At The Garden Planners we believe everyone has the right to a beautiful landscape that doesn’t cost the earth. We are passionate about what we do and strive to make the design process as enjoyable and painless as possible for our clients.
From the moment you make contact with us, our experienced landscape staff will guide you through every step of the process, to turn your dream into a practical, beautiful and affordable landscape design that meets your individual needs.
Whether you need a plan to meet covenant or council specifications, to employ a landscaper, or you are overwhelmed and just need some guidance to ‘do it yourself’, we can create the perfect design solution for you – on time and within budget.
Here is what you can expect:
Free onsite consultation
The first step in the process will involve one of our qualified landscape architects visiting your home to conduct a free, no obligation site inspection and assessment. Here, we can get a look and feel for your space, the lighting and surrounding environment and ascertain your specific needs. Does your garden need to be child or pet friendly? Where do you want paths, garden beds, turf and gravel? Or perhaps you’ve been dreaming about a pool? We work through every detail to help turn your dream into an affordable reality.
Time is money
The more information you can provide during our initial consultation, the better the end result will be. It will not only ensure a more accurate design, but will also make the quote cheaper for you.
If you can provide site or house plans and a clear idea of the style of garden and type of plants you like, it will save us time in the drafting phase. This will enable us to turn the design around quickly and ultimately save you money.
What’s your style?
A landscape design can take on many different styles from contemporary to native, modern or minimalistic. During your onsite consultation we take the time to get to know you and your design style and to discover the type of plants you like. Once we know the style you prefer for your design it gives us the ability to pick from a palette of plants to complement that style. We can then recommend the right plants for the right location including quantities and sizes. This will save you time, money and heartache by ensuring we get it right first time round. We don’t want you ending up with plants you don’t like or that won’t stand the test of time because they weren’t suited to the position or conditions.
Fixed price – no hidden fees
From that point we can provide you with a fixed price quote and a guaranteed turnaround time for your landscape design. At The Garden Planners we pride ourselves on developing beautiful and functional spaces on time and within budget – it’s what we do best and we’ve never been challenged on it.
A professional landscape plan
Once we’ve captured a complete picture of the parameters we are working within and how you would like your garden to look and feel, we take all that information back to the office and get to work on developing your landscape design. We use the latest in innovative computer aided design technology to provide you with a professional landscape plan that is to scale, in colour and easy to read. This design will be emailed to you with your invoice so you can use it to build and construct your dream garden, obtain accurate quotes from contractors or submit to council if required.
100% customer satisfaction guarantee
We love what we do and we want you to love it too. After we’ve emailed your completed design we follow up with you to discuss any questions or concerns. If you’re not totally satisfied with your design first time round we offer to make one round of small changes free of charge. Any major changes will be priced on application, but our experience and expertise ensures this almost never happens. We take the time to get it right at the outset and our 100% customer satisfaction results speak for themselves.
Ongoing backup when you need it
Our service doesn’t just end the moment after we’ve provided you with a completed plan. We value our relationships with our clients and are available to answer any questions anytime, to ensure you can complete your landscape project.
Tradie recommendations
If you’re not the DIY type and need help to complete your landscape design we can recommend local trades’ people including landscapers, builders, certifiers and even pool installers to get the job done.
We don’t offer a project management service but can oversee works on large projects and this can be built into the price of the initial design.
Access to wholesale plant retailers
We can also take the hassle out of shopping and help you save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars by sourcing plants from some of Australia’s largest plant wholesalers and have them delivered directly to your door.
If you’re looking for a beautiful, practical and affordable landscape design solution that suits your individual needs, get in touch with Craig on 0438 463 233 and let’s start discussing your dream garden today.
When planning a property development, it can be difficult for people to understand which landscape plans are required to meet council expectations.
The key to a stress-free development is to plan ahead. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to understand your obligations from the outset and to ensure you allow enough time to complete all requirements.
At The Garden Planners, our experience and expertise with council building approvals removes the hassle and frustration often experienced by landscapers, builders and developers. We specialise in preparing landscape design plans that are practical, well thought out, within budget and that meet the requirements of council.
Recently, we were pleased to hear the Campaspe Shire Council, Greater Shepparton City Council, Moira Shire Council and the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (GBCMA), have taken a proactive step to assist people in the planning phase, with the release of a Landscape Plan Guide for residential, rural, commercial and industrial developments in the local government areas.
