Can someone explain why one has to spend thousands on lanscaping if one is in a million dollar estate?
Because development/estate covenants require it!
We are exactly the same as you - I want a productive & edible backyard - but as the back yard is visible from the golf course - it must be done in a fashion that appears "landscaped".
I think I read something by Jamie Durie who said that you should spend between 5-7% of your land value on landscaping - and at that amount you would not be overcapitalising.
To the original poster,
Just for interest's sake, I called PATIO, Jamie Durie's company, and asked what the price would be for a front and backyard design for a standard suburban block. The cost was fixed at $400 for a site consultation and between $1600 and $2200 for concept plan drawings. If detailed drawings are needed, they then charge by the hour.
The point is, even a famous company does not charge $5000 for a design. Perhaps Rolling Stone Landscapes might.
We contacted a local company who does commercial landscaping and a little design work. All we really wanted was to have a concept design done woth a rough planting guide.
This was free....and resulted in a sketch of our block with some great ideas. As a result we will be buying all our plants through them (as they offered them at a much better rate than anywhere else) and possibly more retic and trurf (other than the work that is part of our landscaping package attached to the block) for the back garden.
We've used this concept design as a guide to our final result. The planting guide is of good value to us. We have incorporated many design ideas, removed some and brought in further ideas of our own to create a garden that is unique....but functional and well thoght out.