How do I get started ???
STEP 1 : Contact Us
After you read the following steps ,fill in the form at the bottom of this page or go to the contact us link in the title bar to start your journey right, chat to Louise to book in a time that suits.
STEP 2 : Ask for a Design
Its hard to not be swept away by the beautiful gardens found in glossy coffee table books when you are sitting in your overgrown backyard surrounded by weeds, and its even harder to remember that the look and feel is all down to design and planning around your individual needs and tastes before the earthmoving equipment even arrives…..
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Good design is led by function and the needs of the users over time. Good design will take into account the existing constraints, current and future use, maintenance and also budget.
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Our designs can include a complete 3D flythrough of your new area down or a basic planting plans with species info and reference pictures, 3D drawings of features, surface layouts or detail drawings to suit your specific design.
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the next steps ensure you get the design that suits you
STEP 3 : Think how will you use your garden ?
The most important thing to think about is; what you would like to use the garden for. The list is endless; so think about the general uses you require so that we can try to fit all into your design. We will discuss most of this on site with you but a few things to consider, to get you started are…
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Do you use it for family gatherings or entertainment. If so what is the minimum and maximum number of people you would like to be able to accommodate?
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Do you have children, or the possibility of having children in the future?
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What is the age/access requirements for the users of the garden?
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Is the garden required to have a space for quiet relaxing by yourself with a book?
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Is the garden for street appeal or more for practical use?
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write all these things down for our initial consultation, the more info you give us on how you would like to use the area the better the garden and pool area will suit your lifestyle and your future needs for the space
STEP 4: What style of garden do you like?
This is the exciting bit; deciding how you would like your garden to look and feel. Do you prefer cutting edge modern lines with sharp angles and structural plants or soft flowing curves and weeping delicate foliage? A traditional formal style with symmetry, hedges and traditional elements such as fountains or a more natural style landscaping with a “I just walked into natural bushland” feel? Or a tropical lush green feel, or Desert feel as on your last holiday to “insert location here”…?
Even if you do not know what your style is called, in our experience, the best way to communicate this to us, is by putting together a virtual/digital “scrap book” of pictures, with little notes on each pic like “I like the pathway in this one” or ” I like the look of the plants in this one”. This eliminates the need to be an expert gardener that knows the correct names of each plants and will let us know your ideal concept or overall feel…
STEP 5: What is your budget?
Whilst the question of budget is always a difficult one, if you are unsure of the cost of landscaping it is best to give some thought to the maximum investment you are willing to spend on the project. Budget is usually the limiting factor to any project and whilst you are unsure of the cost of landscaping, you probably know what is the upper limit of what you want to spend.
We realise why most people chase a quote; because they need an idea of cost and people are reluctant to name a figure. We find a lot of people underestimate the true cost of landscaping and their wish list exceeds what they can spend.
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You will get the best value for money by being upfront with your budget, as we can then squeeze as much of your wish list as we can into it.
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As a guide the Landscape Association of suggest an average budget of approx. 10% of the value of your property to soft landscape the outdoor space. It is best to use this as a minimum budget as freight may be a factor. This figure is used as a basic guide for a comprehensive garden and therefore, extra/luxury items like pools, outdoor kitchens and shade structures and extensive paving and retaining would be in addition to this.
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We can discuss the wish list of what you are after and let you know some very rough ballpark figures whilst onsite to help you make a decision. It is best to have a budget in mind, whether that figure changes after initial onsite consult, as it is important to be realistic on outlay as this affects the design options/suggestions and ultimately the final product.
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Bloomin Deserts prefers to produce a design that suits your budget rather than design a beautiful garden that is not achievable for you. Even if your dream garden does not fit into your current budget we can look at stages of construction or DIY parts of works to achieve the end result you are after.
STEP 6: Accept the things you cannot change!
Some things in your garden you may need to keep, like buildings or existing trees.
Some things in your property can not be built on or planted on, such as easements and existing services.
Some things in your existing gardens may be required to be keep if your budget does not allow, such as replacement of concrete driveways or sheds.
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In these instances it is better to accept the things you cannot change (Yes, just like the saying) so that you can focus your efforts on getting the most out of your budget for the things you do want.
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For example don’t spend $45,000 on removal, disposal and replacement of a driveway and shed to a different location if that is better put towards a new pool. Remember, you cant swim in a new concrete driveway.
STEP 7: Specific Inclusions
Decide what specific inclusions are on your wish list separate to the general garden use considerations and the overall feel of the garden, it is good to get a wish list together of specific inclusions and rough priorities. Start with practical areas like clothesline, area for garden shed, car parking and disability access then move on to features like pools, plunge pools, spas, fire pit, lawn, sandpit, pizza oven, entertainment units etc, etc
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As can be seen, the list is endless…but if you prioritise these, then it will be much easier for us to give you your ultimate garden. write these down for your consultation!
STEP 8: Think about maintenance of your new area
Last, but definitely not least, work out what time you are willing to spend in the garden maintaining it. Some garden styles require more maintenance, so your garden style or what you would like, will depend on what maintenance you can do or pay someone to do for you.
In most cases we can choose plants for most style gardens to keep maintenance down but some styles are more maintenance heavy
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High maintenance features include hedges, lawns and topiary. These are found in more traditional formal style gardens
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Low maintenance features include natural bush style gardens and paved surfaces. Pools can be surprisingly low maintenance with the advances in automatic PH dosing technology, automatic refilling, automatic covers and cleaning robots. just ask us the options for easy maintenance on your pool quote.
STEP 9: Same as step 1, contact Us
Contact us
11 George Crescent, Ciccone
Alice Springs, servicing Alice Springs and Townsville
we are not sitting in the office, we are out creating stunning outdoor spaces so email or call is the best option to get in contact with us
(08) 89 530 655