Landscaping requires an artistic eye and a willingness to get your hands dirty, which is why many homeowners are happy when their developer tackles it so they don't have to.
One Redditor found that even landscapers can make glaring, common-sense errors.
This poster showed photos of the landscaping in front of their house. It all looked okay until they showed the view from inside the home. Instead of putting smaller plants in front and larger ones in the back, this landscaper put small plants behind large ones.
The Redditor expressed bafflement, then asked, "Should I transplant these shrubs with the white flowers in the fall?"
People were shocked at the error. "Hah wow, what a disaster," one said.
Fortunately, the Redditor also got several helpful responses. "Yes. Please move the white flowering bushes in the fall," someone said. "In my experience, new construction builds are notorious for messing up landscaping by either planting plants too close together, planting invasive plants, etc."
This comment highlights yet another landscaping problem to watch for: invasive species. Non-native plants compete with native plants for resources, often depleting the habitat and causing native plants to die out, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The National Audubon Society says that native plants have several benefits for homeowners. They can help you save money on watering because they're adapted to the amount of water that naturally occurs in your area. This means you'll also spend less time and money on landscaping maintenance. Native plants give more options for local pollinators, too, which is good for biodiversity and supporting the food chain.
While the landscaper's mistake might be a pain to fix, it gives this homeowner the chance to identify the plants in their yard and replace them with native ones when they fix the error. They may even want to consider switching to a natural lawn.
As one commenter said, "You are going to have a major mess if you don't fix it now." At least they have what they need to develop a plan and act before it's too late.
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