Landscaping the front nature strip with tuscan toppings was completed within a work day. Through judicious use of machinery and the right tools, the landscapers made the work seem easy. I guess after doing it countless times, they know the pitfalls and the ways to turn out a good result.   

Cheerfully, they packed their work tools at the end of the day and I asked if they would be here again tomorrow the same time. Their unexpected answer was “No mate, we’ll swing round again next Sat”. That was when I realised that their estimate of about 6 work days to finish the whole job meant just that, nowhere did they say they would come 6 work days in a row!  *Facepalm* 

True to their word, when next Saturday rolled around, both men showed up bright & early with the same serious heavy duty machinery. The plan was to remove the top layer of clayey soil with the Bobcat, mark out the garden bed boundaries using timber strips and then top up the ground level again with good quality top soil.

We designed the garden bed width to be 1.5 m, wide enough to plant bushes and miniature fruit trees and to not have any concreting done anywhere in the back of the house as we like the feel of grass under our bare feet. Should you decide to do any concreting works, be sure to check that it is not over any easement areas.

See Part 4 for the continuing landscaping adventure!