Going the extra yard for first impressions

There’s a lot to consider when planning to landscape your garden –whether you pave it, cover it with lawn or spruce it up with some low-care succulents, your home’s outdoor spaces can set the tone for its interior.

New Homes spoke to Dorrington Homes Managing Director Chris Dorrington about how to create outdoor appeal for your new build.

“By landscaping the front yard, in particular, you’re improving the whole home’s aesthetic presence,” he said.

“Landscaping any property that we build allows the house to be finished off correctly.”

According to Mr Dorrington, the garden spaces of the home should be considered at the start of the building planning process.

“We do a landscape design when we’re creating the design of the property,” he said.

“This landscape design is relatively broad, but what it does show are the locations of the gardens, pools and shapes of paths.

“As the process unfolds we involve our landscaping team and they advise on reticulation, garden lighting, planting and the best plant species for the location.”

Along with planning what your front garden will look like, some homebuilders may want to consider the possibilities of their front verge too.

“The council determines what you can and can’t do on the verge and those regulations vary from council to council, so we definitely follow their regulations when it comes to that area of design,” Mr Dorrington said.

Councils such as the City of Perth allow homeowners to install natural lawn, reticulation and low-growing waterwise verge gardens without permission, provided the verge guidelines have been considered to ensure there will be no vehicular and pedestrian interference.

Items that protrude above the natural level of the verge or inorganic mulches such as gravel crushed brick or rock, however, are not permitted.

“It’s important to read up on what is permitted for the certain area of your build if you’re looking to make changes to the verge,” Mr Dorrington said.

As for what’s popular in landscape garden design, Mr Dorrington said many clients were looking to be more mindful of the environment and their water consumption.

“I do get a general consensus that clients want to be waterwise with their landscaping selection,” he said.

“That’s a big trend where people are thinking about that in the whole landscaping process at the moment.”

Dorrington Homes recently completed a custom build in the northern coastal suburbs with a contemporary Hamptons-inspired front garden.

The quintessential style has a mix of lush green lawn, neat mass planting and the addition of a white picket fence for a striking boundary and great privacy.

“We used a timber picket fence around the front to reflect the Hamptons style,” Mr Dorrington said.

“We also included lawn, small plants that will grow into hedges and a string of plants along the driveway, too.

“Usually clients have a feature plant in mind – whether that be in the front garden or the back.

“In this custom build we kept the lemon tree in the backyard. During the whole build we protected it, pruned it and shaped it – making it a feature.”

CONTACT Dorrington Homes, 0488 330 886, www.dorringtonhomes.com.au