In over 20 years as a landscaper in Perth, the most critical first step insisted upon for new garden projects is conducting thorough site and soil assessments. Their importance before breaking ground on any landscape transformation should never be underestimated! Proper analysis determines everything from layout and drainage to nutrition and irrigation needs. Ignoring it often leads to problems. Let’s explore essential factors so gardens start strong.
Assessing site conditions
Carefully evaluate current site elements impacting proposed garden beds, lawns or features. This includes:
- Sunlight access – observe patterns across the site throughout days and seasons. Choose plants suited for shade, part-sun or full exposure areas accordingly.
- Drainage and erosion issues – Check for pooling water or runoff indicating poor drainage. Address potential erosion problems on slopes before designing beds.
- Access and circulation – Understand traffic flow and entry points to determine bed placements and required hardened surfaces like paths.
- Views and privacy – Maximise appealing views in design while using planting, screens or fences to boost privacy where needed.
- Existing vegetation – Work around or incorporate any established plants worth retaining into the layout.
- Built elements – Account for current or planned structures like sheds, pools, retaining walls, shelters, outdoor kitchens etc.
Conducting thorough site analysis upfront is strongly advised to avoid costly problems later.
Soil assessment essentials
Soil forms the very foundation that landscapes depend upon. Treat it as such by testing these key factors before finalising any garden or lawn plans:
- Fertility – Laboratory soil tests measure nutrient levels and composition like organic matter, pH, salinity, major nutrients and micronutrients. This shows amendments needed for planting beds to thrive.
- Texture – Clay, sand and silt percentages impact drainage, water retention and root growth. I adjust soil imports and amendments accordingly.
- Structure – The arrangement of particles indicates tilth and oxygen for healthy roots. Poor structure requires addition of organic matter like compost.
- Depth – Shallow soils may mean raised garden beds or deeper topsoil importation is necessary before planting.
Get professional soil assessments done. It makes an incredible difference in the time, work and sustained outcomes from garden installations compared to just ‘winging it’ based on assumptions.
Elaborating on site analysis:
- Provide specific examples of sun/shade patterns to observe and how that impacts plant selections.
- Discuss grading considerations to improve drainage – when to use swales, catchment terraces, or drainage pipe systems.
- Look at pathways and hardscaping materials – pros and cons of wood chips, gravel, pavers, poured concrete.
- Address view maximisation through “borrowed landscape” techniques like strategic limbing, screens, focal points.
Expanding soil discussions:
- Explain different soil testing methodology like jars, probes, lab analyzation. When each is appropriate.
- List ideal pH, nutrient, and organic matter levels for vibrant gardens along with correction techniques.
- Compare the properties of different imported soil blends to use as amendments.
- Go over soil preparation procedures prior to planting – tilling, loosening, blending fertilisers.
Conclusion
Site and soil analysis takes some investment of effort upfront. However after 21 years consulting on Perth gardens, we assure you this pays back exponentially in time and money saved down the track. It simply sets the stage for landscape success instead of preventable frustrations or failures. Let our team handle these assessments and translate the insights into practical garden plans suited to your unique property conditions. Then put your feet up while we handle the rest! Why gamble with guesswork when professional site and soil appraisals set up gardens for flourishing beauty?
