Leave it to the experts

We've found it impossible to get anywhere with our landscaping. Either we don't have time on the weekends, or the weather is against us.... So we decided to call in some expert help and get some quotes from landscapers. We're thinking at a minimum, we'll ask for our paving to be done, plus a landscape design for the whole area, which we can carry out in stages. But depending on how the cost fits with our budget, we may get the whole thing done.

Today we're expecting the first guy to come and have a look at what we need done. With that in mind, I thought I'd better put my file of magazine pictures to good use and sort through them to come up with a vague design brief. After all, how do you design something for someone, when they have no idea what they want?

This lot (plus a rough plan of what we want to go where) should give him something to start with:

Seems I had enough pictures to cover the dining table...and I left a lot out.



Some ideas for our Balinese "bus shelter" (we don't have room for a proper-sized hut):



Built-in seating would be nice. Dreaming, maybe...



The kind of planting effects I'm going for:



We need a path along the side of the house. I'm thinking lush plantings and pavers in gravel:



Also some paving under the clothesline, but I want to break it up with mondo grass:



And we both agree that a feature wall is a must-have. Stackstone? Decking timber? Rendered? Water feature? Garden art? So many choices...



I feel as though we have something useful to present now - and I got to have some fun with scissors and glue. :)