Do you dream of having the perfect backyard? With Americans spending around $2,000 on outdoor space improvement ventures a year, many people feel the same. The best way to get there, however, is up for debate.
After looking at the potential package for a backyard landscaping company to come create your vision, you may be tempted to try your hand at DIY backyard landscaping. While this may be doable for smaller projects, like planting flowers or removing shrubs, there could be some problems ahead if you are trying larger projects without expert advice.
Keep reading for a list of potential DIY backyard landscaping disadvantages and how to avoid them.
DIY Backyard Landscaping Takes Time
It’s a large time commitment to do your own backyard landscaping, even if a DIY backyard landscaping guide makes it look easy. A crew of experienced landscapers who have worked on dozens of lawns takes time to complete large projects. If you are putting in sprinklers, digging holes, laying sod, and spreading mulch or rocks each project has a timeline.
Some parts even take 2-3 days each to complete before you can move on to the next step. Maintaining an elaborate backyard plan also might eat a large chunk of your time, especially during the times of the year when your grass hits its stride and needs mowing every week, or your shrubs explode from the right kind of weather and require constant trimming to stay in order.
Plant Expertise
For a beginning botanist, the knowledge that may come naturally to an experienced landscaper is lacking. Those in the business usually know what grows well and what doesn’t. If you have specific needs, like sun, watering amount, and size, they will be able to give you a handful of recommendations just off the top of their head.
It may be fun to do research, but it can be time-consuming and you will need to confirm with a professional anyways in certain situations. If you have pets some plants may not be suitable for the yard as they might be poisonous. Living in an HOA neighborhood often comes with strict restrictions on how you can design your yard as well.
Tools
Proper landscaping tools cost money. And as they are often only used once or twice, your friends and neighbors probably don’t have them for you to borrow. You could be out several hundred to a thousand dollars just in purchasing tools needed to turn your backyard into a paradise.
No Guarantee
Landscaping companies often come with a guarantee attached to their service. They may provide monthly or quarterly packages or check-ins to see how their job is coming along and keeping up with the change of service. They replace dead plants and fix mistakes that they made in the process.
If you DIY your yard, you lose this guarantee and have to fix any errors yourself, which could eventually lead to having to hire landscaping services in the end.
Let Your Vision Grow
DIY backyard landscaping isn’t always a dream come true. Knowing the truth about DIY backyard landscaping tips can help you make better decisions when it comes to the hows and whos of your yard. When you walk out into your backyard and see your vision brought to life in the best ways possible, you will know you made the right decision.
Was this article helpful? You can find more like it in our Home and Garden section.
