Gum Tree Landscape Design

PROCESS

Please contact me by phone or email in the first instance, for a no-pressure discussion about what you want to achieve with your property. We will arrange a convenient time to walk over your property together, so I can listen to your ideas, and learn what you want from your garden. This also allows me to see your property in relation to its surroundings, and the local influences of climate, geography and ecology.

I will be asking you lots of specific questions to understand exactly what you are expecting from your new garden, and identify what is, and isn’t, possible within the limitations of your site and budget. I will also undertake a site survey which will provide an accurate record of your existing site and form the basis for your new design.

Plans & Drawings

Depending on the extent and complexity of your design, I will provide you with all or some of the following plans and documents:

Concept Plan

Based on the Design Brief and the Site Survey, this is a scaled technical drawing that shows the overall design of your new landscape. The Concept Plan includes the proposed layout, materials to be used, paving patterns, lawns and garden beds and a general description of the proposed planting.

Planting Plan

This plan will show the placement of the specific individual plants within your new design, including their botanical names and the quantities required when planting in groups. The Planting Plan will be accompanied by a Planting List which lists all the plants required, the quantities of each, the plant size and grade, and suggestions of where to source the plants from to ensure you start with quality plants, within your budget – this is your Plant ‘Shopping List’.

Hard Landscape Plan

A scaled technical drawing taken from the Concept Plan that shows layout, materials, ground elevations and specific details for all hardscaping elements of the design (paving, retaining walls, raised beds, steps etc). If outdoor lighting is included in the design, it will also be specified on this plan.

Installing the Design

Install
If you are a DIY’er and wish to carry out all the work yourself, all the vital information you need will be in the plans provided. However, should you wish to have a contractor carry out all, or part of, the work I can help you arrange this with a reputable local landscape contractor.

Regular garden care will ensure your investment in your new garden is well rewarded. If you would like regular help to keep your new garden in top shape, I can help you arrange this with a local contractor.

Let’s Talk

FAQ

Why should I use a landscape designer?

Land is costly so it makes sense to utilise all the space we have around our home. The key to making the most of any outdoor space is good design, that means planning and styling the garden to suit the budget and lifestyle of the owner, while taking the character of the home and local environment into consideration. A landscape designer is professional, a problem solver, creative and practical. Where a client might only see problems, a landscape designer will see amazing possibilities.

As I have never used a landscape designer before, I’m unsure how it works and what it costs?

Please see the process page for more detail on how the design process works. Cost is very much dependent on the job and I can give you an estimate after the initial site visit.

What if I only want to change one or two parts of my existing garden?

My designs take the existing environment into consideration to ensure that the finished result complements your existing garden.

Do you construct the garden as well?

No, but as your designer I can help you with the installation / construction of the garden, either in an advisory capacity, or as facilitator of the whole project. This will ensure your new garden is installed exactly as designed.

I’m a DIY’er and want to do all the work myself.

The design plans which I provide you, along with additional construction drawings, will give you all the necessary working drawings to build your own garden.

Budget constraints mean I will have to build my garden in stages over the next few years.

If your landscaping project is going to be carried out over several years, my design plans ensure continuity. You can carry out the work as time and budget allows, and once completed, all parts of your garden will fit together in harmony.

ABOUT ME

I have lived on a lifestyle block in Pahoia, complete with transplanted Australian husband and fluctuating numbers of sheep and cats, for more than 20 years. After a long career in the corporate world as a project manager I recently had the opportunity to rethink my profession. The time was right to pursue my lifelong enthusiasm for landscaping and gardening, so I returned to studying and recently completed my Diploma in Landscape Design.

My own garden has evolved from its early days as an indestructible backdrop to the kids’ soccer goal and skate ramp, to its current peaceful fusion of country and woodland styles, but always with our majestic gum tree standing guard near the entrance.

I understand first-hand the special challenges of rural sites and lifestyle blocks, with their lack of shelter (or conversely, those messy shelterbelts), septic tanks, the need for heavy vehicle access through to paddocks, and the neighbours livestock pushing through fences.

So, whether you need a complete landscape design, or just a neglected corner turned into a relaxing sanctuary where you can escape with a quiet drink at the end of the day, I welcome your call so we can start making plans for your outstanding new garden.

– Lynne Kenny

"There is no spot of ground, however arid, bare or ugly, that cannot be tamed into such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight."