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Where To start when planning Back Garden upgrade

  • 01-06-2025 11:39AM
    #1
    Irish Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭


    Ok looking at the option maybe not this year but soon to upgrade the back garden. Plan is to have fake grass, pation and shed for storage and possible extra room. This is the thought so want to see cost first before deciding on budget etc I know it depends on size of garden but we want grass and plants removed and for a trampoline to remain there

    Living in the Dublin area so looking at anyone whom has got theirs done and any recommenadations for landscapers etc and anything to keep in mind as looking to get prices so have a ball park idea

    https://www.dublinarsenal.com/



Comments

  • #2
    Calahonda52
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,944 ✭✭✭✭Calahonda52


    How do you currently deal with rainwater?

    sdcc-householders-guide-to-sustainable-drainage-suds-.pdf

    “I can’t pay my staff or mortgage with instagram likes”.



  • #3
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 53,863 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    you might not get an awful lot of feedback here; the usual denizens of the forum are into their plants and planting, and not to put oo fine a point on it, what you're asking for is the opposite of gardening.

    i'd say your best bet is to just seek some recommendations locally to see if you can find any landscapers who would take the job on, who have been recommended.



  • #4
    NIMAN
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,917 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    Just my opinion, I have seen a remodel of a garden locally done with AstroTurf and it looks terrible.



  • #5
    hamburgham
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,179 ✭✭✭hamburgham


    So depressing. Getting rid of plants and grass to replace with plastic. Please reconsider.



  • #6
    rovers_runner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,787 ✭✭✭rovers_runner


    How about a gravel base and loads of plants in pots which can be swapped out and repositioned.

    Also allows for movement of garden furniture if tight for space. Bury the trampoline below ground level too if you are going to a landscaper.



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  • #7
    volchitsa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,208 ✭✭✭✭volchitsa


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123505091#Comment_123505091

    Yes, I've seen one or two as well, and except for the tinest "balcony" sized terrace, where it's more of a carpet really, it doesn't actually look very good except from far away, or possibly when brand new.

    How are you going to keep it clean? It's not quite like having an outdoor carpet, but it's not like grass either - it doesn't grow but you do need to remove anything that's spilled on it, just like a regular carpet. You need to brush regularly too, and remove leaves etc - anything organic can't be left to rot into it like grass.

    "If a woman cannot stand in a public space and say, without fear of consequences, that men cannot be women, then women have no rights at all." Helen Joyce



  • #8
    Guffy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,375 ✭✭✭Guffy


    I've just pulled up astro. It was grand for a year, maybe 2 but you'll end up having to replace it. Particularly if you have kids/pets.



  • #9
    Sadb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,161 ✭✭✭✭Sadb


    We put down Astro, (and it still looks great after 5 years) but only because our back yard was concrete. I personally would never take up grass to replace with Astro.

    Why do you want to take all the plants too? Isn’t that what makes a garden a garden? You could just have a few beds if you don’t want all plants.

    We did a job on ours 5 years ago and I still love it, I can’t help with costs though as my husband got the materials in work and we did the work ourselves.



  • #10
    volchitsa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,208 ✭✭✭✭volchitsa


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123505209#Comment_123505209

    Burying the trampoline sounds like a great idea - apart from the main point which of course is safety, they just don't look good in a small garden. (I'm assuming the garden isn't big if you're thinking of replacing it with fake grass.)

    "If a woman cannot stand in a public space and say, without fear of consequences, that men cannot be women, then women have no rights at all." Helen Joyce



  • #11
    Irish Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭Irish Gunner


    e3d12590-1839-491d-8190-29f0f8d7b51c.png

    Actually looking at it now think I will leave the fake Grass and keep some of the lawn and some plants. Also have a trampoline and would like to have a clothes line. Need a shed for storage bike, lawnmower also but possible as outside office but that depends on cost .
    Chat GP is good call so got a few ideas from that and google maps gave garden 34*22 ft size of garden. Image is what it came up with but image limit reached so need to amend it esp fire pit

    Dont plan to to it myself or is it best to get a landscape architect ? Also dont have side entrance so have to come over garage or through the house.Also some old paving to dig up and also some plants to get rid of as dont think we can keep any. Going to keep patch for herbs mint basil etc if we can. Not south facing so cant have lounge area right outside needs to be at the back of garden as sun there till 8 ish in the summer

    Might price landscaper and they may recommend someone get a ball park figure and work ffrom there

    https://www.dublinarsenal.com/



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  • #12
    volchitsa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,208 ✭✭✭✭volchitsa


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123509314#Comment_123509314

    Lounge deck at the back is fine if it's for sun: my sister and her fam have a layout a bit like that and it's lovely. You do need to make a small effort to use it, but they do use it.

    I see the fire pit is a completely different part of the garden though - would you eat over there or on the decking?

    The fire pit looks close to the trampoline, which is a bit iffy??

    "If a woman cannot stand in a public space and say, without fear of consequences, that men cannot be women, then women have no rights at all." Helen Joyce



  • #13
    Irish Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭Irish Gunner


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123509449#Comment_123509449

    Friend has similar lounge at back but he uses it a bit. If we had longer outside patio doors be a waste as no sun after 12

    Design is from chatgp so it put fire pit there but would like it up near lounge. It's not a necessity more of a nice to have depends on cost

    https://www.dublinarsenal.com/



  • #14
    volchitsa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,208 ✭✭✭✭volchitsa


    Yeah that's what I'd think. I'm not sure if you're abandoning the idea of fake grass altogether (I think so, but you said keep some of the lawn so I'm not 100% sure) but if you did want a section of fake grass, it could make sense to have a lowered trampoline and then put your fake grass, or other "play surface" - even better but likely more expensive? - around it.

