Well, my own garden build is turning into an experience and a half!
Brickies - 4 called, three turned up to give quotes. Number of quotes received? None. Even after numerous phone calls, messages left and text messages sent. Another chap was recommended and quoted silly money. As a landscape designer I am aware of the going rate. Many, I'm sure, are not. Finally found someone who quoted a decent rate....but didn't do a very good job. So many bricks, so little mortar. Bricks with no mortar between them? In a retaining wall.
Electrician - The first guy quoted silly money, so contacted two more and got quotes from both at around one quarter of the first quote. Yes, that's 25% of the first quote. This was for labour only, as I'd bought the lights myself. It remains to be seen how good a job the chosen one does. His assistant did wreck my retic in three places when digging trenches, though.
Concrete - this is where things have got really messy. Luckily the area under the patio roof was polished by a different contractor from the one who laid the concrete. He did a good job. The concrete guy didn't. It's awful!
Faults in the laying?
1. There are no isolation joints. There is supposed to a gap between concrete slabs and any fixed structure like house walls. There aren't.
2. No control joints. There are supposed to be 25mm deep cuts in the concrete to control any cracking that might occur, There are none.
3. There are bald patches in the exposed aggregate where little if any of the aggregate shows through. Only concrete is visible.
4. There are areas where there is too much exposed aggregate and not enough concrete.
5. There are areas where the concrete has not been levelled properly, leaving dips where the sealant has puddled.
6. In ground lights not installed properly so light is not flush with the concrete surface.
And this from a recommended contractor who 'always does a good job'.
Patio roof - nice job done.
My recommendations - always get three quotes. Try to get recommendations from people who have had work done in the past....but even that doesn't always work.
I'd hate to build a house here in WA. Too stressful!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Busman's holiday......
Time to refurbish my newly acquired gardens
Back garden
BEFORE
DURING - AUGUST 2013
There will be a raised bed in this corner, the same height as the limestone block walls. A wooden bench will be added to this wall. Horizontal wooden slats to be added to the fence.
DURING - NOVEMBER 2013
Concrete footings laid
BEFORE
DURING
DURING - CONCRETE FOOTINGS FOR RAISED BEDS
A raised bed will be installed in this corner and will be used as a veggie patch. The fence will have horizontal wooden slats.
BEFORE
DURING
Now that the old tree and shrubs have gone, some of this area and all of the path will be paved with exposed aggregate concrete and will be used as a bar-b-q area. The hedging will remain but be partly relocated. A water feature will be added. All of the lawn is to be removed and replaced with shingle to create a Mediterranean style courtyard garden.
BEFORE
DURING
The old pergola roof has been removed to be replaced by a wood lined patio roof.
NOVEMBER - NEW PATIO ROOF & PAVERS REMOVED
The old pergola roof has been removed to be replaced by a wood lined patio roof.
The block paving will be replaced with honed aggregate concrete. New garden lighting throughout.
Front garden
Plant clearout has begun and the new design is under way.
UPDATED 1ST SEPTEMBER 2013
UPDATED 1ST SEPTEMBER 2013
Renovation of the gardens will take place over the winter months and will hopefully be completed by the end of October 2013.
UPDATED 3RD DECEMBER 2013
Garden unlikely to be completed until early 2014. Major hold up trying to find a brick layer. Concrete now laid with one area (side path and bar-b-q area) as exposed aggregate and the undercover patio area is polished concrete. The raised beds and pond have been built (though need some tidying up) but have not been rendered and painted yet. Garden lighting will be finished next week. This will be a combination of uplighters (embedded in the concrete), downlighters in the patio roof lining and walls and floodlights to highlight large plants. There is a large amount of sand and some rubble to clear out of the garden, but this will not be removed until I have a better idea as to the actual volume. See pics above for current progress.
