Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 5Mar 29, 2017 8:06 pm Thanks for the photos and the info, look forward to seeing it progress. If you can add details like how deep footings are under retaining walls and beds that would be helpful as we are going to be doing this in six months Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 6Mar 29, 2017 9:57 pm Nice, can't wait to see the next update Customised Burbank Indigo/Hawthorn in Officer VIC https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.p ... 2#p1680752 Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 7Mar 30, 2017 4:01 pm Skinah Thanks for the photos and the info, look forward to seeing it progress. If you can add details like how deep footings are under retaining walls and beds that would be helpful as we are going to be doing this in six months Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 8Mar 30, 2017 4:04 pm Sure thing. We were lucky that there wasn't any major 'retaining' needed with the walls. With the sleepers, we used 2400 x 200 x 50. We used the same sleepers, cut into 400mm sections to join the two sleepers together, and then to concrete into the ground so with the levelling, there's just over 200mm of depth to the posts in the ground. With the bricks, I put 40mm of crushed rock and compacted that, then an 8:1 mix of sand and cement on top which the bricks were then laid down on, making sure to get each block level before moving onto the next. The Versawall product is really good as it locks into itself which makes it pretty easy to keep level. They are quite heavy so not as easy as a normal brick to work with. Would certainly recommend them and will be using them more in the courtyard section of the job. Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 10Apr 30, 2017 10:34 pm So after the raised garden bed was laid, it was onto the path which would split the rear of the garden up between the 'kids zone' and the turf. This path would lead to the back shed which would be placed behind the large tree that was left. Before I could do that though, there was the small pile of concrete rubble that was left over from the demo and a pile of tree branches to mulch. This 'small' pile took the best part of two days with a sledge hammer to break it all up and barrow it into 2 x 4m2 skips along with half a day to mulch the branches. We used the same technique as the small wall we put up to edge the lilydale topping at the rear and blind side of the house. Treated pine sleepers, 2400 long, 200 deep and 40 wide. We had some left over railway sleepers from the demo which we thought would add a bit of a rustic feel to the path and break up a pure lilly dale topping pathway. We also put in a temporary treated pine border to edge out the back half of the garden so we could fill with soft fall bark. 6 cubic meters of soft fall and 1 of lilly dale and we had that section of the garden complete and we could put the trampoline back up with the kids were very happy about. Next was filling the garden bed with soil for planting some trees to edge the garden. We chose a Pinnacle Lilly Pilli which will grow quite narrow and will do a good job of blocking out the neighbours and border the garden nicely. Purchased 20 of them and planted just over 1m apart. Finally it was time to turf. This is where most of my research on here came from and Fu Manchu's guide was followed as closely as possible. With the levels I'd chosen, it meant I had to raise the level of the soil by 200mm which meant barrowing in 16 cubic meters of top soil. I chose to go with the KISSS sub surface irrigation system based on a friends recommendation however in hindsight, I think I would have preferred to go with a normal sprinkler system for 2 reasons. 1) It was a mountain of work to dig all the channels for the irrigation and 2) I'm nervous about how it will hold up in 10+ years and the trouble with having to repair any failures. The day the turf came was one of the best days of all this process and when it was laid, it looked magnificent. As we have the large tree which will give quite a bit of shade to the lawn, I went with the Sapphire Buffalo variety as the online research had that as the best performing in shade. A few last touches with lighting and Phase 1 of the landscaping is now complete. Pics of course:http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_2819.jpg The small pile of rubble which wasn't so small after all. http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_2839.jpg Rubble and trees cleared. http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_2864.jpg Rough layout of path http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3089.jpg Crushed rock base for shed which will be concreted into place http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3093.jpg Tramp re-assembled = happy kids! http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3105.jpg Treated pine border for path and rough placement of cut railway sleepers This was with about 4m of soft fall. Another 2 would come later. http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3127.jpg Path half way done. http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3162.jpg Garden bed filled and planted. http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3145.jpg This shows how much soil I brought in to lift the level. http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3153.jpg The KISSS irrigation being laid. http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3169.jpg Final prep before the turf. Think this was molasses and a seaweed solution. Already had put down the Zeolite and Bactivate. Next post will be the finished product (for phase 1 at least). Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 11Apr 30, 2017 11:40 pm What a great example of what some thought and planning can achieve. Could I suggest you extend that bed right to that back corner. It would be a shame to have wasted space behind the shed. It's be great spot to grow some sort of food. Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 12May 01, 2017 3:38 pm Write reply... The Garden Whisperer What a great example of what some thought and planning can achieve. Could I suggest you extend that bed right to that back corner. It would be a shame to have wasted space behind the shed. It's be great spot to grow some sort of food. Thanks for the kind words. There was quite a bit of research and thought put into it. Regarding the back corner, we actually have an offer from one of the neighbours to buy it off us. It's a dead spot for us which we were planning on just planting some citrus trees. The property borders on 8 differing neighbours properties so this would also cut down on one of those. Then the back fence will be squared off just behind that lemon tree that is there. Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 14May 07, 2017 10:52 am Looks great! Thanks for sharing your knowledge we will also be doing all landscaping ourselves so your shared info is very much appreciated Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 15May 08, 2017 8:23 pm Looks great. Please keep us updated with further progression photos. We're doing ours DIY and nearing (have been for a while now) the level dirt & lay turf stage too. Quite frankly the thought of levelling the area ourselves daunts me, so we've putting it off. Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 16May 08, 2017 9:13 pm eirrac Great looking yard! Look forward to seeing more progress and finished product. In regard to the design did you do this yourselves or get a landscape architect to design for you? Thanks Thanks for the kinds words. That makes two of us looking forward to seeing it completed. We did the design largely ourselves although we did get a consultant to come in for a couple of hours at a cost of around $300 to give some plant suggestions and provide any other ideas. Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 17May 15, 2017 8:26 pm So here are the final pictures from the Stage 1 part of the landscaping along with some before and after pics which show the transformation. The total effort here was 6 weeks with about 2 of those weeks with help from the old man. Costs around $13k including the Shed.http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3180.jpg Turf finally laid - this was an exciting and rewarding day! http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3174.jpg From the back looking back towards the house http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3196.jpg Shed in place http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3182.jpg before and after #1 http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3177.jpg before and after #2 http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_4063.jpg before and after #3 http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_2727.jpg A bit of mood lighting. Can't wait for the warmer nights to return so we can spend some time under the tree sipping a few reds. http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/GMiladinovic/IMG_3999.jpg Turf was laid about 8 weeks ago. This is an updated pic with dog tax included. Phase 2 starts next month with a contractor coming in to lay decking over the cracked concrete under the pergola. After that it's a toss up between getting professionals to come in and lay the raised garden bed and paving adjacent to the pergola (more $ but will be done quickly) vs having a crack myself next summer. Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 18May 15, 2017 8:39 pm Amazing work mate. Turned out absolutely fantastic! Gives me hope that we can also hopefully have a crack ourselves when out build is done. Thank you for the inspiration! Customised Burbank Indigo/Hawthorn in Officer VIC https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.p ... 2#p1680752 Re: Backyard Landscaping - DIY 20May 18, 2017 8:47 pm This looks great!!! Can I ask, did you put anything at the back of the raised garden beds so the dirt isn't sitting against the fence? DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair That laser level looks lovely! We bought one for less than a quarter of that price off eBay. It worked really well for us and it's still going now, five years later. After… 1 16840 It's possible but a soak well is usually much larger. Your 'soak well' only holds 424 litres when full. What is your soil type? Soak wells need sandy soils. 10 9109 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 24993 |