We have solutions for your landscape challenges, no matter what they are.
Common Landscape Challenges
Beautiful landscaping can add to a home’s curb appeal and value when it goes on the market. But it isn’t always easy to have the perfect lawn or garden. Trees give us shade but sometimes, too much. We might want a water feature on our property but end up getting what we wish for in an unpleasant way. Or our property seems to be built on the edge of a low cliff with a slope that is hard to manage.
We can fix these landscape challenges:
Yard Too Shady
Trees provide a real monetary and aesthetic value for homeowners so you definitely don’t want to cut them down or even prune them back too strongly. If you struggle to get anything to grow in some parts of your garden, consider replacing the area with pavers and turning it into a functional patio or walkway.
If you have your heart set on landscape rather than hardscape, keep these tips in mind:
- Determine what kind of shade you have. Dappled (some sun comes in through the trees above); light (some sun is available during the day); or heavy or deep (very little or no sun is available) will require different types of flowers and plants.
- Determine what kind of soil you have. The soil in deep shade might need extra nutrients it isn’t getting from the sun. Test the soil to determine if you have acidic or alkaline soil.
- Rethink color. You may not be able to grow the bright pink rose you want to but there are so many shades of green and leaf patterns available in hostas and ferns, you wouldn’t miss flowers in deep shade. And there are plenty of flowers that grow well in dappled shade.
- Consider a rock garden. Mix landscaping rocks of various sizes and shapes with shade-loving mosses and flowering plants to add color and texture.
- Check out our list of shade-loving plants and flowers. Bonus! Many either repel wildlife such as deer or attract butterflies and bees.
Yard Too Wet
Having a too-wet yard can cause landscape challenges. The area becomes muddy, the flowers and plants can’t grow and the runoff can hurt your home’s foundation. Here are a few ideas to help you dry out your yard.
- If it’s just a small section of your yard, try aerating your lawn. You can use a hand aerator or a core aerator to remove 1/2 to 3/4-inch cores of soil. This will help grass stay healthy after being in overly wet conditions.
- Depending on the location and size of the overly wet area, try turning it into a wetlands type of garden. Most plants don’t like it if their roots get too wet but some tolerate or love it. Look for ferns, grasses and flowers such as daylilies or Indian grass.
- Consider creating a dry creek bed or stream. This decorative drain is a gully or trench, usually lined with stones and edged with plants. It’s often used to prevent erosion by reducing or redirecting runoff.
Yard is Sloped and Eroding
A sloped, eroding yard can be a double whammy for a homeowner. It’s difficult to mow, you have to be creative when it comes to landscaping it and if it isn’t solved, it can devalue your home. It might be possible to bring in material to level it out if the slope isn’t extreme. If that isn’t feasible, here are some other ideas for how to manage or fix a sloped and eroding yard.
- Build a staircase from the upper level to the lower level. Wooden steps would be the least expensive, but will eventually have to be replaced due to rotting.
- Build a retaining wall. In this example, the retaining wall uses the same kinds of stones and pavers as the patio and the steps leading from the upper level of the yard to the patio for seamless continuity.
- Use ground cover and landscape rocks to stop erosion. Ground cover can run the gamut of sun-loving Hens-and-Chicks to wild ginger for damp and shady spots. We can help you choose the right kinds of low-growing plants and rocks to turn a problem area into an attractive landscape design.
- Build a deck. If the slope is very near the house, a deck is a smart way to not only extend the home’s living space to the outdoors, but also solve a landscape problem.
J & S Landscaping prides itself on being “problem-solvers.” We can help you solve these – and other – landscape challenges. This winter is the perfect time to meet with us to and start planning how to fix your landscaping problems.
