Landscaping your dream property

Landscaping is traditionally seen as the finishing touches to your dream property. The value it can add, either in dollar terms to the market or re-sale price, or in value measured by personal enjoyment and lifestyle is unquestionable. A home that has all the modern interior and design luxuries but is devoid of any outdoor living elements is just not complete.

In recent times the residential landscape industry has experienced considerable growth, exposure on television and the introduction of many exciting new products and design ideas. The options and ideas for transforming the surrounding land around your property are limitless.

There are many qualified and experienced landscape designers and construction teams available in the market today. Some specialize in particular areas of landscaping such as water features or paving, while others like Jungle Fix Landscaping, can provide you with a Total Landscape Design and Construction service, from a thorough Consultation to ascertain the clients particular wants and requirements for the space, complete Garden Design, and full Implementation.

Each garden is completely individual, and should be treated as such when considering your design ideas. Certain things to consider are the architecture or style of the house, surrounding natural features or buildings, how the garden is to be used, wind and sun aspects, as well as the slope of the land and its particular soil type. The design phase of a garden is the key to achieving a truly great garden that will last.

When I visit a property to consult with a prospective client about their landscape requirements, one of the first things I will ascertain is the style of the house, or any renovations to the house that may be intended in the future. This can have a huge impact on what sort of landscaping style that will work best. Any successful landscaping should compliment the existing house and buildings, and feel like the two belong together. Be it a house with a European design influence that would lend itself to a Mediterranean garden, a traditional villa with a colonial cottage garden or semi formal design, to a secluded bungalow surrounded by native and sub tropical planting.

Obviously if a property has a spectacular view, or borders beautiful native bush or coastline, the landscaping should not detract from that. Strategic planning of the landscape design can in fact enhance these fantastic natural features of the property. If on the other hand, there are obtrusive neighbouring buildings or roads, a well thought out planting plan, or screening can help to eliminate these distractions from your garden and provide privacy without blocking precious sun or making the area feel too enclosed.

Perhaps the most important consideration of all is how the garden will eventually be used. Here, a good landscape designer should assess for the possibility of children or animals, play areas and outdoor entertaining, edible gardens, water displays and any other items that may be on the clients ‘wish list’. This is the crucial time to plan for everything you might want from your garden, as it will save a lot of time and wasted money in the future. After all, it is you the client who will be coming home to your wonderful new garden everyday, not the landscaper!

My advice is to think about the basic requirements you want your garden to meet, and ensure your landscape designer is fully informed. A brief visit to your local landscape supplier and garden centre should also give you some great inspiration and ideas as to which products you would like to incorporate, plants that you really like, and of course those things which you absolutely hate! We all have different tastes so don’t assume your designer has exactly the same likes and dislikes as you do. You can never put in too much thought or preparation, and you will certainly help the designer come up with something that you’ll love.

During the design phase, other factors such as sunlight, prevailing wind direction, and slope of the ground should be taken into account to ensure the most practical design, and one that allows maximum enjoyment all year round.

Of course there are always financial constraints to the size and scope of any project. But that shouldn’t stop you from coming up with a list of everything you would want your garden to incorporate once complete. Your landscaper should be able to provide you with a thorough written quotation of the complete project, and you should ensure that this includes specific materials and quantities where possible, contingencies for any unforeseen additional expenses, as well as an estimation of the likely duration of the project. In landscaping, there are many factors that can alter the project cost, especially when earth works are involved. Any quotation should be taken as the most accurate estimation of the cost, and you should expect your landscaper to advise of any amendments as soon as possible.

If the total cost estimate is above your financial means, ask the landscaper to break the quote down into individual stages, and advise on the best possible progression for work to be completed. The landscaper should also be able to suggest elements of the project that may be able to be undertaken by the client so as to reduce costs further.

In my experience, subtle changes to the design plan often take place during construction, or new ideas are thought of during the process. Therefore it is often better to plan the landscaping of a large garden in stages anyway to allow for these changes. After all, good things take time.

If you have any queries regarding the landscaping of your property, be it anything from the design to complete construction, give the team at Jungle Fix Landscaping a call to discuss or arrange a convenient time to meet and evaluate your needs. Alternatively, visit our website for examples of our more recent projects.