TYPE OF GRAVEL
sheilahmead
5 years ago
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Comments (7)
A J Miller Landscape Architecture PLLC
5 years agoRelated Discussions
New house needs a design for garden
Comments (7)Because of the narrowness of the area, there is only room for the screening plant. And I would keep the edges straight - curved edging is cottagey, and would look totally our of place here. Your house is not a cottage. I don't like the suggestion of trees with trunks visible. It is a colourbond fence at the look of it. I hide these - there's nothing special about them I'm sorry. And views are in the eye of the beholder. If it isn't on par with the best view that you've ever seen, then make your own view within your garden. You'll be far happier in the long run. And if you have plants of varying height so that the bottom corner is shorter in order to show the rooftops of neighbouring houses as a 'view', then the design within the garden will be spoilt. I know that there are those who think that lily pillies are common, but a plant that grows well in its position is far better than struggling to grow some uncommon plant that is a failure to thrive. I would aim for a lily pilly that is at least 3 metres tall. Consider Acmena 'Sublime' which doesn't get psyllid and doesn't need to be hedged if you don't want to. And I would run this plant the full length and around from the corner along the bottom fenceline. Your plants also would do better if the garden beds were 1.5 metres wide with the plant placed in the middle of the bed. Plants don't do well in narrow beds unless managed by a professional who knows what they are doing. As for the dwarf magnolias - these plants are dwarves of the Magnolia grandiflora which can get to 100 feet tall in maturity. So as a dwarf form, they still get up to 50 feet tall when they mature. The labels don't give a precise indication of height at maturity and are deceiving to novices. So don't go there is my advice. They also have bad root systems for so close to the house. You would also never be able to keep your lawn alive as they plants grow as they are water guzzlers as they get bigger. Nobody considers how plants behave once they are planted, but the care varies enormously with different plants....See MoreNeed help with curb appeal please?
Comments (8)Hi Aecordts, where is your house? The birches tell me it's not tropical, and the view shot suggests New Zealand. Wellington? Your front garden is "of its time", which isn't 12 years ago but about forty. I'd bring those conifers up to date by adding a couple of good big rocks, some gravel and scads of tall grasses and bright perennials. The whole thing needs loosening up. The only thing I'd lose completely are those lollypops under your front windows. They look twee. Go for some roses, not hybrid teas but rugosas or Portlands, or maybe one of the more solid and shrubby David Austins. The important thing is that the foliage comes all the way down to the ground. Alternatively, fill it in with black (and I MEAN black!) phormium cultivars. The columns are fine as they are....See MoreBackyard Blank Canvas
Comments (6)Thanks, Paul. Totally hear what you're saying. We feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. Consulting a designer would have been our first port of call. But we're cautious for very good reason. We did what we thought was the sensible thing and consulted a 'designer' for our internal renovations. We got burned big time. We're fearful the same thing could happen again, when the wrong landscape designer spots the garden illiterate coming too. We simply can't afford to make that mistake again, but understand the consequences of not consulting a designer. Consulting the trades direct does arm us with more knowledge (so we can spot the con artist a little sooner), but we don't want to be time wasting tyre kickers either. We've had some great word of mouth referrals with other trades. But due to lack of exposure or bad experiences, absolutely no-one can recommend a designer or landscaper. That in itself makes us a bit nervy....See MoreWhat to do with this backyard
Comments (11)Hi Evan, it is certainly doable. My back yard is probably 5 times as big as yours. I had a deck put on out the back, built all the garden beds myself, edged different sections of the garden myself, and topsoiled and laid the turf around the new deck and along the side of the house myself. I even made my outdoor furniture. I also filled all the garden beds with soil and planted them out. I got truck loads of top soil and mushroom compost delivered and wheelbarrowed it from the front to the back yard. If you are able to do stuff yourself, it isn’t that hard (I was in my forties when I did all this). You do need a concept plan of how you want your back yard to look. Check out pinterest for ideas. Some small trees (crepe myrtle for shade in summer and flowers would look nice). Think how you want to use the back yard. Hiding the fence would be good. Painting it a dark colour like someone suggested wouldn’t hurt and would add a lovely contrast to greenery. I made some decorative hangings to cover my colourbond fence while the vegetation grew. A water feature would look nice too. You could create an oasis there with a bit of hard work if you can’t afford to pay someone to do the work....See Moresheilahmead
5 years agoNick Platt
5 years agoA J Miller Landscape Architecture PLLC
5 years agosheilahmead
5 years ago
A J Miller Landscape Architecture PLLC