PROJECT CLAY!
PROJECT CLAY
Now that we are well into Autumn in fact
on the doorstep of Winter; I thought we
could reflect on a project we took on
here at LVS a little while ago.
Other than a few weeks of on and off rain, a
few storms some flooding not to mention
some damage and cancelled school days,
amongst all, we have created some
transformations .
This particular project we call "Project Clay"
We started off with a full garden landscape,
front, sides and back.
Looking at a blank muddy clay canvas of a
recently renovated property, we walked
around with our clients and had a chat about
what they would like.
This gave us a clear indication of what our clients
were looking for covering colour, size, species of plants,
materials, lay & positioning etc.
Once the site meeting took place and we
had gathered a variety of notes, we than
built off of these notes to create a quote
and a simple design.
We start off with a basic digital 2D design.
Not all projects are the same. Some have there own challenges.
CHALLENGES
-Access
Access was difficult on Project Clay as the entire
property to be landscaped was 1m above street level.
Heavy duty ramps were used for machinery and
wheel barrow access.
-Previous turf establishment & growth failure
to rear left of property.
Our client had tried several turf species, however
they all failed. We solved this problem by
eliminating the turf in that section altogether and
installed a patch pave sitting area.
The reason why the turf did not do well on the rear left
of the garden shown in the design,was due to the amount
of shade that was consistently present in that area.
-Clay
High grade turf & plant specific fertilisers and soil conditioners
were applied prior to laying turf & planting out.This helps to
break down the clay and transform it to a more fertile state. A good
high quality under-turf soil was installed at 30-40mm thickness to provide
instant growth establishment and reduced shock.
PROJECT CLAY RESULTS
BEFORE-
Back yard pre-landscaping.
Open space to work with straight off of a newly renovated deck.
This Clay based surface was scraped with machinery.
First with a small skid steer, then a turf cutter for a cleaner finish,
then finished by hand. All excess clay & soil was removed from
site via wheel barrows. After edging was installed the levels were
fine tuned and the installation process of the patch paved sitting
area and turf began. Once again all by wheel barrow!
AFTER-
Back yard post Landscaping.
Patch paved sitting area or pot plant area installed where grass
fails to establish. Fresh A-Grade turf is installed on top off a high
grade under-turf soil and soil conditioner fertilisers.
Rolling turf after installation ensures no air is trapped underneath and
eliminates an uneven surface. A deep watering in process is a top priority.
Soaking the turf until the top 100mm of soil is moist, allows the roots to head
downwards for moisture rather than stay on the surface. This will establish
your lawn for a longer lasting period.
The Lawn area is broken up with a pave stepper path, from the deck area
to the pool entrance gate.
BEFORE- left
Hard cold shady area's pre-landscaping
AFTER-left
Warmth and softness added via colour and textured foliage. As these plants grow they will cover the wall space giving the entrance area a softer inviting aspect.
BEFORE-left
Side access with double steppers.
AFTER- left
Simplify side access by replacing double
steppers with single steppers. This creates
a longer wider looking space.
Pre Landscaped during construction.
Red clay, wash outs and waste.
Post Landscaped with edging, new soils plants and mulch. With a front turf area added.
Pre Landscaped
Post Landscaped- Kerbside garden for street appeal with eco edging, low growing shrubbery and mulch.
Materials used through out this project were long lasting materials such as
galvanised steel posts and uprights, eco decking and sleepers for edging,
sandstone like pavers to match existing onsite pavers, rolled decorative pebble,
A-Grade Sir Walter, Terra-Cottem plant and turf specific fertilisers and soil conditioners,
top grade underturf soil and healthy plant stock and garden soils, along with decades of combined horticultural knowledge!
All in all a great result and happy clients!