7 Common Landscaping Mistakes Brisbane Homeowners Make (And How to Avoid Them)
After years of designing and constructing landscapes across Brisbane, we've seen the same mistakes repeated on project after project. Some are minor — easily corrected with a bit of remediation. Others are costly and structural, requiring significant investment to fix. All of them are avoidable with the right knowledge and the right team.
This guide covers the seven most common landscaping mistakes we encounter in Brisbane homes, explains why they happen, and provides practical guidance on how to avoid them. Whether you're planning a new landscape, renovating an existing one, or simply trying to understand why your current garden isn't performing as it should, this article will give you the framework to make better decisions.
Mistake 1: Ignoring Drainage Until It's Too Late
Drainage is the most critical and most frequently overlooked aspect of landscape design in Brisbane. The city's subtropical climate delivers significant rainfall — an average of 1,149mm per year, with much of it falling in intense summer storms — and a landscape that doesn't manage this water effectively will fail, regardless of how beautiful it looks on the day of completion.
The consequences of poor drainage are severe: waterlogged soil that kills plants, surface water that floods entertaining areas, erosion that undermines retaining walls, and moisture that penetrates building structures and causes costly damage.
Brisbane's soil conditions compound the problem. Much of the city sits on black clay or reactive clay soils that expand when wet and contract when dry, creating movement that can crack paving, destabilise retaining walls, and damage irrigation systems.
How to Avoid It
Drainage design should be the first consideration in any landscape project, not an afterthought. Before any design work begins, a thorough site analysis should identify:
- The natural drainage patterns across the site
- The soil type and its drainage characteristics
- The relationship between the landscape and the building's stormwater system
- Any areas of the site that are prone to ponding or waterlogging
In Brisbane, this typically means designing a combination of surface drainage (grading, swales, channel drains) and subsurface drainage (agricultural pipe, French drains) that manages both the day-to-day movement of water and the peak flows from heavy summer storms.
The cost of getting it wrong: Drainage remediation after a landscape is completed can cost $15,000 to $50,000 or more, depending on the extent of the problem. Getting it right from the beginning costs a fraction of that.
Mistake 2: Choosing the Wrong Plants for Brisbane's Climate
Brisbane's subtropical climate is one of the most plant-friendly in Australia — but it's also one of the most specific. Plants that thrive in Melbourne or Sydney may struggle or fail entirely in Brisbane's combination of high humidity, intense summer heat, and periodic drought.
The most common planting mistakes we see in Brisbane gardens are:
Planting cool-climate species that look beautiful in nurseries but decline rapidly in Brisbane's summer heat and humidity. English box (Buxus sempervirens) is a classic example — it's widely sold in Brisbane nurseries but is prone to box blight in humid conditions and requires intensive maintenance to look its best.
Ignoring root systems when planting near structures, pools, and paving. Ficus species, for example, are magnificent trees but have aggressive root systems that can damage pool shells, paving, and underground services. Ficus microcarpa (Chinese Banyan) is particularly problematic and should never be planted within 10 metres of a pool or building.
Underestimating mature size — a plant that looks perfectly proportioned at the time of installation can overwhelm a space within three to five years if its mature size hasn't been considered.
How to Avoid It
Work with a landscape designer who has specific knowledge of Brisbane's climate and plant palette. Our services include detailed planting design that accounts for Brisbane's specific conditions, mature plant sizes, and the relationship between planting and built elements.
For a comprehensive guide to plant selection for Brisbane's climate, see our plant selection guide.
Mistake 3: Skipping the Design Phase
The most expensive landscaping mistake you can make is starting construction without a proper design. It seems counterintuitive — surely you save money by going straight to the builder? — but the reality is that design is where the value is created, and construction without design is where money is wasted.
Without a design, you're making decisions on the fly — choosing materials, plants, and layouts based on what's available rather than what's right for the site. The result is almost always a landscape that lacks coherence, wastes materials, and requires expensive remediation to fix problems that a design would have prevented.
In Queensland, the Building Act 1975 and the Queensland Development Code set out requirements for retaining walls, drainage, and other landscape structures that require council approval. A landscape built without proper design and documentation may not comply with these requirements, creating liability issues and potentially requiring demolition and reconstruction.
