5 Things You Need for a Successful DIY Landscaping Project

Planning and executing a do-it-yourself landscaping project is an excellent way to improve curb appeal and increase your overall property value. Getting out there to sweat in the yard also is an effective way to stay healthy, decrease your stress levels, and even boost your confidence. Here are five things you'll need to help ensure that your venture into landscaping is convenient and successful.

A Dumpster

One of the most important things you need when completing a do-it-yourself landscaping project is a dumpster. Without one, you'll end up with garbage and debris that has to be gathered into boxes or bags and then transported to a dump. By having a rental dumpster delivered to your home the day before your project begins and then calling to have it picked up once you're finished with it, you'll save yourself time and money on your overall project.

Make sure that you obtain a complete list of rules and regulations about what can and can't be thrown into the dumpsters of potential service providers before hiring one so you can compare them side by side and determine which company is likely to give you the most bang for your buck.

Some Clean Water

Your landscaping project will surely include planting new flowers, vegetables, hedges, trees, or a mixture of all these things, so you'll need plenty of clean water to feed them all. Use filtered water to minimize the chance of chlorine contamination when watering your seedlings. This should help ensure that your small plants and trees are able to focus on absorbing the critical nutrients you provide them and on optimizing their growth as they age.

Consider purchasing a reverse-osmosis filtering system to install outside on a hose spigot so you can filter water into 55-gallon containers for garden use.

A Dedicated Compost Area

You'll also want to have a dedicated compost area available while landscaping to make the process convenient and to ensure that you have free mulch to use in the yard as time goes on. Start by creating a small pit using rocks that you find in the yard or buy from the local rock yard. Line a circular area with the rocks to make the pit and then line it with some heavy-duty plastic.

You can then throw weeds, old plants, tree trimmings, and other debris into the pit as you landscape. Once your project is complete, cover the pit with black vinyl or plastic and let it "cook" for a couple of months until the contents turn into mulch. Mix the mulch with fertilizer and use it to plant new trees or gardens.

Some Weather Relief

It's essential to ensure that you have some outdoor protection from the heat and wind to ensure that you don't end up going inside to gain weather relief in the middle of your project. After all, you may end up staying inside for the rest of the day. Set up a small 10-by-10-foot canopy and a small plastic set of tables and chairs where you can eat lunch, get out of a light afternoon rain, or gain relief from the sun. Keep a tarp handy that can be used to wrap around the sides of the canopy when it's windy outside so you can get comfortable during breaks on those not-so-beautiful days.

Flexible Plans

When it comes to landscaping, one thing that's for sure is that you are going to need some flexible plans to avoid becoming disappointed with your progress. Let's face it: some days you'll be too busy or too tired to do physical work in the yard, and you may get behind on your goals by a day once in a while. The weather might not cooperate sometimes, and emergencies or family issues may come into play. So when creating your landscaping plans, give each goal you make a few days of leeway. This way, you'll be more likely to feel satisfied with your results as the project progresses.

By making these considerations as you plan your do-it-yourself landscaping project, you should be able to get the job done in an impressive amount of time without sacrificing your budget. 


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