Landscape planning for a future-proof garden

Key overview: Landscape planning for a well-performing garden

• Inspect the landscape location. Look at where drainage and retaining walls need to be and which plants will thrive in the local climate.
• Talk through practicalities with your client. Be honest so you can balance their vision with landscaping design decisions that will make things easier for them to look after.
• Map out the infrastructure. Think about landscape access and servicing as well as optimal drainage design and irrigation options.
• Look ahead and plan plants and trees to see how they will mature and behave in the future so the plants fit with the infrastructure.
• Design and build to your client’s abilities and appetite for landscape maintenance.

Tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves and a mask, for example) when required on the job. Always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

Many landscaping clients think about how they want their garden to look first and foremost: which plants, what colour flowers and where they might add a water feature. That’s great, but it’s only part of the story. To bring that garden to life, there are a lot of considerations to make behind the scenes to ensure it’s not only picture perfect but practical. That means future-proofing for maintenance.

“For a garden to work, you have to think about how the space will grow, be used and maintained,” Bunnings Landscape Specialist Andrew Denman says. “Get that right and the landscaping will not only look great, but its performance, maintainability and lifecycle cost will be better.”

The customer will still get what they want, landscape designer Brodie Young adds – plus a lot more that they might not even realise they need. “They’ll have a space to enjoy for years,” he says.

Keep these five points in mind when you’re helping make your client’s garden dreams come true.

Why you need to inspect the site first

It might seem obvious, but taking the time to check the location can quickly tell you where drainage needs to go and how existing plants or landscape will affect what can be added.

“The local climate will tell you what plants you can use, the slope might dictate where a retaining wall has to go and even soil conditions – not something that’s particularly glamorous – has to be checked to ensure that what you plant will thrive,” Andrew says.

And that retaining wall? “You can put your drainage behind it and why not use it for a fire pit?” Brodie adds.

How to balance practicality with landscape specifications from your client

You have the client brief, you know the type of drainage that’s needed and what will actually grow. Now it’s time to start an honest conversation with your client.

“A homeowner might have their heart set on a plant or design and completely disregard whether it’s appropriate,” Andrew says. “You have to be responsible and push back to give them the reality of the situation.”

Think laterally and you can present a design they’ll love and that will be easier to look after long-term. That might mean grouping plants with similar water needs so they can run on separate irrigation zones, or tweaking the layout to give easy access to maintenance equipment. Even small decisions, such as keeping irrigation valves and filters accessible, can save headaches once your planting fills out.

“Make sure you can access everything you will need to, not just now but when plants have grown,” Brodie advises. “There’s never been a problem that can’t be solved if you take the time to think about it at the start.”

How to think about infrastructure for optional landscape planning

Look at the big picture to plan what goes where, the experts say. Think about how the landscape will need to be accessed and serviced later, too. A retaining wall or garden bed may look right on the plan, but not if it cuts off the only practical route to the back of the property.

“I’ve seen sheds that block backyards and a retaining wall that completely shut off access to half the property,” Andrew says. “So choose the right spots. And while draining or irrigation is probably considered a little bit boring because it’s invisible, if you make an investment in that early, you’re going to have far fewer problems down the track.”

Even better, says Brodie, use the infrastructure to map out what’s going on above ground. “Putting drains under a path means you know where they are, so you don’t hit them when you’re digging in the future.”

Tip: Contact Dial Before You Dig (1100.com.au) to check the location of underground pipes, cables and utilities and avoid damaging them.

How to plant for landscaping maintainability

• Design to mature size, not nursery size, Andrew says. “It’s very common to see something on a TV show where they plan so the garden looks great straightaway. In reality, it’ll turn into a jungle – you’ll have a lot of work before long to rectify.”
• Check the plant’s mature spread, root behaviour and pruning requirements against your plan for paths, retaining walls, fences and services. A tree that technically ‘fits’ at planting can create years of pruning or root-management work if its natural form conflicts with the space.
• Approach the space holistically, Brodie advises. “Layer your plants so you have small ground covers at the front of a garden bed, medium shrubs and then your taller mature trees behind. That way you’ll get a balance, you can see all the plants and you can access them all for weeding or pruning.”

Tips to design for streamlined landscape maintenance

Good design and quality systems can streamline maintenance jobs for the long-term. Think about how lawns will be mown and hedges pruned, and avoid awkward corners, inaccessible planting or infrastructure that will need to be dug up later.

Specify systems and materials – like weed mats, mulch and automated irrigation – for their whole lifecycle, not just installation, and make sure anything that will eventually need cleaning or servicing can be reached easily.

Just as importantly, build to your client’s abilities and appetite for maintenance, Andrew adds.

“You need to know what their appetite for gardening maintenance is,” he says. “Some people love it and want to be out there in all their spare time; other people not so much. You’re going to need to design a different style of garden for them both.”

The final word, Andrew says, is that the best landscapes aren’t just designed to look good on day one – they’re designed to keep working well for years to come. For advice on landscape planning, construction materials and solutions that support long-term performance, speak to a Bunnings Trade Landscape Specialist.

Looking for more ideas to help your clients achieve their vision?

Check out our article on how to improve your landscape design projects.

Frequently asked questions

What should you check before finalising a landscape design?

Check the local climate, soil conditions, slope, existing vegetation, access and likely drainage requirements. The design should also account for where infrastructure will sit and whether it can still be reached once plants mature.

How do you know whether a landscape will be easy to maintain?

Test the plan against the work the finished landscape will require. Check whether there’s practical access for mowing, pruning, weeding, irrigation servicing and moving equipment through the site.

Why should plants be planned at their mature size?

Plants that fit neatly at installation may outgrow their position and interfere with paths, fences, retaining walls or services. Checking mature spread, root behaviour and pruning requirements can reduce avoidable maintenance and rework.

Where should drainage and irrigation access points be placed?

Place valves, filters, drains and other serviceable components where they can be found and reached after planting fills out. Avoid layouts that hide infrastructure beneath inaccessible areas or block the only practical route to it.

How do you match a landscape design to the client’s maintenance expectations?

Ask how much time and effort the client realistically wants to spend on gardening and upkeep. Use that answer to guide planting density, pruning requirements, lawn areas, irrigation and the accessibility of features that need regular attention.