Landscaping has to be to scale, physically and financially, ( Am I repeating myself) so when you are ready to take the 1st step towards landscaping, you need a detailed concept plan and a flexible, managable budget. With these two key ingredients, you can achieve your dreamscape without breaking the bank and disappointment. I recommend installing in stages for best results and partitioning your budget so it doesn't exceed your financial resources.
Once you have a dimensional scaled plan in place you can now calculate quantity take-offs, ie square footage of patios, walkways, gardens, retaining walls, trees and more shade trees + lawn areas. All of these components require ground preparations and they all interact with sub-surface and surface drainage.
Site elevations that affect and direct seasonal precipitation.
Here is a typical stone retaining wall x-section with base aggregates compaction, pending subsoil minimum 12"-16" depth and width greater than the stone 1st course of stone is under finished grade, all trapped with Geodesic filter cloth, backed by drain stone and 4" tile to direct all excess water away from the foundation of the wall and raised patio which lines up with the black waterproofing on the wall. Every course is leveled and contained accordingly.
So the primary things that must be in your budget are excavation and relocation of excess sub-soils(or disposal of) then installation of base preparation for the hardscapes features which require aggregates for compaction and related drainage products.
A substantial amount of work always takes place underground for a sustainable everlasting landscape. Underground infrastructure is the necessary foundation to landscape construction success.
Those who build without these foundations fail over time.
All elevations are built and compacted in layers. After the retaining walls are in place the upper levels are compacted in layers, all contained with the proper Geotextile fabric sediment traps, including all gardens soils.
Then you choose your surface my choice forever materials ie square-cut, random flagstone, VS alternative modular pavers, concrete slab products. The hardscape components have a greater impact on the site than softscape (garden) so it is best to install from the back of your property to the front pending access. Planning and premeditating will help you avoid costly mistakes and future renovations.
For gardens, soil renovations to suit the existing soil type and desired plant materials ie compost (organic matter) initially may require excavation ie large tree installation, and or grading requirements pending the addition or removal of materials will have to be done in conjunction with the hardscape. In other words, do all the heavy lifting 1st. Some large trees can have root balls 48" wire basket field grown and weights exceeding 1,500 lbs. This 100mm WB Ginko biloba was 14-15 years established before being dug and relocated to this landscape.
The softscape aspect of the landscape budget is a much more flexible component of the budget for multiple reasons. Nursery growers and garden centers provide multiple sizes, colours, and variations of flowering shrubs, evergreens, and perennials in containers of all sizes. Popular plant families ie Hydrangeas ( 65+ varieties and counting)
You can purchase most trees in multiple sizes ranging from 2-year seedlings, 5-7-year-old container grown to 8+ year old established averaging 60-80mm wire baskets field grown. Skys-the-limit in this mobile container age and you can plant pretty much any time as long as the ground is not frozen! The other factor is time of year, planting trees and border gardens that exceed 100' from your home water bibs can make you a slave to watering in the heat of summer. Planting in spring and summer within the 100' range makes for easy watering during the heat of the summer. Planting out further ie perimeter of the property ie large tree and shrub borders are best install sept-oct. water in once and let the fall rain and winter snow provide the necessary H2O for intial start-up (you will thank me later)
So now here are some relative guidelines from a Financial Realators perspective for smart investing which gives you maximum returns upon resale (not intended but in reality someday you will sell whether its to a family member or alternatives motives):
10-12% of reality value is a sound investment strategy..you pick the timelines
1-3 years phase construction incrementally..spring summer & fall
15-20% over a 3-5year+ puts you into larger commitments ie pool + spa, tennis and basketball courts, woodlot management.
Comments