Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Mar 30, 2010 3:14 pm Need some help landscaping our block, here is our site plan and our plan - not to scale (so you know where windows and doors are) Our estate covenants state: • A mix of native and exotic plants is acceptable, at least 60% native or indigenous species to be planted, drought tolerable encouraged. • 2 trees per lot in the front garden achieving a height of at least 5m at maturity • No plants classified as environmental weeds • Design should limit the amount of sealed, impervious surfaces. At least 60% (excluding house and driveway) should be pervious • Encouraged to use recycled materials So based on this, this is kind of what we have in mind at the moment But we really need some ideas on making (especially the front of the house) look nice and hopefully stand out from the rest. We want a lot of grass, with the possibility of some raised garden beds. The back yard will be all grass (with the possibility of some sort of rubber flooring under the swing set and trampoline). The side of the alfresco is a mystery still, we aren’t sure what to put in the uncoloured area, same as along the dead side of the house, we definitely want a path (probably paved) but we don’t know what to do in between the pavers as this area won’t get much sun. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. So far, it looks like we will be placing the clothesline in the backyard, on the fence line, on the laundry side of the yard, and will be concreting under it The back of the house faces north We have a 2m easement from the back fence The block is in Tarneit in Melbourne Other than that, we don’t know what else we should include. Any help, suggestions or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Current status: Busy making the house our home Built PD Francis 29 on our 576m2 block at Reflections in Tarneit Reflections Estate Thread Our Build Thread Re: We really need some help with the landscaping of our blo 2Mar 30, 2010 3:40 pm Do you have any ideas about the style of garden you want; a particular effect you're going for? I find it helps to start collecting ideas and then narrow them down into things you really love and that fit within your budget and land size. Once you have a bit of a theme in mind, it starts to get easier to choose plants and structures etc.... You already have a good start with your basic plan and inclusions. You've considered access from the front yard, a practical surface for your alfresco area, lawn and a play area for kids and so on. A few other things to consider: - Is privacy going to be an issue for you? Are there elevated blocks adjoining yours, or double storey homes that you might need to screen out? - Will you want a shed or cubby or some other building? - Is the alfresco room big enough, or do you plant to extend your entertaining area with a pergola or awning or similar? Re: We really need some help with the landscaping of our blo 3Apr 09, 2010 12:00 pm That’s given us something to think about kek, to be honest, we haven’t really thought about a theme, we just see stuff we like, that probably doesn’t help with anyone giving us advice, but I guess that’s probably one of our problems, we have all these ideas but don’t know how to put it all together. We don’t need to deal with privacy, we are in a flat area and (so far) have no double story houses next to us, probably won’t have a shed and there are no plans yet for any pergola’s or awnings etc. We were looking at what you did in your outdoor area kek and think it looks great, we are thinking about maybe doing something along the same lines in the small area beside our Alfresco, but we don’t know what it would look like having the deck end and then having pavers up to the fence line, do we continue the deck all the way to the fence? Here is a pic of a design we have been working on So a few questions we are asking ourselves, For the front: Do we put the raised garden bed along the house or put them somewhere else? What should the raised beds be made out of, the same paver we will use elsewhere, same brick as the house, rendered brick, same wood as decking, other? What trees and plants to use (we want 2 5m high trees in the front but trees that don’t grow too wide) For the back, the biggest question mark so far is what do we do beside the decking and down the other side of the house Current status: Busy making the house our home Built PD Francis 29 on our 576m2 block at Reflections in Tarneit Reflections Estate Thread Our Build Thread Re: We really need some help with the landscaping of our blo 4Apr 09, 2010 5:07 pm wizard We were looking at what you did in your outdoor area kek and think it looks great, we are thinking about maybe doing something along the same lines in the small area beside our Alfresco, but we don’t know what it would look like having the deck end and then having pavers up to the fence line, do we continue the deck all the way to the fence? I've seen pavers and decking used together and it can look fantastic. I'll see if I can find a photo or two.... wizard So a few questions we are asking ourselves, For the front: Do we put the raised garden bed along the house or put them somewhere else? Along the house might work, but it depends how high they'll be. You don't want them above the damp course. I've seen houses with planters higher than that, but I've no idea how they deal with dampness or ventilation issues. There are some beautiful garden with raised planters along the front boundary, or bordering a path, or just used as a feature in the lawn... A couple of the volume builders do it a lot with their displays; I might have a photo. wizard What should the raised beds be made out of, the same paver we will use elsewhere, same brick as the house, rendered brick, same wood as decking, other? I think that as long as you tie it in to the house design in some way, it should