Hello,
I know the title is a bit provocative. Let’s just say the goal is to spend as little as possible.
Background (can be skipped):
A part of our household income is suddenly at risk, meaning it has already been slightly reduced and will unfortunately continue to be uncertain, possibly significantly, in the future.
The new construction is already underway (shell/roof/windows are in place).
We will complete the house with the secured portion of our income and be able to pay it off long-term.
However, not only is luxury out of the question, but there is basically no budget left for the garden and outdoor areas. “Basically” because I still need to sit down with my husband at some point and figure out concretely what we can or want to spend. The house construction is still ongoing, and you never really know exactly how much things will cost in the end. We definitely have 10 € left, maybe 100 €, maybe even 1,000 € or 3,000 €. I just don’t know right now.
Several friends have spent tens of thousands on landscaping and garden. My parents have a tiny garden where they simply planted some plants from the hardware store — that’s it. Otherwise, we have no experience.
Exactly because expenses should be kept as low as possible, the absolute priorities need to be clearly defined.
What I see as priorities so far:
* Paths so you can go outside without walking through mud. (Front door/garage/garbage bins)
* Ground cover in the front garden so passersby don’t complain about a thistle wasteland. (Ground cover plant, not the passersby.)
* Things that are much easier to do now because later access to the site may be difficult or because construction equipment can still be used now. (Example: leveling the site, moving large items into the garden)
* Privacy screening – We want a large tree in the garden (in the long term) to protect us from being overlooked from the neighbor’s upper floor. Also possibly a hedge or bushes along the street side.
* Soil improvement. Heavy clay soil with little topsoil. Preparing it so plants can grow well in the long term is more important to me than terraces, walls, fences, fountains, garden furniture, sculptures, etc.
* At least one rain barrel. (We cut out a cistern for cost reasons.)
Conditions:
* Granite step in front of the front door
* Outdoor water tap
* Extension of about 7 sqm (75 sq ft) at the back of the garage with access to the garden
* Topsoil to be redistributed and leveled
* The garage driveway will be paved (permeable surface required)
* Some outdoor lights on the house exterior walls
Now some specific questions:
I’m looking forward to suggestions on what to focus on, what can be skipped, and regarding materials, what to pay attention to even at a lower budget to get good value for money and something that will last long term.
What costs nothing (like a color scheme or keeping paths short) but still makes a difference?
Thank you for your effort and best regards
I know the title is a bit provocative. Let’s just say the goal is to spend as little as possible.
Background (can be skipped):
A part of our household income is suddenly at risk, meaning it has already been slightly reduced and will unfortunately continue to be uncertain, possibly significantly, in the future.
The new construction is already underway (shell/roof/windows are in place).
We will complete the house with the secured portion of our income and be able to pay it off long-term.
However, not only is luxury out of the question, but there is basically no budget left for the garden and outdoor areas. “Basically” because I still need to sit down with my husband at some point and figure out concretely what we can or want to spend. The house construction is still ongoing, and you never really know exactly how much things will cost in the end. We definitely have 10 € left, maybe 100 €, maybe even 1,000 € or 3,000 €. I just don’t know right now.
Several friends have spent tens of thousands on landscaping and garden. My parents have a tiny garden where they simply planted some plants from the hardware store — that’s it. Otherwise, we have no experience.
Exactly because expenses should be kept as low as possible, the absolute priorities need to be clearly defined.
What I see as priorities so far:
* Paths so you can go outside without walking through mud. (Front door/garage/garbage bins)
* Ground cover in the front garden so passersby don’t complain about a thistle wasteland. (Ground cover plant, not the passersby.)
* Things that are much easier to do now because later access to the site may be difficult or because construction equipment can still be used now. (Example: leveling the site, moving large items into the garden)
* Privacy screening – We want a large tree in the garden (in the long term) to protect us from being overlooked from the neighbor’s upper floor. Also possibly a hedge or bushes along the street side.
* Soil improvement. Heavy clay soil with little topsoil. Preparing it so plants can grow well in the long term is more important to me than terraces, walls, fences, fountains, garden furniture, sculptures, etc.
