Spring is Coming - Garden Planning

Today we have interviewed our regular garden columnist Glenice Buck from Glenice Buck Designs about what the advantages are for the home owner when they have a landscape plan prepared.

Why hire a landscape designer?

If you’re unsure about how to manage and improve your outdoor space, it’s always advantageous to you to seek advice from an expert.

Garden design and management is exactly the same as any other part of your life. You don’t normally design and plan your own house without seeking advice from an architect or builder. It’s the same with garden design. If you want a custom built or created outdoor space, you should ask a professional for help.

A garden is not just pretty flowers, lawn and a few trees. Those outdoor spaces which you really enjoy using do have a lot of thought put into their site preparation, their layout, their plant selection and placement.

These factors all need to be considered to ensure the success of a garden in the long term. It’s ideal to seek advice from a landscape designer to help you create a garden that will grow, survive and thrive.

You may have an established garden that needs rejuvenation, have a new home which requires a garden designed from scratch or just like to modify the garden you have. The advantage of hiring a landscaper designer is they can create a master landscape plan for your garden which will take in the entire space.

What are the advantages of a master landscape plan?

In the long term it will save you time, money and wastage in the future. There are a number of advantages for the client, they are:

• You can develop the garden in stages as your time and budget allows but it will still give you a connection between all spaces, the areas will still flow and not be disjointed as you have a total plan for the entire site.
• You can save money in the end. By having this document, you will also eliminate wasting money in areas which won’t be needed until a later stage in the garden’s development.
• There will be no backtracking. This master plan should reduce the amount of back tracking you do in creating the garden and reduce the amount of waste you have to remove.
• Future use - A master plan will also consider how you want the garden to look in the years to come. It will also allow you to make modifications to the garden as the way you use the garden changes. These modifications can be made quite cohesively at anytime without taking away from the overall aesthetic.

Can you provide a landscape design service?

Yes, this is normally started with an initial onsite or virtual garden consultation. This site consultation involves viewing the site, discussing your brief and taking notes on what you want to achieve, how best to use the space, your ideas, likes, dislikes, lifestyle and preferred colours and materials. We will then give you advice on how best to start the garden, how best to incorporate it all with your existing plants, the site and architecture etc. We can also identify the existing plants and advise on the best management practices for them. We will provide you with a written copy of my notes taken in the consultation. We can then provide you with a quote to draw up a landscape plan.

For landscape design consultation rates, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

What does a landscape plan look like?

A landscape plan for your garden is just like an architectural plan you would get for your house. It’s a document that will be drawn to scale so that it can be used to show the client the proposed design layout with itemised plants, materials, landscape features and structures.

Depending on the proposed work, it may be a set of documents which include a landscape plan, planting plan, site setout plan, construction plan, garden lighting plan, irrigation plan and material plan. You may also have elevation and specifications included. It is a working drawing that allows you to complete the garden design in stages or in one go.

The document can then be used to obtain exact quotes from contractors or if you are doing the work yourself, it will provide you with the tools to do this. We can also provide you with a quote to do the soft landscape work such as soil preparation, garden planting, irrigation layout and mulching.

Why is a landscape plan important for the client?

The landscape plan will be the final document to which contractors can provide you quotes. It means you can get more than one quote and be able to compare quotes knowing that they are for the same design. Having a finalised plan will ensure you and the contractor have an agreed document to work towards and that you are both on the same track.

Can you do a site consultation just for gardeners who may like some general horticulture advice?

Yes, of course. The process works the same way as our landscape design consultations. We can give advice and make recommendations on all garden areas including plant identification, plant care, tree management, help with pests or disease and also give advice on garden layout. We can also provide simple hand drawn planting plans for clients if it’s just a small area they need redesigned.

Do you think working from a clear canvas or blank space is always best in the garden?

No, that’s a definite NO! If you do wake up one morning and decide that the garden has to undergo a transformation, don’t just jump in with your maddock and chainsaw to start haphazardly removing everything. Don’t clear the site of all vegetation and materials in one go. Make the call to employ a landscape designer to give you the guidance that you need. No matter how much you think working on a blank canvas garden would be easier, most of the time it isn’t.

A new garden with all new plants takes time to settle in and get growing so if the entire garden is starting off at the same stage, you will have a lot of extra nurturing to do as the plants will be more exposed to the elements. Speaking to a landscape designer may make you realise how to take advantage of the positive attributes of your site. They can explain how to enhance these and how to ensure the new plantings will compliment them.

If you need help in your garden, give Glenice Buck Designs a call to discuss.
Contact Details:
Glenice - 0417 077 386
Phil - 0416 192 091
Website – https://glenicebuckdesigns.com.au/
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Download our free eBook – “An Introduction To Your Garden – How To Learn The Art Of Gardening” Link here https://glenicebuckdesigns.com.au/ebook/
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• Topics:

• Gardening