Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Jan 09, 2011 7:02 pm Hi all.. this is sort of a continuation of my request for help in this thread http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=42700 I am more or less decided on what to do with the soil (level, compost, mulch, dig, compost in hole, plant) but now need your help with the plants and trees. My initial design is to have some hedge on the left side corner, sort of continuation of the fence for boundary definition, but probably only a knee or waist high. Then some flowering plants at the front. Small plants that will not be taller than knee-high. Then a bird bath at the centre and a yucca each side of the bird bath with white pebbles surrounding each of them. Then as filler, some small shrubs/plant (prefer to be flowering) scattered all around together with some varying sizes of rocks. But upon searching and reading a few threads, it seems that the yuccas will be a bad idea since they grow really huge (saw Fu's posts on them). Really like the look of them though so if I decide to still put them, they would probably in big pots. Also, I would remove the bird bath and replace it with a feature tree!!! Searching and reading some threads, there are many to choose from. I've sort of shortlisted it to: forest pansy, magnolia kay paris, ginko biloba, frangipani, claret ash and japanese maple. The garden is south facing and can get a bit of windy. My primary concern is the size of the tree and its roots. I chose some of the shortlisted trees since some of them would complement the facade (especially those strawberry pillars) ... This would be my first stab at gardening. Would really appreciate comments on the garden layout, plants to put in and especially what feature tree would suit. thanks everyone.. P.S. maybe I will remove the yuccas as they will be distracting for the feature tree. will put them in pots and put them i front of the pillars Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 2Jan 09, 2011 8:29 pm oh, i forgot to mention that the size of the front is ~5m deep and 6m wide Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 3Jan 10, 2011 7:04 am Hi draco. It would be helpful if you updated your profile to include your location, as climate is going to have a huge impact on the plant choices available to you. I can see from your signature that you're building in Point Cook, but interstate members aren't likely to know that's in Melbourne... You could end up with a heap of recommendations for plants that are completely unsuitable to your climate, which wouldn't be very useful to you at all. If you're near the sea, that's important to know as well - some plants tolerate salt water and strong winds better than others. By the way, I'd scratch frangipani from your list of potentials. Way too hard to get established here - they really hate frost. Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 4Jan 10, 2011 10:51 pm thanks for that kek... frangipani is out then.. also the ginko biloba and claret ash seems to grow very tall (20m - 25m) so i'll scratch them also.. leaning towards the forest pansy now.. or maybe a Prunus cerasifera nigra as suggested by Fu in one of the threads.. Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 5Jan 17, 2011 8:09 pm over the weekend, i ordered some "premium grade soil" http://www.thegreencentre.com.au/soil.html from The Green Centre. This is the nearest to the certified organic soil that I can find near Point Cook (BAAG wants $100 just for delivery ) . Dug the front yard with the pick axe while mixing in the soil bit by bit.. Not yet quite finished as I miscalculated the volume so will need another delivery tomorrow Also bought some seamungus, powerfeed and seasol from bunnings. Will mix them once I am finished with the soil. Also got some english box from Laverton market to use as my fence between my and my neighbour's driveway and also as a hedge at the corner. Got a magnolia kay paris to use as my feature plant but currently it is so small, maybe 1 meter high. I was thinking of getting some small tree to put at the front, just behind the footpath and shape them to be like lollipops similar to the one I see around the shopping centres but read that ficus' roots are destructive. Are there any alternatives to the ficus? Standard lilly pilly? Fortune telly lilly pilly? Also need some suggestion for ground cover. I like the acacia cog limelight but they are a bit expensive.. thanks.. Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 6Jan 17, 2011 9:50 pm why cant you use box?? I went outside once. The graphics were alright, but the gameplay sucked! Settlement:22nd June Slab:27th August Frame:16th Sept Bricked:21st Oct Roof:24th Nov Linings HANDOVER23rd March! Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 7Jan 18, 2011 7:25 pm thanks mecha.... i can use the english box but too monotonous if the box would be all around the footpath.. was thinking of the "lollipop" style tree and some ground cover around it, but don't know which "lollipop" tree has smallish roots that won't lift the footpath in a few years.. Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 8Jan 18, 2011 7:59 pm PM toparius he is a lollypop specialist (LOL) topiary jedi master I went outside once. The graphics were alright, but the gameplay sucked! Settlement:22nd June Slab:27th August Frame:16th Sept Bricked:21st Oct Roof:24th Nov Linings HANDOVER23rd March! Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 9Jan 22, 2011 12:00 pm Yep he is one of this countries best Luma appiculata are a fantastic option to lily pilly, which are very disease prone. Lumas are great, you can use any shrub though. It isn't about the plant, but the technique and art form of what is Topiary Ficus of any sort are not cool in the ground. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ To bad you don't live over this side because he will be doing some courses on creating your own Topiary. Saterley will be sponsoring them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9FV7mPprsc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZESELCkoEI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYdJh5_Ayj0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkiX4pSQWOs Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 10Jan 23, 2011 1:26 pm got some golden diosma in pots today.. when i want to use them to be sort of a border hedge, what spacing should they be? also bought 3 pots of "cuphea hyssopifolia". should i plant them very close to each other to form one shrub or can i plant them separately in different areas to form three separate shrubs? thanks.. Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 11Jan 23, 2011 3:42 pm Cuphea need to go about 10cm apart. Diosma about 30cm for a good boarder hedge. Or plant where ever as separate plantings Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 12Jan 26, 2011 5:07 pm i have finished the soil prep, dug the clay and mixed it with the organic soil. was ready to put in the plants but that is when i realized that i forgot the zeolite. if i ever find a store to buy it (i'm in melbourne), is it too late to put it in? also, how do you apply it? also, do i put in the semungus, powerfeed and seasol first before i plant or plant first before i put them in? thanks. Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 13Jan 29, 2011 5:50 pm tomorrow's 40 degree day here in melbourne got me thinking if i should continue this idea of establishing the front yard this summer. i already prepared the soil, got the plants in pots, mollases, seasol and powerfeed.. already put the seamungus on the soil and mulch to be delivered tomorrow.. i might wait for tuesday afternoon to plant as BOM said it would probably rain on wednesday.. should i also wait to spray the molasses-seasol-powerfeed (MSP) combo or just do it tonight or tomorrow mornig so it already mixed with the soil by the time i plant? or should i forget about it and wait for march/april? though i don't want to live the plants in pots for that long.. Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 14Jan 30, 2011 9:13 am Hi Draco - try looking in Bunnings in the swimming pool supplies area or in a large pet store that stocks fish. Zeolite is used as a filter material for fish ponds etc and is also used as a replacement for swimming pool filter sand, so you might be able to find it in one of those places This link http://www.greenlifesoil.com.au/minerals.htm#zeolite will show you how much to use based on your soil type. Also, spongolite is also sold in pond and aquarium supply places. Good luck! Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 15Jan 30, 2011 11:10 am thanks Kerry.. but I am really having trouble finding a zeolite supplier near me.. i think closes is BAAG which is 1.5 hours drive also was reading about the olsens green bio and bactivate.. found a supplier of bactivate in werribee (plantmark), will give them a ring on monday. i think i read somewhere that bactivate can be applied on top of the soil.. but if I ever do get some of it, is it too late to add zeolite when I have already "prepped" the soil? I mean can I just put it on top? i mean i don't want to dig it all up again.. thanks.. Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 16Feb 01, 2011 1:46 pm Fu posted links before of places you can get it online. Also, try Clark Rubber in Hoppers Crossing - I understand that they only sell Zeolite now instead of filter sand for swimming pools. There's a thread with the soil additives floating around somewhere, which includes this link http://www.greenlifesoil.com.au/minerals.htm#zeolite It says you should be adding it to the top 10cm of the soil. Not much point in putting it on top of the mulch I would have thought, as it's meant to retain nutrients and make them available to the plants roots. You could sprinkle it on top and then rake it in to disperse it maybe? Sorry, but I've not gotten to the green bio or bactivate info yet, so not sure if they can go on top or not. Just do a search for them on this forum, with Fu Manchu as the username - bound to come up with the goods then! Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 17Feb 02, 2011 2:53 pm Draco - Clark Rubber definitely have Zeolite. I went to our local one today to check. It's $26.95 for a 15kg bag. Also, couldn't find bactivate or Olsens Green Bio in Bunnings (it's been deleted apparently), but they do have Go Go Juice for just over $10. It's a similar thing I think - Fu? Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 18Feb 02, 2011 3:53 pm ahhh.. why didn't i thought of Clark Rubber!!!! a bit too late now since all plants are planted and i will be putting on the mulch today.. Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 19Feb 02, 2011 5:51 pm Not late!! You want the zeolite to the first 10cm of the soil so on top. Just sprinkle and rake it over. Then mulch afterwards. Give them a call and check they're open and have some, then go get it. Or, just wait a couple of days to mulch. Will be cooler as it's hard work in this heat. Well, so my hubby tells me Re: Garden venture - bit by bit 20Feb 02, 2011 9:54 pm yeah, already called my local clark rubber and they got it but i was not able to get there before they close. will have to get it tomorrow and do it in the afternoon after work.. as for the bactivate, i was able to get some from plantmark. they didn't want to sell some to me at first as they are a trade supplier and only those lanscapers registered with them can buy from them but i said that i can't find it anywhere and i am only buying that.. already used up the whole tub which was supposed to be good for 100 sqm. i think i put too much as my front yard is only ~36 sqm Oxford 22 @ Stage12a Point Cook Site Cut : 05/03/2010 Slab Pour : 24/03/2010 Frame Inspected : 06/04/2010 Pre-plaster Inspection: 22/04/2010 PCI: 16/07/2010 Final Inspection: 30/07/2010 Landscaping: who knows??? MyHomeoneThread Our Oxford22 Blog Hi, we live in an area where the black soil is prone to a lot of movement. 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