Hi,
I have a small garden about 5mx5m maximum that is slightly uneven throughout. Is heavy clay, and due to new arrival, I don't have time. What price would I be looking at? Including new turf. Was hoping maximum £200.
If I were to hire a tine tiller, would cost me around £80 for a day, which is how long I reckon it will take.
Thanks in advance.
Ritchie
Cost really is regional. Landscapers usually will give you estimates. A lot depends on the cost of hourly labor and if you are putting in sprinklers (Grass needs a lot of water). It also depends on the amount of amending you have to do and the kind of grass and if you are seeding, plugging or sodding. I think 200 pounds might be a little low. it would probably not even cover some of the material costs.
If the ground is not rock hard, and you are willing to do this in sections, you could work the amendments in (compost, soil conditioners and fertilizer) with a shovel by double digging. It is slow but actually causes less damage to the soil than a tiller. If the ground is uneven and you want to re-grade you need to make sure that water still drains away from the house. 5mx5m is not all that big so it can be done by hand. But easier if you host a weed party and get a few friends over to tackle the job. You can go over to a nursery that sells compost and amendments or turf, ask for advice on what to use and how much you will need or do your research first so you know what you need to do and what it will cost. You will also need to get enough tools to do the work and that means good shovels, rakes, and gloves. You will get better advice where the nursery is their main business, not a hardware store. Here there are a couple of turf farms and one of them even has instructions for how to prepare the site and install the grass and the after care. It helps if you have one or two people who have experience. It is easier to grade when you do the whole thing at one time. Seeding is the least expensive and take the longest to establish and sodding would give you an instant lawn but be the most expensive option.
Seeded grasses and stolons grow evenly but you would need to water frequently and it will look like a weedy mud hole most of time. You also need to limit traffic as much as possible to minimize the pits. If you don't have a sprinkler. You can use a multi function faucet timer and hose attached to a yard sprinkler and set it to water up to 4 times a day for however long it takes for the water to get down about 4-6 inches. You will need to keep that watering routine up until the grass is established before you can back off watering. Work only a section large enough for your sprinkler to cover otherwise you will need to move the sprinkler and turn the faucet on and off manually up to 4 times a day depending on the season and how fast the soil dries.
Grass is very high maintenance, you will still have to weed, fertilize, water and mow forever after that, although the time in the beginning will be the most time consuming.
If the ground is not rock hard, and you are willing to do this in sections, you could work the amendments in (compost, soil conditioners and fertilizer) with a shovel by double digging. It is slow but actually causes less damage to the soil than a tiller. If the ground is uneven and you want to re-grade you need to make sure that water still drains away from the house. 5mx5m is not all that big so it can be done by hand. But easier if you host a weed party and get a few friends over to tackle the job. You can go over to a nursery that sells compost and amendments or turf, ask for advice on what to use and how much you will need or do your research first so you know what you need to do and what it will cost. You will also need to get enough tools to do the work and that means good shovels, rakes, and gloves. You will get better advice where the nursery is their main business, not a hardware store. Here there are a couple of turf farms and one of them even has instructions for how to prepare the site and install the grass and the after care. It helps if you have one or two people who have experience. It is easier to grade when you do the whole thing at one time. Seeding is the least expensive and take the longest to establish and sodding would give you an instant lawn but be the most expensive option.
Seeded grasses and stolons grow evenly but you would need to water frequently and it will look like a weedy mud hole most of time. You also need to limit traffic as much as possible to minimize the pits. If you don't have a sprinkler. You can use a multi function faucet timer and hose attached to a yard sprinkler and set it to water up to 4 times a day for however long it takes for the water to get down about 4-6 inches. You will need to keep that watering routine up until the grass is established before you can back off watering. Work only a section large enough for your sprinkler to cover otherwise you will need to move the sprinkler and turn the faucet on and off manually up to 4 times a day depending on the season and how fast the soil dries.
Grass is very high maintenance, you will still have to weed, fertilize, water and mow forever after that, although the time in the beginning will be the most time consuming.
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AngelicaGray3409
- Full Member
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 7:51 am
- Location: Sydney
Yep, from what I learned about landscaping in the last few days, it really depends where do you live and which company you call. I would advise you to call at least 5 and compare the prices they give you. Also be careful and check for references and client feedback, because there are many scams happening around.
Around here there are many family owned landscapers. Beware of the cheaper prices and make sure you get your estimate in writing. It needs to include things like if the cost includes material, amendments, fertilizer, clearing the lot of weeds first, grading, exactly what kind of grass you want to put in and if it will be seeded, plugged or sodded and labor charge and who takes care of hauling out the trash. Preferably get it separated for cost of material vs labor. The landscaper will usually get a better deal on the cost of materials since he buys in bulk and has an account. Make sure they are willing to give you written instructions for after care. A lot of people put out the money for a new lawn and think it takes care of itself. It doesn't.
Here, I also found out that you can't just go to anyone, the landscapers here have service areas and they do not cross into each other's territory. If you have neighbors that use a yard service, ask them who they use, if they are happy with the service and if they are bonded.
Here, I also found out that you can't just go to anyone, the landscapers here have service areas and they do not cross into each other's territory. If you have neighbors that use a yard service, ask them who they use, if they are happy with the service and if they are bonded.
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christopher1992
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:21 am
Your house looks really nice. I think it will look more beautiful if you convert the landscape into a lawn like design. But keep in mind that grass requires a lot of maintenance and water to grow up. If your is composed of more water drainage soil then you need to use garden sprinklers. If you are looking for a concrete based landscape then you can try paver tiles. They are available in different grades and colors. You can include a fountain or artificial waterfalls to increase the beauty of your garden. When it comes to plants, try something like perennial plants or similar flowering plants. One of my friend recently built a swimming pool in his 2000 sq ft backyards with some cool landscape design ideas. The construction and installation procedures were done by Solda pools from Ontario.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b