This guide has been prepared in partnership by the above councils and GBCMA to develop consistent standards for the preparation of landscape plans, implementation of landscape works and ongoing maintenance for new developments.
What does this mean?
Anyone looking to develop land in the Campaspe, Greater Shepparton or Moira shires now has a Landscape Plan Guide that outlines what they can and can’t do, and points them in the right direction for land development that is in line with council standards.
It will mean that when submitting a planning permit application, developers will need to think about
the environmental impacts, beautification of streetscape and appropriate vegetation to be planted, as part of their landscape design plan.
How will the Landscape Plan Guide be used?
It is recommended that the Landscape Plan Guide be made available to anyone considering landscape developments, particularly developers and planning permit applicants early in the planning process to enable understanding of landscape plan requirements that are in line with the agreed standard across the Campaspe, Greater Shepparton and Moira municipalities.
It will encourage people to put landscape design planning at the forefront of their project planning and help to save time, money and stress in ensuring their landscape design is compliant from the get go.
What does the Landscape Plan Guide include?
The new landscape guidelines will apply to all new developments that require landscaping concept plans to be submitted as part of a planning permit application.
The guide provides an outline for residential, rural, commercial and industrial developments’ approvals process and requirements, landscape design considerations, landscape plan requirements, general materials and techniques, and plant species required in landscape developments.
It promotes the use of native and indigenous species and includes a comprehensive list of appropriate species that are suitable to the climatic conditions and local character of the municipalities.
More than just red tape
We understand that to some, this might seem like just another hurdle they need to jump in order to appease council.
But we believe the release of the Landscape Plan Guide is a positive tool for the area.
By complying with consistent standards we all have the opportunity to not only improve the visual and environmental quality of our communities but, through beautification, we can continue to increase the value of our own properties.
It will ensure councils and the catchment management authority have appropriate consideration of, and input into, landscape developments to maintain sustainable landscapes that contribute positively to our local environments.
We are here to help
If you would like to know more information about how the new Landscape Plan Guide will impact your next project or how we can create a landscape plan that will save you time, money and effort in ensuring your landscape design is compliant with council requirements, contact Craig at The Garden Planners on 0438 463 233.
If there’s one gold nugget of wisdom we could offer those embarking on a new garden landscape or overhaul of an existing outdoor space, it would be this.
‘Plants aren’t expensive, but design mistakes are.’
We’d be billionaires if we had a dollar for every person that tells us plants are too expensive, and who then take shortcuts to reduce their budget by buying cheap plants that are just not suited to the position and condition of where they are planted.
To give you some context, twenty years ago, an azalia plant in a 14cm pot would set you back about $3.50. Today, that same plant comes with an identical price tag.
The thing that has changed in those 20 years, is the variety of plants has exploded – as has the way they are marketed.
People aren’t just planting azalias these days, they’re planting a bunch of varieties with little knowledge of their origins and specific requirements.
The way big box nurseries now work in Australia is becoming a huge problem and people need to be aware of it.
Many people don’t realise that the majority of wholesale nurseries in Australia need to operate from warmer parts of the country to be able to service the industry 12 months of the year.
Western Australia has the largest wholesale nursery in the nation, followed closely by Queensland. These wholesalers service the big box outlets right across the country which means people in Echuca, in central Victoria, are buying plants in the middle of July that have just come off the back of a truck from as far north as Townsville.
These plants are transported from interstate in refrigerated containers and then set up to look fantastic in fake store environments.
In some of the big box nurseries, these plants are packaged up in coloured pots and fancy labels, and because the marketing is so appealing, people are enticed to buy the product even when it is not necessarily suited for its intended garden position.
Homeowners are buying whatever looks pretty and whatever label hits them in the face. They haven’t gone to the nursery with a design plan or theme in mind, and are filling up their trolleys with flowering plants that look beautiful in that moment and are at the right price in their mind.
More often than not, the customer takes the pretty plants home, puts them outside, and on the first cold night the plants go in to shock and die.
It’s like buying fruit that is out of season and expecting it to last.
It’s a huge trap and 9 out of 10 gardens we walk on fall in to this category.
At The Garden Planners, we ask clients to talk to us about the plants they like, and we then tell them where they’re best suited.
You may love gardenias and want them in a specific part of the garden, but they need to be planted in a position and in conditions where they will thrive.
If not, you will pay dearly for it.
For the small investment of a landscape design – between $400 and $600 – set against buying $600 in plants which don’t survive beyond 12 months, households can save hugely in the long run.
