Author Topic: Landcaping ideas on a budget (Read 11274 times)

happy_pomelo · « **on:** March 22, 2010, 05:08:16 pm »

Hi people!

We recently moved to our new house and we're still recovering from the expenses.

Least of our priority is the rear lot (200 sq. m.) and it's a mess. The idea is to have additional 2-car garage with roof (to also serve as multi-purpose covered area) and a garden. I don't know where to start as I've been told it would probably take about P100k plus for this project. I'm hoping my 14 month old baby could have a place to frolic and play. I actually intended to celebrate her first birthday last January at home na kaso di pa tapos ang bahay nun. But looking at this mess, hindi talaga pwede.

mommy_cynch · « **Reply #1 on:** April 04, 2010, 10:01:37 pm »

I highly recommend you get a landscape contractor talaga, sayang naman kung basta basta lang ang landscape, ang ganda pa naman ng house mo.... if you want, i could recommend my contractor. medyo flexible naman sila sa pricing.... tapos napapakiusapan pa anytime na kelangan mo ng trabahador kahit di related sa landscaping or kung may gusto ka ipaayos....

happy_pomelo · « **Reply #2 on:** April 05, 2010, 06:47:36 am »

Thanks for taking time out to visit this thread and reply to my post.

Sige mommy_cynch, pa-PM ng contact details ng contractor mo. I truly appreciate it. I'll scout din naman later on. By the way, project is in Las Pinas ha.

By the way, I think you got a great deal sa house (and lot?) mo. The lot area is huge and for P2.6M, it's really a steal. Tiyagaan lang talaga sa paghahanap, and dapat hindi minamadali.

Keep us posted with your (and your son's) gardening.

Thanks again!

mommy_cynch · « **Reply #3 on:** April 05, 2010, 02:50:19 pm »

Yup house and lot na sya, lot area is 412 sqm and floor area of the house is 300 sqm (3 storeys kasi), around 100 sqm lang na occupy sa lot kaya laki ng garden ko. May maliit pa na structure sa gilid na pinaparent ko (iba ang entrance gate)...

I'll PM the contact details of my landscape contractor.... laguna based sila kaya ok lang las pinas....

aquacharly · « **Reply #4 on:** May 07, 2010, 04:43:56 pm »

Congratz! Pretty house. IMO, you will spend more than P100thou to have it landscaped.

Mind the drainage, and the lighting lay out... very expensive to re-do those things.

When you consider landscaping.. find a way to camouflage your water tank.
Also, what is that big structure to the left of your area when facing the rear of your house? Yours or your neighbor's? Treat that too parang hindi eyesore. If yours, the easiest thing to do if you aren't gonna demolish it is to let ivy creep all over it.. parang wherever you look later on, it is "green" Wait a month or so before you go into actual landscaping works.. too hot now.

You gonna put in a pool?
Have some water feature .. it will make your garden more interesting.

happy_pomelo · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2010, 01:12:29 am »

Thanks Aquacharly!

That's what I've been told, allot more than P100k for landscaping, with truckloads of garden soil as one of the requirements. Eeeeek! That's why I'm researching the best suppliers, meaning pinakamura. For now, I'm working on a lesser budget.

That structure you're referring to is actually our wall. This backyard used to be the extension of our old house which we had demolished. Hence, you'll notice the irregularly shaped walls. And I agree, medyo eyesore sya and had to be "downlighted" as with the water tank and pressure tank housing. A pool might be too hard to maintain. Small household lang kami Aquacharly, and we have very few relatives to invite over.

We'll start the landscaping towards the end of May, nearing the rainy season. I hope. (Our weather now is so unpredictable!). My contractor also just finished his house and had his front yard landscaped - poor plants namatay sa sobrang init! $:-\$

aquacharly · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2010, 10:02:42 am »

There is a Game Plan you can start off with now.

Get a landscape architect to draw up a plan for you. Do not get a contractor's plan... dyan ma isahan ka kasi they maximize their sales so kahit na hindi kailangan or will not survive in your yard due to the orientation and existing adjacent properties... saksak lang ng saksak and you will end up with ugly plants n 6 months.

Or, better still, if you have friends with gardens you like -- who will let you busisi their gardens -- go and look these over. Take pictures, specially mind the practical details... like drainage, lighting, etc. That way you can give the landscape architect a better idea of what you want.

The blueprint is worth the PF you pay for. It is complete ha... from drainage to lighting to the kind of plants (including height of plants and no. of plants) you will put in. elevations too are included, lahat.. as in, puede mo na implement in stages.

aquacharly · « **Reply #7 on:** May 08, 2010, 10:30:30 am »

This hot season, you can start with the garden base... soil additions, placement, finalization of elevations, etc.. including of course the drainage and electrical lay outs.

Tapos lagyan mo na ng grass. Like golf course grass, it will thrive in this hot weather... Basta you have it drenched dilig before 830AM; and then again in the afternoon... pagnaka singaw na the heat. Do not water in the afternoon while mainit pa or the grass feels hot to the touch.

Just those works will give you a lot of return per peso investment. It is gonna be a big deal for you all to have that wide green expanse. Saka mo na utay utayin the rest of the plants.

I forgot... have metal works fabricated to encase the water tank... you can ask your landscape architect what to do about it. Or, kaya mo yan... just think it out including the practical considerations required for cleaning and maintenance. I have seen some tanks encased in trellis like metal works tapos pinagapangan nang creeping plants.

