Last Updated: April 2026

If you’re spending the time and money to create a beautiful, relaxing outdoor space, then you’re also probably researching potential landscaping mishaps  The last thing you want is to be sidetracked by costly blunders.

Here are a few of the most common to avoid:

Overplanting and Oversized Plants   It is very important to install plants in areas where they have enough room to grow and mature.  Often bushes, trees and other plants are planted too close together, which may look fine with new plants, but once the plants mature, they become too large for their area.  Often the larger, more vigorous plants take over the smaller ones if they are too close together.  There should be enough room to support the height and width of the plant when it is at 75 to 100 percent maturity.Solution: If a “fuller” look is important to you from the beginning , choose plants that are known to mature quickly or install mature or nearly-mature plants.Undersized Patios and WalkwaysIn an effort to save space, money, or fit a small backyard, many people underestimate the space needed for a usable patio or walkway.  This becomes particularly apparent when you’re eating at a standard 5’ table and move your chair back to get up, and the chair falls off the edge of the patio.Solution: A 10×10 patio should be  the minimum size for fitting a standard-sized table and chairs.  Even if you’re not planning to put a table on your patio, keep in mind the usability factor— what do you picture on the patio?  For walkways, make sure they are at least 3’ to ensure that wheel chairs, lawn movers and garbage cans can fit on them.

Haphazard or Piecemeal Designs

Since many landscaping projects, especially the larger ones, involve various phases before completion, sometimes spanning over several years, it is important to have an overall, cohesive design planned out from the beginning.

An experienced designer will be able to help you avoid these errors.  Most people would rather spend the time and money it takes to design their landscaping well the first time around to avoid the costs of fixing or changing their new landscaping soon thereafter.

Solution:

Find a designer who has been in business for several years, and ask for a layout of the overall plan prior to any of the initial steps.  If something doesn’t make sense or sit well with you, make sure to ask for clarification or changes to be made, if necessary.

Avoid costly mistakes by working with an experienced landscape designer.

Avoiding these 3 common pitfalls will help to ensure that your time and money are not wasted when creating your backyard oasis.  For questions or for a free estmate, contact BLC Yardworks if you’re near Yorkville, IL.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common landscaping mistake homeowners in the Fox Valley area make?
Planting shrubs and trees too close to the house — and to each other — is the most widespread mistake BLC Yardworks encounters. Plants that look perfectly sized at the nursery quickly overgrow their space, crowd out neighboring plants, damage siding, block windows, and create moisture problems against foundations. Always plan for mature size, not current size, when spacing plants.
How do I fix landscaping that was poorly planned or installed by a previous owner?
Start with an assessment of what is worth saving versus what needs to go. Many overgrown beds benefit from aggressive pruning and thinning rather than full removal. Invasive or poorly placed plants should be removed and replaced with the right plant in the right place. A landscape professional in the Oswego or Yorkville area can evaluate your existing plantings and recommend a phased improvement plan that fits your budget.
Why do homeowners in Illinois often have drainage problems in their landscaping?
The heavy clay soils common throughout the Fox Valley area drain poorly, and many yards have grading issues that direct water toward foundations rather than away from them. Landscaping that raises bed edges without improving drainage can worsen the problem. Solutions include regrading, adding French drains or dry creek beds, and selecting plants with high moisture tolerance for problem areas. BLC Yardworks offers drainage solutions designed specifically for the Fox Valley landscape.

Related Resources: Landscaping Services · Drainage Solutions · Request a Consultation

Written by BLC Yardworks — Fox Valley hardscaping, landscaping, and water feature contractors serving Oswego, Yorkville, Plainfield, Naperville, and surrounding communities since 1999.