Clean up

Before any job gets started we need to clean things up.
This one was a cracker and took more than a week to get it to a point we could even start the job.
Remove plants, weeds, old plumbing, rocks and debris.

Drainage

So much of a constructions job (& cost) relies on what's under the ground (not just above it).
This was the worst drained property we have ever seen and had no stormwater running water out the yard.
This meant the water from the whole house and yard was being run under the ground into the soil. 
Removal of old wet soil, huge retention pits, geomat, agg lines and aggregate all just to make it usable.

Plumbing

Agg lines and pits are all important but running new stormwater and PVC prior to any significant construction is a must. We don't want to get all the quality materials, concrete and turf in to then have to dig it up because of old broken pipe. Typically, we always put in a few extra stormwater inspection points to clean any issues later on.

Brick retaining walls

This property had massive overgrowth near the eastern side of the property. Once removed, we excavated all the additional soils, put in new concrete footings and installed a new brick (rendered) wall.
Splash of paint, few new manageable plants and some new tiles, turned a water issue into a usable area.

Dampness against the house was fixed, natural light through the windows and hard surface to sit and relax.

Deck

A deck is a great option for outside you back yard. This client had a sloped yard so a small composite deck was ideal to walk outside and enjoy the yard.
No puddles and wet soggy ground in the rain, no excavation of the yard, just build over it.

Firepit
Firepits are a lot more common these days and a great addition in any yard.
This pit was designed to hold the garden back and use the retaining walls a seat for the firepit. We then built box seats around some crushed granite and completely changed the landscape.

Paths
Having a great new landscaped yard is one thing, but being able to move about it and cater for foot traffic as well as tools, wheel barrows, mowers etc is another.
This yard we put a practical path straight down the middle using it to divide the different elements of the yard, (turf, firepits, gardens and entertaining area).
We also ran a ramp down the western side of the yard for mower and barrow access.

Retaining Walls
So many different types and so many different costs!
Regardless of the wall, drainage is imperative behind them!!!
For this client we went with a drywall keystone option. While these walls do have a limitation with what they can hold back, by tiering a couple of walls and putting them on concrete footings we ended up with a quality finish and a real feature wall.

Entertainment area

We could have just tiered the entire area with walls and plants, but by adding a deco granite entertaining area we gave the client another option to enjoy their yard.
Sit on the sloped turf to catch some rays, maybe a new barrel and a few seats to enjoy a glass of wine, or a banana chair to read a book.

Deco granite is easily maintained, can be topped up over time and a much cheaper option the concrete, tiles and pavers.