And if you’re not a confident plant shopper, we can also help source plants for our customers. We collect truckloads of plants for local landscapers and personally handpick plants of high quality to ensure they will survive when they arrive back at their final destination.
So next time you’re feeling like getting dirty in the garden, remember plants aren’t expensive. The most important factor to consider is what plant grows best where.
The growers aren’t making any more money than they did 20 years ago – but the marketing companies are. And the people losing out the most are the punters on the street who just want to grow a healthy garden that will last the distance.
For more information on a range of landscape design topics, contact Craig at The Garden Planners today on 0438 463 233.
Whether you’re building a new home, renovating an existing property or planning a standalone landscape design project, it’s important that you know from the outset what is required to obtain your certificate of occupancy.
Like most things in life, it all comes down to the fine print.
Not all projects must be submitted to council or body corporate to meet their covenants, and it’s encumbant on you to verify the obligations you must meet to secure that final tick of approval.
At The Garden Planners, too often we hear stories of people in a 12th hour dash, seeking last minute landscape design plans to help get their certificate of occupancy over the line. In some cases they didn’t know it was required as part of their build project, and in others it was simply the last item on their to do list and they had run out of time.
These people can find themselves in hot water for a bunch of reasons and may be unable to move into their new home, or end up with a landscape design that is not practical, well thought out, or that completely blows their budget.
With a little forward planning, these scenarios are easily avoidable.
Here’s our guide to help you avoid falling into this trap.
Ask questions
Early on in the development phase you need to understand what is required of you. The process is so much more involved than simply having plans drawn up for a house and building.
Ask questions early. Does your project specify that a landscape design – commonly referred to as a ‘landscape intent’ – be submitted to council?
Speak to your town planner, developer and builder to find out excatly what is required of you.
Ask for a checklist
In many cases, you’ll be provided with a checklist of what is required. If not, ask for one. Unfortunately landscape design often finds itself right at the bottom of that list, and as a result, it tends to be one of the last things people think about or do. It’s then a huge rush to organise the landscape plan and have it submitted to council.
As early as possible, obtain a checklist, and if it specifies that a landscape ‘design’ or ‘intent’ must be submitted to council, get in touch with a landscape architect.
Engage a landscape designer
Do your research to ensure the company you choose has the qualifications to complete the task.
Look for a reputable company, preferably a member of the Australian Institute of Landscape Design Management (AILDM) with a solid understanding of local conditions, i.e what grows where best.
During your discussions, ensure they can guarantee completion of the project on time so the rest of your development is not delayed.
And most importantly, ensure they are able to complete the project on budget. Your overall budget is incredibly important, as is having a clear understanding of the ‘planning’ budget. How much is a plan really going to cost? Is it going to be practical and affordable?
There’s no point asking your designer to create an unbelievable landscape design that is out of this world, if you can’t actually afford to build it. Getting the budget right at the outset is important in ensuring the plan submitted to council, is the garden that is ultimately built.
And just so you know, when a plan is submitted to council, the majority of the time it will be inspected following construction.
Timing is key
Many people leave the landscape design component of their project until the last minute. It is so important that you have an understanding of the timing required.
At The Garden Planners we guarantee our turn around time. Once we’ve been engaged and the quotation has been accepted, we guarantee when the plan will be submitted.
We tend not to assume responsibility of submitting the plans to council, as it’s more efficient and far less complicated if the client submits them as a portfolio with the rest of their plans. This approach also eliminates the possibility of a breakdown in communication which can occur when a third party is involved during this stage of the process.
Why do councils require a landscape intent?
It’s actually really important. Landscape intents protect the asset of the customer.
Next time you take a drive through a housing estate, take a close look. You’ll very quickly identify those with strict bylaws and covenants based on the requirements of having their landscaping plan submitted to council and receiving approval prior to construction.
Picture the beautiful south eastern suburbs of Melbourne and how they still look fantastic 100 years later. They’ve got these beautiful wide streets, fantastic avenues of trees and green gardens and everyone is really protecting their asset.
By contrast, today we have a situation of first home buyers and others, who are just able to break into the market, using all of their capital on the home, and leaving nothing left for outside.
It’s so important that people avoid falling into this trap and save some capital for landscaping. We need to create those green spaces around our homes, to then create that beautiful open garden feel across our communities that we all want to live in and enjoy.
For more information on a range of landscape design topics, contact Craig at The Garden Planners today on 0438 463 233.
