Beech Hedge??

Villain

Hi I posted here a few months back asking for some advice on Landscaping a 1 acre site.

Well I've got drawings back from a Landscape Architect and I want to ask a question.

The Architect has drawn in a boundary hedge for site consisting of various different hedging and small trees. He has to finalise the plan yet with details of what will go into this hedge.

I had always maintained that a Beech hedge would be the best, i.e looks nice and has low maintenace.

I reckon the cost of a Beech hedge would also be cheaper.

Can anyone offer any advice.

PH01

Beech tree hedge will require maintenance just like another hedge - although you may only have to do it every 10 years or so

Cost wise they can be as cheap as €0.90 to €1.28 per plant if bought as bare root. Potted plants will be about 3 to 4 times dearer.
Have a look at Coillte site

What your architect has suggested sounds great. A mixed border can be very attractive and well as benefitial to the garden if the right species are are chosen.

Villain

Thanks for the INFO,

I know the mixed boundary might llok better but I'd imagine it will cost a lot more and be harder to maintain.

Theres going to be about 1/2 an acre of a lawn when is the earliest we could hope to sow this??

Thanks

PH01

Do you mean that there is no grass there at the moment?

Anyway it's a big job sowing ½ an acre - you may need to get the pros in for that one.
All that racking, weeding, stone picking, racking, stamping-down, racking, leveling, stamping down, racking, sowing, sowing, sowing, racking, racking, rolling and that should do it.
Spring time would be the best time for this kind of job. Go for a couple of days in March

Villain

Thanks,

There is a rough kind of grass in bits, but theres a lot of top soil polied up around the place.

We will be getting the pro's in, just wondering is March the earliest we could possible sow the lawn?

PH01

In many parts of the country grass grows all year round, so you could sow anytime you like. But watch out for frost on those little grassies - wee grass doesn't like frost.

And don't be in a rush to put down a lawn. Alternatively, you could put down instant lawn that comes in rolls.

Villain

Thanks PH01.

The site is in Carlow so Frost is pretty common. I suppose we'l just have to wait. I reckon that instant lawn would cost a pretty penny.

theres no reason why they couldn't have it raked and ready for sowing do is there?

emmemm

seed sown on fresh soil works best.Job best done in a dry spell in early April.

Villain

OK we got a quote form the first landscaper we approached.

14,000 Euro for the lawn, hedgeing, patio and various planted areas. This does not include the driveway or entrance.

I thought it was a bit over the top, but an a sister of the old fellas works in a garden shop and she reckoned it would be 20,000.

It's a nice plan but very simple so hard to see where all the expense is.

We have another landscaper coming this saturday.

I could scan in the drawings over the weekend if anyone thought they could offer some advice.

slave1

ask him to break the quote down between material and labour
try and take the conversation that you may want to get him to source the material and you'll take care of the dogsbody as you can't afford his labour/profit element
needlesstosay as a deal breaker CASH

oh yeah, scan it in for the crack

ps do you now own this design?

Villain

He gave us a break down but I haven't had time to look at it in detail yet. I'm away from home till Friday.

The design is ours now we agreed a seperate sum for that. He has to provide me with the .dwg version on disk yet do.

I'l scan it in friday or saturday.

He said he'l go 1,200 for cash!

Victor

Originally posted by irish1
The design is ours now we agreed a seperate sum for that. He has to provide me with the .dwg version on disk yet do.

Most people won't be able to read a *.dwg (AutoCAD) drawing. A *.tiff reader might, but no guarantee. Ask him what he thinks is less than good value.

I'm a quantity surveyor, do you want to copy me with the quote and I'll take a look at it for you.

Villain

I requested it in *DWG I have AutoCad 2004 and can convert it myself.

What do you mean when you say

Ask him what he thinks is less than good value.

Victor

I passed a garage today and they had cars for €49,000. If all I need to get from A to B is a bicycle, why spend €49,000?

In other words is he including expensive / time-consuming work, e.g. expensive planter pots or rare species, that isn't good value for money?

Villain

Gotcha, Well he said he was going for a middle of the road kind of spec. The lawn is very expensive because its over 1/2 acre in size. I was thinking of a beech head as a surrounding hedge as I've said he is going with a mixture of trees which is bound to be more expensive but more appealing.

