Early! If you are after that ‘picture perfect’ garden that you see on Pinterest, Instagram and the like you need to get started early! There is a good old saying in the industry. “When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago!.. When is the next best time?.. Now.”
Landscaping takes time. Not only to plan but also to grow and settle in to become one of those images you so dearly sought after.
Incorporating your design into a new build or renovation is integral to making the space work. The placement of a pool for instance need to be considered. How is it linked to your house? From which rooms can you see it? How much sun does it get? Is it over shadowed by your house? These are all questions a landscape architect or designer will consider for you. I have too many times before turned up to a house to hear that my clients don’t utilise their pool as it was put in after the build and is not sited correctly. Short of moving a pool at a huge expense to the client there is sometimes little that can be done.
Start planning early. When you employ an architect to design your house start thinking about who you will use as a landscape architect. The best result is obtained when both fields collaborate and the landscaping is incorporated into the house and vice versa.
It also saves time and money to tackle both at once. During both the planning and construction stages. A landscape often requires Development Approvals through your local government. These can be assessed as a part of your house approvals which means one lot of fees, one notification period and one round of waiting for the local authorities to make their assessment - which can take up to 6 months and for large complicated projects could take even longer. During construction you will also find that there are economies of scale which make it beneficial to work together. For instance; if you have a concrete truck coming to do a pour for your house slab. Why not use the same truck to pour the slab for your pergola area, or the footings for that retaining wall you require?
Lastly, people tend to forget that when building a new house the best access they will have to their back yard is right after they have knocked down the original house. Inevitably you build out any good access you may have with the house. People often ask why landscaping is so expensive. Think about the access. Often materials have to be walked in down a narrow side passage or craned in over a house. Something that would be heavily reduced if the landscaping were to be done alongside your house build!
Just like a set of architectural drawings for your house, having a plan of what you aim to achieve with your landscaping is integral to its success and will ensure you receive an outcome that not only you are happy with but will enjoy for many years to come. If you want to get started on your dream outdoor space, please contact us!
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