Start with where the work is
Most jobs sort themselves by location on the block.
- Facing the street: front yard landscaping covers the area between the house and the boundary, where first impressions and easy upkeep matter most.
- The strip past your boundary: verge landscaping is its own job, because that land sits beside the footpath and road rather than inside your fence.
- Behind the house: backyard landscaping suits outdoor living, play space, lawn and shade.
- Around water: pool landscaping deals with paving, planting and edges near the pool, where splash, chlorine and bare feet all come into it.
If your project spans more than one of these, garden landscaping is the broader starting point for a whole-yard plan.
Planting or hard surfaces?
Think about how much of the job is soft and how much is solid. Lawn, garden beds, mulch and shrubs lean towards garden or native garden landscaping. Paths, patios, driveway edges and entertaining areas lean towards paving and landscaping, where the surface and the plants are planned together so levels and drainage line up.
When size or style decides it
Small or awkward spaces
Courtyards, side passages and tight townhouse yards need careful choices about scale, storage and light. Small garden landscaping focuses on making every square metre useful without crowding it.
Lower water and local plants
Native garden landscaping uses plants suited to Perth's dry summers and sandy coastal soils, which suits homes from Scarborough and Hillarys inland to Kingsley and Woodvale. It is a good fit if you want less watering and less mowing.
Questions to settle before you choose
- Which part of the property are you changing first, and is there a second stage later?
- Do you want lawn, garden beds, paving or a mix?
- How much time will you spend on upkeep each month?
- Are there slopes, tree roots, reticulation lines or drainage problems to work around?
- For a verge, have you checked with your local council what can go there?
Pick one service and note the details
Choose the service that matches your main goal, even if the job touches others. Note the rough size of the area, what is there now and anything you want removed. Those details make it simpler to compare options for your yard, whether you are in Balcatta, Duncraig, Joondalup or anywhere along the corridor towards the city.