UPDATED 3RD DECEMBER 2013
Garden unlikely to be completed until early 2014. Major hold up trying to find a brick layer. Concrete now laid with one area (side path and bar-b-q area) as exposed aggregate and the undercover patio area is polished concrete. The raised beds and pond have been built (though need some tidying up) but have not been rendered and painted yet. Garden lighting will be finished next week. This will be a combination of uplighters (embedded in the concrete), downlighters in the patio roof lining and walls and floodlights to highlight large plants. There is a large amount of sand and some rubble to clear out of the garden, but this will not be removed until I have a better idea as to the actual volume. See pics above for current progress.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Halls Head - renovation
Commenced in February 2013, this plot covers an area of over 900 sq m and is the largest suburban design I've done to date. The house is comparatively small, giving a garden area of around 800 sq m.
Plots in Old Halls Head are often much larger than currently available plots, where developers have squeezed sizes down to about 500 sq m, on average.
(Just today, I've had another enquiry for a new build in Old Halls Head for nearly 2,000 sq m, including the verge area.)
I toured the garden with the client, deciding which trees and shrubs were to be retained. Much of the old vegetation shown in the pics below has now been removed. To the front of the property are some substantial gum trees. I'm always loathed to remove mature trees. They give excellent shade and will complement the raised decking area which will reach out from the house, at a high level, giving a deck literally amongst the tree foliage.
A new garage and roofed al fresco has been designed. The pool is being retained. The remainder of the back garden to be quite formal planting, with raised beds in rendered brick to match the house which will also eventually be rendered.
Planting is not included in the commission at present.
Plots in Old Halls Head are often much larger than currently available plots, where developers have squeezed sizes down to about 500 sq m, on average.
(Just today, I've had another enquiry for a new build in Old Halls Head for nearly 2,000 sq m, including the verge area.)
I toured the garden with the client, deciding which trees and shrubs were to be retained. Much of the old vegetation shown in the pics below has now been removed. To the front of the property are some substantial gum trees. I'm always loathed to remove mature trees. They give excellent shade and will complement the raised decking area which will reach out from the house, at a high level, giving a deck literally amongst the tree foliage.
A new garage and roofed al fresco has been designed. The pool is being retained. The remainder of the back garden to be quite formal planting, with raised beds in rendered brick to match the house which will also eventually be rendered.
Planting is not included in the commission at present.
 |
| A difficult area between the pool and a rather ugly 1.6m retaining wall (of limestone 'rubble'). The wall has been checked by a structural engineer and is safe but will need concealing in some way. All vegetation to go. |
 |
| This area to the west of the house is an open topped pergola with jasmine growing over. This is to be replaced with a gable roofed al fresco area, for which planning permission will be required. |
 |
| The plot is on a street corner and this is the south-west side. |
 |
| Existing driveway to be replaced with exposed aggregate. |
 |
| This area on the south-east side to be repaved and a decking added with will continue over the steep slope to effectively be amongst the tree foliage. |
Friday, November 23, 2012
Contractor issues.......
One of the first things that I commented on in this blog was the lack of understanding amongst contractors of the plants that were used in new home gardens.
House builders knew there business (usually!) when it came to house construction, and some had an inkling when it came to garden design....but, oh dear, when it came to planting the garden, then I'm afraid that the majority have little idea at all (harsh words, I know, but read on and you'll see why).
I have already shown the disasterous planting of a grass tree under a south facing balcony (see earlier blog).....where it will never, ever get any direct sunlight or natural rainfall - this for a plant requiring 6 hours direct sunlight daily, year round.
I have seen countless examples of plants that are similarly unsuitable for where the builder/contractor has placed them. Plants in shade that require full sun and vice versa, acid loving plants in limestone and (most worryingly) plants that will quickly outgrow the limited space in which they have been planted.
Let's face it, any builder just wants the new house to look great until it is sold. Thereafter, he really doesn't care (unless there is some kind of long-term maintenance agreement).
