What products and materials go into our landscapes?

When looking to build a new yard, we realise that you as a homeowner really have no idea what landscaping products you are paying for. Yes, you get a design and a big breakdown of labour, materials and costs. You will probably get a big discussion about ‘how’ it is done, time frames etc.

But wouldn’t it be nice to know what products or materials we are using.

Below is a detailed breakdown for all the different aspects of a ‘Creative By Design’ landscape, to give you better piece of mind, as to what you are really paying for.

Paving Stone Driveway’s, Walkway’s, Patio’s and Brick edges:

Roman Pavers Installation: 4-6″(walkways/patio’s), 12″ plus (driveway) soaked compacted crush base, 1/2″ 3mm sand, polymeric-sand tamped finish, edges concreted for additional strength. The Roman Paver is our most popular hardscaping paver. It is a permeable paver that whilst being a manufactured product still holds on to the Old world appeal. With its handcrafted ‘tumbled’ appearance, it is easy to get the old country aesthetics with a modern solution. This product is available in several different colours:

• Charcoal

• Antique Brown

• Desert Buff

• Old Town

• Sierra Grey

All colors are available in four sizes: 4×8, 6×8, 10×8, 12×8 as well as a circle kit. This product works well with the Quarry Wall Stone which has some very similar colors for continuity. Also with this paver being without side ridges, and color all the way through the paver, it makes them a great product for steps, caps and raised edges.

Block Walls

Quarry Stone Wall Blocks Installation: 12-16” soaked compacted crush base, 6-12″ compacted crush backing with fabric and drainage, rows glued, geo-grid used if necessary. May be backed in concrete when used to support a patio or paver walkway. Cap options available if required.  The Quarry Stone Wall blocks are one of our most popular wall block building product. It ties in nicely with the Roman paving stone product. it has a handcrafted ‘tumbled’ appearance, giving an old country feel. This product is available in several different colors:

• Charcoal

• Antique Brown

• Desert Buff

• Old Town

• Sierra Grey

All colours are available in four sizes: 4×12 standard, 4×12 radius, 4×4, 4×8 radius This is great material for creating retaining walls around your yard. It can be used for steps as well as well as walls to give continuity to the hardscaping in your landscaping.

Other options in wall building that we offer: 4×6 or 6×6 pressure treated wood, rundle or kendle ledge 6-8″ flagstone.

Flagstone patio’s, walkways and stepping stones

Flagstone Installation: 5” soaked compacted crush base, 1″ crushed rundle, polymeric-sand/rock  finish, edges concreted for additional strength. When it comes to flagstone, there are several different choices, depending on your application and environment. Flagstone comes in several thicknesses, usually for patio’s, walkways and stepping stones, it is best to go with 1-2″ minimum. Some of the types of flagstone are:

• Rundle (grey)

• West Coast Brown (varying browns with hints of white/cream)

• Rocky Mountain Quartz (light brown and grey with high reflective qualities)

• Kendall Ledge (dark brown and dark grey, with high rust veins)

This is great product for creating natural hardscapes around you yard, can be bought in varying thickness and sizes including oversize pieces on some types. If being used for patio, then usually placed together with least gaps possible, to prevent chair leg and high heel problems. Please note: Flagstone is not ‘barefoot friendly‘, should be cautious when used near pools, hot tubs etc or around young children. May cause injuries on sharp edges.

Soil

Nutri-Loam Installation: 4″ depth (lawn), 12″ plus depth (planting beds). Planting beds graded with slight high center and edges prepped 2 inches lower than hard-surfaces ready for mulch finish. Lawn graded flat with slight slope for drainage (usually 1-2%). Nutri-loam is high quality soil for a top quality landscape. It is a mix of: 10% sand, 40% peat moss, 50% compost and mulch. When it comes to creating a landscape, using top quality soil will benefit at many different levels;

• It contains NO weed seeds

• Well-draining soil, which is great for plants and turf

High organic content, with very little clay With this blend of soil, your landscape will thrive for many years to come. High Clay content leads to poor drainage and slow plant growth. We believe that by using top quality, well draining premium soil, you get a better landscape all round.

