Landscaping Blog | Landscape Design & Construction Advice

Sep212020

How to Know it’s Time to Bring in the Experts

LandscapingSeptember 21, 2020

Australians are quite proud of their DIY attitude. They like to visit hardware stores for fun and get stuck into projects on their weekends. Still, when it comes to landscaping, you might like to give your household’s DIYer a break. There may come a time when it’s best to bring in the experts.

Your Landscape Looks Overgrown

One of the most obvious signs that you need to call a landscaping team is the jungle that seems to have appeared almost overnight! If your trees and shrubs are looking unruly, and you’re not sure how to knock them back into shape, then a landscaper can be the answer.

Not only do they have all the best tools for the job, but the knowledge, as well. They understand what time of the year is best to prune trees, and what parts are best left untouched. You may not have this knowledge yourself and can end up doing more harm than good.

Your Neighbours are Complaining

Life gets busy, especially as you try to strike a balance between work and home life. So, it’s not uncommon for our landscapes to get away from us. Whether you’ve missed a few too many weeks behind the lawnmower, or your street appeal is no longer at its best, it’s crucial to call in landscaping experts.

While everyone tries to get along with their neighbours, that can be hard when you’re not impressed with their property upkeep. It only takes one imperfectly kept property to bring down an entire neighbourhood. Don’t let it be yours!

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Jul212020

How to Landscape a Small Backyard

Landscape DesignJuly 21, 2020

The further into large cities you get, the smaller the yards that properties tend to have. And while it can be disheartening to learn that you can’t have a short work commute and a sprawling lawn, that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with landscaping.

In fact, when you call upon landscape experts, you may be surprised at just how much you can do with a small space. Some of these ideas below may appeal.

Plant Up

You can’t plant outwards, but you can certainly plant upwards. Create that natural paradise you have always wanted by making use of your property’s perimeters. Use fencing, privacy screens, and similar, to grow climbers like passionfruit and grapes. Planting upwards can give you more space to move in your yard, while not compromising on having plenty of green and natural elements in your area.

Divide Your Space

Even though you may not have a lot of room to utilise, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it appear bigger by dividing it. Create different areas to achieve different goals. For example, you may lay pavers down to create a small entertainment area. Then, you might offset it with some raised garden beds. Even the addition of turf lawn nestled between concrete pathways can offer the illusion of space.

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Jul112020

How to Welcome Wildlife into Your Garden

Landscape Design, LandscapingJuly 11, 2020

Loss of wildlife habitat is happening at an alarming rate in Australia due to deforestation and tree-clearing. As a result, all manner of creatures are venturing into urban areas to find some semblance of home. Is your yard set up to cater to birds, reptiles, and mammals? Here’s how you can ensure your landscaping is up to scratch for those creatures who need it.

Choose Plants for Protection

If you have been thinking about changing your property’s plant variety, then consider those native trees, shrubs, and ground cover plants that protect reptiles and small birds. Pair large trees and plants with small, dense shrubs, and even grasses, that animals can use for shelter and shade.

Plants for Food

Possums, flying foxes, and other small mammals are finding it harder and harder to get the nourishment they need. If you don’t mind welcoming wildlife into your property, then there are specific plants you can include in your landscaping to encourage them. Lemon and eucalyptus-scented gums and plants with nectar and pollen can be a great option to begin.

Install a Pond

Aside from having some surprising mental health benefits, a pond or water feature of some kind can be a welcome addition for encouraging wildlife. When positioned in a sheltered spot, it can be a source of water for birds as well as somewhere for frogs to live. Talk to your local landscaping expert about the best type of ponds to match your property style.

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Jun172020

Boxed In: How to Get Much-Needed Backyard Privacy

Landscape DesignJune 17, 2020

Everyone is entitled to privacy in their own home. But that’s not to say that everyone’s landscaping design is making it easy to achieve it. If you’re struggling to maintain a sense of privacy in a built-up neighbourhood, then read on. A few slight changes can make a world of difference.

