Landscaping dilemma!
Zakia Khan
5 years ago
As the process of building for the first time is quite overwhelming, my husband made the mistake of agreeing to only concrete part of the area as seen in the pictures when I wasn't present. Since we have just put the grass down, it is really bugging me and I'm really unhappy with it. Does anyone have ideas of how to cover that area without the hassle of concreting again? Perhaps something that could enhance the front of the house. Thanks in advance!
Featured Answer
Comments (21)
JE C
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Backyard Landscaping
Comments (1)What a beautiful big space! I believe you posted this in the wrong forum. 'Design Dilemma' would have been a better location for it, hence the no replies. What does the end result look like?...See MoreHelp with landscaping our front sloping lawn
Comments (7)Plant Eucalpyts at your peril and have fun getting things to grow under them. Low maintenance? Northern Tassie yeah? Retaining wall across the front set back 1m from front boundary with a return either side(height? I don't know your levels but 1 to 1.2m is always a good height and needs no engineering detail). Scoria or white pepple, multi coloured stone between nature strip and base of wall. Above retaining wall a mass planting of succulents amongst another stone bed with some semi mature shrubs that grow well in your locality. Wide as you like it in regards to the garden bed above the wall with stepping stone(big paver, non invasive ground covers in confined squares ect) access to it and through it. One specimen tree in centre of garden(no...not a gumtree. Got a farm? Yes? Then you can plant a gumtree). Various really large pots with specimen plants in them placed up near your front entrance. A detailed plan could be done with much more info but you'll have to contact a local landscaper for that.(and plant advice and try to get an idea of where you plant/tree choices will be in 10 years even your not there) ....See MoreRetaining Wall Dilemma
Comments (21)I quite like the idea of concrete sleepers for your retaining wall. They keep the modern mood. Not sold on Ridgi's faux timber look, though. If your drainage profile would allow it, continuing the brick of the pillars would look quite good, too. For me, the biggest landscape issue is the almighty fight happening between the two different sides of the driveway. You have the stick-up-the-rear formality of the camellia hedge fighting the looseness of the grass and shrubs on the other side. You need to decide on a single mood and go with that. Really!! I'd go, actually, with a loose boulder or gabion wall with a planting behind it similar to that on the left (narrower) side of the driveway. Have a think about what you actually use that front lawn for, and if it's only there to keep the dirt from showing, add some trees and shrubs and underplanting. Shout yourself a tame forest! This will take up a lot of water if your climate's a bit wet, and stabilise the slope, too....See MoreBACKYARD / DECK DILEMMA
Comments (0)Hi everyone, We have a 1960s brick home in Melbourne close to the beach. We’ve spent the last 12 months getting our backyard to a blank canvas since we purchased it. It was 20 years of weeds and concrete. We have spent a few months trying to work out our backyard plans and we want to get the hard landscaping done before we go any further. There is a large amount of concrete in our backyard and we had planned to deck over a big oration if it. Quotes came in around 30-35k to do, so we are looking to scale it back. I have done a very rough sketch in black of the scaled back deck. And the windows to the left links to the kitchen. We are also planning on making the deck level to the floors in the house so you don’t have a few awkward steps. We will still have a large portion of concrete that we’d like to hide, but stick for ideas. We have considered crushed sand but open to any suggestions or ideas from others....See MoreZakia Khan
5 years agooklouise
5 years ago
julie herbert
5 years agoYou could add interest by cutting into turf along driveway and make it a design feature , could look great and solve a problem, a fab trio of pots on your verandah could add a stylish look also. Looks a lovely house.
PROWild Bear & Co Hervey Bay
5 years agoJE C
5 years agoHi Zakia, what is it that made you want more concrete? did you want more space for parking or are you looking to minimise maintenance? I think from an aesthetic point of view, keeping some grass, or even using good quality fake grass- which can look great nowadays - would look good. Like the idea of pavers in the grass like this....I think you can work in the current asymmetric concrete into a design. Do post another photo later, cheers.
Zakia Khan
5 years agodreamer
5 years ago
PRODr Retro House Calls
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoIt looks to me that the concrete was designed to align with the side brick wall of the porch. The tiled space adjacent to the grey column is really too narrow to be usable as a porch area, which is why the concrete finishes early. The whole entry/porch area is a non-symmterical composition so it makes sense that the concrete doesn't extend to the end of the grey column.
If you are not going to remove the concrete then I would remove some of the turf and make a square planting bed adjacent to the end of the concrete, and in front of the grey column. The front edge of the planting bed would align with the front edge of the concrete, and the side edge would align with the outside edge of the grey column. Then plant an architectural plant with dramatic foiliage, such as an agave or yucca, which would counterbalnace the concrete path, provide a feature, and look like it was part of the designer's intent.
Litlle Rock · More InfoBest of luck
Dr Retro
of Dr Retro House Calls
siriuskey
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoArrange large concrete rectangle pavers up to your concrete slab and then a very square paver or two on the R/H side of the concrete slab, and plant similar to this beside the porch and in front of the windows, all available at Bunnings
JE C
5 years agojulie herbert
5 years agoAs suggested it could be a little difficult matching the concrete, another idea could be blending it into your landscaping plan and making a feature, using architectural plants and stone mulch on the corner at end of that small section of concrete could look really great
julie herbert
5 years agosiriuskey
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoZakia Khan
5 years agoshowwhite123
5 years ago
Julie Walton
5 years ago
Susan Ballard
5 years agoZakia Khan
5 years ago
Dr Retro House Calls