Bexley sits high on the St George ridge, about forty metres above the suburbs nearer the bay. It drains well, which is a real advantage, and its Federation cottages deserve a front garden built to match them.
Bexley sits about 14 kilometres south-west of the city in Bayside Council, at around 62 metres above sea level, which puts it well above the low-lying suburbs closer to the bay. Its streets carry Federation cottages with wrought-iron detailing and wrap-around verandahs alongside later single and two-storey homes.
At this elevation water moves off rather than sitting, which is the opposite of the problem a few kilometres downhill. It means planting choices open up and paving is less of a drainage gamble, though it also means beds dry out faster in summer.
A Federation cottage with a wrap-around verandah needs a front garden that frames it rather than competes with it. A clear path, a simple planted bed either side and a low hedge line does more than an elaborate scheme, and it is what these houses were designed for.
Streets running off the high ground drop away, so plenty of these blocks have a real fall front to back or side to side. A low wall or a terrace recovers usable flat yard that the slope is otherwise wasting.
Front garden rebuilds, rear courtyards and terracing, in whatever combination the block needs.
Front paths, entries, rear terraces and alfresco areas paved to a level finish. On a Federation frontage the path is the main line of the garden, so where it runs and what it is made of carries the whole look.
How we approach pavingLow walls and terraces to hold a fall off the ridge and recover flat yard, built with drainage behind them even on free-draining ground.
How we build retaining wallsNew lawn over prepared and levelled soil. The well-drained ground here suits turf, though it also dries faster, so we prepare the soil to hold moisture rather than just levelling it.
How we lay new turfThe low front hedges these frontages suit, cut to a clean line, plus boundary screens between close-set blocks.
How we trim hedgesMulch at a depth that genuinely holds moisture through summer, which matters more here than people expect, because the high free-draining ground that saves you in winter sheds water much faster than the low suburbs nearer the bay.
More on mulchingLifting canopies off roofs, gutters and verandah rooflines, and keeping established planting in proportion to a cottage frontage.
See our pruning and trimmingBeds, paths, paving joints and front steps cleared back, roots included. On a period frontage weeds show up immediately.
More on weedingOld paving, broken concrete, cleared planting and green waste taken away. We size the real volume in the quote rather than adding it at the end.
See our rubbish removalRemoving a tree that has outgrown a block or is lifting a path or wall. Bayside Council controls removal and significant pruning of many trees, and we check before quoting.
About our tree lopping workThe fall across the block and what the frontage needs to do.
Three steps, a fixed written price, and the site left clean.
Call or send photos of the frontage and the rear. On these blocks the two usually need different answers.
We measure up, check the fall, the access and what is under the existing surfaces, then put a fixed written price in front of you.
One crew from start to finish, all old material and green waste removed, and the path, steps and footpath swept down.
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.
Bexley sits in the St George area with Rockdale, Kingsgrove, Earlwood, Hurstville and Carlton nearby.
For upkeep rather than a build, see our garden maintenance in Bexley or everything we do across Bayside, and browse every Sydney suburb we service.
Far less, generally. Bexley sits around 62 metres up, roughly forty metres above the low suburbs near the water, so ground here sheds rather than holds. The trade-off is that beds dry out faster in summer, which is a soil preparation question rather than a drainage one.
Something simple that frames the house. A clear path, planted beds either side and a low hedge line reads far better against iron lace and a verandah than a busy scheme does. We usually spend the budget on the path and the structure rather than on quantity of plants.
Usually, with a low wall or a terrace. The fall is often wasting more flat space than people realise, and recovering it is cheaper than most expect once the grade is measured.
Not always. If the levels and drainage allow, building over it saves the excavation and the removal, which is a real saving. We work out which applies when we quote and give you both prices.
Often yes. Bayside Council controls removal and significant pruning of many trees. We check what is permitted before quoting rather than starting and stopping.
Yes. We work across Bexley 2207 and the surrounding St George suburbs including Bexley North, Rockdale, Kingsgrove, Earlwood, Hurstville, Carlton and Arncliffe.
Send us the basics and we will come out, measure the fall, check the access and give you a fixed written price. The visit costs nothing.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 0451 267 287.
Whether the frontage needs to suit the house or the back falls away unused, we will come out and price it properly.