Try Portable Partitions

If a permanent fence is not an option, then maybe a portable partition is. Think about the parts of your yard that require more privacy than others. Perhaps you want to block the view of your neighbours as you sit in your entertainment area. Set up a partition that you can move around your property at will.

Potted Trees and Shrubs

Establishing trees and shrubs against your property boundary can take years. Fortunately, there’s a faster option if you require it. Instead of planting shrubs and trees in the ground, you can buy them for planting in pots. That way, they are already well-established enough to provide privacy. Pots can also add much-needed style to your property while being easy-care at the same time.

Hedges

If you’re in no hurry to benefit from privacy as long as it looks attractive once it’s established, then why not grow hedges? There are plenty of fast-growing varieties out there, such as viburnum. If you’re not sure where to begin, talk to your local landscaping team.

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Mar52020

Popular Landscape Design Features to Consider in 2020

Landscape DesignMarch 5, 2020

If you have a large outdoor space that gets neglected and isn’t well cared for, it could be time to speak to a team of landscape designers. They will be able to help you come up with a clear landscape design plan to transform your garden into something special.

There are numerous things to consider when you’re designing a new outdoor space. In this article, we’ve put together a list of the top landscape design features to consider in 2020. Different things come in and out of fashion all the time, but you can be sure that your garden will be a hit if you incorporate a few of the following.

Water Features

Water features are always a hit with landscape designers, and their popularity hasn’t diminished in 2020. If you’re thinking about including a water feature in your backyard, you need to think carefully to make sure that it’s well designed and consistent with the rest of your garden.

For starters, you will want to think carefully about its size and position. Will you include a small stream that flows through your garden, or are a pond and small fountain going to be enough?

Hardscaping

In the past, green areas were all the rage. However, people have realised that things like garden beds and lawns require a significant amount of care to keep them in good condition, and a lot of use just don’t have the time for this.

Instead, hardscaped areas are becoming increasingly popular. Homeowners across the country are including cleverly designed paths, walkways, constructed patios and other hard areas in their landscape design plans every day.

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Jan102020

Top Tips for Ensuring a Smooth Landscaping Process

LandscapingJanuary 10, 2020

If you’ve never had experience with landscaping before, it can be a complicated and confusing process. Although most professional contractors will take care of most things for you, you will still have to be involved in the overall process. And this can be stressful if you’re not careful.

Things can go wrong, and costs can rise well above your budget. In fact, a poorly planned and executed landscaping project can cause all sorts of problems, regardless of your intentions. Because of this, we’ve put together the following list of top tips to ensure a smooth landscaping process. Enjoy and good luck!

Choose Your Landscaper Carefully

The first thing you should do is spend a little time choosing the right landscaping contractor. Although there are numerous options in most major cities across Australia, not all of them are equal. Consider:

Their professional experience and the amount of time they’ve been in the industry.
Their reputation, which you can gauge by looking at online reviews.
Their prices, which you can compare by asking for an initial quote.
Their friendliness, because ultimately you’re going to be working alongside them for some time if you’re completing a large landscaping project.

In the end, you want to choose a friendly, yet professional landscaper who knows what they’re doing and who has a great reputation.

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Dec82019

Three Reasons to Use Eco-Friendly Landscaping Materials

Landscape Construction, LandscapingDecember 8, 2019

If you’re thinking about re-developing your gardens in the coming months, you will need to spend a decent amount of time planning the work. It’s a good idea to speak with both a landscape designer and a professional landscaping team ahead of time to ensure they know exactly what you want to achieve.

It’s also a good idea to spend some time thinking about the design you’re looking for and how you’re going to achieve it in your backyard. There are numerous different materials you could be using, but we always recommend going for the eco-friendly choice.

And here are three reasons why:

Eco-friendly Materials Won’t Leach Chemicals

Although you might not realise it, many plastic and other landscaping and building materials are actually manufactured using some pretty nasty chemicals. Over time, these chemicals can leach into your soil, effectively poisoning your garden and affecting the health of the people and animals who use it.

