A key component in adding value to a property is by way of the gardens says horticultural and landscape consultant, Mark Brombal. Increased value will be achieved if the garden appears established.
A successful, attractive garden contains colour and texture. Colour can be achieved simply by combining complimentary foliage colour, while texture can be achieved through foliage contrast.
Some suggested filler plants with colour and texture features include:
- Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' - a classic
- New Zealand Flax - A hardy, colour/texture choice
- Dianella 'Border Silver' - Variegated foliage
- Lomandra 'Tanika' and 'Seascape' - Native, colour/texture choice
- Festuca glauca or Blue Fescue - Colour contrast/ foliage texture Glauca meaning silvery grey
Also for a freestanding property, a unique idea would be to create a car space that is installed into the lawn with turf paving. Off-street parking can add enormous value to a unique property, and in this way it can be achieved without upsetting the aesthetics of the garden.
There is a product called 'turf pave' that allows vehicles to drive onto the lawn without killing it; the sub-surface preparation allows the roots of the lawn to establish inside a durable, load bearing cell, which is manufactured in 500mm squares that clip together.
It costs around $1,000 for a 15m2 car space in the lawn, including product, turf underlay (sub surface drainage), lawn and labour, at product cost of $27/m2.
Mark Brombal is a property renovator and horticultural/landscape consultant with Lifestyles by Mark Brombal.