Let’s be honest: Most of us are not landscaping experts and often haven’t the slightest clue what we’re doing in our yards. Most of the time we can get away with it; mistakes can be remedied with a little more mulch here, an extra snip there.

But there are other times when we’ve gone overboard. There also are lots of landscaping blunders people make without knowing it. Listed are some of the biggest offenses, and how to nip them in the bud.

Bad pruning
When pruning your shrubs, think outside the box, the ball, the square, or the triangle shapes. It’s just not a natural look, and can even resemble something you’d see at a fortress.

“Making your plants appear uniform was common in the 1950s; it is very outdated,” says Melissa Hoover, owner of Landscape Design Ltd. (www.mhlandscapedesign.com). She believes over-pruning is the biggest issue in today’s yards.

“People think of sheering as a formal look, but usually they overdo it and butcher it. When you fight the plant, the plant will always win,” Hoover adds. “Also, what is the point of planting different plants if you’re just going to give them the same cut? Let them grow organically and then hand-prune them.”

Relying too much on your neighbor’s yard
If the Jones’ did it, that doesn’t mean you have to as well. In fact, odds are good the Jones’ didn’t do it right anyway.

“One of the biggest problems I see is people who don’t know anything about the plants they have in their yards, so they just rely on what they see their neighbor doing,” Hoover says. “Then they’re disappointed when their landscape isn’t prettier.”

Yards and gardens are there for your personal enjoyment and taste, to enhance the aesthetics of your house and your house alone.

Over/underestimating maintenance involved
Most of us don’t have a lot of extra time to devote to our yards, so it’s natural that people would want a low-maintenance landscape. However, we also desire a nicely manicured one. The trick is to find a balance.

“It can be hard because people get tired of the same old-same old in their yards, but they’re also either too busy or they’re tired of the maintenance involved,” Hoover says.

There is a real need to express your taste, your budget and your time availability. If you’re in a time-devoted-to-maintenance pickle, remember that sheering a plant means you’ll need more upkeep because in two weeks it will just need to be sheered again. Or, perhaps consider calling a professional to weigh your possibilities. It’s similar to using an architect or an interior designer for your home.

“It happens both ways: People will grossly underestimate the time involved to where it becomes a mess, or they’ll overestimate the time involved and overdo it and keep pruning,” Hoover says. “Both are mistakes, and that’s why you need to learn as much as you can about the plants in your yard.”

Over mulching
Mulch is a wonderful asset to any yard. It protects the soil, controls temperatures and weeds, and even repels insects. But one purpose it shouldn’t be used for is decoration. Avoid dyed mulch, and keep it limited.

“Mulch should be like background music. You shouldn’t even notice it. It serves a lot of functions and there are many great reasons to use it, but it should not distract from the plants. The plants should be the focus,” Hoover says.

Odd proportioning
Seems over the years our houses have gotten bigger, but oftentimes our plants have not, which can make the entire package look like a caricature. Don’t be afraid to use the space you have – be be bold.

“I think people are almost afraid to use their space. There is a lack of confidence there – of going outside of the norm of the neighborhood,” Hoover says. “But if you have this big, 2 ½-story house and just this little patch of landscaping, it’s going to look silly.”

Trees, shrubs and containers that are too small can make a yard look disconnected. If they’re too big, however, then you’re taking away from the house. As a rule of thumb, one or two larger containers flow better than several pots, which would resemble a bunch of polka dots throughout the yard.

Being too conservative
Matching every element in your yard can be a bit overzealous. Honestly, how many times do you wear jeans with a matching denim top? People would certainly notice the outfit, but perhaps not favorably. Same goes with flower choice: Think of a flower bouquet – they’re visually compelling because they’re an assortment.

“You don’t want to do enough en masse so that it jumps out. Variety is a good thing,” Hoover says. She suggests working with annuals, since their entire life span takes place within a year. “You can be bolder because it’s not permanent. Play with different combinations and then, if you don’t like it, do something different next year.”

Being too liberal
You don’t want your yard cluttered, just like you wouldn’t want your living room cluttered. The difference, however, is that you can get away with it more in your private living room than in your publicly displayed yard. And what applies to clutter also applies to simple disorganization.

“Sometimes people have a collection of stuff, like vases, but you don’t realize it’s a collection because they have it scattered all over their home. That defeats the purpose of having a collection in the first place,” Hoover says. “You want it artfully arranged so it makes a statement. Same goes in the yard. Let’s pull everything together, with a simple backdrop. Let’s make sure your eyes aren’t bouncing around, looking at a bunch of different focal points.”

Missing the point
If we want our garden to be a place of refuge, then it needs to be a calming influence, not a high-stress area that’s busy and chaotic. Keep it simple and clean so that when you go into the space you’re at rest. It also doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. If you’ve blown the chance at creating your ideal yard, call in the professionals.

“It’s not worth getting stressed out about. It’s a garden. It’s there because it’s fun and exciting and peaceful, and you can express yourself,” Hoover says. “Experiment. This isn’t permanent and it’s not the end of the world. Ultimately, there is no one right way but the one you’re comfortable with.”

Alicia Kelso is editor of Luxury Living Magazine.