Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Dec 05, 2014 7:39 pm HI Everyone About to build and the block we have chosen has a 1.5 metre fall on it running from right high side to left low side. I have the site analysis which I will upload im just scared now that I will have to put up a retaining wall and the alfresco area is going to be buried/sunken into a hole. I have been told the cut at its worst will be 550mm approx. Can anyone shed some ideas im not sure if I will be able to batter it as dont have that much room its a 540sqm block. Really annoyed I didnt pick a completelty flat block now for $9K more as im sure I would have saved money in the long run. Can anyone give me any tips on what they would do to improve the situation. site analysis below [img][IMG]http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz260/bsb20092010/20141205_201234_3_resized_zpse6803927.jpg[/img][/img] Building the Sheffield 25 + 2 sq Re: How to landscape past this cut and fill 2Dec 08, 2014 12:14 pm If you are building a slab nearly all blocks will require some excavation anyway don't they? That fall isn't much at all. And some variation in height can make a much more interesting garden too. A 2ft retaining wall around your alfresco can be really good and give you the opportunity to create a nice cool oasis. Here's my idea's, feel free to use or discard as you like. If this was me I'd do a gabion retaining wall around your alfreso made to look like drystone walling. Gabions are relatively cheap, you buy them flatpacked, fill them yourself with your own choice of stone, rubble, recycled concrete whatever. They have incredible retaining wall qualities if the fill is heavy enough and look great. We have an enormous gabion wall in the botanic gardens in Adelaide and it looks spectacular. It's filled with bluestone. Here's some pics of gabions used in similar cuts to the one on your block. Your terrace will be low enough that you could even use it for seating in your alfresco area, effectively increasing the available floorspace. http://www.gabion1.com.au/gabion_retaining_walls.htm NOTE - I'm not recommending that commercial enterprise, it's just the site with a lot of low retaining walls in gabions pictured. You can get them from many places. Now in terms of preventing your alfresco from getting too hot, you have the option to plant some small trees or tall bushes up on the terrace on one side which will provide cooling from transpiration. Plant this on the western corner for shading from that hot summer sun, deciduous if you want the sun in winter. I don't know your region but Japanese maples, dwarf or weeping mulberry or something similarly sized and shaped would work well in this area. Ask at a nursery for a small yard tree without invasive roots. Because your seating area is sunken you won't need a hugely tall plant to cast some decent shade. It will also act as a windbreak across your alfresco. Use other low foliage plants to border the rest, perhaps a creeper that will spill over the retaining wall to soak up any heat the fill will absorb for a stunning waterfall effect. Dichondra Silver Falls looks particularly spectacular when grown over a terrace, like this.... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ If you then decide to do vege patch or lawn up on the rest of the terrace then your entertaining area has privacy from that aspect of the garden. Install some lights in the bushes and you've got yourself a lovely outdoor area for low cost. I wouldn't feel disappointed about your choice of block. Some low terraces in a small garden will work wonders for making the garden appear larger as you won't be staring directly at your fence from the backdoor. I think you have an awesome opportunity for a very swish backyard and the excavation is part of the cost of the foundation anyway. Making a small space look larger is all about breaking up the line of vision with various plant heights and drawing the eye off in various directions of interest. 2 6227 Versaloc is a mortarless besser block system that still needs a properly engineered footing. If you just do a 400x200 footing it will fail in time. At 17m long you need it… 1 21837 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 10450 |