Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Mar 29, 2011 10:22 am So it's coming up to the time that the landscaping needs to go in. Unfortunately creativity is not my strong point. I'm thinking something simple but still impressive. Not after anything overly expensive. We are thinking decking in the alfresco area. Liquid limestone around the sides, a mini retaining wall/raised garden bed thing along the back. There needs to be a small garden shed somewhere, probably near the master bedroom area. Anyone got any other suggestions? What plants would look good in this setup etc. We have a landscaper package for the front, not sure how much or what they will be willing to do. We were thinking one of those large bowls in the front and just grass, with some little edging with plants along the driveway side. There is a small retaining wall at the front along the diagonal boundary line. It is only about 30cm high. Apologies for the poor plan picture, was taken on the phone as I don't have a softcopy http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8039 ... 112459.jpg Some pics of the rear: http://img863.imageshack.us/i/20110307141247.jpg/ http://img850.imageshack.us/i/20110307141254.jpg/ http://img607.imageshack.us/i/20110307141315.jpg/ and pic of front: http://img23.imageshack.us/i/20110327180848.jpg/ Thanks in advance Re: Design my Landscape 2Mar 29, 2011 12:09 pm Hey deeps, I was bored a little bit during my lunch break and did a mock up idea that you could use probably for your landscaping. I think the picture is quite self explanatory. What do you reckon? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The alfresco part can be either decking or paving depending what you can afford. The yellow can be some pebbles to save cost. Green is some type of lawn. A raised garden bed at the end. Some big rocks at the front with some shrubs to suit to keep maintenance low and you can probably add some stairs from your front door. Re: Design my Landscape 3Mar 30, 2011 12:55 pm Hi Deeps - check out the Great Gardens site to see if they have a workshop near you that still has spaces. They're free and if Fu's raving about them is anything to go by, well worth the few hours: http://www.greatgardens.info/events.php For landscape ideas, you can't go wrong with checking out some of the designs that Phillip Johnson has done. Most of these are in Victoria, but they can easily be adapted for you. http://www.phillipjohnson.com.au/smallspaces.aspx You can use the Water Corporation site to help you choose waterwise plants that will fit in with your design http://www.watercorporation.com.au/W/waterwise_plants.cfm?uid=1267-6597-2997-2837 And read Fu's posts on soil improvement etc. For you, it looks like you will have long narrow outisde spaces. Try to think of a design that is waterwise, will allow you to place sun loving plants in the right place (consider a shade sail over the area if too bright as enclosed spaces can get pretty hot, even if you water constantly you're plants would suffer), make the most of shade areas, something that will be easy to look after and will flow around the house. Areas with sun, would be good to grow some fruit and veg. To design your garden is something very personal to the individual. It's better that you give it a go yourself, then ask what people think of your ideas. Imagine yourself walking past your house... what do you like the look of in other gardens? What catches your eye or looks welcoming? Think of walking round your house... consider all the areas and spots of sun/shade... do you like fresh fruit, veg, herbs....? Do you like the idea of wandering around your garden, basket in hand, picking what you need for the day? Or reaching out from your comfy spot on your deck, to pick a lime for your beer? Do you want to encourage nature into your garden? Can you imagine enjoying a glass of wine in the evening, listening to water trickle or frogs in your small pond croak and feeling relaxed...? Are there areas that will get too hot (radiant heat from walls / fences / hard paving / gravel in enclosed spaces can be pretty lethal to plants and unpleasant for people)? Do you need to cool these areas (perhaps a shade sail), some moving water, some tall plants to block some light...? Do you have any kids or pets that you need to provide an area for? Re: Design my Landscape 4Mar 30, 2011 6:02 pm Hi Deeps The most important aspect when designing a residential garden is to integrate the outdoor space with the architecture of the facade. Also the site and the area you live in will have an influence on your design. Your house does not look like it has a strong style therefore look at the particular forms of the house such as roof shape, window shapes, colours, materials used. For