every other minute.

Lack of Theme

The lack of a cohesive theme can deregulate your custom landscape's beauty. It provides your design with a unified look by threading through each element in the landscape. If there isn't one, the landscape will reproduce into a jumbled mess with no point or style to focus on.

Choosing a theme doesn't limit your creativity but provides direction and consistency in the landscape. Themes will be helpful if you want a modern minimalist look, a rustic garden, or a tropical paradise. They will also assist in picking plants, materials, and decor that work well together to augment the overall appeal of your backyard.

Forgetting About Functionality

In the excitement of creating a beautiful landscape, functionality can easily be left far behind. Your backyard is gorgeous in your eyes, but it should serve a lot more purposes than serve as eyesight. One common mistake in functional design is overcrowding with too many plants or features. This can leave little space for pathways, seating areas, or play zones.

Consider how you and your family will use the outdoor space when designing your custom landscape. Will you need a lawn for kids to play on? Maybe a patio for outdoor dining? By starting with function in mind, you can have both form and function in your landscape.

Poor Drainage

One of the big mistakes is poor drainage—it can create many other problems. Without proper drainage, water pools can cause erosion, plant damage, and structural damage to your house. More often than not, drainage becomes an afterthought for most landscaping efforts, leading to a pricey fix later.

Ensure proper grading and drainage solutions in your plan to avoid drainage mishaps. Consider implementing French drains, swales, or retaining walls for the appropriate water flow. Addressing drainage up front will secure the life of your landscape.

Overreliance on Chemicals

Many homeowners misuse chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides for a pristine lawn or garden. Such products may offer quick results, but their continued use can harm the environment, destroy soils, and cause further problems for your family and pets. These problems persist, and over-reliance on chemicals also settles into long-term issues such as pest resistance and nutrient imbalances.

Consider natural and sustainable landscaping practices instead of running to chemicals as the first resort. Use organic fertilizers, mulch for moisture, and helpful insects to control pests in your gardening routine.

Conclusion

Designing a personalized outdoor space for your backyard can be a thrilling endeavor, but errors in the process can tarnish its visual and practical charm if not executed properly. A carefully considered blueprint that includes upkeep, a uniform theme throughout the landscape design, prioritizing practicality during the building phase (like drainage), and a reduced reliance on chemicals, all contribute to a stunning outdoor living area.

Dedicated to the outdoors, you want your landscaping project done successfully by LandTech Scenery. Professional landscaping contractors can help you avoid mistakes and make your backyard landscaping dreams come true.

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Summer Lawn Care Tips to Keep Your Grass Green in Southern California

By Jennifer Foster • July 25, 2025

Maintaining a healthy lawn during the peak of summer in Southern California can be a challenge, especially with high temperatures, dry winds, and strict water regulations. But with the right lawn care strategy, you can protect your grass from heat stress and keep it looking green and vibrant through July and August. Whether you’re a homeowner or managing a commercial landscape, understanding how to water, mow, and care for your lawn in extreme summer conditions is key. Here are essential summer lawn care tips to help your yard thrive in Southern California’s dry season. Adjust Your Watering Schedule for Hot Weather How Often to Water Lawn in Summer During summer, lawns need more frequent hydration due to increased evaporation. In Southern California, most warm-season grasses—like Bermuda, St. Augustine, or Zoysia—do best with 2 to 3 deep waterings per week . The goal is to water deeply and infrequently to encourage strong root growth. Avoid daily light watering, which leads to shallow roots and makes your lawn more vulnerable to heat and drought. How Long to Water the Lawn in Summer A good rule of thumb is to apply about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week , either through irrigation or rainfall. To determine how long that takes with your sprinkler system, place a shallow can or rain gauge in the grass and time how long it takes to reach one inch. In most cases, this translates to watering for 20–30 minutes per zone , depending on your sprinkler type and soil. Clay-heavy soils may need shorter cycles with breaks to allow water to soak in without runoff. Watering should be done early in the morning (between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m.) to minimize evaporation and fungal risk. Mow Smart to Protect Your Lawn Mowing correctly during summer can help your lawn tolerate heat better. Here are a few mowing tips: Raise your mower blade : Keeping grass slightly taller (around 3 inches) provides more shade for the soil and helps reduce water loss. Don’t cut more than one-third of the grass blade height in a single mowing session. Leave grass clippings on the lawn (mulching), as they return nutrients and help retain moisture. Avoid mowing during the hottest part of the day, as this can stress the grass. Mulch and Fertilize Carefully Mulching your lawn with clippings or composted organic matter improves soil structure and retains moisture, critical during long dry periods. When it comes to fertilizing, avoid heavy applications during summer, as it can burn your lawn. If needed, choose a slow-release, low-nitrogen fertilizer, and always water thoroughly after application. Watch for Signs of Stress or Disease Even with proper care, lawns can show signs of stress in extreme summer heat. Look for: Wilting or folded grass blades Footprint marks that remain visible Discoloration or patchy browning These are signs that your lawn may need deeper watering or a slight adjustment to its watering schedule. Also, monitor for pests like grubs, which are more active in warm soil. Use Drought-Tolerant Lawn Alternatives If you’re struggling to keep a traditional lawn alive in summer or dealing with water restrictions, consider switching to drought-tolerant grass varieties or lawn alternatives. Great options for Southern California include: Buffalo grass UC Verde Mow-Free grass Kurapia ground cover Artificial turf (low maintenance and water-free) These options reduce water usage while still maintaining the look of a well-kept yard. Install Smart Irrigation Systems Smart irrigation controllers adjust watering schedules based on local weather data, helping you comply with regulations and conserve water. They also help prevent overwatering, which is a common issue in summer. Pair smart controllers with drip irrigation or efficient rotor sprinklers for even better results. Final Thoughts Lawn care in Southern California’s hot summer months doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With smart watering practices, proper mowing, and attention to seasonal stress, your lawn can stay green and healthy well into fall. Looking for help keeping your landscape lush this summer? Contact Landtech Scenery for customized summer lawn care solutions tailored to Southern California’s unique conditions. Learn more about our full range of landscaping services at Landtech Scenery .