    IMO fake grass looks ok in a small area if it's there for a reason - like a play area. I wouldn't have it as my only "grass" in a whole back yard. Just my own opinion obviously.

    But I've seen lowered trampolines and they look pretty cool IMO. Maybe too much expense for not enough use though?

    The other thing is, one of my sons did an exchange trip to a family in Germany who had a rectangular trampoline: he's quite sporty and he raved about it. And it's true that the proper sports ones are almost never round. So even if you don't dig down to build one, maybe look for the rectangular kind.

    "If a woman cannot stand in a public space and say, without fear of consequences, that men cannot be women, then women have no rights at all." Helen Joyce



  • #15
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 30,239 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Remember if you sink a trampoline you have to have drainage from it to a lower point, also you would want to be sure your water table is pretty far down.



  • #16
    BorneTobyWilde
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 38,267 ✭✭✭✭BorneTobyWilde


    maxresdefault.jpg

    Maybe build one of these as a center piece



  • #17
    Irish Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭Irish Gunner


    Messing with Ai and getting ideas and like this one which we like with possibly amendments

    Is it worth getting a landscape architect if we know what we want or can they say if it's possible and cost

    Can a gardener /installer tell us anything architect would?

    Gemini_Generated_Image_8ldmg18ldmg18ldm.jpeg

    https://www.dublinarsenal.com/



  • #18
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 30,239 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    You will need some sort of edging for the grass, or it will just disappear into the borders.

    I would suggest you lose about half of that flower border and make a raised bed of the rest. It will be much easier to look after.

    If you are having cushioned outdoor furniture make sure you have somewhere to store it, it takes up a lot of space. If you had the large seating section built from larch planks and something like bricks it would stand outside in the weather no problem and you just put cushions on it as necessary.



  • #19
    Madd002
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 455 ✭✭Madd002


    Look at recent series episode 5 of super garden on RTE Player hes the young lad,my favourite garden of the series especially when the gardens are similar in size, I think he's based in Dublin and has degrees, his was the most professional I thought, he didn't win but I'd say his phone is busy with people looking for him. Or you might just get some ideas from it 😊



  • #20
    Irish Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭Irish Gunner


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123512341#Comment_123512341

    Yes plan to remove plants at bottom of picture and those on the right reduce and just keep herb patch and then those in frong of the lounge area. Its just best one AI has come up with but we need some modifcaitons to suit what we need it for

    As for the seating yes need to see what is best and what can we store away

    https://www.dublinarsenal.com/



  • #21
    Xander10
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,849 ✭✭✭Xander10


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123512268#Comment_123512268

    Looks cool. Is that from a App I could use on my PC? Similarly, I am trying to overhaul back garden.



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  • #22
    Irish Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭Irish Gunner


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123522788#Comment_123522788

    Images used from ChatGP and Gemini AI just tell it what you want and load up image. Think its only limited to 3 images a day.

    Handy to get ideas and think we know what we want

    Also thinking of putting fake grass in around the trampoline and then keep real grass would that work or better to get Trampoline dug in to ground

    https://www.dublinarsenal.com/



  • #23
    rje66
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,355 ✭✭✭rje66


    Fake grass and curves become a very tricky project…..



  • #24
    Irish Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭Irish Gunner


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123525104#Comment_123525104

    Yep think that is out of the window

    Below seems best an move he trampoline up a bit and dig it into the ground

    Now to try and get quotes got this

    https://royalgardensdublin.ie/ and also need to check place locally whom paved our front garden. Also no side access so reading this will increase the price? Only way is through house or over the side office/garage and no through access here

    Think I might give a Garden Architect a miss but also need to look at drainage esp at the deck and paving so hopefully installer give us ideas

    Garden3.jpg

    https://www.dublinarsenal.com/



  • #25
    kippy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,400 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    Be prepared for some eye watering quotes.

    If you are anyway interested in doing a bit of learning and manual labour you'd do a lot of what you are looking for yourself.



  • #26
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 30,239 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    If there is no access other than through the house, the best you will be able to do for a digger will be one of those tiny ones that will go through a doorway - would it be a straight run through the house? And I doubt it would be practical to try and dig the trampoline hole with one of those, it would not have a long enough reach for a start. Where you have it placed, will it be right outside a window?



  • #27
    Irish Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭Irish Gunner


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123530316#Comment_123530316

    Only access is over the garage but would need a crane to get it over. Not straight run through via hallway and then vere right out to the back

    Trampoline trying to get dug in halfway up the garden to the right

    https://www.dublinarsenal.com/



  • #28
    LeoD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 826 ✭✭✭LeoD


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123512268#Comment_123512268

    Where is the house located - at the bottom of this image? Will the first thing you see when you look out from the house be a big trampoline?



  • #29
    Irish Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭Irish Gunner


    House at bottom maybe move trampoline up but keep it on the right side near shed

    https://www.dublinarsenal.com/



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