Everything comes down the side
On most of these blocks there is no rear lane and the side passage is under a metre. Excavated soil, pavers, sand and soil all move by barrow, which is the single biggest factor in what a Croydon build costs.
Croydon 2132 · Municipality of Burwood
Landscaping Croydon
Croydon back gardens are long, narrow and almost impossible to get a machine into. That is the job here: building a proper garden behind a period house when everything has to come down the side by hand.
- 15+ years across Sydney
- Rated 4.9 on Google
- Licensed and insured team
- Free on-site quotes
What we build here
Long, narrow blocks with one way in
Croydon sits about nine kilometres west of the city, split between the Municipality of Burwood and the Inner West. Its streets were laid out from the 1880s onwards, including the 1909 Malvern Hill Estate, which means long narrow allotments behind Federation and California bungalows and side passages built for a wheelbarrow at most.
Narrow gardens need a plan, not a layout
A yard six or seven metres wide and three times as long reads badly if it is treated as one space. Breaking it into zones across its width is what stops it feeling like a corridor, and that decision comes before any paving is chosen.
Old drainage and old surfaces
Behind a century-old house there is often a patchwork of concrete, failed paving and drainage that was never properly set. We find out what is under there at quoting stage rather than discovering it on day two.
What we build
Our landscaping services in Croydon
Most Croydon projects combine three or four of these in a narrow rear garden.
Paving in Croydon
Courtyards, rear terraces and side paths paved to a level, free-draining finish. On a narrow block the paving pattern and the direction of the joint lines change how wide the garden feels.
How we approach pavingRetaining walls in Croydon
Low walls to create raised beds and level a rear garden that falls away from the house. On a narrow site a wall buys usable floor area that a sloped batter would waste.
How we build retaining wallsTurf laying in Croydon
Small rear lawns over prepared and levelled soil. Behind a tall period house and a boundary hedge, the light can be marginal, and we will tell you before laying rather than after.
How we lay new turfHedge trimming in Croydon
Boundary screens kept to a clean line and, where they have taken over, reduced back. On a narrow block an uncut hedge is often costing a metre of width down each side.
How we trim hedgesMulching in Croydon
Mulch in beds and planters at a depth that suppresses weeds and keeps a small garden looking finished between visits.
More on mulchingTree pruning and trimming in Croydon
Lifting growth off roofs, gutters and shared boundaries, and thinning canopies so light reaches a narrow garden below. On a shared fence we leave the neighbour's side tidy.
See our pruning and trimmingWeeding in Croydon
Beds, paving joints, side passages and paths cleared back, roots included. In a small rear garden this is the quickest visible improvement there is.
More on weedingRubbish and land removal in Croydon
Old concrete, failed paving, excavated soil and green waste taken away, all of it barrowed out the side. We size the real volume in the quote because on these blocks removal is a genuine cost.
See our rubbish removalTree lopping and removal in Croydon
Removing a tree that has outgrown a narrow block or is lifting a path or boundary wall. Croydon straddles two council areas and we confirm which rules apply before quoting.
About our tree lopping work
Working in Croydon
What changes a Croydon quote
Access is the first thing we look at and usually the biggest line in the price.
- Width of the side passage. Whether a small machine fits or everything goes by barrow can change the labour on a build substantially. We measure it at the quote rather than assuming.
- What is already in the ground. Old concrete, failed paving and buried drainage are common behind these houses. We establish what is there before pricing the excavation.
- Drainage. A paved rear courtyard with nowhere for water to go pushes it at the back of the house. We set the falls and the drainage before any surface goes down.
- Shape of the garden. A long narrow yard needs breaking into zones to work. That is a design decision that affects the materials and the layout, and we work it through with you.
- Which council you are in. Croydon sits across two council areas with different tree rules. We confirm which applies to your address before quoting tree work.
How it runs
How a Croydon landscaping job runs
Three steps, a fixed written price, and the site left clean.
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Tell us what you want from the space
Call or send photos, including the side passage. On these blocks that photo tells us more about the price than the garden does.
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Free on-site quote
We measure up, check the access, the falls and what is under the existing surfaces, then put a fixed written price in front of you.
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We build it and clear out
One crew from start to finish, the barrow runs planned around your side passage, and all spoil and old material removed.
Terry and his team are fantastic to work with.
The team have been very professional with their work, communication and they were also fast paced.
They use very high quality materials and workmanship is flawless.
Around Croydon
Other areas our Croydon crew covers
Croydon sits between Burwood and Ashfield, with Enfield, Strathfield and Haberfield close by.
- Gardener Croydon
- Gardener Burwood
- Gardener Ashfield
- Landscaping Enfield
- Gardener Strathfield
- Gardener Haberfield
- Landscaping Marrickville
- Landscaping Newtown
For upkeep rather than a build, see our garden maintenance in Croydon or everything we do across the Burwood area, and browse every Sydney suburb we service.
Croydon questions
What Croydon homeowners ask us
Our side passage is tiny. Can you still build back there?
Yes, and on these blocks it is normal. Everything comes in and out by barrow, which we plan before quoting. It does affect the labour, so it sits in the written price rather than appearing as an extra later.
How do you stop a long thin yard feeling like a corridor?
By breaking it across its width instead of treating it as one space. A change of level, a planted divider or a different surface partway down makes two usable areas out of one awkward one. That is a design decision we work through before anything is ordered.
There is old concrete everywhere. Does that have to come out?
Not always. Sometimes it can be built over if the levels and drainage allow, which saves the excavation and the removal. We work out which applies when we quote and give you the price either way.
Water pools at the back door after rain. Can that be fixed?
Yes, and it should be fixed before anything is paved. It is usually a fall problem combined with drainage that was never properly set. Getting the water a defined path is the first part of the build, not an afterthought.
Can we keep the existing hedge?
Often yes. An overgrown boundary hedge can usually be reduced back rather than removed, which keeps the privacy and gives you back the width. We will tell you honestly if it is too far gone.
Do you cover Burwood, Ashfield and Strathfield?
Yes. We work across Croydon 2132 and the surrounding suburbs including Burwood, Burwood Heights, Ashfield, Enfield, Croydon Park and Strathfield.
Free, no obligation
Get a quote for your Croydon landscaping
Send us the basics and we will come out, measure up, check the access and the falls, and give you a fixed written price. The visit costs nothing.
- Free on-site quote anywhere in Croydon 2132
- Narrow blocks and barrow-only access
- Fixed written price before work starts
- All spoil and old material removed
Prefer to talk it through? Call 0451 267 287.
Request your free quote
Ready to rebuild your Croydon back garden?
Whether it is failed concrete or a long thin yard that has never worked, we will come out, check the access and price the build properly.