Decisions, decisions.

Anyone got any ideas for the driveway, not Tarmacadam do it would look right out of place??

Victor

Originally posted by irish1
Anyone got any ideas for the driveway, not Tarmacadam do it would look right out of place??

You could just go for a compacted hardcore base with say gravel / granite chippings (cheapest) or tarmac (next cheapest) or concrete / brick paviors (most expensive). The advantage of chippings is they tend not to retain surface water and can be patched "seamlessly" but they can settle more than hard surface and there is a risk of throwing up stones.

If you go for chippings, make sure the last 6 metres or so are of a level solid material to ensure you can brake going in / out the gate and that the chippings won't be spread onto the public road (safety hazard / litter).

Villain

Thanks for the advice Victor.

I'm ordering a few tonne of 804 or 806 cos the ground is quite wet and mucky.

Anyone got any Idea how expensive cobble stones would be??

I know Chippings are cheap but I hate the way the wheels spin in the loose.

Victor

Originally posted by irish1
Thanks for the advice Victor.

I'm ordering a few tonne of 804 or 806 cos the ground is quite wet and mucky.

Anyone got any Idea how expensive cobble stones would be??

I know Chippings are cheap but I hate the way the wheels spin in the loose.

Expect to pay about €30-40/m2 plus kerbs, depending on type. Rela stone cobbles would be much more expensive - could be €100+/m2.

Tarmac €20-30/m2.

Of course "all depending".

Villain

Originally posted by Victor
Expect to pay about €30-40/m2 plus kerbs, depending on type. Rela stone cobbles would be much more expensive - could be €100+/m2.

Tarmac €20-30/m2.

Of course "all depending".

Is that laid including labour or is that cost?

Victor

Originally posted by irish1
Is that laid including labour or is that cost?

Laid including labour, but as I said ....

Victor

Of course you can spend €400-500/m2 on a granite driveway .....

Villain

Well Victor if my numbers come up sat night I might just do that!!!

I tell ya the expense of building a one off house is fecking crazy.

Villain

Heres the design

Victor

I'd try to cut down the planting somewhat and break up the straight lines on the lawn (to some degree at least). Putting all the plants between the house and the nearest corner of the site (near conservatory / porch - odd direction to face the house) doesn't make a huge amount of sense, unless you have particular privacy concerns. I know it's the front of the house, but it doesn't look right to me somehow.

I would also cut down around the garage if possible - however don't put grass in tiny areas that are unmanageable to cut and keep tidy along the borders.

How about a feature in the centre of the lawn? (but beware footballs, etc.) The full circle driveway while handy, doubles it in size and will be more expensive to lay, but not maintain.

How well can you do a 3-point turn?

Villain

Thanks for the reply. The Lawn will be rounded off i.e no corners.

I want to put a Beech hedge in with some mature trees in the bottom corners. All those scrubs will cost a fortune.

Still undecided about the drive way. Cobble would be nice but expensive.


Ya I was thinking of splitting the lawn down the middle and having a path way throw with some trees down the middle.

Theres not that big an area in the corner you talk about it looks bigger on the plan.

Victor

Above post amended

Originally posted by irish1
Thanks for the reply. The Lawn will be rounded off i.e no corners.

I mean something like this:

Villain

Nice idea but what would you put in the gaps??


Thanks again its great to get another opinion

Victor

Just have more or less shrubs (in width) in one place that the other. In the indents have more (cheap!) grass. My line should be closer to the boundary - sorry.

Villain

The site is a bit weird, you see the entrance well thats onto a private lane. Theres a right of way running to the front of the house so theres a fence there so the shrubs are to cover that house is turned the way it is because it sloops dow towards the lawn very sharply and the conservatory is placed where it is to catch the sun all day.

Villain

HEY got NEW LANDSCPER and he agrees with my idea of a beech hedge, thanks god coz the auld lad would never of listened to me.

Anyone got any good web-sites for types of plants and shrubs to grow??

Victor

www.Coillte.ie have an on-line store, not sure if it has pictures though, try www.google.ie otherwise.