Garden Renovation in Ireland: Process, Timeline & What to Expect

Renovating a garden can mean very different things depending on what is already there.

For some gardens the whole space needs to be reconsidered, the layout, patio, paths, levels, lawn, trees and planting.

For others the structure of the garden is already working well and the biggest difference can be made through better planting, trees, hedging, screening and lawn.

At LandArt we work on both types of garden renovation.

This guide explains the garden renovation process, what to expect, how long the different stages can take and some of the things worth considering before you start.

Complete Design, Build & Planting

A complete renovation is appropriate when the garden needs to be redesigned as a whole.

This can include:

• Garden design
• Groundworks and drainage
• Patios and paving
• Paths and steps
• Changes in levels
• Garden lighting
• Irrigation
• Lawns
• Trees and hedging
• Complete planting schemes

With this type of project, we design the hard landscaping and planting together so that the finished garden feels like one complete space.

Planting Renovation

Not every garden needs extensive building work.

Sometimes a client already has a perfectly good patio or other hard landscaping, but the garden feels bare, unfinished or lacking privacy.

This is particularly common with new build homes or after a house extension, where the patio outside the house may already be installed but very little has been done with the rest of the garden.

A planting renovation can include:

• Mature trees
• Privacy screening
• Hedging
• New planting beds
• Reworking existing beds
• Soil preparation and improvement
• New lawns
• Complete planting schemes

This can completely change how a garden looks and feels without the cost or disruption of replacing good hard landscaping.

Where Should You Start With a Garden Renovation?

What works? What doesn't? And what do you actually want the garden to do for you?

Think about how you would like to use the space, where you naturally sit, where you need privacy, what you see from inside the house and how much maintenance you are comfortable with.

These decisions should come before choosing paving or individual plants.

The Garden Renovation Process

For us, the process begins in the garden.

• 1
  Initial Consultation

  The first stage is an on-site consultation.

  We walk through the garden with you, look at what is currently there and discuss what you would like to achieve.

  We consider things such as:

  • Existing layout
  • Access
  • Levels
  • Drainage
  • Sun and shade
  • Privacy
  • Existing trees and planting
  • Views from the house
  • How you want to use the garden
  • Your approximate budget

  For a planting renovation, we can normally prepare a quotation after the consultation.

  For a complete Design, Build & Planting project, the next stage is the design.

• 2
  Garden Design

  For a full renovation we develop the garden through both 2D and 3D design.

  This allows us to work through the layout before construction starts and bring together the hard landscaping, planting and how the garden will be used.

  The position and size of the patio, paths, lawn, planting beds, trees and other features should all relate to one another.

• 3
  Quotation

  Once the design has been completed, we prepare a detailed quotation for the work.

• 4
  Build & Planting

  Once everything is agreed, the garden can begin.

  For a complete project this can involve excavation and groundworks first, followed by drainage, walls, patios, paths and the other hard landscaping.

  The garden then moves into the softer elements, soil preparation, lawn, trees, hedging and planting.

  We prefer to consider the planting from the beginning rather than treating it as something to add into whatever space happens to be left at the end.

Hard Landscaping and Soft Landscaping

A successful garden needs a good balance between the two.

Hard Landscaping

Hard landscaping provides the physical structure of the garden.

It includes elements such as:

• Patios
• Paving
• Paths
• Steps
• Walls
• Raised beds
• Drainage
• Groundworks

These elements need to function properly and should suit the house and the overall style of the garden.

Soft Landscaping

Soft landscaping includes:

• Trees
• Hedging
• Shrubs
• Perennials
• Ornamental grasses
• Lawns

Planting gives a garden privacy, structure, depth, softness and seasonal interest.

It is also the part of the garden that continues to develop after the project has been completed.

Privacy Should Be Considered Early

Privacy is one of the biggest concerns for many Dublin homeowners.

It is much easier to deal with screening as part of the overall design than trying to solve it after the garden has been completed.

Trees and hedging can be positioned to screen particular windows or neighbouring properties without necessarily enclosing the entire garden.

We will often use a combination of evergreen structure and deciduous planting so that the screening feels natural rather than creating a solid green wall around the garden.

The size of the plants at installation also matters.

Larger trees and hedging cost more initially but can provide a much more immediate result where privacy is important.

How Long Does a Garden Renovation Take?

The construction time depends entirely on the scale of the project.

A planting renovation may range from a small project completed in a day to a larger project taking a week or more.

A complete Design, Build & Planting project will generally take several weeks.

It is worth considering the whole timeline rather than just the time the team will spend physically working in the garden.

What Is the Best Time of Year to Renovate a Garden?

Garden construction and planting can take place throughout the year.

Large trees, hedging and planting installed during warmer weather will require more careful watering while they establish.

For larger projects, it is usually better to start planning well before the point at which you would like the garden finished.

How Much Does a Garden Renovation Cost?

The cost depends on what the garden actually needs.

A complete garden transformation involving new groundworks, paving, paths, walls, lawn and planting will require a very different budget to a garden where the hard landscaping can remain and the main work is planting.

Access, levels, ground conditions, materials, mature trees, lighting, irrigation and the overall scale of the project can all affect the final cost.

We have covered this separately in our Garden Renovation Cost Guide Ireland & Dublin, where we go into much more detail about realistic budgets.

Common Garden Renovation Mistakes

• Too Much Hard Landscaping

  A bigger patio isn't automatically a better patio.

  Hard landscaping is normally one of the most expensive elements of a garden renovation, and large paved areas can make a garden feel harder and less green.

  The amount of paving should relate to how the space will actually be used.

• Leaving Planting Until the End

  Planting shouldn't simply fill the gaps left after everything else has been designed.

  Trees, hedging and planting influence privacy, views, the shape of the lawn and even where patios and paths should be positioned.

• Making Planting Beds Too Narrow

  Plants need room to establish and mature.

  Very narrow borders often limit what can be planted and can make it difficult to achieve the layered, established look people are hoping for.

• Ignoring Access and Ground Conditions

  Access can have a major effect on how a garden is built.

  Many Dublin gardens have narrow side passages, no direct access or significant level differences.

  Drainage and soil conditions also need to be considered early. There is little benefit in installing expensive paving or planting before the underlying problems have been addressed.

What Happens After the Garden Is Finished?

A newly planted garden is only the beginning.

Plants need time to establish, trees develop, hedges fill out and perennial planting becomes fuller.

During the first growing season in particular, watering is extremely important.

New trees and hedging need consistent watering while they establish their root systems, particularly during dry weather.

Planting will also need normal ongoing maintenance such as pruning, feeding, weeding and cutting back.

A well designed garden should improve as it matures rather than only looking good on the day it is completed.

Should One Company Design, Build and Plant the Garden?

For a complete renovation, there are advantages to having the same team responsible for the garden from design through to planting.

Decisions made during the design stage affect what happens on site.

Likewise things discovered during construction can sometimes require adjustments to the original plan.

Having the design, build and planting considered together makes it easier to maintain the original intention of the garden throughout the project.

At LandArt, our garden design service is therefore part of the complete projects that we subsequently build and plant ourselves.

Frequently Asked Questions