What to do – Landscape materials
Presenter: Nigel Ruck
Episode: 20 (8 September 2007)
If you are planning to do some landscaping or you have got a new garden project in mind a trip to your local landscape supplier is worth the effort. They have got all the good gear that make up a lot of the ingredients that go into a garden so if you can get down there and have a look around, you will not regret it.
A successful garden is only as good as the soil it is built on and a good landscape supplier will have a range of options to suit your specific plants. Anything from a general purpose soil mix, native garden mix, to planter box mixes and turf underlay or top dressing mixes. Lots of mixes with subtle differences that you do not want to get mixed up! And that is where helpful staff can give advice if need be.
To improve an existing soil check out the various soil conditioners made from all sorts of goodies like composted organic matter, green waste and manure, which your plants will adore.
What you will also find at a good landscaping supplier is the various sands for things like paving and bricklaying as well as drainage products like blue metal, sub-surface pipes, storm water pits and drains to deal with the rain when it comes again.
A good landscaping supplier will be the place to look regardless of whether it is organic stuff you need or decorative pebbles and gravels that are also good for paths and some driveways. Many suppliers will let you take a sample bag home to see if it is exactly what you need and if it is you can either come and pick up some more or get them to deliver it for you.
When it comes to calculating bulk material such as mulch for example; you need to multiply the surface area, (which is length times the width) by the depth. So lets say 10m x 2m gives you 20m/2, x 100mm depth, totals 2 cubic meters. For irregular shapes it gets a bit trickier but with some “guestimation” work you should get pretty close.
Buying in bulk is far more cost effective than buying in bags if you need larger quantities. A 20kg bag of river sand might set you back $7.50, where as a tonne is around $55. If you break that down, 50, 20kg bags @ $7.50 comes to $375 a tonne. You do not need to be Einstein to work that one out. But if you only need a couple of bags you would be mad to buy a tonne.
Australian Native Landscapes
Wicks Road (Cnr. Waterloo Road) North Ryde 2113
Telephone: (02) 9887 2788
Fax: (02) 9888 2614
Cnr. Waterloo Rd & Wicks Rd
North Ryde NSW
http://www.anlscape.com.au/
Episode: 20 (8 September 2007)
If you are planning to do some landscaping or you have got a new garden project in mind a trip to your local landscape supplier is worth the effort. They have got all the good gear that make up a lot of the ingredients that go into a garden so if you can get down there and have a look around, you will not regret it.
A successful garden is only as good as the soil it is built on and a good landscape supplier will have a range of options to suit your specific plants. Anything from a general purpose soil mix, native garden mix, to planter box mixes and turf underlay or top dressing mixes. Lots of mixes with subtle differences that you do not want to get mixed up! And that is where helpful staff can give advice if need be.
To improve an existing soil check out the various soil conditioners made from all sorts of goodies like composted organic matter, green waste and manure, which your plants will adore.
What you will also find at a good landscaping supplier is the various sands for things like paving and bricklaying as well as drainage products like blue metal, sub-surface pipes, storm water pits and drains to deal with the rain when it comes again.
A good landscaping supplier will be the place to look regardless of whether it is organic stuff you need or decorative pebbles and gravels that are also good for paths and some driveways. Many suppliers will let you take a sample bag home to see if it is exactly what you need and if it is you can either come and pick up some more or get them to deliver it for you.
When it comes to calculating bulk material such as mulch for example; you need to multiply the surface area, (which is length times the width) by the depth. So lets say 10m x 2m gives you 20m/2, x 100mm depth, totals 2 cubic meters. For irregular shapes it gets a bit trickier but with some “guestimation” work you should get pretty close.
Buying in bulk is far more cost effective than buying in bags if you need larger quantities. A 20kg bag of river sand might set you back $7.50, where as a tonne is around $55. If you break that down, 50, 20kg bags @ $7.50 comes to $375 a tonne. You do not need to be Einstein to work that one out. But if you only need a couple of bags you would be mad to buy a tonne.
Australian Native Landscapes
Wicks Road (Cnr. Waterloo Road) North Ryde 2113
Telephone: (02) 9887 2788
Fax: (02) 9888 2614
Cnr. Waterloo Rd & Wicks Rd
North Ryde NSW
http://www.anlscape.com.au/
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