* At least one rain barrel. (We cut out a cistern for cost reasons.)
Conditions:
- Plot size minus house and garage about 680 sqm (7,320 sq ft)
- What is still included in the turnkey contract:
* Granite step in front of the front door
* Outdoor water tap
* Extension of about 7 sqm (75 sq ft) at the back of the garage with access to the garden
* Topsoil to be redistributed and leveled
* The garage driveway will be paved (permeable surface required)
* Some outdoor lights on the house exterior walls
- My father would simply pave an area where the “terrace” is planned.
- The house and garage are white with gray and anthracite elements, so I would like to keep all outdoor areas in shades of gray.
Now some specific questions:
- A local landscape architect offers to be hired for just a few hours and charges travel and hourly rates.
- Has anyone done something like this before?
- Different shades of gray in various brightness levels and surface textures can be nicely combined, right?
- What might soil improvement for 600 sqm (6,460 sq ft) cost? I assume sand and good topsoil/humus need to be sourced and transported, possibly spread with machinery. Does anyone have experience and an approximate ballpark figure?
- The tree should already be larger. 2 m (6.5 ft) is not a problem price-wise, but that’s basically just a stick with three leaves. I need to see if we can afford something a bit broader. I can get tree prices, but what should I expect to pay for transportation, professional preparation of the planting hole, and planting?
- What is a cost-effective alternative for paths? Gravel paths? Maybe with those plastic honeycomb grids underneath to hopefully keep the stones in place long-term (experiences welcome)? Simply placing individual concrete slabs? How does the option of embedding stepping stones into a gravel path compare financially?
- What should be considered when selecting stones for the garage driveway and terrace?
I’m looking forward to suggestions on what to focus on, what can be skipped, and regarding materials, what to pay attention to even at a lower budget to get good value for money and something that will last long term.
What costs nothing (like a color scheme or keeping paths short) but still makes a difference?
Thank you for your effort and best regards
W
willWohnen28 Jan 2015 22:09@kaho674 Regarding the architect, the plan is not to have them do a complete garden design and landscaping. It’s just about a brief consultation after I’ve prepared myself. Their expertise shouldn’t be the deciding factor before I risk going in the wrong direction with my limited resources, right?
“Schottern” means spreading gravel where you want paths, correct? Do you need to compact it first or something like that? Are you familiar with the honeycomb grid system? Maybe that can prevent the gravel path from sinking completely into mud after just half a year...?
@Bautraum2015 Have you already done it this way, designed the garden yourselves, or is it something you’re planning to do?
“Schottern” means spreading gravel where you want paths, correct? Do you need to compact it first or something like that? Are you familiar with the honeycomb grid system? Maybe that can prevent the gravel path from sinking completely into mud after just half a year...?
@Bautraum2015 Have you already done it this way, designed the garden yourselves, or is it something you’re planning to do?
Bautraum201528 Jan 2015 22:16I think it’s absolutely right to consult professionals beforehand!
We still plan to do it. The hedge has been around the property for many years, and we are just making an opening in the hedge for the driveway. My sister recently landscaped her garden, and with a small budget, we created a nice little patch of land.
For now, we will only have a terrace and a large lawn with a few trees. The rest (paths, outdoor kitchen, fire pit area, garden beds) will come gradually over time.
“Schottern” really means: excavation, compaction, gravel as frost protection, compaction, gravel on top. And you’re right, things like this should be planned when the necessary equipment (for example, for excavation) is available.
We still plan to do it. The hedge has been around the property for many years, and we are just making an opening in the hedge for the driveway. My sister recently landscaped her garden, and with a small budget, we created a nice little patch of land.
For now, we will only have a terrace and a large lawn with a few trees. The rest (paths, outdoor kitchen, fire pit area, garden beds) will come gradually over time.
“Schottern” really means: excavation, compaction, gravel as frost protection, compaction, gravel on top. And you’re right, things like this should be planned when the necessary equipment (for example, for excavation) is available.
You can save money by skipping the architect and invest it wisely in planting instead.
First, if I were you (that's what we did), I would look for an online garden planner.
