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.
Oh yes, our neighbors simply used our property as a construction access route for their pool installation – it was the only side where they had just a wooden fence and no thuja hedges, so they could bring in larger equipment without causing damage to plants on their own property.
In my comment about the trampoline, I completely forgot that, given the overall budget of the garden, the cost for dismantling it is no issue. However, the same could definitely be said about the collateral damage caused by the subsequent pool construction.
In my comment about the trampoline, I completely forgot that, given the overall budget of the garden, the cost for dismantling it is no issue. However, the same could definitely be said about the collateral damage caused by the subsequent pool construction.
R
R.Hotzenplotz31 May 2018 13:24We have two landscapers to choose from. It’s interesting how much their opinions sometimes differ. The difference in pool cost estimates might be explained by completely different scales and design concepts, but I’ve also noticed discrepancies on simpler points – here’s one example.
We showed them this picture of a neighbor’s tree that we like and which we could imagine for our front yard.
The first landscaper said:
“You want a low-maintenance garden; forget about it.”
The second landscaper:
Initially said it would fit best in an Asian-style garden but that he could also imagine it working well here. When asked about the maintenance effort, he said it certainly fits a low-maintenance garden. He was puzzled by the other landscaper’s comment.
They were only referring to the tree itself, not the flower bed shown.
Which side would you take as experienced hobby gardeners?
We showed them this picture of a neighbor’s tree that we like and which we could imagine for our front yard.
The first landscaper said:
“You want a low-maintenance garden; forget about it.”
The second landscaper:
Initially said it would fit best in an Asian-style garden but that he could also imagine it working well here. When asked about the maintenance effort, he said it certainly fits a low-maintenance garden. He was puzzled by the other landscaper’s comment.
They were only referring to the tree itself, not the flower bed shown.
Which side would you take as experienced hobby gardeners?
montessalet31 May 2018 13:34I thought you meant the maintenance effort for the Ferrari....
What kind of tree is that? It looks like a type of maple to me – if so, it doesn’t require much maintenance.
What kind of tree is that? It looks like a type of maple to me – if so, it doesn’t require much maintenance.
K
Knallkörper31 May 2018 14:51Well. Be careful, it has a mold release agent, which needs to be paid for every year.
R
R.Hotzenplotz31 May 2018 14:51Yes, it is a Japanese ornamental maple. I don’t have the Latin name available at the moment.
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