Official TEG Poll: What’s Your Biggest Landscaping Challenge?

[TEG Project Manager]

Every yard tells a story—but sometimes that story includes stubborn weeds, rocky soil, or a slope that just won’t cooperate. Whether you’re trying to create a lush oasis, a tidy front garden, or a low-maintenance space you actually enjoy, landscaping always brings a few bumps along the way.

We all have that one thing that makes us pause, plan (and maybe Google furiously). So let’s hear it—what’s been your biggest landscaping hurdle this season?

Landscaping isn’t always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding when it starts to come together. Vote in the poll, and if you’ve found clever solutions to any of these common challenges, share them in the comments. Your tip might be just what another member needs to hear today!

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

When the garden bug first bit me I tried my best to plant beautiful trees , shrubs available in the nearby stores. They never survived very long. Here’s why.

I amended the hard pan clay soil the first year and amended the 2nd year and amended again the 3rd year. It seemed the hard pan clay soil was just eliminating the amendments no matter how much was added or what I did left the new plants unhappy .

The entire property was hard pan clay soil. Finally I decided to build up the plant beds by just adding good top soil over the top. The clay soil was as hard a concrete literally. No amount of tilling or adding amendments after 3 years was going to improve the soil conditions . By adding good soil over the top of the clay tilled soil seemed to be the answer to keep the plants happy. I applied truck loads of top soil mixed with mushroom compost over the plant beds at about 5” high to allow for shrinkage.

The garden has flourished and lived happily ever after since. No more worries about water puddling under roots where drainage was blocked by clay soil which doesn’t allow plants to breathe or drain well . Management from the beginning to the end by adding yards and yards of good soil & compost to built up plant beds has maintained good soil conditions for the 400 trees ,shrubs , perennials and annual plants which have been happy and thriving for several years.

 

[flowerbug]

yes, bringing in good topsoil is a great answer to poor conditions and even flooding or drainage issues can be helped because you're getting above the flood stages but you need to do it before you set up your gardens and hardscaping.

when they built this place there weren't any plans to garden and Mom just did things as she thought of it. so... here we are...

i heartily recommend not picking a hobby that involves cement and rocks...

and don't plant the trees too close to the house and gardens.

 

[SPedigrees]

"Lack of time or energy to keep up" was my pick, and I see I'm in good company. In my case, being retired, I have plenty of time, but my energy levels grow smaller with each passing year. I've so far coped by abandoning those areas furthest from the house and letting nature take them over. These areas, formerly gardens, are now home to weeds and wildflowers, but destined eventually to become forested.

My land is mostly former cow and horse pasture, so I'm fortunate to have soil that is rich and fertile. Without "input" from farm animals these days, the quality is probably diminishing, but it's a long slow process. I also have a small wooded area, as well as a wetland area with a brook running through it downhill from that, and I love the diversity of wildlife that call this home. That is the upside to my landscape.

The downside is that a wide right-of-way for utility companies runs across my open land up into and across my neighbors' land and has to be kept open. Then there is the waterline running from my well to my house. All of these areas have to be kept clear of trees and tree roots. Otherwise I would have long ago opted to reforest most of my land, rather than paying someone to mow it every week.