Fortunately, there are plenty of chemical-free alternatives, and the selection is rapidly growing as “green” landscaping becomes more popular. Materials such as wood, concrete and stone are all quite eco-friendly and are much better choices than plastics and other synthetic materials.

Using an Eco-friendly Design is Good for the Environment

Okay, so this is probably pretty self-explanatory, but we’re going to have a quick look at it anyway. Basically, eco-friendly landscaping materials are much more environmentally friendly than their synthetic alternatives, but why?

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Sep222019

How Can Landscaping Transform My Backyard?

Landscape Construction, LandscapingSeptember 22, 2019

If you’re considering landscaping, you should be aware of its pros, cons and general benefits. When done right, landscaping can transform your backyard and everything in it, changing it from something dull and boring to something exciting that you and your family can enjoy. And that’s just the beginning.

In reality, there are numerous ways that landscaping can transform your gardens. You should always consider using a professional landscaping team to ensure everything is done right, but you shouldn’t run into too many problems.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a few ways you can transform your backyard when you’re working through the landscaping process. These include:

Add a Patio or Pergola

Adding a new patio or pergola to your outdoor space is a great way to transform it into something special. Although these are relatively inexpensive if you’re on a budget, the benefits associated with them are immense, and include:

Giving you somewhere to sit back and relax in the shade during the summer months.
Providing an outdoor entertaining space where you can sit and chat with friends and/or family.
Giving you somewhere to sit back and relax out of the weather during the winter months.

As you can see, including a patio or pergola in your landscape design can really help you transform your backyard into a usable space throughout the year.

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May212019

6 Reasons to Leave Garden Maintenance to the Experts

Garden MaintenanceMay 21, 2019

It can be tempting to tackle your landscaping yourself, or even handle the overall maintenance of your garden on your own. However, would it surprise you to learn that you may not be the best person for the job? Leaving your garden and property maintenance in the hands of the experts could be the best decision you make, and here’s why.

They Know What Plants Need

If you don’t spend all day, every day, with your plants, then you may not know what’s best for them. Do they need more sunshine or less? Is the soil the best type for them? Are they getting enough rainfall or not enough?

All plants are different, and it’s helpful to draw upon the expertise of a landscaping expert who knows how to keep them in tip-top shape.

They Have Great Ideas

If you have been considering giving your garden an overhaul, then it’s a good idea to call in the big guns. Because landscapers work with gardens and yards every day, they are visionaries when it comes to making the most out of the space.

They can come up with some excellent ideas based on your needs and wants. Sometimes, it can be hard to know what you want and what works until an expert suggests it.

They Listen to Your Needs & Ideas

Before you get started on your landscaping design, you likely have some ideas and requirements that you would like to see brought to life. You may wish to include an entertainment area for guests, or even a water feature or two. The best part about leaving garden maintenance to the experts is their ability to take on board your requests.

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Nov72018

How to Landscape for Holiday Homes

LandscapingNovember 7, 2018

Having a holiday home is the dream of many Australians. You can toil away all year, and then when the holiday season arrives, you can set off to a new destination. The problem is the landscaping. If you are not there all year, how are you supposed to make sure you don’t arrive to a jungle?

No one wants to spend their entire break tending to an overgrown garden, so here are a few top tips for landscaping holiday homes.

Use Groundcover Plants

Groundcover plants are a busy homeowner’s best friend. They require minimal effort to grow, but they can spread themselves into every nook and cranny. Alongside having beautiful bursts of colour throughout your holiday home, you are also left with minimal opportunities for weeds to grow. After all, the groundcover plant has taken up all the available space.

Settle on Succulents

If you are more worried about plants dying without watering and care than growing out of control, then consider succulents. Succulents require very little water to thrive. Therefore, once you return after a long time away from your holiday home, you can nearly guarantee they will be in the same condition you left.

The beauty of succulents in your landscaping, too, is that they are available in a variety of types. You can still benefit from a beautiful garden, but one that doesn’t need any effort.

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