work. So if you have render, you could render the planters to match; if you have a decked front porch, matching timber cladding might work, etc. There's not really a right answer, it depends on your preference and your budget (or DIY skills ) wizard What trees and plants to use (we want 2 5m high trees in the front but trees that don’t grow too wide) Deciduous or not? Maybe have a look at your local nursery and see what you like amongst the small trees. Check carefully before buying, because sometimes labels say "small" tree when it's actually a monster. wizard For the back, the biggest question mark so far is what do we do beside the decking and down the other side of the house The narrow side is always problematic - it usually has extremes of shade or glary heat. You also can't have anything too bushy, as you need an accessible path along there. My solution was a screen with some Chinese star jasmine. I'll be clipping it and training it along wires to avoid having all the growth along the top. Potted plants tend to stay smaller than those planted out in the ground.... Or you could stick to small shrubs and be prepared to prune them to keep them off the path. You don't have to have a "theme" as such, so don't worry if you don't. It's just useful if you can collect ideas about landscaping materials, plants and decorative features and then take some time to sift through them and choose the ones you really like. It can save a lot of doing-over down the track. Re: We really need some help with the landscaping of our blo 5Apr 09, 2010 5:21 pm Decking and pavers used together: This is an unusual mix of pavers with a decked edge in the alfresco room. Maybe that's an idea you could use in reverse? I mean to deck the alfresco, then pave the extra area with some decking around the edges...? Maybe? This was a garden show exhibit (showcasing edible gardens) and I think the pavers and decking work together. Bringing the garden bed right to the edge is a nice touch: Raised planters: Narrow side way: Sorry, that's all I've got at the moment.... Re: We really need some help with the landscaping of our blo 6Apr 10, 2010 8:17 am Thanks kek, you’ve been really helpful, there are some great ideas for us there Current status: Busy making the house our home Built PD Francis 29 on our 576m2 block at Reflections in Tarneit Reflections Estate Thread Our Build Thread Re: We really need some help with the landscaping of our blo 7Apr 16, 2010 10:36 pm Landscaping is a really interesting DIY opportunity to extend the feel of the house, and as you've pointed out it's incredibly overwhelming - especially when you have the kind of space your plan seems to indicate. Faced with the same dilemma, I've found it useful to do a couple of things as part of the process: 1. Take a stack of landscaping books out of the library for ideas, as well as picking the brains from nursery staff over time. 2. Get graph paper from the newsagent, and sketch out your ideas to scale like your houseplan - it can be a bit of a reality check what will fit and what won't - what works and what doesn't becomes obvious very quickly. 3. Keep a scrapbook of images you like from gardening magazines - you'll find you tend to be drawn to the same style of plants over and over (i.e. clipped and manicured versus relaxed and bushy), and that gives you the clue as to what look/feel you'll enjoy the most. 4. Think about planning from a seasonal perspective (what will things look like throughout the year), including colour, texture, layers, form. 5. Think about what you will be looking out on from each window. This last point made me realise I want 'rooms' to the garden - I also thought about what I wanted to get out of the garden and the simple things I liked growing up, so I pulled together a wish list and incorporated them into the 'rooms' - so as an example of that exercise: 1. In one corner, a pre-fab pond with waterlilly and a couple of goldfish, weeping cherry ('Snowy fountain'), weeping camelia ('Tsai'), iris, spider lilly, golden japanese grass ('Aureola') - check THAT out - looks amazing next to lawn + garden bench. 2. Orange gravel surrounding stepping stones right next to deep green lawn - am avoiding bland greys and white pebbles and anything that feels crunchy underfoot or cemetary-like. 3. Am also avoiding anything spiky. 4. In another corner, shady shrubs/small trees - layered high medium small then lawn, including native frangipani. 5. Along the side, small lemon tree arbour (over an archway) leading through and past a couple of roses (Munstead Wood and Mr. Lincoln - catch a whiff of those - and only two bushes - just enough) - to a raised galvanised iron veggie bed for what I can be bothered experimenting with - tomatoes, strawberries and watermelon and a couple of things that don't taste the same from the supermarket.... etc. ,etc. - you got the idea.. I mean, you guys could go crazy with your layout - it's great (and north-facing I think you mentioned)... I guess the point I'm making is that planning can be more enjoyable than it first seems - try to plan it fully if you can - to me, the wow factor you're after will only come with thorough research on what truly appeals to you in look and feel and sketching it out first (versus stream-of-consciousness moments in a nursery). Enjoy the research! Looking forward to seeing how it all evolves.... Building with the Big M, Sandarra Settlement July 16 Site Scrape Sep 22 Slab Oct 12 Framing commenced Oct 13 Build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=39517 do not pay until you are satisfied with workmanship windows require flashing over the head archithrave and up under weatherboards 3 28294 Hi VK, Think it's worth investing time in an Owner Builder course to equip you with basic knowledge on Australian Building Industry and its regulations. Also, I suggest… 11 23735 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 7867 |