Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 May 13, 2010 5:07 pm Can you all help with a layout for my front garden Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ P L E E E E A S S S E E with cherrys on top Page 2 has the layout from the landscaper Garden - viewtopic.php?f=19&t=44214&p=670323#p670323 Decorating - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47218&p=715743#p715743 Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 2May 13, 2010 6:45 pm Tipuana is on the government weeds list. http://www.weeds.gov.au/publications/guidelines/alert/pubs/t-tipu.pdf I'm trying to find a good substitute.... Tropical is easy - you still need to choose plants that suit your climate and that are pretty drought-tolerant, you just plant them like a jungle. Shade tree(s), smaller trees/large shrubs, small shrubs, grasses, groundcovers etc. You want to create "storeys" with the plants. There was something fantastic in a magazine recently (sustainable too) - I'll see if I can find it and track down some photos online. Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 3May 13, 2010 7:06 pm Sections of this garden have a real tropical feel, and it's in Melbourne: http://www.vanleeuwengreen.com/gallery/award/. Scroll through the photos and check out the banana, the palms, the layered planting... I love the area with the callistemons along the fence, underplanted with kangaroo paws and grasses, and the strelizia in the foreground. (Can't post a direct link, the gallery runs on Flash) Among other plants, the garden features: Arthropodium Strelizia reginae Nandina Agave Cliveas (in the shady spots) Cycads Fountain grass Blue fescue Some kind of palm (I have no idea when it comes to palms... ) Have a good trawl around landscaping sites for some inspiration. Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 4May 13, 2010 7:23 pm that is a beautiful garden kek - lots of inspiration for the lovers of tropical gardens. I too loved the bottlebrush and kangaroo paws. I also liked how they had done their pathways really soft and beautiful. thanks for the link Kylie handover happened 15/6/09...love living on an acre but still so much to do! Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 5May 13, 2010 8:34 pm Thanks kek! I'll have a look at the garden tomorrow because I'm using my iPhone and it won't work. Really it's a mass weed?! They are soo pretty though! My uncle said goldencane are good palms. I do like them and frangipanis with mono grass underneith. I think the layering thing is the key, just doing that without having planter boxes is the hard thing. They cost too much! Does anyone know what's the best tropical plants for Perth?? Garden - viewtopic.php?f=19&t=44214&p=670323#p670323 Decorating - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47218&p=715743#p715743 Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 6May 13, 2010 11:07 pm I'm sure the ones I listed will do well in Perth. As Fu keeps pointing out, Melbourne's climate is becoming more like Perth's anyway. Have you tried doing a forum search? I'm sure the subject has come up before.... Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 7May 13, 2010 11:09 pm kyiee81 that is a beautiful garden kek - lots of inspiration for the lovers of tropical gardens. I too loved the bottlebrush and kangaroo paws. I also liked how they had done their pathways really soft and beautiful. thanks for the link Isnt it gorgeous? The front is a bit more formal, but the back yard is a lush paradise. It's also very productive, full of fruit and veggies and even has chooks. I like that they've planted veggies and herbs amongst the ornamental plants too. Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 8May 13, 2010 11:32 pm Hey Shonz, Fu says that the tippies aren't such a problem over here in Perth - so you might be OK! Try the Water Corp's Waterwise Garden database - this link points to the search form and right down the bottom you'll see a tickbox for "Tropical" plants: http://www.watercorporation.com.au/w/wa ... search.cfm I'm currently gathering ideas for my own front and rear gardens, feel free to look in my photo album scrap book in my sig to see the pictures I'm collecting for inspiration I'd love to do tropical, but my rear garden is already plenty shady enough with the aspect, so I think I'll be going for a modern take on Mediterranean (mmmm, limestone!). Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 9May 14, 2010 12:35 am Hello, Loved that Watercorps waterwise garden site. I looked for a plant I remembered we had in a coastal garden in NZ. It was a Ilawarra Flame Tree, beautifull showy tree, also had bangalow and phoenix palms, then riverstones with clumps of moss. The moss is not so drought tolerant, maybe you could use some different dwarf and medium grasses in clumps instead, very low matienence and OK probably for Perth. I was there a year ago and noticed a lot of gardens did not have grass, so maybe you could have shell or gravel pathways between garden beds with some informal seating areas. if you get a pagola and a drought tolerant vine, grape?? you would have instant shade and fruit. You can water it with grey water from your washing machine etc Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 10May 17, 2010 12:11 pm I know you are on a budget, but WEEKS before you plant anything, get the sand levels right (w/ bobcat if necessary) and then dig in a bunch of compost from Gardeners Direct. This will fix the brown thumb. Think about creating little garden 'rooms' in that lovely large space out the back. Maybe a small oval lawn near the alfresco and then a path through plants to a little seating area (future pagoda / balinese hut?) further back. Also, have you thought about a small shed (for lawnmowers etc) and where are you going to put your washing line? Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 11Jun 18, 2010 2:13 am Get at least one tree in there. Use tube stock to get price down. Avoid cordylines and other boring flaxes and stuff. Lomandras can often be split up when you buy a bigger one. As with dianellas. Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 12Jun 18, 2010 12:40 pm okkkkkkkkkkkk. i forgot to comment back Im going to get the soil right first off because I want a nice green garden Kek, I finally got around to looking at that garden, its soooo nice!!! I wish I could afford deck! I spose it will be a sand box untill I get enough funds to make it look wonderful but oh well, at least there is something to walk on! englyn Also, have you thought about a small shed (for lawnmowers etc) and where are you going to put your washing line? Englyn, No Shed and I dont think ill buy a lawn mower (unless DP wants to mow, ill get a jim mower to do it) The right hand side of the garage is going to be DP's gym we are (ok he is ) going to put shelfs up so poision, paint and tools can go up there, I spose when we do get a lawn mower ill put it in the garage or get a small shed and hide it with a creeper on a frame so it doesnt look like one.... Ideally i would like to store everything in the garage and make the garden my paradise. The washing line is on the side of B3. Hopefully get a long one so I can fit more on it. Fu Manchu Get at least one tree in there. Use tube stock to get price down. Avoid cordylines and other boring flaxes and stuff. Lomandras can often be split up when you buy a bigger one. As with dianellas. Hey Fu, I think in real life its easier to map everything out. I might go down the site and map it all out, including the plants when they are fully grown, so there is room for them. (when I work out what type I want) Rough idea for the garden is a curved grass area on right hand side of the backyard with a curved gardenbed behind... thats as far as I got. I know I want a water feature and evenutally a pergola or bali hut but thats way way away in the budget. sadly internal floors come first! and I need to speak to the landscaper about what type of tree it is for the front garden... I think the front is just going to be the plain; lawn some little plants (ie and under the window and flat pebbles down the side of the driveway.) Maybe a bit nicer than the discription ie. This garden is very easy to do and will probably be in the budget of what I am given ($3000) http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-aubin+grove-106235319 This is something I would look at doing..the path looks nice but is kind of pointless... http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-southern+river-106611451 ill find some backyard pics when I get some time and post them up Garden - viewtopic.php?f=19&t=44214&p=670323#p670323 Decorating - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47218&p=715743#p715743 Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 14Jun 19, 2010 9:07 am shonzilla This is something I would look at doing..the path looks nice but is kind of pointless... http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-southern+river-106611451 Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The path isn't pointless - it means that pedestrians don't have to try to squeeze past cars on the driveway. I hate front yards with no path. It's inconvenient, plus design-wise it can look a bit crap. You want the entrance to your home to be a) obvious and b) a feature.... and the path draws your eye right to the front door. I have a "thing" about approaching front doors from the side - it offends my sense of order. If you don't want a rectangular look to the yard, you can always angle the path, or even curve it. I quite like it; needs a feature tree though and more plants.... Budget-wise, forget the grass trees.... You could have a garden along the lines of the one I posted the link to - if you do all the soil prep and plan your layout and planting carefully. As Fu says, you can start with tube stock or smaller sized plants; you'll be surprised how fast they grow. As for the deck, how about putting down some crushed gravel or something as a temporary measure? You'd have a semi-solid surface you can use that stays relatively clean and dry, and when you eventually want to build a deck, it's easy enough to dig through. Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 15Jun 19, 2010 10:00 am kek Sections of this garden have a real tropical feel, and it's in Melbourne: http://www.vanleeuwengreen.com/gallery/award/. Scroll through the photos and check out the banana, the palms, the layered planting... Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 16Jun 21, 2010 4:49 pm AHHhhhh found it!! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Except I cant afford the hut at the moment - they are ~$4000 Garden - viewtopic.php?f=19&t=44214&p=670323#p670323 Decorating - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47218&p=715743#p715743 Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 17Jun 22, 2010 12:36 am As nice as these gardens are, they really don't sit well for the future of available water for urban landscapes. Like it or not the Victorian climate has shifted from what was in the 70's and 80's when Vicco was the garden state. It has an emerging trend toward a Mediterranean climate. Combine that with a growing population and it won't take a genius to work out that in 5 years your garden is going to need to handle far less rainfall than we get now and less hand watering. You think the dry was harsh, well there will be more of that to come for the foreseeable future. Tropical lush gardens may not be an affordable luxury even. The South West is facing an even bigger drying climate than yours Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 18Jun 22, 2010 12:18 pm Hey Fu. Im in WA..... I dont mind changing the plants around a bit because I also like the layout. Wanted to keep with tropical or have at least one thing that was green Not a huge fan of native plants, except kangaroo paws. Ill have a look on the waterwise website later on and come back with a list of plants to see what you think Garden - viewtopic.php?f=19&t=44214&p=670323#p670323 Decorating - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47218&p=715743#p715743 Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 19Jun 22, 2010 11:48 pm Just posted it elsewhere but when planning your garden, yeah lush and tropical is good but it is loaded gun I love tropical and when we landscaped my garden my challenge was to achieve a waterwise tropical garden. I did it, and it uses less water than any of the others around us. I use no fertiliser and got unheard of growth yet maintained plant strength. I do this with all my gardens but to do it with a truly tropical garden is not common. Growth rates were were far in excess of what anyone would expect. 18 months for many shrubs to be way above fence height! anyway stop crapping on Fu SW WA= Fastest drying place on the globe. We are about to double our population. Is a tropical garden realistic in the next 5-10 years? = No. I'd even say now it isn't. Serious money is required to achieve a lush tropical garden that remains waterwise. It all goes into the soil I never do them for my clients and mine is nt going to be something with in reach of the average new home owner to achieve unless they live in Peppie Grove The worst thing about tropical gardens is that in the tropics they are full of life Here they are dull and boring. They don't do anything The animals are more interested in other things So we get sterile boring gardens. Native WA plants can be used to tremendous effect! The problem is examples of native gardens done well are few and far between They can blow you away with flower and formal clipping better than anything else http://www.zanthorrea.com/design.php http://www.zanthorrea.com/info.php minimal or no lawn. lower water bills in the future Re: Please Help Design my garden :) 20Jun 24, 2010 1:07 pm Hey Kat, I would use them but im broke so I have the people of H1 to help me Might be able to get some ideas from the landscapers who come to do the front for free (included in land) they go over landscaping for that but the back is up to me and DP. I know it will be a sand box for a little while, the cat will love that Garden - viewtopic.php?f=19&t=44214&p=670323#p670323 Decorating - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47218&p=715743#p715743 A question. Im in Queensland and building a new home. We managed to reach practical completion 6 weeks ago but we haven't heard any date for handover yet. 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