ᐅ Setting Priorities in Landscaping. Should the entire garden be planned at once?

Hi!

We are slowly but surely preparing to get in touch with landscape gardeners – they said that once the ground floor shell is complete, it’s worth meeting on-site.

I’ve read that, based on experience, around 18% of the construction costs should be budgeted for exterior works and the garden. For us, that would be in the six-figure range. However, we only have about €50,000 (around $55,000) available to start with. So priorities will have to be set.

From your point of view, what are things that should definitely be considered and implemented from the beginning? What can maybe be planned for mentally but realized at a later stage?

So far, we have only made rough plans and want to ask 2-3 landscape gardeners for proposals.

Here’s what we have in mind so far:

Front garden:
- Driveway and path to the front door with large stone slabs
- Two small trees in the front garden, maybe a maple and another variety
- Lawn
- Possibly two strips of bark mulch to the left and right of the front door path with small mushroom-shaped trees

Garden:
- Terrace
- Mostly lawn, few flower beds
- Possibly a hedge at the sides of the property; a fence maybe later
- Due to the property’s topography, possibly stairs leading from the terrace down into the garden
- A kind of seating area at the far end of the property
- Possibly a spot elsewhere for our loungers with some of those yellowish grasses around them (I think they are called pampas grass)
- We are thinking of a green pergola – but we’re not sure yet if it should be on the terrace or at the seating area
- I dream of a large tree in the garden, but I haven’t researched that properly yet and haven’t found the final solution with just a quick online search; it probably requires professional advice
- In the longer term, a swimming pool or a hot tub could be an option (but we have no technical information on that yet).

I think it’s important to give landscape gardeners clear instructions from the start.

Would it make sense to have the entire final garden planned and then implement it step by step?

I’m looking forward to some tips on how to approach planning and prioritization, and on how to best communicate with the landscape gardener.

Top priority is of course the access path at the front and probably the whole front garden, so that we don’t start many things in different places but end up finishing nothing.

So, I think when the budget is limited—though €50,000 (about $54,000) is not exactly small for a start—it’s mainly about functional things rather than decorative extras. Splash protection around the house, driveway, entrance platform, and terrace are must-haves for me. If you have a dog, children, or similar, fencing—whether with a fence or a hedge—should be installed relatively quickly. Then the entire site needs to be shaped and covered with grass; flower beds can come later (if there’s no money left).

For a swimming pool and hot tub, besides design considerations, water supply/drainage and (high-voltage) electrical connections are especially important. This should already be included in the structural shell planning (rough-in stage) if you want to avoid expensive retrofitting later.

If you really mean full-grown trees and not just small saplings, be prepared to spend a lot of money. We have a landscape gardener in the family, and it’s surprising how quickly a single tree can cost €5,000–10,000 (about $5,400–10,800).

What Alex says is correct. The basics are lawn, splash protection, possibly drainage, and paving work at the front and rear. The budget should easily cover that. I spent around 14,500 (with a professional company).

When it comes to planting and hedges, it's a good idea to get advice. Share your ideas, but also listen to recommendations. What type of soil do you have? Not everything grows well everywhere. Do you want an evergreen hedge, or is it okay if it loses leaves in winter? A hornbeam is very resilient. Cherry laurel is popular nowadays but requires frequent trimming, can become invasive, and reacts sensitively to frost and wind. Thuja is inexpensive but prefers moist to wet soil. Pine, on the other hand, prefers sandy, dry soil. Apple trees should always be planted in pairs for cross-pollination. As you can see, it’s no coincidence that agriculture and horticulture require training.

A good landscape gardener will develop a plan with you, which you can then implement according to your preferences and budget. Start with the basics, then move on to planting, and finally, if desired, add a pool or fountain.
Karsten

Nordlys schrieb:
Start with the basics, then planting, and possibly a pool or fountain at the end. Karsten

We specifically planned a rear garage door so that even after the shell construction is completed, a mini excavator can still access the garden. At the time of the earthworks, we didn’t have a clear plan yet to give the excavator operator special instructions. A landscape gardener we consulted suggested that visiting the site before the shell is built doesn’t make much sense; they can’t plan or make proposals then. We’ll see—I’m trying to arrange an appointment in the next one to two weeks. The completed ground floor should be enough for that now.

Looking ahead, we want the area to look really nice and are prepared to invest six figures in it. However, it will take until next summer before the budget is available again. Then we will be able to complete it.

If anyone is interested, I’m happy to share the three landscape gardeners we have shortlisted via private message, based on their websites.

In our area, landscape gardeners are mainly responsible for construction rather than design. They do do some planning, but usually just practical and without much passion [emoji6].
For design, we have garden architects who collaborate closely with landscape gardeners.
If you have landscape gardeners in your area who also work creatively with interesting materials and design, consider yourself lucky.
Otherwise, I agree with the previous comments: focus on adding substance.
Designing flower beds with perennials and shrubs is enjoyable for most homeowners and can be done by themselves.
If needed, you can always resod the lawn.
For lawns, I recommend using sod to quickly suppress weeds.
A second or third terrace or a pool should only be installed once you understand how everything fits together and where the sunlight hits throughout the day.
Then you can experiment with different materials.
Not only Pinterest helps, but also a yearly subscription to a gardening magazine.
Mein schöner Garten also offers a garden planner for rough layout marking [emoji6].

For trees, go to a specialist nursery! There are fantastic trees available that you may not be familiar with yet.

Good tips, Yvonne! Thank you!