Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Oct 30, 2007 8:15 am We have just removed a bunch of ugly overgrown trees from our backyard and recently had the rear fence replaced.. Our yard is now a blank canvas and we need ideas on how to spruce it up..
We are looking for low maintenance, low water type trees and preferably natives.. Any ideas would be appreciated as my wife and I are complete novices in the garden!!... (Sorry about the big photos) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 3Oct 30, 2007 8:36 am Al And more concrete. Nothing says low maintenance like concrete. And plenty of vehicles to park on said concrete. Quote: I'm just going to run and hide now Al? Come back. Your boss errr wife has more work for you. Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 4Oct 30, 2007 8:39 am Hello!
I'd mark out some nice curved garden beds around the perimeter of the yard with spray paint. Then I'd install some nice garden edging, then lay down some wet newspaper - make sure all edges overlap and its nice and thick - and cover that with 15cm well aged mulch (most councils give it away free). Let it sit for a few weeks to kill the grass underneath. If you don't have kids or pets you could poison the grass. Alternatively hire a turf lifter but then you have to dispose of the old turf. Then to your local council community nursery and get some native tubestock and a trailer load of compost from the local nursery ( if doing a no dig vegie garden, you'll also need a bale of lucerne hay and some mushroom compost or other manure). Place out your tubestock plants (little tubes grow faster + establish better than mature plants) tallest plants toward the fence, smaller plants - groundcovers and flowers toward the front. Use a trwel to punch through the newspaper and plant into a few handfuls of compost. If you want to attract small native birds don't forget native grasses (the birds eat the seed) and some spiky plants (for protection - the little birds hide in there) I'd plant a small dense hedge around the shed to disguise the concrete - maybe Correa Alba a nice grey foliaged native. Then I'd think about a nice big feature shade tree, and perhaps some climbers (passionfruit or grape) to grow over a trellis and provide summer shade to the patio. Pick a sunny spot and raise the garden bed with no dig methods and have a nice little vegie patch too. Citrus trees in large pots would look lovely either side of your top step. Items to draw your eye make a garden, whether its a special tree or a piece of art. Good luck and have fun, gardening is fantastic. Building a Jandson Espirit in Pennant Hills "What is the use of a home, if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?"Henry Daniel Thereau Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 5Oct 30, 2007 8:54 am /\
Yeah...and all that. Maybe a small trellis fence around the shed to hide it ? Cookiemonster Al And more concrete. Nothing says low maintenance like concrete. And plenty of vehicles to park on said concrete. Quote: Quote: I'm just going to run and hide now Al? Come back. Your boss errr wife has more work for you. I know. That's why I'm outa here...... Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 6Oct 30, 2007 11:20 am when you have some time, take a look at
http://www.gardenexpress.com.au/forum/ There are a number of areas that people have pictures of their gardens and this will give you some fantastic ideas. Some of the members may also be able to give you some great suggestions for low maintenance plants. It's a great forum and full of very helpful information and people .... would be the gardening equivalent to this forum. Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 7Oct 30, 2007 12:19 pm And you thought this was going to be easy, didnt you.....
I have a question or 2 What do you want? What do you like doing in the garden? What do you not like doing in the garden? Do you enternain much Would you like to put a spa in A Bar perhaps, Do you like to read in the garden How much do you want to do yourself How much do you want to spend? Kids? Pets? Husband (already said pets, sorry) Toyboy? Toygirl? Design a garden around you, what you like, and how much time you are going to spend out there. Rodda and Michelle seems to party and entertain a lot outside (not toghether of course!!!) hence their new creations of the coawning and the bar. Think about these things and then repost your answers with some dimensions, and the incline as well. Adrian B Adrian B Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 8Oct 30, 2007 12:21 pm Howdy!
