Garden design ideas.

riddles

Hi,

we are looking at over hauling the rear garden and patch at the front.
Rear garden is 11 metres * 11 metres - the front is a curved piece of lawn currently.

the back garden has maybe a two feet slope on it. We are considering getting rid of all the grass front and rear - the landscaper we had out said this would make it to hard looking.

We also have a 13 week old pup so need to factor this is in.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Kind regards,

R

macraignil

Very much depends on what you would like to use the garden for. A lawn is generally dog friendly, but I would need more information to give any useful advice. Do you intend on keeping the swings and trampoline? Would you like growing your own fruit and vegetables? Do you enjoy being active in the garden, planting flowers to match the season or are you looking for something low maintenance?.......

riddles

Thanks - the trampoline is going and the swing.

I was thinking of a low maintenance garden. I have ordered a 10 foot by 10 shed which will face doorways towards the house.
I was thinking of paving with granite paving from the double doors out to 3 metres and then straight across at the back.
I was wondering how much would labour be per square metre for paving if all materials are provided.

Then on right hand side curving up the shed with cobble granite. The a circular area of artificial grass to the left of shed. I have an idea to get a wooden pergola built to the left of where the swing is now located something like the one in the link below. The pergola would be sitting on a paved area. In the area from the shed across and down the left I am in two minds about raised beds in walled planters or sleeper or more polished wood like the one list below.

I'm also wondering if there would need to be something across the edge of the paving that run across to break between that space and the rest of the garden. I also dont want it to be too busy as its a smallish space.

I would add a planter in the left corner for herbs onions lettuce a small space.

Gazebo https://www.google.ie/search?q=wooden+gazebo+ireland&rlz=1C1GGRV_enIE751IE751&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiqqp-ut5rWAhVnLsAKHTKVAdoQ_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=686#imgrc=ICe_tveq-BuRIM:

wooden raised bed https://www.google.ie/search?q=wooden+raised+beds&rlz=1C1GGRV_enIE751IE751&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjd3_bhvZrWAhXhBcAKHW3HDl8Q_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=686#imgrc=Cm6ARIvnSzhL9M:

thanks

macraignil

Sorry I can't help with the per square metre cost of labour for the paving as I have only done this for a friend for free and while working for a landscaping company that did not include me in their pricing of jobs. They went bankrupt when the construction sector collapse left them with a mountain of unpaid debt from building companies that also went bust when the banks had to tighten up their dealings with the credit scare...

Good construction labour might be difficult to source now that many left the country during the downturn and any still around will be in high demand. The cheapest should be somebody local to where you are living but I have seen a number of cases of this type of job done badly and not lasting so the cheapest might not be the best option to go for. Get a few quotations and make sure it is someone who will guarantee their work for a couple of years.

Some sort of curbing between the paving and the rest of the garden sounds like a good idea to me but you should discuss this with the supplier of the artificial grass as I have no experience with this. I like to play five a side on an artificial pitch as the weather here is so unpredictable but having this in my garden would be contrary to my view of what makes a nice garden.
Best of luck!