Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Jan 26, 2014 10:29 pm It's time to seriously think about garden at the back and on the side of the house. Display houses looking good but there are so many choices and ideas so I am completely lost now. First of all: what do I need to install Sprinklers system to water the plants at the back of the house or drip system??? Asked at Bunnings but of course they didn't help much: "you can do either"... So I went ahead and installed sprinklers... not sure how well it came out but I tried... Then I've been told that if I want to plant some trees or shrubs I need to dig holes/patches and replace sand with soil. That's how far I got... Now I'm umming and arring what to do and how to fill the space. We didn't want to pave all the way as we thought we would keep this space for the dog (we're going to get in the nearest future)... So we thought few stepping stones and mulch on the side of the house... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Then we have the back of the house where I think i would put some plants against the retaining wall: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And then there is the courtyard: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I saw some people doing raised garden beds with limestone blocks and now i'm confused if I did the right thing by digging out the holes instead of just installing limestone blocks. The other issue is I'm not sure if sprinklers are ok in this case or should I change it other drip system. These sprinklers will be connected to the front landscaping sprinkler system when it will get finished by developer. This landscaping business is really stressing me out. Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 2Jan 28, 2014 9:34 pm I see no-one has replied and I can't give any advice on sprinkler systems but I can show you what we did down the side of our house. Our landscaper suggested blue metal and stepping stones as a cheap alternative and we are quite happy with the result. We usually only go down there to clean up the dogs deposits and he can still bury his bones and when it looks messy we give it a rake. http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s507/grumblebum54/079-steppingstones_zps3194ff75.jpg Regards, Grumbles Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 3Jan 29, 2014 1:28 pm grumblebum54 I see no-one has replied and I can't give any advice on sprinkler systems but I can show you what we did down the side of our house. Our landscaper suggested blue metal and stepping stones as a cheap alternative and we are quite happy with the result. We usually only go down there to clean up the dogs deposits and he can still bury his bones and when it looks messy we give it a rake. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Thanks for your reply and suggestion. We might consider that as well. How do the weeds grow on it? I've been told that mulch will help weeds to grow, so now we're kind of opting out of this option. Can you please tell me what did you do underneath the fence so the dog doesn't dig under it? Thanks Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 4Jan 29, 2014 2:08 pm I like the side - its narrow - but easy to look after. Maybe a few pot plants with a watering system - easy to do. I used drippers to each plant. They get 10 minutes every second night. They are thriving. Each gets its own water and in between gets nothing. Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 5Jan 31, 2014 11:55 am We get very few weeds, probably about six per month. The blue metal is about 120mm deep so itβs probably too far for them to grow. We also have an ag pipe along the retaining wall to take away any water. I donβt think they recommend putting mulch up against your house as it will attract termites. We have never had a problem with the dog trying to dig under the fence, but he has just turned 9 and is a lazy bugger. Just bury some cement pavers along the fence line, they say that will stop them trying to dig their way out. Regards, Grumbles Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 6Feb 01, 2014 3:46 pm What sort of dog are you getting? If that space is going to be the dog's home I reckon you need to approach it first and foremost from that point of view. What you don't want is a bored uncomfortable dog barking to annoy the neighbours all day while your out. AubinGroveFan I've been told that mulch will help weeds to grow, so now we're kind of opting out of this option. Mulch suppresses weeds. There's a lot more to say about the different types of mulches and they aren't necessarily "weed-proof" but done right mulching reduces weeds! Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 7Feb 01, 2014 11:16 pm If you are planning to get a puppy I'd suggest adding somewhere for the puppy to dig, perhaps a small sand pit. Plants in pots are more dog proof as long as you organise the watering and the pots are sturdy. We are planing to put a path down the middle of a similar area and alternate stones and mulched areas down the sides but I'm no expert. Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 8Feb 02, 2014 9:00 am Other posters are right, mulch suppresses weeds! If thick enough only a very few of the most tenacious weeds will poke through and are extremely easily to pull out. In my experience the best mulch for growing is NOT the most expensive. It's green mulch (imagine a forest floor or the natural bush with fallen leaves, small twigs, spent flowers, bark etc) cos the different shapes and sizes of the mulch allow airflow to the soil beneath and worms love it. Some may say it's not as tidy looking as the ones which are more broken down or look like soil but to me the benefits outweigh this. I love the natural look of it. Also you can usually get it for FREE from someone who is tree lopping in the area and will dump their load on your garden rather than have to cart it away!! The green mulch absorbs water better and gives out nutrients as it breaks down. As for trickle versus sprinkler, it depends on what you want to grow and how far you need the water to reach. Trickle is great for natives or plants that don't like water on their foliage (ie treated water) such as kanga paws. Also there is hardly any evaporation compared to a sprinkler system so it's more water wise. Drippers are great for direct watering. It might be a good idea to get your puppy and afterwards plant the garden when it's less destructive, or else you have to allow for it to run riot through your plants!!. Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 9Feb 02, 2014 8:37 pm AubinGroveFan I saw some people doing raised garden beds with limestone blocks and now i'm confused if I did the right thing by digging out the holes instead of just installing limestone blocks. Maybe you could do a combination - a slightly raised edge to the courtyard garden to distinguish it, but not big enough to crowd out the space? How are your plans coming along? Thinking about building Rawson's Huntley 27 Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 10Feb 26, 2014 12:14 pm Treeseachanger Other posters are right, mulch suppresses weeds! If thick enough only a very few of the most tenacious weeds will poke through and are extremely easily to pull out. Wouldn't mulch attract termite? We are building our house in Berwick and our proposed landscape plan has an area with mulch. After reading posts in forms and articles I'm now bit concern having mulch in the garden. Re: What to do with my garden... PLEASE HELP! 11Mar 01, 2014 5:02 pm Follow the link to this article: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2621488.htm Just don't put mulch right up against the walls of your house. Use a paved area or pebbles as a barrier around it. Also keep a chemical barrier present (we have "termimesh" in our foundations). Both tea tree and cypress contain a natural oil that termites hate and it's been reported that eucalyptus leaves are not particularly favoured by termites. Since termites are always present but we can control them in this way, I believe the benefits of mulching the garden far outweigh having none. Fig Landscapes has produced an e-book and native plant index, available for purchase from their website. It's a great resource, full of inspiration and tips. Another… 1 12241 Our Bondi Greenwall was impressive from day one with advanced lush plants to provide a wow factor to this recently renovated living area. The boundary was less than 1… 0 15303 |