Which way does your block face? Is your back fence on the north, west or east side of your block? After I know that I can help you with some suggestions for where you can put different things. One thing you might want to invest in (regardless of what sort of garden you want) is a drip system. With Level 3 restrictions in Adelaide (being able to use the drip system for three hours a week) you'll be fine through summer with drought tolerant plants. You will probably want to get them in the ground sooner rather than later though. You can also find some additional (if brief) information here: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=3581 --Mike Everything I know, I learned from SBS. LATEST: Frame Complete http://metricon-mercer.livejournal.com Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 9Oct 30, 2007 12:32 pm And you thought this was going to be easy, didnt you..... Yes
I have a question or 2 What do you want? Something not as boring as a couple of fences - something we can look at and be happy and proud of to reflect the rest of our place. What do you like doing in the garden? Laying in the sun.. Maybe looking at some birds (the winged variety )Thats about it!! What do you not like doing in the garden? Working!!! Do you enternain much? Yes.. All the time Would you like to put a spa in. Already ordered - going in next weekend under the verandah where the patio blinds are up. A Bar perhaps? Most definitely - all part of the grand plan - even have a high WAF with the wife agreeing to it no questions!! Do you like to read in the garden.. Yes How much do you want to do yourself.. As much as possible - we have done everything else ourlseves since we purchased and moved in so would like to continue on that trend. How much do you want to spend? Really have no idea what landscaping cost so not sure. Kids? NO Pets? One cat Toyboy? NO Toygirl? Only been married one year so not yet Think about these things and then repost your answers with some dimensions, and the incline as well. I will have to come back to you on dimensions.. And how do I measure incline?? Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 10Oct 30, 2007 12:46 pm Looks like the slope is about 1m drop from the back fence to the edgfe of your brick retainwalls.
I( have some suggestions, Send me the dimensions, including the shed slab size. Cynarion is spot on about the dripper system. Which side is north (based on your pictures. Do you have a tank? Design I have some ideas, plants not my speciality. Adrian B Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 11Oct 30, 2007 1:28 pm Hey McReidy, have been thinking about your garden for a little bit and have comeup with the following suggestions:
1. Firstly i would start by having the couple of tree trunks along the back fence grubbed out. 2. You have 3 fences that will frame your garden, but all 3 are a different colour. If you want to see the fence in the garden then i would suggest painting it (hire a sprayer - not by hand) a nice feature colour, a charcoal grey would show off any foliage in plants or flowers that you might consider planting along or in front of it. Garden beds with pebbles along the fenceline with yuccas planted evenly around the perimeter. 3. Love the stone retaining walls. Definitely keep them. 4. If you want to hide the shed, then build or buy some privacy panels. These can come in a variety of materials.( Bamboo, brushwood, reed all of which can be bought in rolls. Also cane, lattice, jarrah, stained timber in fixed sizes or make your own. I would say run one along the side of the shed that you see. Then run 2 or 3 along the front in a layered format so that the front is hidden but still allows you adequate access. 5. If you don't want to hide the shed, then paint it & the concrete. 6.Plant some dramatic feature plants possibly some Agave or Yucca's along the retaining walls and up alongside the stepped area as well. This will give your outdoor area a dramatic look when visitors step outside. if you are putting a spa, then you will want to have some privacy. Do you want to create a sense of privacy through panels or plants? 7. Create a feature out in the garden to be the drawcard. So there will be a few things to look at and appreciate when outside. The spa, the agave plantings, then possibly a gazebo / water feature, or even a decked area that incorporates a few ideas into one. 8. Continue some sort of paving or maybe stepping stone from the stone stepped area to the feature to take the eyes on a journey up through the garden... I have to say you have a lovely area to work with.. There are so many possibilities available to you. Good Luck! Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 12Oct 30, 2007 7:28 pm McReidy….now is when I whish I had a landscaping program…..the things I could do to your yard!!!
It’s huge!!! You must be sick of mowing all that lawn! First up…….and I mean this…..give that back shed of you’re a coat of paint!!!! A nice light mustard will look great with the green colorbond fencing! I see you have cut back a couple of plants around the shed….what are they? One looks like a tree stump, get rid of it. Put a timber retaining wall around the perimeter, fill it with good loamy soil and plant a few hardy shrubs. That takes care of the shed area. Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 13Oct 30, 2007 7:36 pm I see you have the ultimate nightmare of neighbours all around you all having different colour fences…..mmmm not good.