eg the windows appear rectangular in shape you may want to design a rectilinear shaped garden. Or maybe an angular theme to match the angular shape of the roof. Angular forms are very energitic and can be quite visually active. Or the same brick used on the house can be used for the retainer to create a sense of unity, or select a paving colour that complements the house. Planting design is just as important. The key is simplicity and restraint. I've seen many new gardens that are completely chaotic and disjointed with way too many different forms, colours and textures. What is it with these spiky things that are overused by contractors? My advice for plant species selection is to look around your area and see whats thriving especially street plantings. Cheers Luke “A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.” Frank Lloyd Wright Re: Design my Landscape 5Apr 02, 2011 6:13 pm Thanks for that guys, I have booked us in for a greatgardens workshop. Hopefully that, along with the information provided above, will give us a good idea on what to do Re: Design my Landscape 6Apr 13, 2011 10:39 pm Quote: What is it with these spiky things that are overused by contractors? I concur, boring and unimaginative options in most cases. Some know nothing but such plants and manage to drive big shiny 4x4's all made from doing gardens from spiky boring plants and black mulch. Re: Design my Landscape 7Apr 21, 2011 8:50 am The spiky things.... known in the UK as architectural gardening, probably something similar here... I blame the design shows of the 90s where they would give you an 'instant garden', often they wanted a tropical look and in the UK at least, that was generally achieved by using things like dianella, cordyline, phormiums, fatsia japonica, ricinus, cannas, bamboos, tree ferns, agaves, aloes.... all plants that do well in parts of the UK and tend to be 'leafy' rather than the 'flowery' plants that had always been popular previously. This type of mixed planting gave form and structure to a garden, that was very different from the previous more cottage or formal feels that gardens in the UK used to have. Hence the 'architectural' tag. I think contractors over use these plants because they're believed to be popular amongst the masses, because that's what tv shows us. So, us folks go buy them, more are produced and they become cheaper, so more attractive to contractors who can give you more plants without cutting into their profit margins. People like me as are as much to blame, I know better yet I still like the look of those plants and will still be using some in my garden. However, the majority of my garden is and will remain, indigenous to my area, which is handy because it means I have a wealth of grasses, sedges and treeferns to choose from. The local wildlife, especially frogs, lizards, snakes and small mammals, all love to have sedges and grasses to hide in, so that's another bonus to me of using them. In the uk one of the main ways that the councils used to beautify up roadsides was the scatter thousands of different bulbs and then grass seed. Amazing displays of colour every year and more than a few road accidents I suspect because of the number of people who pulled over on a whim to pick some daffs or tulips. Then by the late 90s this had changed to cordyline, dianella, cannas and dicksonia plantings. Still pretty effective and still low maintenance, but nowhere near as pretty I have loads of bulbs popping up all over the place here too at the moment and no idea what they are (didn't notice them last year due to the mess the garden was in) so I'm looking forward to seeing what we have. Except for the crocosmia though. Along with the oxalis. That will die Things are changing here again though... you just have to look at council bedding on roundabouts and such.... far more softer plantings with mixed natives....not just the previous dianella & cordyline mixes. Re: Design my Landscape 9May 10, 2011 9:49 am I like your poster, but Back to the Future was actually 1985... Re: Design my Landscape 12May 10, 2011 11:22 pm What are you talking about???? It was a l w a y s l i k e t h a t... ...woah! Back to the future is real, I went back in time and changed it Re: Design my Landscape 13May 13, 2011 8:17 pm Have you not got enough work on at the moment or something? Landscape Design Parramatta We have been doing a large amount of landscape design work in Sydney… 0 3 Need advice on the backyard plan above. Should I excavate and cut all of the dirt to level with the house slab or semi-excavate as per photo above? Both left and right… 0 24877 Thanks very much! And would the landscaper/contractor generally involve the engineer or is that something the client would do? Thanks for your help 2 10037 |