Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Apr 06, 2009 11:04 pm Hi Everyone.. I know this is a big ask, but can u think of any ideas for my acreage property? I am hopeless at visualising, and have never tackled anything on this scale before.. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Here is a pic from the right hand corner of our block. There are 85 metres from the road to the house, (backyard is 163 metres to back fence from house), and the road frontage is 175 metres across. We are planning on using only the right hand half, (5 acres) and fencing off the bottom half for veg gardens, a couple of cows maybe, etc.. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I dont expect anyone to give me a full landscape plan lol, but just some idea where to start! I would like to keep the 'bush' feel, but also have some shade trees and gardens. Some nice places to sit.. other than that.. i have no idea -Sha Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 2Apr 07, 2009 7:29 am Sha, how about googling 'rural property for sale' or a variation & then selecting "Images" ?? I'd atleast hit the real estate sites - you might be lucky Built the Eden Brae Cambridge 34 Family with Boston Corner Facade Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 3Apr 07, 2009 8:34 am Wow, its amazing, 5 acres hey. Your new house has lots of potential, however it could end up costing a fortune to get the landscaping right. Its important to get the most pressing issues done first. 1. Do you have stormwater runoff issues (a large stormwater drain may be in order so get that done first) 2. Driveway of some description (Bobcat and 3-4 inch roadbase will suffice in the short term. Because your rural, id put a 1.2m foot path around your house (It is much safer when your in a snake prone area) 3. scrape your whole block & spread as much organic soil as you can afford (with a bob cat) and lay turf everywhere. These are some of the things that I wish id done when we first moved in. Instead I did all the wrong things first and ended up doing everything 3 times over. With the grass, just get it done, you can always rip it up an move it later. If your in a dry area, you may want to consider buffalo grass instead of couch. Once you have done the above, stand back and try to imagine big rocks, railway sleepers and maybe a wagon wheel or two. Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 5Apr 07, 2009 9:14 am Firstly I'm insanely jealous... Get a copy of the site plan and photocopy it lot's of times...and start sketching. Think about what "elements" you like in a garden...start clipping articles from magazines...realestate.com photos.... What's the soil like? Which way is north? What grows well in the area? What is it that you'd like to see out of the windows? I think there is nothing more peaceful than cows munching on grass...we have this in the morning at our place...is this the focus you want? Where do you want to have your outside BBQ area? Do you have kids...how old are they...are they at the age where they need to be supervised when playing...think about snakes yes...but educating them about the dangers of snakes is also important..."leave them alone let the adult know". Do you want a drive way with a planted out roundabout in front of the house? or a drive in and out driveway? How far do you want to walk for your vegies...do you really want them in the bottom end of the backyard. Every house needs a utility area...where are you going to put that so that it is hidden but accessible. Don't waste money on turf if you have what looks like a natural pasture growing anyway...how are you going to keep the water up to acres of turf. Do the things that are going to cause the most mess first...the structural things...like drives etc. Don't think about it as a 5 acre landscaping job...break it up into manageable areas that match your budget...that way your have areas that are complete rather than a myriad of unfinished jobs. You need a garden that looks after itself to some extent...maybe a more lush exotic garden around the house which you can micro-manage...and then something that moves onto a more native feel...bushland...open grassland. Man...I'd love this project...means I would have to buy one of these. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ but maybe "tweak" it a bit mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 6Apr 07, 2009 9:18 am This is gonna be expensive to landscape fully. Do it in stages, like Stu said. I am no landscaper/gardener but I'll make some suggestions. You will want to make the most of what you have. At the moment it is fairly flat, occasional natural trees, and a wonderful house that should be the focal point. For the front yard ("paddock"), try and keep things low to the ground. Frame the house, don't obscure it with massive trees. See what the house will look like when you drive up the driveway. You want to make an impression when people visit. A bit of interest. A bit of drama. A little bit of contour will help. Maybe make a pseudo front yard - border a smaller area in front of the house with hedges and only put down lawn inside - the rest of the front you can leave to nature. Dunno about the back paddock. If you have kids, they may appreciate a BMX track. I've always thought of the front yard is "for everyone else" and the back yard is "for youself". You know, you want the front to look good for when people pass by/visit. But you spend your free time in the backyard with your family. Ultimately, it is a big yard. you probably don't want to spend the whole weekend taking care of it... Sorry, I haven't helped much. to_do_list - just read your post. good advice. i love the roundabout in the driveway idea... always loved that. Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 7Apr 07, 2009 11:58 am Hi Everyone, and thank you so much for your time and effort to answer my difficult question. I am currently at work, so will reply to this when I get home. Just so you know.. we have 10 acres , but at the moment will only plant up 5 acres. The other 5 we will mow a little to try to keep snakes at bay ( yes we have lots of snakes, and have already had a few run ins! ) , but we want to get a large dam dug and run a couple of cows (maybe).. and as we have 4 sons and 1 daughter *though my eldest left home last weekend *, we will definately need an area for them to ride motorbikes.. wayyyyy down the back! lol chat soon -Sha Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 9Apr 07, 2009 3:40 pm yep! I believe they are moving into the space where they tore down the old garage, just outside Fernvale. Not that it will bother me too much... I dont like the food much.. but I love the coffee! Hope its a McCafe one!! Will be good going past on my way to work.. (probably a bad habit to get in to!) -Sha Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 10Apr 07, 2009 3:54 pm [quote="to_do_list"]Firstly I'm insanely jealous... thanks Get a copy of the site plan and photocopy it lot's of times...and start sketching.Great idea! thanks Think about what "elements" you like in a garden...start clipping articles from magazines...realestate.com photos.... love leafy gardens, but not sure if they are suitable in the bush, with only tank water and grey water What's the soil like? Sandly loam on top and clay about 800mm downWhich way is north? If i look out my front door i am facing north What grows well in the area?errr... gum trees?? What is it that you'd like to see out of the windows? leafy gardens, beautiful statues that are old and moss riddled, water feature, nice seating, birdsI think there is nothing more peaceful than cows munching on grass...we have this in the morning at our place...is this the focus you want? definately! Where do you want to have your outside BBQ area?near the alfresco out the back. I plan on installing an outdoor spa area and a swimming pool in the backyard Do you have kids...yeshow old are they...8, 10, 13, 17, 20are they at the age where they need to be supervised when playing...nothink about snakes yes...but educating them about the dangers of snakes is also important..."leave them alone let the adult know".have done that.. we have seen a few snakes already, and so have the tradies Do you want a drive way with a planted out roundabout in front of the house? or a drive in and out driveway?yes, having been thinking about this, and think it will look nice, if done properly How far do you want to walk for your vegies...do you really want them in the bottom end of the backyard.dont know.. havent had a veg garden before! Every house needs a utility area...where are you going to put that so that it is hidden but accessible.we plan on putting up a huge shed for hubby.. i guess this will be somewhere near there Don't waste money on turf if you have what looks like a natural pasture growing anyway...how are you going to keep the water up to acres of turf.there seems to be couch growing already, i know its not the best grass, but figure its growing naturally, its gotta be good Do the things that are going to cause the most mess first...the structural things...like drives etc.we have put in a driveway of sandstone boulders covered in a finer compact stone (not technical I know, but not sure of correct words, sorry) Don't think about it as a 5 acre landscaping job...break it up into manageable areas that match your budget...that way your have areas that are complete rather than a myriad of unfinished jobs. great idea!! Already feeling less stressed about such a big job You need a garden that looks after itself to some extent...maybe a more lush exotic garden around the house which you can micro-manage...and then something that moves onto a more native feel...bushland...open grassland.love this idea! Man...I'd love this project...means I would have to buy one of these. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ we own 2 ride ons.. i would rather a tractor lol Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 11Apr 07, 2009 7:36 pm Wow! Your place looks great! We are doing a bit of planning for our acreage, too. Here's my thoughts, some for our place, you may find them useful for your place: Go on Google Earth & print out a copy of the area you want to work on. Make lots of copies! Pass them around to those who are best equipt to give helpful suggestions. Steal Ideas like you hath no shame! Visit neighbours' properties & see what works & what doesn't. Plan for fencing first, if you plan to have stock. And put it heaps of gates. Too hard to put strainers in later. If you have a septic, you may find council regs prevent stock from having access to absorption area (more fencing $$$) Leave enough room between fences & gardens etc to easily manouver the ride on Make sure any house yard gates are wide enough for the ride on Feature trees always create a strong impact. Consider deciduous vs evergreen near the house for leave in the gutters/rainwater collection We are planning on lots of hedging - lurve hedges. But out of reach of stock! Good shade trees for stock - fenced off so they don't ringbark them when grass is in low supply Hope these suggestions help! Good luck, let us know how it pans out. HH Life's too short too drink bad wine Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 12Apr 07, 2009 11:21 pm If you like to google images of gardens using for sale properties then most of the rural properties out behind Wanneroo in northern Perth are incredible. Carramar, Neerabup, Nowergup, Jandabup would yeild some excellent ideas I think the first place to start is the drive. A tree lined drive. I would start off with 200mm pot sizes for the drive and tubes for the rest of the property. maybe look at setting up a shelter of some sort and start growing your own plants up. Very easy. weedmat floor and some galv pipe or timber of some sort to use as a frame. Cover with 30-50% shade cloth (white) or use clear plastic and use a 10ltr hills sprayer to spray the underside of the plastic white with some paint. Buying tubes is far far cheaper than pots! By heaps! Most tube stock will take about 12months to reach a 200mm pot size. Raid the plastic pot recycling bins out the front of some nurseries (your recycling them ) and get them for free check the local tip maybe? clean them with a mix of 1 part bleach and 4 parts water before you use them in case they had sick plants in them A beautiful lemon scented gum lined drive. I love the smell they give off and they get beautiful trunks to them. That smell will become a favourite thing to let you know you are home You'll need bamboo stakes and some of those plastic surrounds to try stop the bloody rabbits eating the small plants too. Get them from an agsupplier. I'd do big native trees from your area further away from your property and smaller ornamentals closer in. Plant everything with wide trails that intertwine eachother so walking about the garden will be a really nice thing to do. They will be easy to keep clear by running the tractor through with the bucket down or just dragging a bunch of dead branches behind the car. One garden I love on a large property is the Hell Fire cafe in the middle of nowhere near Esperence on the WA South Coast. They will give you inspiration to do anything those folks there. http://www.hellfiregallery.com.au/Index.html I just found their web page but the gallery is now the main feature not the amazing gardens? What a waste They used to show pics of the garden as it was made. They did all of it themselves and doesn't need any water other than the rain Gardening Australia should pay it a visit Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 14Apr 08, 2009 8:51 am fantastic idea about growing our own plants , thanks Fu!! I hadnt thought of doing that. I was just going to go to the markets , which are cheaper than the nurseries, but certainly not as cheap as growing them up ourselves. This is definately something I will be doing! Thanks so much guys. You really are a wealth of info! -Sha Re: Landscaping ideas for acreage? 15Apr 08, 2009 10:38 pm Please don't buy plants from the markets. Those places are responsible for the spread of weed problems, the sale and illegal propagation of copyrighted plant varieties, the spread of serious and minor disease and a lack of support for an industry they tag onto. Best to source your plants from a certified nursery or member of the nursery industry association. They must follow strict guidelines for plant hygiene as well as guidelines for quality and integrity of the stock you buy. 100mm tube stock is what you will want to be looking at. Most trays hold 24 plants. To begin searching for what you may want to buy have a look at this link... http://www.watercorporation.com.au/W/wa ... -2374-1092 Yeah it is for WA, but they will do fine for you and most are sold over in Mexico where you are One of if not the best resource for browsing on line for plants if you don't know too much about botanical names. For those that do and you want to find tough plants... http://florabase.calm.wa.gov.au I recently finished my house and after landscaping, have begun to plan a fence. To be honest its been a bit of an afterthought so I'm after some much needed advice. The… 0 2035 1 4581 Hmmm, I have checked your past posts and it seems that you are in NSW, not WA as I had thought. It pays to show your State in your avatar. Retaining wall regulations… 5 7857 |