Dublin Landscape Contractors, Design & Build, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin

I won this landscape contract in Mount Merrion, Co Dublin through a recommendation from a previous landscaping contract in Dalkey. On first site visit the front driveway was all grey concrete cobble with two recessed manholes at the entrance. The cobble was dipped and uneven from use over the years and finished tight to the house. The appearance of the area was harsh and cold. A bed lined with granite boulders and planted with overgrown conifers and shrubs lay to the right and a mature Privet hedge provided privacy from the adjoining road. The normal position of the door compared to the neighbouring properties had been re-located to the side of the house where the cobble gave way to 300x300mm white concrete patio slabs. The step to the front door was plain concrete. The white slabs continued through to the back garden creating two steps up to a 2.1M verge. The slabs up to and including the steps were fine but a mature Cordyline planted in the centre of the upper verge had dis-figured the paving. This Cordyline would have to be removed and the paving re-layed. The lawn was in a bad state of dis- repair with a large hollow in the centre and a concrete path leading through it. There were beds both sides of the lawn overgrown with various shrubs and conifers. The bed to the left had been overrun by Montbretia. Montbretia a is very invasive species, producing hundreds of tiny bulbs and very hard to control. There was a tall conifer hedge to the back which afforded good privacy.

After taking plenty of photos, surveying and measuring the property I sat down with the clients to discuss their requirements, ideas and expectations. The following is the wish list, ideas and must do’s we came up with:

• Low maintenance
• Garden lighting
• Remove bed in front driveway, cut back overgrown Privet hedge
• Create new hedge with neighbour on the right
• Remove grey concrete cobbles from driveway and replace with Ballylusk gravel and tumbled silver cobble, same as Dalkey project
• Create enough space for comfortable parking of 3 cars
• Create a design which directs visitor to door at side of house
• Soften house by creating beds along front side
• Create Silver granite patio at side door, re-use white slabs on upper verge in back garden
• Remove Cordyline from upper verge and repair paving
• Extend part of upper verge in back garden to create bigger area for seating
• Remove old concrete path, level lawn and create new instant lawn
• Define lawn area using tumbled silver granite cobbles
• Traditional feel
• Budget not to exceed certain level, any unexpected over runs to be discussed with clients prior to implementation
• Dig out all Montbretia including bulbs, replace with topsoil
• Remove unwanted plants keeping certain specimens
• Planting to achieve all year-round interest
• Top conifer hedge and tidy

  

  

Armed with the above I created a simple scaled garden design for the front and back of the property. The front design was based around directing traffic to the side door. This was achieved by path and planting to frame the approach. To the right was the gravel parking area with room for 3 cars surrounded by raised silver granite cobble beds. The back included the extended patio with rectangular lawn and mowing edged to define the space. Cables were installed for future garden lighting as the budget would not allow.

Below is the work schedule for implementation of the entire project:

Front:

• Remove cobbles and cart to dump
• Remove patio area by front door and store in back garden
• Remove bed including granite, planting, gravel, excavate soil to 100mm, use in back garden
• Cut back and lower hedge, tidy Ivy, remove section of Cotoneaster
• Supply, spread and compact 50mm blinding layer of Ballylusk dust over entire driveway and patio/path area (10 Tonne)
• Supply and install two aprons using 200x100x50 tumbled silver granite cobbles (6Msq)
• Supply and install path and area by door using 600x300x30mm brush hammered silver granite slabs, border path using 200x100x50 tumbled silver granite cobbles, disguise 2 AJs using slabs
• Face steps using silver granite, half bull nose edges
• Dig out hardcore to a depth of 50cm, replace with soil to create conditions for planting at front of house (4 Tonne)
• Supply and create beds using 200x100x100 tumbled silver granite cobbles, cobbles to be 75mm proud of finished gravel level (27Lm)
• Plant up beds with suitable plants (Labour only)
• Supply, spread and compact 25mm layer of 14mm Ballylusk gravel (4 tonne)

Back

• Spray lawn with translocated herbicide
• Tidy beds and remove unwanted plants, trees, debris and cart to dump
• Lift section of raised patio around Cordyline, remove Cordyline and replace patio
• Cut back and top conifer hedge remove clippings and cart to dump
• Break out and remove old path, clothes line and cart to dump
• Supply and install mowing edge using 200x100x50mm Portugeuse silver granite cobbles (32Lm)
• Extend existing patio using slabs from front (6.4Msq) Plant up beds with suitable shrubs, perennials and trees (Labour only)  
• Supply and spread screened topsoil to remove hollow in lawn (5Tonne)
• Supply and lay instant roll out lawn (86Lm)
• Remove all rubbish and cart to dump  

  

  

  

  

  

 

In keeping with the low maintenance theme the plants chosen were mostly flowering and variegated shrubs. Further colour would be achieved with bulb planting in the coming fall. All year-round interest was achieved using mostly evergreen shrub species. The planting for the front included Ligustrum, Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’, Eirica carnea spp., Laurus, Buxus sempervirens, Ligustrum delavayum standards, Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’, Buxus balls, Photinia ‘Red Robin standards. The planting for the back included Lavandula ‘Hidcote’, Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Variegatum’, Drimys winterii, Epimedium, Berberis ‘Tom Thumb’, Exochorda, Diosma, Ilex, Aucuba japonica, Dodonea,   Halimnocistus, Skimmia japonica, Sambucus, Deutzia, Viburnum davidii, Nandine domestica, Polystichum steiferum, Myrtus, Euonymus alatus, Alchemilla mollis.

The clients were very happy with their garden and posted the following review on google:

“ I can’t say enough good things about Kevin. He really listened to my requests and designed the garden I always wanted”. Olive Cronin

If you require an award-winning Dublin landscaping designer/contractor contact Kevin Baumann on 086 8198444.