The worst examples are trees that have been planted close to houses. Trees are good for shade and when they arrive from the nursery appear to be a manageable size. Within a couple of years the proud new owners of the house are faced with something that is quickly outgrowing its alotted area and needs regular pruning just to keep it to a reasonable size.
I find myself in this situation. Alas, as I'm in a rental property, I can do little but ask for regular pruning of the native hibiscus that is growing in the back garden. In only two years it reached a height of 8 metres (as high as the two storey roof) and was cut down, quite brutally, to chest height. It is already back to roof level in only 18 months! All this in an area of only 2 square metres! It really needs to come out and be replaced with something that will only grow to the same size as it's designated space....and no further.
I have also recently advised someone to get rid of FIVE trees planted in the 2-3 metre gap between their house and their neighbour. These trees I identified as desert ash. They will grow to 8 metres high and 6 metres wide! Now come on...who in their right mind would plant such a monstrosity in that location???? Let alone five of them!
The worst case that I have come across prompted me to right this post.
Yesterday I spent the morning removing two ficus benjamina from a garden. These were planted only a year ago in a new build house garden. Anyone who knows anything about ficus generally will be aware of their reputation for incredibly invasive roots. It was not an easy job getting them (and all their roots) out even after only 12 months in the ground. Read the label and you will see that they are meant to be potted plants, and with good reason. Stick them in open ground and they are a menace.
And where were these planted ? In a pot? Nope. A mere 60cm from the house wall! Long and very thick roots were already making their way under the house slab. Given time, they would have damaged the house foundations and the neighbouring path and drive. Irreparable damage may easily have been caused.
These plants were chosen by a local landscape contractor....one I had recommended myself to lay lawn as I had seen their work in progress and they appeared to be doing the correct soil preparation (unlike most lawn contractors). Needless to say I won't be recommending them in future, at least not for planting gardens. To make such a fundamental error demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge of the plants that they are using. I only hope that their public liability insurance is up to date. If they have planted similarly elsewhere, they may have alot of trouble on their hands in the not too distant future.
And the mature size of this species of ficus? 30 metres high.....60cm from a house wall! And you can prune the plant all you like...it's the roots that will cause the damage.
I have used another species of ficus only once in a garden design when I wanted pleached trees. Ficus do lend themselves to this. However, they were many metres from the house and had root barriers buried around the root ball sending all roots vertically into the soil. There would have been no lateral roots and it's these that cause the damage.
Bottom line? Make sure that the person planting your garden knows about the plants they are using. Clearly most landscape contractors don't...and, yes, I'm afraid I mean MOST.
Employ a qualified designer ! You know it makes sense!
House builders knew there business (usually!) when it came to house construction, and some had an inkling when it came to garden design....but, oh dear, when it came to planting the garden, then I'm afraid that the majority have little idea at all (harsh words, I know, but read on and you'll see why).
I have already shown the disasterous planting of a grass tree under a south facing balcony (see earlier blog).....where it will never, ever get any direct sunlight or natural rainfall - this for a plant requiring 6 hours direct sunlight daily, year round.
I have seen countless examples of plants that are similarly unsuitable for where the builder/contractor has placed them. Plants in shade that require full sun and vice versa, acid loving plants in limestone and (most worryingly) plants that will quickly outgrow the limited space in which they have been planted.
Let's face it, any builder just wants the new house to look great until it is sold. Thereafter, he really doesn't care (unless there is some kind of long-term maintenance agreement).
The worst examples are trees that have been planted close to houses. Trees are good for shade and when they arrive from the nursery appear to be a manageable size. Within a couple of years the proud new owners of the house are faced with something that is quickly outgrowing its alotted area and needs regular pruning just to keep it to a reasonable size.
I find myself in this situation. Alas, as I'm in a rental property, I can do little but ask for regular pruning of the native hibiscus that is growing in the back garden. In only two years it reached a height of 8 metres (as high as the two storey roof) and was cut down, quite brutally, to chest height. It is already back to roof level in only 18 months! All this in an area of only 2 square metres! It really needs to come out and be replaced with something that will only grow to the same size as it's designated space....and no further.
