Landscaping/Plants question

Hi guys. Looking for some advice for the following matters:

1. I want to setup some raised garden beds in my backyard. I am looking at treated timber or pine.

Length: 20-25m
Height: 0.5m
Width: 0.6m

I got few quotes from local landscaping and gardening people. They are all around $5000. Is this a reasonable price?

2. I want to plant some trees or shrubs in my frontyard. The specific area I want to plant in is around 2m to 2.5 distance from the house and has underground water main and sewer pipes. What kind of plants would be safe to put in that area? I do not want to plant anything that has the potential to cause structural issues to the house or damage the underground pipes.

Are shrubs/hedge such as Viburnum varieties safe to plant in this area?

How about bigger trees such as magnolias or Japanese maple in this area?

3. I also want to plant some bigger trees such as magnolias and Japanese Maple in my backyard. About 7m-8m away from the house. Is that a safe distance to avoid the trees from causing structural damage to the house?

My soil type is clay.

Any advice or help is appreciated.

 

Magnolia have shallow surface roots but do prefer a well drained soil

 

This is what I am looking to do, but along the fence. But I am not confident on doing it myself. I will check out youtube.

 

T Pine looks like **** after a year or two.
Its rubbish.
Use cement or stone based products.
A bit more $$ but lasts way way longer and looks much much better.
Get a pile of "one man" rocks delivered and start stacking them.
Rocks are cheap as...

 

I would prefer to use cement or stone based products. But the issue is that, my backyard is accessed via a steep set of stairs. Carrying cement/stone based products up the stairs would require tremendous labor and time due to the weight I think.

 

In my opinion, it would be worth it.
Do it properly, do it once.
get a heap of friends/family, its good exercise!

Bit by bit, day by day you get it done. Doesnt matter if it takes weeks does it?
I got 2 x 12tn loads to do this wall.
Did it all myself, carried and placed every single rock, over about 2 weeks.
Done!

 

If using treated pine go a minimum 100 ml wide anything thinner tends to bow after a while .

Hardwood or Railway sleepers and rock last longer and offer a more interesting look , but all can have issues .

The best thing about Jap Maples is the roots are not intrusive .

Not everyone’s cup of tea but clumping bamboo has shallow roots. I have some myself above a major storm pipe. Go well with maples too.

A pic would be good.

 

Did you mean 100mm?

Does clumping bamboo and Japanese maple do well in clay soil?

I like bamboo and will look into it. So clumping bamboo roots will not spread out?

I have heard Japanese maple can be planted in a pot as well?

Of my yards you mean?

If you look at the first picture posted by geoffw of their garden bed, my backyard is like that. I want the garden beds setup against the fence.

 

Lots of very lovely trees have non-invasive roots. eg

• Little Gem and other newer magnolias (I think the huge old beautiful ones might not be best super close to the house or amenities);
• Crab Apples (gorgeous!)
• Glauca - ie pencil pines - understated class in moderation
• Some pear varieties - I like Snow Pears ie Pyrus Navilis. Some other pears can be a bit pushy - Little Jack looks interesting
• Dwarf Apples, Lemons, Grapefruit, Mandarin
• Crepe Myrtles - they're just gorgeous too. Many different varieties and sizes. All OK.
• Frangipani
• Cherry
• Dogwood
• Sky trees - can't remember the name right now - have purple flowers, evergreen
• Persian silk trees - the non-invasive ones

 

Why do you want raised garden beds ?
Couldn't you just put in a decent border/edging ?

 

A height of 0.5m is nothing to be sneezed at. Depending on your council requirements you may need to seek council approval and for that height you may also need it to be engineered - some products have pre-engineered drawings.

Will be built up against something or a rectangle and raised on all sides?

 

My soil is clay which is not great for plants.

 

Something like this:

https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/...hash=9344777D51D34FFBC64E6C2041901FC19F794CF8

 

We have grown our garden for twenty eight years on clay soil. We bought lots of gypsum and worked it in. It was very hard work and we had to use a pick, and worked when we had a little rain but not too much. Then we worked in rotted horse and chicken manure and then bought garden mix. If you want your garden to look like the picture, you just have to improve what you have and remember that is a very new garden. Turning over clay and not adding anything else will give you all sorts of problems and poor results. Good luck. Zizi

 

I dont intend to turn over clay. I can just put in good quality soil in the raised garden bed. I will mostly be planting veges.

 

I will be putting enough wood on the fence side to prevent any damage to the fences.