While Landscaping may seem costly, it can increase your home’s value by up to 10%-15% on average so it is an investment that pays off in the long run. There are a few considerations we do like our clients to be aware of and for some of our clients we feel the most expensive option is not always the best for them. When deciding on your landscaping budget here are a couple of things you might want to consider. 1) Is this your forever home or are you planning on staying for 5 years and then move to another house? You may find it unusual that this would be top of the list but for a moment I would ..read more

One of the hottest trends out there has to be Living walls. Tiny spaces no longer need to be barren and cold looking as with the simple addition of a living wall you can bring all the stress relieving benefits of being in nature into even the tiniest of courtyards or even a balcony. Living walls add value to your home as well as improving noise reduction and air quality they can ensure your home stands out from the rest when it comes time to sell. They are relatively easy to maintain and certainly provide an upscale aesthetic, reduce CO2 and noise pollution in the environment, alongside the o ..read more

How to add intriguing scent to your garden throughout the growing season and beyond. Are you a lover of flower or herbal fragrances? If you are like most people, you definitely are, even if you are not aware of it. I know that may sound a little strange to make such a statement as surely you would know whether you love the scent of flowers and foliage but just for a moment, I would like you to suspend that belief. You see almost everything we use today has some scent incorporated into it and that includes the so-called unscented product as the ingredients themselves often have a distinctive s ..read more

We have all heard horror stories of people being scammed by rogue contractors or builders and while I can’t specifically speak on the builder’s side of things, I’m pretty sure the same general guidelines will apply to both trades. There are always red flags that signal you may not be dealing with a reputable company but there are also a few of what I like to call yellow flags too. While the yellow flags could have a reasonable justification they should be treated with caution and a bit of healthy suspicion, especially when there are multiple yellow flags. So, what can you do to protect yoursel ..read more

A well designed garden can make the transition from indoors to outdoors seamless by creating protected areas that can be used all year round. At Gold Landscaping we want your garden to be an extension of your living space no matter what the weather is doing. A well placed fire pit or patio heaters with a retractable canopy can make a cosy space even on those chiller evenings as well as offering protection from the elements. Just because its raining does not mean the BBQ is cancelled. By installing raised planters we provide not only the ‘walls’ of the patio area but can be a great addition to ..read more

During the last couple of years people have had a greater interest in all things outdoors, one thing the lockdowns taught us is that living in cramped apartments with no green space readily available was not only a recipe for boredom and frustration but felt like it was sucking the very soul out of us. We craved the great outdoors where we could hear the leaves rustling on a gentle breeze, feel the sunshine on our faces and if we were lucky the sound of water tumbling over stones. It gave us an appreciation of our garden spaces, and many turned to creating their own version of a nature retrea ..read more

The short answer is approximately 20% of the value of your home but there are quite a few factors that can influence this simplified equation. Perhaps before we go further its important to look at landscaping as an investment in your property as it can increase the value of your home by the same 20% you originally spent. It doesn’t take a mathematical wizard to understand that in 10 years the value of your property had most likely increased and that same 20% increase in value will still be valid in calculating the asking price of your home. Being a landscaper or garden designer can be a very ..read more

Some of our common garden plants that are highly toxic to pets might be ones you would never consider when looking to keep your pets safe in the garden. For instance, did you know that both onions and tomato plants can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in dogs? These are a lot less worrisome than some of the other plant species that an animal may ingest but can still cause a lot of discomfort and distress for your four-legged friends. Since most folks would not knowing plant Hemlock or Deadly nightshade in their garden, I’m going to go with the assumption that these will not need to be covered in t ..read more

One of the biggest misconceptions must be that you can take a bunch of slabs of your choice and just put them where you want your patio, driveway or pathway. While technically you could do this, it’s not the best of ideas, laying paving slabs on top of grass or soil is asking for problems in a very short time. A properly installed patio or driveway needs to be excavated to at least 15 cm depth, this is to accommodate the substrate base and the mortar and paving slabs. If the slabs are particularly thick or we are using natural cobble type stones, then it may be up to 20 cm. The ground must be ..read more

To create a garden perfect for you and your lifestyle you first have to look at the 7 Elements of good garden design. If you ignore any of these crucial ingredients your garden is unlikely to turn out they way you had envisioned it. So, what exactly are these 7 Elements and what makes them so important to the design process? Let’s take a look and the rationale behind them will become clear. 1) Form… This is the size and shape of your garden. A small urban garden will have very different requirements to a large country garden and any awkward shapes or peculiar angles need to be taken into acco ..read more