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Hi Everyone
We just finished doing a front retaining wall with the sienna sleepers from bunnings. But are so lost as to how to landscape it with plants.
Near the house window there are 3 bush roses.
Could someone please suggest some not expensive plants ,hedges that we can plant behind the retaining wall.
The yard behind the retaining wall is sloping towards the wall. We also have a lot of garden rocks that the previous owner had which where kept just behind the old retaining wall.
We would like to rent the property in future so looking for something that is less maintenance but looks good for street appeal.
Thanks 😊
Afternoon @888oz888
Now that looks like a beautiful retaining wall 
Are you going to put in some solid drainage behind it? 100mm ag-pipe would be good for sure.
I like the idea of using rocks for an edge of a garden, but also am thinking its one more thing to be worried about if you are renting it out. Having grass up to the timber edge and maybe using the rocks around teh small shrubs/trees that @JacobZ has suggested might be an idea?
The ground looks compacted and possible a little poor in compost atm, just a note you shouldnt plant things straight in if you put in fresh compost. I have a coup[le of rosemary bushed that i have let go (as in havnt pruned them) and they look pretty nice, smell great and might be an option for a low maintence edging.
Definently keep that crepe myrtle I have three in my front yard, well 3 plus a bunch of smaller self seeded ones. Maybe a few more of them? They are hardy and with an ocasional prune reallly add nice shade in summer, and let the light in in winter.
Dave
Hi @888oz888,
I think your idea of using Pittosporum and Nandinas together behind the retaining wall is a really smart choice, especially for low maintenance and street appeal. They’ll fill out nicely and the pops of red foliage from the Nandinas will add great contrast.
For your feature tree, if you’re after something affordable, hardy, and attractive, a Crepe Myrtle could be a great fit. Crepe Myrtles are brilliant for rental properties because they look stunning in summer with their flowers, have nice bark for interest in winter, and they’re pretty drought-tolerant once established. They also don’t grow too enormous, which helps with future maintenance.
Other options could be a Japanese Maple if you’re after something with beautiful seasonal colour (great in cooler areas), or an evergreen like an Ornamental Pear (Pyrus 'Capital') if you want a narrow, upright tree that looks very tidy year-round.
Mitchell
Hi @888oz888,
A thin layer of eucalyptus mulch could definitely work as a temporary and low-cost option for the front yard, especially if you’re not keen to invest in turf right now. It’ll help suppress weeds and make the space look tidier. Just keep in mind that eucalyptus mulch can be quite chunky and might take a while to break down, so if you’re planning to sow lawn seed later on, you’d probably want to rake most of it off first or clear patches for the seed to take.
Given we’re heading into winter, lawn seed will really struggle to establish now — it’s usually much better to wait until early spring when the soil warms up again. So in the meantime, mulch sounds like a very sensible plan.
Mitchell
Hi
Ive finished the landscaping. For the front Used nandina, pittosoporum, used japanese maple as feature tree. Put euci mulch to hide the lawn.
For the back planted, olive tree, lemon tree, mandarin tree and used sunflowers and some pittosoporum to fill empty space
Afternoon @888oz888
Nice work and looks good Have to say I love the mnaples of any kind I have two and lop them every two years after they got to 5m keeps them manageable and looking good. The leaves have just gone from green to yellow and look outstanding now! Reckon you Japanease maple will look great throughout the years!
Dave