I have also recently advised someone to get rid of FIVE trees planted in the 2-3 metre gap between their house and their neighbour. These trees I identified as desert ash. They will grow to 8 metres high and 6 metres wide! Now come on...who in their right mind would plant such a monstrosity in that location???? Let alone five of them!
The worst case that I have come across prompted me to right this post.
Yesterday I spent the morning removing two ficus benjamina from a garden. These were planted only a year ago in a new build house garden. Anyone who knows anything about ficus generally will be aware of their reputation for incredibly invasive roots. It was not an easy job getting them (and all their roots) out even after only 12 months in the ground. Read the label and you will see that they are meant to be potted plants, and with good reason. Stick them in open ground and they are a menace.
And where were these planted ? In a pot? Nope. A mere 60cm from the house wall! Long and very thick roots were already making their way under the house slab. Given time, they would have damaged the house foundations and the neighbouring path and drive. Irreparable damage may easily have been caused.
These plants were chosen by a local landscape contractor....one I had recommended myself to lay lawn as I had seen their work in progress and they appeared to be doing the correct soil preparation (unlike most lawn contractors). Needless to say I won't be recommending them in future, at least not for planting gardens. To make such a fundamental error demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge of the plants that they are using. I only hope that their public liability insurance is up to date. If they have planted similarly elsewhere, they may have alot of trouble on their hands in the not too distant future.
And the mature size of this species of ficus? 30 metres high.....60cm from a house wall! And you can prune the plant all you like...it's the roots that will cause the damage.
I have used another species of ficus only once in a garden design when I wanted pleached trees. Ficus do lend themselves to this. However, they were many metres from the house and had root barriers buried around the root ball sending all roots vertically into the soil. There would have been no lateral roots and it's these that cause the damage.
Bottom line? Make sure that the person planting your garden knows about the plants they are using. Clearly most landscape contractors don't...and, yes, I'm afraid I mean MOST.
Employ a qualified designer ! You know it makes sense!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Orchids...Bali
Various photos taken of orchids in Bali October 2012.
The first batch were taken at Bali Adventure Tours Elephant Park near Ubud. The second at the Orchid Garden about 10 kms north of Sanur.
No labels for these as orchids are by no means my area of expertise. Some are recognisable as the type you can find in many garden centres and interior design magazine articles around the world. Some I have never seen before.
Enjoy!
Vanda coerulea 'Sansai Blue' - one of 2 contenders for the Blue Orchid apparently
The fairly familiar phalaenopsis orchid......found in many a cool temperate living room
Oncidium cebolletta
Two plants for damp shade - the one on the left is spathiphyllum and on the right eucharis grandiflora (eucharist lily, not dis-similiar to the swamp lily - crinum penduculatum) but with pendant flowers.
Unidentified aquatic plant - any ideas?
Close up of flower
Asplenium nidus ? Bird's nest fern
One plant I did recognise - actually a type of passion flower - passiflora coccinea.
All of the above orchids were growing in the shade....whereas many of those at the Orchid Garden in Sanur were, to my surprise, in full sun.
See below.
Epidendrum
Epidendrum
Cattelaya
Phalaenopsis
Oncidium
Bulbophyllum lobii
Epidendrum - S American native
Dendrobium helix - Corkscrew orchid
Cattelaya
Ascocenda ?
Dendrobium
Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis
The first batch were taken at Bali Adventure Tours Elephant Park near Ubud. The second at the Orchid Garden about 10 kms north of Sanur.
No labels for these as orchids are by no means my area of expertise. Some are recognisable as the type you can find in many garden centres and interior design magazine articles around the world. Some I have never seen before.
Enjoy!
All of the above orchids were growing in the shade....whereas many of those at the Orchid Garden in Sanur were, to my surprise, in full sun.
See below.
Sanur Orchid Garden
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