Recently read from @milkie: Gardena garden planner. I used the Mein-Schöner-Garten garden planner.
At the same time, consider getting a yearly library subscription and borrow all the gardening books you can for a month. That way, you can learn about different styles.
The rest you can find out or get ideas for by searching on Google about plants.
Cost-effective: buy concrete pavers at the home improvement store, either 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 inches) or 50 x 50 cm (20 x 20 inches). You can arrange these at intervals to design paths. Either on gravel or just simple wood chips (I can’t recall the exact name right now).
My opinion: garden side paths can settle naturally; you can lay stones without a sand bed or let it become a worn footpath. Use landscape fabric under main paths or at the house edge, but in my opinion, the house edge work is best left to a professional to ensure proper work around the building. For that, hire a landscape gardener. The honeycomb grid system is too expensive and only useful with fine gravel. Gravel tends to be tracked into the house, so better to skip it and use coarser gravel.
What I would have done: the edging around the house, at least the border stones, must be set in lean concrete or regular concrete. The patio also needs a solid base; otherwise, it will settle.
You can do the rest yourself. You can start now by rooting hedge cuttings or buy them later from an affordable online nursery. Compare prices at garden centers, nurseries, or home improvement stores: there are affordable bushes and trees that look good later and are not rare. Sensitive or rare plants, and older or bigger ones, are usually quite expensive. Those places also offer good design advice.
From March onwards, keep an eye on local classified ads like Craigslist or eBay Kleinanzeigen; people often sell plants when they downsize or redesign their garden.
For privacy and wind protection, bamboo screens can be used, either left to rust or allowed to be covered with climbing plants.
We also started by sowing grass everywhere. But once it has grown, it’s a hassle to remove. Luckily, men are helpful for that.
We started in March and finished in November. We’ll continue again in April.
Now back to planning: sightlines inside the house should be extended through the windows to provide a nice view. Imagine the window as a picture frame and design accordingly: for example, a bench with a tree, symmetrical arrangements, or creating depth with plants of varying heights. Stone piles also look nice.
At flea markets (and again on eBay) or clearance sections in home improvement stores, you can find great deals on large containers, wrought iron grilles, fence panels, wooden chairs... that’s where ideas come naturally. A formal garden is harder to manage. It looks nice, but do you want to live in such a showcase garden?
You can do without a covered patio (a large umbrella works just fine), a fountain (very expensive), a pond, and costly materials.
We enriched our soil with humus. Honestly, though, in our old terraced house garden with clay soil, everything grew that we simply planted.
Potting soil is expensive!
One more thing you should have: a large bottle of muscle soak and bath relaxant!
Have fun, Yvonne
First, if I were you (that's what we did), I would look for an online garden planner.
Recently read from @milkie: Gardena garden planner. I used the Mein-Schöner-Garten garden planner.
At the same time, consider getting a yearly library subscription and borrow all the gardening books you can for a month. That way, you can learn about different styles.
The rest you can find out or get ideas for by searching on Google about plants.
Cost-effective: buy concrete pavers at the home improvement store, either 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 inches) or 50 x 50 cm (20 x 20 inches). You can arrange these at intervals to design paths. Either on gravel or just simple wood chips (I can’t recall the exact name right now).
My opinion: garden side paths can settle naturally; you can lay stones without a sand bed or let it become a worn footpath. Use landscape fabric under main paths or at the house edge, but in my opinion, the house edge work is best left to a professional to ensure proper work around the building. For that, hire a landscape gardener. The honeycomb grid system is too expensive and only useful with fine gravel. Gravel tends to be tracked into the house, so better to skip it and use coarser gravel.
What I would have done: the edging around the house, at least the border stones, must be set in lean concrete or regular concrete. The patio also needs a solid base; otherwise, it will settle.
You can do the rest yourself. You can start now by rooting hedge cuttings or buy them later from an affordable online nursery. Compare prices at garden centers, nurseries, or home improvement stores: there are affordable bushes and trees that look good later and are not rare. Sensitive or rare plants, and older or bigger ones, are usually quite expensive. Those places also offer good design advice.
