Signs of Bad Landscape Design (and What to Do Instead) in the Capital Region

Proper landscape design in the Capital Region and cities such as Saratoga Springs, Albany, and Clifton Park can elevate the appearance and functionality of your property. Outside of your lifestyle and the people you share your home with, landscaping is arguably the most impactful element that can help your dream property become a reality.

Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. Bad landscape design can prevent your property from reaching its full potential or living your best life in your Capital Region home. Recognizing the signs of poor landscaping ideas before they can undermine the appearance and experience of your property can save you from many headaches and a lot of heartache.

With decades of landscaping experience in Upstate New York, Gallivan is here to help you pinpoint potential landscaping mistakes before they cause problems. While we recommend working with a professional to ensure that your landscape design ideas will pay dividends long-term, the following guide should set you up for success.

Jump to:

Why Identifying Landscaping Mistakes is Important 
Common Signs of Bad Landscape Design 
Why You Should Work with a Professional Landscaper

Why Identifying Landscaping Mistakes is Important

There’s something special about a well-appointed landscape that draws your attention and pulls you in. Whether you’re passing by and your eyes lock onto a particularly beautiful property or you’re walking through and can’t help but notice how thoughtful every element is, great landscapes are appealing, and they work the way they were intended to.

Landscaping mistakes don’t always stand out in the same way. Oftentimes, you have to be looking for bad landscape design to recognize it, and that is part of why it is so easy to fall into the same traps on your property. However, their occasional subtlety does not mean that these poor landscaping ideas are harmless.

Bad landscape design can cause a host of problems, both immediate and long-term, including:

• Subpar functionality, interfering with your lifestyle
• Poor drainage, causing flooding or excessive erosion
• Lackluster curb appeal, leading to decreased property values
• High maintenance demands, draining your budget
• Boring visuals that make your landscape look and feel bland

If you wish to avoid these bad news front and backyard landscape ideas, you must first learn how to identify them. Once you start noticing them in other places, you will be sure not to repeat them on your own property.

Common Signs of Bad Landscape Design (and What to Do Instead)

Poor landscape design can manifest itself in a myriad of ways, and it sometimes takes a professional eye to identify exactly where a design went wrong. With that said, there are a handful of common landscaping design ideas that you can look for that will help you determine if mistakes were made.

Awkward Layouts

A landscape can be technically sound and still suffer from bad design. In situations like these, the plant selection, drainage, seasonality, and other key factors might be thoughtfully considered and implemented, but something else is amiss: the layout.

When talking with Carl Trinkle, one of our landscape designers, he mentioned that awkward layouts and poor spacing can make the rest of the landscape feel and function strangely.

"Typically, you will see inadequate spacing, or one large patio with no real defined spaces or circulation," he said. "You end up with a bunch of stuff scattered about with no real flow or functionality."

While your maintenance demands might stay in check and your landscape might be serviceable, the problem with awkward landscape layouts is the day-to-day impact on functionality and lifestyle. From paths that receive no sunlight to outdoor gathering spaces interrupted by unfortunate plant placement, bad landscape design can disrupt your life, frustrate your activities, and diminish the visual appeal of your home.

The simple fix for awkward landscape layouts is to plan ahead. Work with a professional to discuss your lifestyle, how you plan to use your outdoor spaces, and the practical, everyday needs they should fulfill. From there, you can develop strategic landscaping design ideas that account for real life and aesthetics. Remember, form and function should work together, not in opposition to each other.

High Maintenance Demands

The most beautiful landscape in the world can quickly become a nightmare if it causes stress and drains your bank account. Unfortunately, many homeowners find themselves in this position, as they deal with high maintenance demands that constantly lead to deteriorated aesthetics and expensive maintenance and repairs.

To avoid this landscaping mistake, consider the potential maintenance demands of certain designs and plants before choosing them for your property. For example, you can opt for native plants, which tend to be hardier and more resilient, rather than non-native plants that may require more work and more-than-normal replacements.

By taking preemptive measures to reduce maintenance demands, you can set your Capital Region property up for year-round beauty and fewer headaches, all while saving money.

Clashing Landscape Design Styles

There’s nothing wrong with having a diverse landscaping style. We’re all for blending different aesthetics to create a unique and visually appealing landscape that reflects your personality and taste. However, mixing styles can go tremendously wrong if it is done poorly.

