ᐅ Setting Priorities in Landscaping. Should the entire garden be planned at once?
Created on: 1 May 2018 19:20
R
R.Hotzenplotz
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.
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.
haydee schrieb:
The garden can grow. It changes, too.
Toddlers want a sandbox, swing, paddling pool
Older kids want a trampoline, pool, soccer goal
Then comes the time when the family garden becomes unnecessary.That’s the case for us as well... Although we have playgrounds, soccer fields, and similar facilities nearby, it’s very convenient for both us and the children to have these things right in the garden. With these conditions, the garden is reasonably affordable. We installed turf, a hedge, a fence, two terraces, two small trees, a few shrubs, and had the front garden done; adding more doesn’t make much sense at the moment while the children are still young.
Once the children stop using the garden as actively as they do now, it will certainly be redesigned, but right now the top priority is to create a play paradise for the little ones.
@R.Hotzenplotz: Yes, you can (assuming your health doesn’t significantly limit you). Or rather, you could if you’re interested and have the time to learn how to do it. If not, that’s fine—then you just have to pay someone else to do it.
Our garden will also take some time before it looks nice. However, this is not because we are overstretching financially or miscalculating, but rather because we want to wait and observe several factors first (effect, sun position, sightlines, neighboring buildings and their shadows, etc.).
Our garden will also take some time before it looks nice. However, this is not because we are overstretching financially or miscalculating, but rather because we want to wait and observe several factors first (effect, sun position, sightlines, neighboring buildings and their shadows, etc.).
R
R.Hotzenplotz13 May 2018 11:29I have a six-day workweek and only Sunday off. I really want to keep Sunday free or use it for things I absolutely have to do myself. Unfortunately, I already have very little free time and want to enjoy Sunday with my daughter.
R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
I have no idea how to do that. I’m just glad if I can hammer a nail into the wall and assemble an Ikea dresser. I definitely can’t build a fence.We are currently installing a double-wire mesh fence. You don’t need a degree for that; it’s really not difficult. In fact, I believe we can do it more precisely than a professional landscaper because we take our time and carefully measure everything with a tape measure and spirit level. If you can assemble an Ikea cabinet, then you can also manage the fence, and in the end, you’ll be proud of how well you did it.
Best regards,
Sabine
There is also a fast-food trend when it comes to gardens. Everything is the same, everything is ready-made. Large trees are planted, instant lawn (sod) is laid, big hedges are put in, and so on. Plastic sheeting, gravel, all neatly arranged. But this leads to losing the connection to nature. A building plot starts off as a wasteland, and it is human effort and time that make it cultivable. Plants need to grow, grass needs to sprout, and I want to see and experience that. I also want to contribute to it. It simply takes time for the garden to reach the maturity of an established one. That is my opinion. It also costs less. Instant lawn costs about 5 per square meter (5 per square yard), plus installation. A sack of seed is around 40. The rest is labor. Karsten
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