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.
The 180 sqm (1937 sq ft) refers to the entire area, not just the driveway. The 20,000 € is an estimate that includes the gravel, the paving stones, and partly the edging stones (since the L-shaped stones surround the terrace and carport), including labor. The base layer and coarse gravel are included in the position of the L-stones. The fence will be a double mesh panel type from the hardware store. I will install it myself using an electric screwdriver, with some help from YouTube :-p
R
R.Hotzenplotz29 May 2018 23:25I spoke with a landscaper today who said that €150,000 would cover everything at a good mid-range level.
Even a Desjoyaux pool would be included for about €30,000.
Another landscaping contractor we consulted earlier was more cautious about the pool costs. They offer Living Pools and said you should expect between €75,000 and €120,000, so we had basically ruled that out.
The second company’s general price estimate for the outdoor project also seems more reasonable. Whether it will be realistic in the end is another question.
Overall, the total will likely be between €125,000 and €150,000.
Both confirmed that price ranges of €200,000 and up really reflect such luxury that the difference is like BMW to Porsche—it doesn’t provide any real added value for someone with normal expectations. That’s a relief to me. The neighbor who had their garden done by the second company spent around €200,000 plus some extra, and they said that was an absolute high-end example.
Even a Desjoyaux pool would be included for about €30,000.
Another landscaping contractor we consulted earlier was more cautious about the pool costs. They offer Living Pools and said you should expect between €75,000 and €120,000, so we had basically ruled that out.
The second company’s general price estimate for the outdoor project also seems more reasonable. Whether it will be realistic in the end is another question.
Overall, the total will likely be between €125,000 and €150,000.
Both confirmed that price ranges of €200,000 and up really reflect such luxury that the difference is like BMW to Porsche—it doesn’t provide any real added value for someone with normal expectations. That’s a relief to me. The neighbor who had their garden done by the second company spent around €200,000 plus some extra, and they said that was an absolute high-end example.
Bautraum201530 May 2018 09:02I’m literally rolling on the floor laughing... How stupid people are, spending such huge amounts on their garden and so on. Here are our expenses: a closed double carport and shed with a connecting walkway to the house (a building about 15 meters (49 feet) long and 7 meters (23 feet) wide), a patio roof covered with tiles in a hipped roof design, a terrace paved with granite slabs, a 40-meter (131 feet) driveway filled with granite gravel and edged with large granite stones, a large excavator for leveling the terrain and distributing the soil — all of this TOGETHER cost €28,000.
We designed the garden ourselves, brought in trees, shrubs, roses, and other small plants from a nursery, then created the garden in four days, setting up different zones. We get a lot of compliments for it. We even had enough time to build a climbing park with a treehouse for the kids... Of course, we did it ourselves, because if you can, you can.
150,000... I can’t even! At least if it were an especially magnificent English garden with a stream... Naturally, on at least 2,000 square meters (21,528 square feet).
We designed the garden ourselves, brought in trees, shrubs, roses, and other small plants from a nursery, then created the garden in four days, setting up different zones. We get a lot of compliments for it. We even had enough time to build a climbing park with a treehouse for the kids... Of course, we did it ourselves, because if you can, you can.
150,000... I can’t even! At least if it were an especially magnificent English garden with a stream... Naturally, on at least 2,000 square meters (21,528 square feet).
R
R.Hotzenplotz30 May 2018 10:56I cannot compare a garden with so much personal work involved to a complete service. That simply doesn’t make sense. The transition, etc., is realistic with the mentioned amount. But if you want to have everything planted by professionals and don’t contribute any personal effort, then that’s a completely different matter. Calling other people foolish because of that strikes me as quite arrogant. Everyone is free to decide what they do themselves, what they don’t, and where they hire outside services or not.
Of course, this is not directly comparable, but it also does not justify a price difference of €100,000.
You tend to prefer higher-priced solutions and naturally find the corresponding providers. Whether we are talking about architects, heating specialists, lighting, or now the garden.
That’s fine if it’s worth the money to you. It just doesn’t match the average here in the forum.
You tend to prefer higher-priced solutions and naturally find the corresponding providers. Whether we are talking about architects, heating specialists, lighting, or now the garden.
That’s fine if it’s worth the money to you. It just doesn’t match the average here in the forum.
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