Premium Turf

Premium Dream Turf Installation: Turf rolled out in rows, on graded soil and fertilized to increase establish rate. Premium Dream Kentucky Blue Grass is a Gold Tag certified product to show its purity. This turf blend is a carefully blended mix of 95% Kentucky bluegrass blend of

• Turf

• Nu Destiny

• Everest

• Midnight

• Nu Glade 5% Red fescue blend of

• Audubon creeping fescue

• J-5 Chewing fescue This turf is a dense blend that is mowable at between ½” to 3”

Irrigation Systems

Fully Automated Irrigation Systems Installation: All pipes to buried at minimum of 4-6″, heads spaced according to head specifications. Lawns, beds, pots and veggie gardens  to be on separate zones, valve-box to situated in ideal accessible location, with shutoff and blowout connection installed on mainline for winterization. Clock to be mounted in central location, or in mechanical room. We specialize in creating a fully customized irrigation system only using top brands from leading irrigation companies such as Rainbird, Toro, Irritrol and Hunter. Our systems include:

• Irrigation heads (Rotors, Sprays, Microjets, Drip)
• Valves (complete with manifold)
• Valve Boxes
• Mainline Shut-off and blow out connection
• Automatic Irrigation Controller
• Pipe (poly or pvc)
• Wire and Gel Marrets

Fittings as your system requires Our systems are built with you in mind. This means we under slightly under capacity the zones so you can make minor adjustments with least cost in years to come. We do this because plants grow and things change, this means irrigation heads need to be moved and sometimes added. With a zone that is running a max capacity, you can’t do this and still have a 100% effective system without a huge renovation. We also install conduits under hardscapes (when possible) to reduce landscape repair costs in future renovations. We offer full installations and existing renovations, along with designs and consults. We are also Irrigation Certified.

Landscape Lighting

Fully Automated Low-Voltage Lighting Systems Installation: Wire run at same depth as irrigation. Lights built as per Kichler specifications. All connections marreted with gel marrets. Light spikes buried to grade to ensure fixed solid positioning. Clock to be mounted in central location or in mechanical room next to irrigation clock. We specialize in creating a fully customized lighting package only using the best from the leading lighting specialist ‘Kichler’ Our packages can include:

• Pathway lights
• Directional Spotlights
• Down lights (for steps and walls)
• Up lights (for featuring rocks trees and shrubs)
• Automatic lighting Controller

Wire and Gel Marrets Our systems are also built, with you in mind. This means when we run our wire, we take a look at where lights are as well as where they’re not. during the process of installing a new landscape, it is easier to leave loops for later lights now, than tear up the landscape later. We find by doing this it saves you money in the future.  We also run wire in  conduits under hardscapes (when possible) to reduce landscape repair costs in future renovations. We offer full installations and existing renovations, along with designs and consults.

Drainage

Drainage Systems Installation: All pipes to be run with sufficient grade, to allow water to be dealt with effectively. Pipes to buried at 6-8″ below grade, or at a depth not to hinder effectiveness.   When it comes to your landscape, one of the first and main things to take into consideration is the drainage. This includes downspouts as well as surface water. Making sure all and any water runs away from your home is a big factor in your landscaping. Our systems include:

Big ‘o’ pipe

PVC pipe

Drain boxes

French Drains

Retaining wall Drainage

Driveway Grates All of these need to be factored into any landscape, so as to effectively deal with any excess water. Sometimes drainage can be dealt with by grading surfaces to slope any given direction, but it also sometimes requires more in-depth measures. This is when a drainage system needs to be installed for things like downspouts and rainwater.

Big ‘o’ system

Big ‘o’ is a 4 inch corrugated black pipe usually used to direct downspout water. Fittings are slip on and taped into place. More runs of pipe required if more than two downspouts are on the side of house.

A single 4″ big ‘o’ will only effectively work for 2 downspouts at a time.

Due to the corrugations in the pipe, the water is slow to fill and exit the pipe.

Can be unsightly, when above ground attaching to downspout.

Weak structure to run under hardscapes.

Slip on fittings are taped, which can sometimes leak.

PVC system

PVC is a white plastic pipe, this product comes in a range of sizes and fittings. Can be sized according to number of downspouts allowing for more downspouts on on run of pipe.

With the pipe being smooth, it allows water to be directed quicker to exit location.

Stronger  design, allowing for pipe to be run under hardscapes ie driveway, walkways etc.

Rigid pipe, making for  a more complicated costly system, despite being a better product.

Connections can be slip on, or glued. Glued fittings have less tendency to leak but cannot be unattached after they’re fixed.

Plants, Trees, Shrubs and Perennials and annuals Installation: 

Each plant planted with love and care to ensure survivability. Rootballs scarified to ensure growth into new landscape, and watered to make for a happy plant.  

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