Another parameter to take into account, the time you want to devote to the maintenance of your garden.
If you prefer a maintenance-free garden or terrace, it is better to avoid strongly developing plants. In this case, do not opt for a French garden with its hedges or its beds to be pruned, and do not choose plants which will develop a lot and which will therefore have to be resized. On the contrary, bet on grass-like plants (angel hair …) which just require one size every two years.
The trend is also no longer necessarily for a perfectly mowed lawn, with more and more homeowners limiting the mowing of grass (or mowing higher) or even leaving part of their lawn in, like a flowery meadow, which limits maintenance while promoting biodiversity.
We can also offer perennials in the beds that bloom again for several seasons rather than annuals that must be replanted each year, with microphylla sage, lavender, gaura, etc.”
Finally, if you favor plants that require less water, watering will be reduced. The trick of landscapers? Mulch at the foot of the beds, which limits watering and weeding.
A beautiful terrace can combine compact Fermob furniture in colored metal, warm but maintenance-free composite slats and numerous plant compositions for a green rooftop setting. The landscapers can choose to plant persistent plants, for a green terrace all year round with an olive tree, a myrtle, a palm tree, a griseline and a small hanging rosemary.
Landscaping: thinking about the project as a whole
You might not have the budget to make the garden of your dreams come true all at once. However, certain points must be anticipated, otherwise complicated and expensive work may be required.
If you have planned a swimming pool, a pool house, a pergola … you have to reserve a dedicated space for them. You also have to think about how the garden is going to be watered.
In the hotter climates, many owners have a well. If necessary, they can install reasoned watering with a drip system which will provide the right amount of water to the people. For lawns, we install automatic sprinkler systems with timers, which must also be anticipated by burying pipes in the ground.
Lighting is also important in the design of the outdoor space, both to enjoy the garden in the evening and to bring out the contrasts of the beds or the decor.
For electric lighting, you have to think about integrating it into your electrical panel. Solar lighting can also be a solution with economical and nomadic lamps. Finally, do not forget that it will take some time to realize this garden and that the best season to plant is fall.
Some professional landscaping advice
In the event of an unsightly wall to hide, landscaping experts advise to bet on painting. An unattractive wall can also be painted in black or emerald green, consistent with the interior space. You can also plant climbers or add beautiful trellises or palisades in wood or metal.
The garden must be as attractive in winter as in summer and play with shapes as well as volumes. We will position the creeping plants in the foreground, the plants halfway up in the center and finally, the large subjects in the background. Do not hesitate to vary the colors of the flowers to brighten up the garden. any season.
Quite a few plants in a contemporary garden can give pride to a place with a mineral decoration. Natural riprap mixed with plants, oak staircase and white gravel and finally a beautiful lawn can give an ultra refined layout.
Think about the budget
The landscaping contractor will establish an estimate, taking into account the design but also the time he will spend on your garden.
We quickly ask our customers the question of the budget, especially if they have a little grandiose desires. $125 per m2 is a basic budget, for a few pretty beds, a lawn … But if you want a terrace in natural stone or exotic wood, lighting … the budget is not going to be the same.
It all depends on the time spent, the difficulty of the work but also the choice of materials. That’s why landscapers prefer to establish an ultra-detailed quote line by line. This way the client has an idea of the final budget, but he can easily remove this or that line and operation to fit it into his envelope.