From March onwards, keep an eye on local classified ads like Craigslist or eBay Kleinanzeigen; people often sell plants when they downsize or redesign their garden.
For privacy and wind protection, bamboo screens can be used, either left to rust or allowed to be covered with climbing plants.
We also started by sowing grass everywhere. But once it has grown, it’s a hassle to remove. Luckily, men are helpful for that.
We started in March and finished in November. We’ll continue again in April.
Now back to planning: sightlines inside the house should be extended through the windows to provide a nice view. Imagine the window as a picture frame and design accordingly: for example, a bench with a tree, symmetrical arrangements, or creating depth with plants of varying heights. Stone piles also look nice.
At flea markets (and again on eBay) or clearance sections in home improvement stores, you can find great deals on large containers, wrought iron grilles, fence panels, wooden chairs... that’s where ideas come naturally. A formal garden is harder to manage. It looks nice, but do you want to live in such a showcase garden?
You can do without a covered patio (a large umbrella works just fine), a fountain (very expensive), a pond, and costly materials.
We enriched our soil with humus. Honestly, though, in our old terraced house garden with clay soil, everything grew that we simply planted.
Potting soil is expensive!
One more thing you should have: a large bottle of muscle soak and bath relaxant!
Have fun, Yvonne
Bautraum201528 Jan 2015 22:41Great tips!! And a fantastic blog as well! I’ll take away a lot from it.
W
willWohnen28 Jan 2015 22:41@Bautraum: Thanks. So graveling is a bit more work.
I can imagine that a skilled professional (unfortunately, there are plenty of less competent ones) might contribute especially effective ideas based on their experience. Maybe just one good idea for the garden is better than planting things here and there on a whim... I’m not quite sure yet. I hope someone here will share who has invested in a short consultation like that.
@ypg: Thanks. Concrete blocks sound good. By wood chips, do you mean bark mulch? Gravel versus crushed stone – aren’t there also larger gravel stones that wouldn’t get tracked inside the house? I imagined gravel would look nicer than crushed stone, but if crushed stone is cheaper and more practical, that’s fine too.
Okay, edging around the house is important to protect it.
A pile of stones as a focal point sounds good too. Maybe there’s also an insect that might like to sit there in the sun.
A formal garden’s not necessary, luckily I don’t have to represent with the garden. What is a tree mat? I’m just looking it up online, is it a welded wire mesh, like a steel reinforcement mesh? Oh, those are cheap and quite large, and climbing plants could definitely grow up them – great idea, thanks.
It surprises me that everything grew so well for you on clay soil – our neighbors a few plots away have been there for six years and say the plants don’t grow. Their hedge currently comes up to my knee.
Yes, the bathtub should be on site in time for the garden work, haha.
Oh, you already have a garden plan on your site. What is a grass bed? The house is very nice, the exterior looks pleasantly calm.
I can imagine that a skilled professional (unfortunately, there are plenty of less competent ones) might contribute especially effective ideas based on their experience. Maybe just one good idea for the garden is better than planting things here and there on a whim... I’m not quite sure yet. I hope someone here will share who has invested in a short consultation like that.
@ypg: Thanks. Concrete blocks sound good. By wood chips, do you mean bark mulch? Gravel versus crushed stone – aren’t there also larger gravel stones that wouldn’t get tracked inside the house? I imagined gravel would look nicer than crushed stone, but if crushed stone is cheaper and more practical, that’s fine too.
Okay, edging around the house is important to protect it.
A pile of stones as a focal point sounds good too. Maybe there’s also an insect that might like to sit there in the sun.
A formal garden’s not necessary, luckily I don’t have to represent with the garden. What is a tree mat? I’m just looking it up online, is it a welded wire mesh, like a steel reinforcement mesh? Oh, those are cheap and quite large, and climbing plants could definitely grow up them – great idea, thanks.
It surprises me that everything grew so well for you on clay soil – our neighbors a few plots away have been there for six years and say the plants don’t grow. Their hedge currently comes up to my knee.
Yes, the bathtub should be on site in time for the garden work, haha.
Oh, you already have a garden plan on your site. What is a grass bed? The house is very nice, the exterior looks pleasantly calm.
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