Transforming your landscape can be a long journey, often taking about months to years to complete once it's begun. A giant leap toward creating the perfect landscape can be a daunting task to take care of alone. Before planting new flowers to begin your garden escape, it's best to start with intention — what do you picture when you think of the perfect garden for your home? Although homeowners often make avoidable mistakes that can tarnish their gardening process, there’s still a way to figure out the process effectively. This blog discusses the most common mistakes to avoid when installing new plants in your landscape, leaving you with a presentable and beautiful garden! Landscape Design Installations and Their Benefits Creating a landscape that fits your property can be a challenge. Before planting anything in your yard, consider the number of plants you wish to include and if you want a specific design. First, envision the space you wish to work on and sketch an image of the completed project. This drawing will be helpful moving forward and can help you further communicate your needs to the experts on the task. Professional landscape design services like EKG Lawn can give you a detailed layout and recommend hardscaping, walkways, and focal points to complement the plant selection. Here are some of the following mistakes to avoid when installing new plants: #1 Neglecting Planning One of the homeowners' biggest mistakes during landscape installation is diving in without the right research and planning. Understanding the specific needs and requirements of each plant, your soil's condition, and other factors is necessary before beginning the process. There may be specific species you want to introduce to your yard that may not be best for your watering needs; other factors, including sunlight exposure, soil type, watering patterns, and needs, as well as the space available in the yard and flower beds or structures. Without proper planning, your yard can look unappealing and not blend in with the rest of the landscape. If you do not have a green thumb, starting the process with professional landscaping services can be beneficial. #2 Failing to Prepare the Soil Right The soil is the foundation in which your plants will grow and flourish; without healthy soil, your plants can suffer. Neglecting to prepare the soil properly can lead to your garden not reaching its full potential. Before planting, it's best to test your soil's pH balance and quality and work with these characteristics when necessary. Another good trick to add to ensure your soil is healthier is adding organic matter to improve soil fertility and drainage. Healthy soil provides your plants with nutrients and water to promote their growth and the overall function of the landscape.  #3 Improper Plant Spacing New gardeners can easily underestimate the size and spread of plants when they mature, leading to them overlapping and crowing improperly in one space. Overcrowding plants will negatively affect the airflow, which can lead to the growth of fungal diseases. Before planting, researching the mature dimensions of each plant can give you a better understanding of how your plants will grow. #4 Over or Underwatering Watering is one of the most important steps when providing your plants with their needs, and when these needs aren't met correctly, your entire landscape will suffer the effects. Finding the right balance when watering can be a challenge for many gardeners — overwatering can smother the roots, leading to root rot and other diseases; underwatering deprives the plants of necessary moisture, causing them to wither, dry out and die. Understanding your plant's watering needs will better benefit your landscape, and it's best to adjust watering schedules according to weather conditions. Consider investing in drip irrigation and other systems to provide your plants with consistent water. Smart irrigation systems with watering schedules are a great choice. Planting Different Types of Plants Now that we've explored the mistakes to avoid during plant installation, here are some examples of processes for installing different types of plants and what you can expect from landscape design installations. If you choose to install different types of plants, it requires different techniques to consider. If done independently, dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper for tree installs. Fill the hole with soil and water to remove any lingering air pockets. Always water the plants immediately after installation to help them settle into the soil properly and promote root growth. Taking on a landscape installation project yourself can be overwhelming, especially if you lack the experience and time to install it. Hiring a professional landscape design service, like EKG Lawn, is a wise investment; EKG can assess your space, recommend suitable plant species, design a proper layout, and handle all aspects of the installation process. Start the process today with EKG!