Landscaping ideas - Bang for Buck

Discussion in 'Landscaping' started by Shady, 16th Jan, 2017.

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  1. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    Hiya, Struggling for ideas of what to do with an area at the front of the house just off the main lounge area.
    It has a southerly aspect and is different from your main front yard.
    The house already has a small private courtyard, plus grassed area plus alfresco living area leading out to the pool. I dont believe it needs third/fourth outdoor area but I need to do something.

    It's a corner block and this area is the front corner of the house but it's about 3m above street level.
    I'm looking for the usual cheap but looks good and easy to maintain. Cant get a lawn mower up there without carrying it up 6/7 stairs so turf is probably out. Some large format pavers with a walkway around and some 50mm rocks is the best I can come up with....Does that invite theives to throw rocks through the glass doors?
     

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  2. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    This is from the street, the are in question is on the other side of the big block wall
     

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  3. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Interesting little spot. Once you plant something it will need maintenance of some kind and potential to go to *****. I think either find some big cheap pavers and/or stones with low maint succulents or yukka type plants.
    With that big sliding door it does open up to a nice shaded area.
     
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  4. Jess Peletier

    Jess Peletier Mortgage Broker & Finance Strategy, Aus Wide! Business Member

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    I really like that house. Every time I see it, I like it.

    Could you do artificial turf?
     
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  5. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    Overgrown like it was before!
    Pavers and stones is what I thought would be cheapest but I like the succulents idea. I've got 3 or 4 big Agaves that I wanted transplanted...now I know where to put them. Cheers
     

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  6. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Jess, I'm really liking the mid century modern architecture and am begining to notice it quite alot around Brisbane. Love to buy a few more.
    It's a bit '2 steps forward, one step backwards with this one but the end is in sight.
    Painters on site now, plumber finished bypassing blocked galvanised pipework and re directed stormwater, sparky finished today, carpet guys measuring up tomorrow, garden maintenance guy finished tomorrow. Just need to sort out that front area ;)
     
  7. Jess Peletier

    Jess Peletier Mortgage Broker & Finance Strategy, Aus Wide! Business Member

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    I'd look to put a barricade of some kind there - can see a lawsuit waiting to happen on the drop to those stairs.
     
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  8. VB King

    VB King Well-Known Member

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    If you've already got outdoor areas, I'd just plant it out with some really low maintainence shrubs.
    I like the previous idea of yukkas. Add some red cordyline for colour and contrasting foliage. Impossible to kill. Would look great from that window.
    Alternatively go native. Look at nice compact growth, lay some weed mat and big load of bark mulch. Some bottlebrush varieties grow nice and compact - also impossible to kill I've seen Kms of freeway planted out with it.
    Both options super low maintainence plants that aren't fussy and don't grow out of control.
    If you don't mind a bit of annual maintainence, I did a garden entirely in gardenias. I say annual maintanence because they need a good clip once a year to come back nice and bushy. Plant some small variety in the front, then medium, and large at the back. A few doses of a liquid fertilizer during spring. Looks stunning when it's all in flower. If you ever sell the property be in market when they're flowering.
     
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  9. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    The fence below is hidden in behind the shrubs. Not sure I'll keep the same one but will have some kind of fence to section off the front door area.


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