10 DIY Landscaping Tips For Beginners

Doing your own landscaping can be a daunting task, Especially if you have no experience or clear vision of what you want. That’s why we have compiled this list of 10 DIY landscaping tips for beginners.

1. Plan

   Much like with any DIY project, the first thing you need to do is come up with a clear plan. If you have no landscaping experience and an empty backyard this can be an overwhelming task.

   A good place to start is to assess your own ability. There is no point in designing a backyard straight out of Better Homes & Gardens only to realise that there’s no way you can recreate it. Once you have assessed your own gardening and DIY abilities you’ll have a better idea of what you can accomplish.

   Next you will need to choose a style. If you walk into a landscaping supplies store with no idea what you’re looking for you will either leave with nothing or a trolley full of things you will eventually have to return. Try looking online at basic landscaping ideas and choose a couple that stand out to you.

   Once you have your style you will need to create a plan of your garden and where everything is going to go. It could be beneficial to consult a professional landscaper to if you aren’t sure how to do this. Once your plan is complete, stick to it! Break it up into small projects and complete one at a time.
   
   

2. Tidy

   

   Once you have a plan you may want to hop in the car and head straight to your local landscaping supplies store. But before you begin landscaping you will need to tidy the existing features of your backyard. Anything from mowing the lawn to trimming overgrown trees and shrubs.

   Once you have turned your yard into a blank canvas it will be much easier to visualise your plan and take measurements for material requirements.

3. Budget

   One more thing before you head to the garden centre, set a budget. In any project it is important to set a budget for both money and time. You wouldn’t want to finish half of your dream garden only to find you don’t have any money left to complete it. It’s up to you on how strict you are with your budget but it is always wise to have an approximate start range before you start out.

   It is also essential that you measure where your garden beds will go to calculate how much soil or mulch you may need. This can end up saving both time and money as you will either buy too much and overspend or buy too little and have to return to the store multiple times.

   Setting a time limit for your project will help keep you motivated and on track.

4. Account For Seasons

   

   It’s all well and good to plant whatever plants you think will look nice in your backyard. However, if you don’t take into account the seasons you could go from a colourful and thriving garden in the spring to an array of brown dried up plants in the summer.

   That is why it is important to take into account which season each plant will bloom in and whether they are drought resistant. It is always good to have a variety of plants that thrive in different seasons as well as an assortment of evergreens for year round colour.

5. Pot plants

   Though pot plants are usually used indoors or on decks and other hard surfaces, they can also be a great addition to a garden bed. Adding an assortment of plants in pots of varying sizes can add dimension and interest to a boring garden bed.

   Utilising plants that will grow over the edges of the pot into the main garden is an aesthetically pleasing way to incorporate pots into your garden.

6. Hardscaping

   Don’t forget that landscaping doesn’t only mean plants. Hardscaping can be a great way to add interest to your yard. Retaining walls can be built around flower beds to both define them and protect from erosion.

   Pathways can be built from old bricks or a broken pallet to connect two areas or to protect the high traffic areas of your yard. Walls and fencing can be used to frame your garden for a more finished look.

7. Focal Point(s)

   

   Choosing a focal point or focal points in your yard can help you decide the overall theme. Whether you add a bench or pave around a tree or shrub, focal points can make all the difference.

   Focal points can be anything from sculptures or arches to water features. And they don’t necessarily have to break the bank. For example, installing a water feature into your garden may be cheaper than you think. A simple water pump, some rocks for drainage and a couple of terracotta pots and you can build a nested pot water feature yourself.

   Water features are especially great as a focal point as you get the benefit of seeing the flowing water as well as the relaxing sound it makes. You can use multiple focal points for different sections of your garden.

8. Low Maintenance

   Unless you have a lot of free time and a love of gardening, it is important to keep it low maintenance. There’s nothing worse than putting in so much time and effort to have a beautiful backyard only to find you don’t have the time to maintain it.

   Luckily, there are a few tricks that you can use to keep your garden low maintenance.
   
   Tip #1: choose drought resistant plants. Along with being able to survive the harsh summer months, these plants will live on even if you don’t get around to watering them as frequently as other plants.

   Tip #2: use native plants. Because they will be planted in their native environment, these plants will be able to thrive without help.

   Tip #3: plant perennials. Although they have a higher upfront cost when compared to annuals, perennials are ideal for low maintenance gardens. This is because you can count on them coming back year after year without having to replant (as long as you take care of them).

   Tip #4: mulch. Not only will mulch provide your garden beds with a clean, finished look. Mulch helps to suppress weeds by blocking the sunlight they need to grown. This will minimise the time you spend weeding your garden.

9. Compost

   

   Compost is essential for healthy and happy gardens. However, it can be quite expensive. If you’re planning on landscaping your garden it’s time to start making your own compost. Choose a back section of your garden and designate it as your new compost pit.

   Now whenever you have organic waste and food scraps dump it into your compost pit. This include fallen leaves and cut grass. Once you start making your own compost you will be able to keep your garden alive and healthy without the burning hole in your back pocket.

10. Location & Lighting

    When choosing your plants, you will need to consider where you will be planting them. Different plants will have different requirements for sun and shade. Make sure you check each garden bed and make a note of the daily sun/shade it gets so you know which plants will survive there.

    Location is also important for the aesthetics. Don’t plant all of your interesting or colourful plants in one sport or your yard will look unbalanced and unappealing.

    Lighting can also help decide location. If areas of your garden are already lit, choose which plants you will plant there accordingly. And if you have plants that you think should be lit, consider adding garden bed lighting.

    Lighting in the garden is also important where there are pathways to make sure that they are properly illuminated.

The best landscaping advice you can get is from your local expert. Talk to the staff at your local landscaping supplies store and ask for their advice on everything from which plants to buy and where to plant them. Plus, some stores can even organise delivery for your landscaping supplies so you don’t have to hire a trailer or borrow a ute.

Wellers Hill Hardware & Landscaping Supplies is your local landscaping supplies store. Based in Tarragindi, we are local to Brisbane South and the surrounding suburbs including Holland Park, Mount Gravatt, Annerley and Yeronga.

For big brands at low prices and the customer service you can only get from a locally owned and operated store, visit Wellers Hill Hardware today. Call 07 3848 1682 and ask us about our delivery service today!

 – Ivy J, Content Specialist