Landscaping Garden Design Services, Landscaper Dublin, Wicklow Landscaping Garden Design Services
I was recommended to this landscaping contract from a previous client I built a garden for. On first viewing the garden all retaining railway sleepers were rotten. There was a mowing edge in front of the sleepers to reduce maintenance. The surrounding fencing was of the concrete post and panel type, and as is usually the case, badly installed with no regard for levels. The planting was very good, including mature specimens of: Silver birches, Fatsia japonica, Photinia ‘Red Robin’, Ilex aquifolium, Aucuba japonica, Viburnum tinus, Sambucus nigra, Hydrangea spp., Skimmia japonica, Fuchsia spp., Camelia spp., Philadelphus spp., Spirea spp., Pittosporum’Tom Thumb’, Sorbus ‘Amangowa’, and various conifer spp. The lawn was in good shape with stepping stones leading to existing 8×6 shed on the left side. There was a cobblelock patio with weeds coming through which would need to be sprayed with chemical and power sprayed.
After taking in the garden and surveying the site, I sat down with the client and came up with following brief:
- Prune plants and remove clippings
- Remove rotten sleepers and replace with more long term solution
- Remove unsuitable plants and replace with better shad tolerant varieties
- Remove Eucalyptus and kill stump with stump killer
- Kill weeds coming through cobblelock patio and power spray
- Remove Basketball net and re-assemble at daughters
- Repair lawn damaged by basketball net
- Repair mowing edge
- Create steps leading to existing shed
- Paint shed (Colour to be decided)
- Mulch beds with 50mm Greenking soil conditioner
- Re-do fencing using planed pressure treated Scandinavian spruce
- Paint new fence (Colour to be decided)
Preparation for Step to Shed 
Step Leading to Shed
Unfortunately, railway sleepers were all the rage in the Celtic tiger. Although sleepers look well when first installed they are not a long-term solution. Railway sleepers rot over time, no matter how well you try to protect them. My recommendation for this garden was the use of Kilsaran Causeway Riven walling system. These are a man-made product, created using coloured concrete, and look well, installed vertically. More importantly they are a there for good.
The solution for the fencing was to attach 50x50mm pressure treated joists to the existing concrete posts using express nails. To add interest we used two sizes of board 50mm and 150mm. The planed pressure treated boards were attached vertically using 50mm nails leaving a 1mm gap to give definition. The fence was capped using 100x22mm planed pressure treated Scandinavian Spruce boards, leaving a 25mm overhang. This capping is very important in extending the life of the fence as it protects exposed cuts from the elements. The fence was painted in Ronseal willow which created a fine back drop, enhancing the colour and structure of the various plants. We also painted the shed in willow which really softened and connected the shed to the garden.
The gaps left by removal of unsuitable plants were filled with Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’, Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’, Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’, Erica carnea & darlyensis spp., Heuchera ‘Purple Palace’ and Buxus sempervirens. The raised beds were mulched using Greenking soil conditioner to a depth of no less than 50mm. This mulching layer would help new and existing plants thrive by reducing evaporation, add nutrients to enhance healthy plant growth and suppress competing weeds thus reducing maintenance. The mulch also acts as a backdrop for plants and adds another uniformed coloured area to the garden.
Below is the landscaping schedule covering other areas carried out in the completion of this garden design.
- Remove unwanted plants and cart to dump
- Prune back plants
- Treat stumps with stump killer
- Remove Basketball net and re-assemble at daughters
- Fix section of lawn
- Remove sleepers and cart to dump
- Supply and install Kilsaran Causeway walling system and include step
- Repair mowing edge
- Power spray existing fencing and shed
- Plant up beds with shade tolerant specimens
- Mulch beds with 50mm layer of Greenking mulch
- Treat cobblock with chemical and power spray
- Spray front driveway and gravel bed with translocated herbicide
- Supply and attach 50x50mm pressure treated horizontals to existing concrete posts using express nails
- Supply and attach vertically 150x22mm pressure treated boards to horizontals
- Cap fence with 100x22mm pressure treated board leaving overhang
- Paint fence with Ronseal willow
- Paint shed with Ronseal Willow
- Remove all rubbish and cart to dump
Lush Planting
The clients were very happy with their newly restored garden. If you require an expert in Garden Design and Construction, contact Kevin Baumann on 086 8198444.