Get some of the colorbond green, and paint all the fences the one colour! Green being the best back drop colour for trees and shrubs. I also see your Australian “Hills Hoist” has prime position in the yard!!!! I would suggest moving it over toward to back shed, next to the GREEN fence. This now leaves you most of the yard to work with. Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 14Oct 30, 2007 7:56 pm OK now I’m going to just give you suggestions……the others were design tips!
Once you move the Hills Hoist….I see a perfect spot for a large specimen tree, smack bang in the centre of your yard! You need a tree large enough to grow so you can cut the lower limbs to create a canopy effect underneath. Possibly a Liquid Amber? Check with your local nursery; find out what is best for your area. Your yard is big enough to take this size tree. Under your tree…..when it grows, you can then put some sun lounges, to enjoy the summer shade! If it were me, I would follow the perimeter of the fences with garden beds filled with native plants of all sorts. These will attract the birds…..with feathers!!! Along the sandstone retaining fence I would put some Agapanthus. Low maintenance and take very little water! That’s it…….that's all it needs. Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 15Oct 31, 2007 8:34 am Just beware of planting environmental weeds, and choose your feature tree carefully, avoid varieties with voracious root habits (eg Jacaranda), or your lovely stone retaining wall might be affected. Building a Jandson Espirit in Pennant Hills "What is the use of a home, if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?"Henry Daniel Thereau Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 16Oct 31, 2007 8:52 am Put a root barrier down around the tree, probably not a bad idea anyway! Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 17Oct 31, 2007 9:11 am Michelle I also see your Australian “Hills Hoist” has prime position in the yard!!!! I would suggest moving it over toward to back shed, next to the GREEN fence. Good luck moving the hoist. If it was anything like the one I removed, it will have a block of concrete about 600mm cubed underneath it. There is no way you could relocate it. Buy a new one, nowadays they are about $200 and removable. Ok, so you can't swing on it like we all used to, but they are great for a party as it frees up more yard. And based on personal experience with agapanthus. Don't! The roots mat together and are near impossible to remove if you ever change your mind. Anyone know if the roots will affect the retaining wall? Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 18Oct 31, 2007 9:20 am And based on personal experience with agapanthus. Don't!
You’re kidding Al, I have them everywhere!!! All I do is dug them out with a sharp shovel, they are NO problem at all, and I do ALL the landscaping at my place!!! Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 19Oct 31, 2007 9:30 am So many good ideas..
That's why I love this place.. My wife is suitably impressed with all the ideas floating around as well - particularly the idea of screening off the ugly shed.. I was wondering how difficult it would be to "move" the shed and demolish the slab it is currently on - there are some massive cracks in the corners of the slab - I would prefer to dig down a little and have the slab level with the ground as opposed to being riased.. Or the alternative is that I could move the shed, leave the slab and use it as a drum riser for my drum kit Keep the ideas coming... Re: Backyard is a blank canvas - NEED HELP!!! 20Oct 31, 2007 9:32 am We had agapanthus in our last garden. you can have individual or clump plantings, so i think it depends on whether you let them get away from you and go rampant. We didn't have any issues as their roots were pretty superficial, i wouldn't think that they would break your retaining wall.
But, they are classed a weeds in some states and grow wild in soggy areas of land. If you have dry soil, which by the look of the site it should drain well, you shouldn't have too many problems. One other thing is that there are different species of agapanthus. Possibly have a look at the dwarf variety? It's possible but a soak well is usually much larger. Your 'soak well' only holds 424 litres when full. What is your soil type? Soak wells need sandy soils. 10 9444 Need advice on the backyard plan above. Should I excavate and cut all of the dirt to level with the house slab or semi-excavate as per photo above? Both left and right… 0 25381 I think I know the answer but just checking to see if anyone has had experience with it. I want to build a small 20 square metre retreat in my backyard, it will have a… 0 14333 |