Work on it soonest coz well, the experts say that in terms of per peso investment, it is the garden that gives the best bang per buck.

Yours has the added advantage of space/size. Open space is the new luxury feature nowadays, remember that.

happy_pomelo · « **Reply #8 on:** May 08, 2010, 10:53:14 pm »

^ I didn't know that landscaping entails this much work but holds that much return! And I thought makapahinga muna ako after the construction.

Thanks for all your inputs Aquacharly! Di lang pang interior (home management), pang exterior pa! LOL!

I actually wanted a space where we can hold my daughter's first birthday party last January but during that time construction was still on going. So we had to forego the party-party and settled for a simple family meal lang. I've lowered my standards na, I'm just looking forward to put to use our old garden sets and picnic tables.

aquacharly · « **Reply #9 on:** May 09, 2010, 12:19:39 am »

Do not lower your standards... put it this way: Timing Timing lang yan lahat.

ms_kitkat · « **Reply #10 on:** May 13, 2010, 12:05:20 pm »

mga sisses, pa-share naman the contact details of your landscape contractors/artists.

thanks po!

happy_pomelo · « **Reply #11 on:** May 14, 2010, 11:43:29 pm »

^This is an ongoing project for me. I'll give feedback (supplier and designer - buzzkill, as you recommended) as soon as we've finished.

lovemyself · « **Reply #12 on:** May 16, 2010, 05:26:52 am »

kaylangan talaga ng landscaping contractor?! i mean hindi ba pwede lets say meron mahilig mag gardening sa family eh sya nalang? hehe. i mean with the drainage and the lighting, is it really that complicated?

btw, parang magandang may swing sa ilalim ng puno mo sis

masarap magstay dun

happy_pomelo · « **Reply #13 on:** May 16, 2010, 05:37:39 am »

^I came across a Sulit ad for a 9-seater swing for P50,000.00!!! Oh my!

I guess the requirements would depend on the scale of the project.

lovemyself · « **Reply #14 on:** May 16, 2010, 07:24:31 pm »

^haha! that's almost half the cost of your entire landscaping! hehe. for me ok na yung 2 seater na made of wood. sweet and romantic ang dating

mommy_cynch · « **Reply #15 on:** June 03, 2010, 05:12:26 pm »

ms_kitkat: my landscape contractors are: Eugene, Mang Pabs and Chito. They worked as a team. Their contract numbers are:

Eugene - 09175119850
Mang Pabs - 09193733218
Chito - 09178240602

Mababait sila and they will help you maintain the garden even after matapos ang landscaping...

aquacharly · « **Reply #16 on:** June 03, 2010, 08:46:41 pm »

Quote from: lovemyself on May 16, 2010, 05:26:52 am

kaylangan talaga ng landscaping contractor?! i mean hindi ba pwede lets say meron mahilig mag gardening sa family eh sya nalang? hehe. i mean with the drainage and the lighting, is it really that complicated?

btw, parang magandang may swing sa ilalim ng puno mo sis masarap magstay dun

If you have a family member who is a rabid or dedicated gardener willing to pour time and effort into it all... suerte mo.
But let us put it this way... my [textspeak!] at one time was so engrossed in gardening... he did a SIL's garden, and accdg to my SIL nakakainip kasi hindi puede rush her dad, hindi puedeng pintasan or magreklamo ... etc.. and since her dad brought over his also aging gardneers... hindi nya matulak to work faster.

Lighting and drainage can be nonexistent or just pa oido oido ...but ...
It is good to have a good plan to start with, and expert advice. You can implement in stages, timing timing nga... It is gonna be wasteful if after time and money spent, you are not satisfied with your garden.

For people with garden areas... keep in mind that you have an advantage over most people now. So make the most of that asset.

happy_pomelo · « **Reply #17 on:** June 06, 2010, 05:02:27 am »

Mommy_cynch,

How much is the daily rate for your contractors? Although I'm done with the first half of my project, I'd like to compare rates sana for the next half.

TIA!

mommy_cynch · « **Reply #18 on:** June 06, 2010, 05:32:24 am »

Pakyaw sila. Although with the maintenance, electrical needs, they provide me with workers (300-350 per day). medyo napapagastos lang ako kasi if wala silang lakad papuntang manila, ako ang sasagot ng fare from laguna to pasig... ngayon, may pumupunta na lang na tao nila 2x a month to maintain the garden.

msals2007 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 11, 2010, 03:41:45 pm »

Wow sis ganda naman ng house mo and sobrang laki ng space for the garden. Parang naiimagine ko na pag okay na landscaping mo, ang ganda ganda siguro lalo na ang laki ng space.

I also want to have a beautiful, big garden of our own kaya lang mahal kasi ng lote eh kaya maliit lang space namin for the garden. Plan ko din before mag palandscape kaya lang medyo naging tight ang budget kasi nagpagawa nga kami ng bahay. Buti na lang mahilig mag gardening ang mother ko so madami na kaming plants ngayon. Yun nga lang hindi kasing ganda ng mga landscaped garden. Saka mga halaman naming may papaya, malunggay, oregano, etc, hindi yung usual na ornamental plants that I see in gardens. Plan ko mag add ng mga flowering plants hopefully this month. Tapos may medyo malaking vacant space pa kami na medyo mabato kaya gusto kong lagyan ng grass. Start ko project ko this month. Ano kayang magandang grass for the garden?

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Author Topic: Landcaping ideas on a budget (Read 11274 times)