Complete Front Garden & Backyard Makeover to Unley Townhouse.

A client with stunning courtyard townhouse was looking for a garden makeover to both the front garden, including the driveway entrance and backyard area around the swimming pool.

The existing colours were dark and many of the trees and screening foliage had outgrown their positions, so the client requested using pavers that were brighter and easy to keep clean.

Front Garden Makeover

The first task to the front was to lift all the existing pavers to the driveway and path to the porch, as well as the tiles to the porch area.
The driveway area had to be excavated, with earth and existing concrete removed plus a stump to the left of the drive.

After preparing the base, an exposed aggregate concrete driveway was poured, then sealed with 2 coats of clear sealer. A reinforced concrete base was poured to the porch area and tiled with black and white pattern tiles.

To the left side of the driveway, ‘Viburnum Odoratissimum’ were planted and the existing tree was pruned.

To complete the front garden makeover, by the right side of the drive, bordering the exposed aggregate path, a vine screen of Jasmin was attached to the fence. Under that, ‘Erigeron’ (Seaside daisy) was planted, with ‘Pittosporum Tenuifolium’ (Golf Balls) between the steppers and by the driveway.

Backyard Garden Makeover

Existing pavers to the path, extending down the side of the home from the front to the back were removed, and replaced with natural stone Travertine; wet laid. Existing plants around 3 steel screens and the garden bed were also removed and replaced with ‘Syzigium Back Yard Bliss’ (Topiary Cone), ‘Erigeron’ (Seaside Daisy) to the garden bed and ‘Murraya Paniculata’ to the front of the wall, before adding an irrigation system, garden lights and organic mulch.

To complete the backyard garden makeover, the existing pavers to the pool and coping were removed, before excavation to the correct levels ready for pouring a concrete base the new pavers would be wet laid on.

Due to the original pavers not having been laid at the correct level, slab edge dampness had become a problem. The house foundation was treated with two coats of water proof compound and a 450mm damp proof membrane.

New natural stone Travertine pavers and coping was laid, with an artificial grass section, complete with surface water drainage system.

For weather protection, to keep the outdoor entertaining going longer, a quality outdoor 4m centre-pole market umbrella was installed.

To the side, a water feature was constructed using an existing urn with concealed reservoir, pump, filter and garden lights, topped off with black pebbles. A very elegant and low maintenance solution, with adding water through the rocks all that’s required when the reservoir empties due to evaporation during the warmer summer months.

The contrast between what was a dark driveway entrance, side pathway and rear courtyard to the new brighter paving was an amazing transformation and one the client was delighted with.

Adding quality, low-voltage LED garden lights is something everyone should consider as part of a front or backyard garden makeover. River pebbles and crushed quartz is easy to keep clean and maintain, especially useful in windy areas.

Visual Landscape Gardening will always recommend using the appropriate plants for the space and surroundings as part of the landscape design to your complete backyard or front garden makeovers, and endeavour to make the garden as low maintenance as possible.

Edge wetting, or slab edge dampness as it’s correctly known can be the cause of much damage and cost if not treated correctly, as soon as possible. If you’re experiencing salt dampness, wet carpets or walls, contact the team of industry experts from Visual Landscape Gardening to arrange a quote for rectifying the problem.