Exterior improvements, residential landscaping

1. Residential landscaping

Since one of the major reasons for deciding to buy or build a house is to enjoy the fresh air and spend time outside whenever the weather allows, it’s important not to forget to consider how you would like to develop the land around your house. This is where residential landscaping comes in - the art and the practice of improving the appearance and aesthetic appeal of the area surrounding a home. It includes paving the driveway, patio, veranda, paths, and steps, installing a garden fence, pergola, or summer kitchen, and finally, of course, turfing the lawn and planting flowers, shrubs, fruit, and vegetables. In this article, we will look at some of the main aspects of landscape architecture.

2. The landscaping process

2.1. Planning

The key to any successful landscaping project for the land around your house is a well-thought-out and developed concept and plan. It will mean that the work can be finished relatively quickly, maybe even by the time construction work on your house is completed. When drawing up the conceptual design, which forms the start of any landscaping project, it’s necessary to take into account the connection between the interior of the house and its exterior from the very outset. Focusing on this will help create a final design that enables you to move unhindered between the inside and outside of your home, as well as around your garden, meaning you can enjoy every second of your time outside. The land around your house shouldn’t be viewed as a completely separate entity to the house itself; instead, it should follow the logic and design of the building.

2.2. The different areas of the outdoor space

It is not a bad idea to divide the space to be landscaped into several areas and also to separate the entire project into several stages, so as to achieve the desired result. The first area is the private area, providing a place for rest, relaxation, and recreation and somewhere to entertain guests. This includes a patio or terrace, which should be accessible directly from the living room or dining room. A summer kitchen can be attached to it, ideally in the immediate vicinity of the interior kitchen, and then an area for growing fruit and vegetables or a lawn. The public area, which includes access for cars, i.e. a parking area or garage, should be completely separate from the garden and the private area. This also ensures the safety of residents and guests. It is important that the outside area is planned and designed to suit your lifestyle and how you spend your leisure time; bear in mind that you won’t be able to make wide-sweeping changes every year, which means you should think about a long-term solution.

Before starting to design the outdoor space and carry out the work, any developer - and that includes you - will conduct an assessment of how much the project will cost. This is the only way to know whether it is feasible and whether it can be done in one go or will be carried out in stages. Landscaping work can, in theory, take place at any time of year, although low temperatures and rain, which make work difficult, should be avoided. However, it usually starts in the autumn, so there is enough time during the cold season to draw up sketches of everything you want and to make any necessary changes due to budget restrictions. At the same time, you can ask around and search for people to carry out the work; when you find someone you’re happy with, based on quotes, references, and recommendations, you will also know what to do next. Immediately after the dry season, when the soil begins to thaw, a start can be made on earthwork. Planting takes place in spring, so hard landscaping should be completed by the end of March at the latest.

2.3. Landscaping the whole space

In our opinion, landscaping the whole area in one go is the only way to save time and money. When carefully planned, work can be carried out continuously in separate areas and in stages, i.e. one job can follow straight on from another. Residential landscaping requires planning any necessary excavation work, rainwater tanks, garden lighting, etc. With this way of planning and working, you will avoid both unnecessary work and expenditure. Of course, there’s always the chance that you will run into some unforeseen problems or additional work will need doing; however, with detailed planning, the most important element of the project - the type and layout of the electrics, water pipes and drainage systems - can be known in advance and hence you will be able to keep a tight rein on the project.

3. Landscape designers

You can do the planning and work yourself, but of course there are professionals who have a lot of experience with the challenges posed by residential landscaping. Although many homeowners have a very clear picture of what they want from their outdoor space, hiring an expert is always recommended at the very outset when you’re consolidating ideas. A professional will help you come up with a design that is feasible, based on both your budget and the site.

In this case, an expert is a landscape architect or designer. The best ideas are reached most effectively on site and in collaboration with the developer because communication and mutual understanding are the most important aspects for the successful implementation of the entire project. When choosing materials and coming up with plans and sketches, it is vital to work together to achieve the best possible solutions. The appropriate choice of material is particularly important as it should be in harmony with the style and appearance of the house.

It is a slightly different situation if you decide to do all the work yourself. However, we would still recommend consulting an expert before starting work, especially when it comes to the more demanding construction jobs, such as utilities’ connections, since amateur errors can prove to be very expensive.

4. The most common landscaping mistakes

Landscaping isn’t an easy job, otherwise landscape architecture wouldn’t be a science in its own right. Among the mistakes that often only become apparent after a few years, and are overlooked when carrying out the initial work either because of inexperience or ignorance, are poorly laid or positioned electrics or planting that is too dense or poorly placed. All these mistakes are mainly due to the lack of a conceptual plan or a poorly conceived one. If you start by coming up with a well-designed plan, there should be no hitches even if the work is carried out in stages. An initial, detailed, well-thought-out conceptual plan guarantees a satisfactory end result. Another of the most common problems is an unsuitable layout – for example, you wanted to shield yourself from prying eyes from the street, but the trees and shrubs to enhance your privacy have been planted on the wrong side of the patio or veranda.

5. Residential landscaping – price per m2

The price of landscaping is dependent on a lot of factors. It is advisable that the location is inspected by a landscaping company before a proper quote is submitted. The quote may include prices for trenching, installing water and drainage pipes, paving or asphalting, and turfing.