Various landscape styles should complement each other, not clash. So, while we encourage you to take your wildest landscaping ideas and bring them to life, we also advocate for intentionality, thoughtfulness, and a whole lot of planning. Otherwise, you could end up with a property that feels disjointed, abrupt, and downright confusing.

Landscape Drainage Problems

While other bad landscape designs can disrupt your lifestyle and hurt your curb appeal, landscape drainage problems can cause serious harm to your property. From improperly installed downspouts and poor grading to thoughtless landscaping and neglected maintenance, there are many factors that can cause drainage problems.

Working with a professional landscaper to identify and correct them can save your property from flooding, erosion, unhealthy plants, damaged foundations, and more. Whether it's evaluating your soil type and implementing drainage solutions that work with it or regrading your property to facilitate proper drainage, avoiding this aspect of bad landscape design requires technical knowledge and foresight.

One-Dimensional Design

Just as mixing clashing styles is a telltale sign of bad landscape design, one-dimensional landscaping design ideas have a tendency to disappoint. If a landscape is one note, it tends to feel bland, uninspired, and boring, even if that one note is truly delightful. A proper landscape needs layering, complementary elements working together toward a common goal, and just enough visual intrigue to keep people engaged.

Rather than opting for a one-dimensional design, think about building around your foundational landscaping element to elevate it and add a bit of interest. It’s okay to gravitate towards a specific aspect of your landscape; you just want to go beyond the basics to make that element the focal point, not the only point.

No Seasonal Interest

Seasonal shifts are a distinctive trait of the Capital Region, and you can embrace landscaping ideas that leverage this characteristic as a strength. However, the opposite is also true: your landscaping can fall dramatically flat if you don’t plan ahead to create seasonal interest.

As winter approaches and leaves begin to shed, poor landscape design can leave your property looking barren and patchy. When spring arrives, your landscape could lack vibrancy if you don’t invest in flowering plants and proper placement.

Thoughtful plant selection, placement, layering, and so on can help your landscape look healthy and visually appealing year-round, sparking interest no matter the season.

Poor Plant Selection

It should come as no surprise that the plants that populate your Capital Region landscape play a significant role in its appearance, health, and overall design. Poor plant selection can take otherwise stellar landscaping ideas and cause them to fall flat, making the varieties you choose essential to the success of your home.

The wrong plants can cause your maintenance demands to skyrocket, lead to plants dying and needing replacement, fail to prevent erosion, leave your property feeling barren in the winter, not play a natural role in the local ecosystem, and more. In other words, plant selection is an integral part of proper landscape design.

When possible, opting for native plants is typically superior. You can also work with a local expert to ensure that the plants you choose suit your property’s needs and help your home reach its full potential.

Trendy Landscaping Ideas

There’s nothing inherently wrong with jumping on trendy landscaping ideas, but it is important to think them through before committing. Landscaping trends you saw on social media or at a neighbor’s house may seem appealing, but they have a tendency to change on a whim, leaving you wondering if you invested in landscaping mistakes.

If you find yourself attracted to trendy landscaping ideas, think about their long-term impact.

• Is this a phase? Does the idea have staying power?
• How will this trend impact the rest of your property?
• Will you still love it in five years?

By pausing to think over and discuss exciting new landscaping ideas, you can ensure that your investment will be worth it both now and into the future.

Working with a Professional Landscaper to Avoid Bad Landscape Design

You can use the guide above to begin training yourself to recognize bad landscape design, inform your own landscaping decisions, and (hopefully) avoid making similar mistakes at your Capital Region home. That being said, there is an even better way to ensure that your Upstate NY landscape is flawless from inception to years down the road: work with a local landscaping professional.

With three decades of experience in landscape design in the Capital Region and cities such as Saratoga Springs, Albany, and Clifton Park, Gallivan is uniquely positioned to bring your landscaping dreams to life. Along the way, we’ll ensure that your landscape is free from costly mistakes that will inevitably require correction.

Fill out our consultation form today to discuss your landscaping projects, speak to our in-house design team, and set your Capital Region home up for stunning, functional landscaping both now and far into the future.