How to Avoid It
Invest in a proper design before committing to any construction. A landscape design typically costs 8–15% of the total construction budget — a fraction of the cost of fixing mistakes made without one.
At DG Gardens, our design process includes site analysis, concept design, detailed design documentation, and construction documentation that ensures every project is built to the correct standard. Learn more about our process.
Mistake 4: Choosing Cheap Materials
Brisbane's climate is hard on materials. High UV radiation, humidity, heavy rainfall, and the occasional hailstorm mean that cheap materials deteriorate quickly — and the cost of replacement far exceeds the initial saving.
The most common material mistakes we see in Brisbane gardens:
Cheap composite decking that fades, warps, and develops mould in Brisbane's humid conditions. Quality hardwood or premium composite decking costs more upfront but lasts significantly longer and looks better throughout its life.
Soft sandstone paving that spalls and deteriorates in heavy rain. Natural stone is an excellent choice for Brisbane gardens, but the species matters — granite, bluestone, and hard sandstone perform well; soft sandstone does not.
Powder-coated aluminium in coastal or near-coastal conditions. The salt air in Brisbane's bayside suburbs is corrosive, and cheap powder-coated finishes will chip and corrode within a few years. Marine-grade stainless steel or hot-dip galvanised steel are more appropriate choices.
Treated pine retaining walls that have a limited lifespan in Brisbane's wet conditions. Hardwood or concrete retaining walls are significantly more durable and cost-effective over a 20-year horizon.
How to Avoid It
Think about materials in terms of their 20-year cost, not their day-one cost. A natural stone paving that costs $150/sqm and lasts 50 years is a better investment than a cheap paver that costs $60/sqm and needs replacing in 10 years.
At DG Gardens, we specify materials based on their performance in Brisbane's specific conditions, their aesthetic quality, and their long-term value. Explore our materials guide for detailed information on the materials we use most frequently.
Mistake 5: Underestimating Maintenance Requirements
A landscape that looks beautiful on the day of completion but requires intensive maintenance to stay that way is not a successful landscape — it's a liability. We regularly see Brisbane homeowners invest significant sums in landscapes that they then struggle to maintain, resulting in gardens that deteriorate rapidly and require costly renovation.
The most common maintenance mistakes:
Planting fast-growing species that require frequent pruning to stay in scale. Murraya paniculata is a classic example — it's an excellent hedging plant, but it grows quickly and requires regular trimming to look its best.
Installing irrigation systems that are not properly commissioned and maintained. An irrigation system that is incorrectly programmed or poorly maintained can cause overwatering (leading to root rot and fungal disease) or underwatering (leading to plant death) — both of which are expensive to remediate.
Choosing high-maintenance materials — timber decking that requires annual oiling, natural stone that requires regular sealing, water features that require frequent cleaning — without considering the ongoing time and cost commitment.
How to Avoid It
Be honest with yourself about how much time and money you're willing to invest in maintenance, and design the landscape accordingly. A well-designed low-maintenance landscape — with appropriate plant selection, quality materials, and a properly commissioned irrigation system — can look beautiful with minimal ongoing effort.
Mistake 6: Ignoring the Neighbours (and the Council)
Landscape projects in Brisbane are subject to a range of regulatory requirements that are frequently overlooked by homeowners undertaking DIY or poorly advised projects.
Retaining walls over 1 metre in height (or 900mm in some council areas) require building approval in Brisbane. Walls built without approval may need to be demolished and rebuilt, at significant cost.
Tree removal in Brisbane City Council areas requires a permit for protected trees. Removing a protected tree without a permit can result in significant fines and an obligation to replace the tree.
Boundary fencing is subject to the Neighbourhood Disputes Resolution Act 2011, which sets out requirements for consultation with neighbours before construction.
Stormwater discharge must be managed in accordance with Brisbane City Council's requirements — you cannot direct stormwater onto a neighbour's property or onto the street without appropriate drainage infrastructure.
How to Avoid It
Work with a licensed landscape contractor who understands Queensland's regulatory requirements and can manage the approval process on your behalf. At DG Gardens, our QBCC licence (15463129) and our experience with Brisbane City Council's requirements mean that every project we deliver is compliant and properly approved.
Mistake 7: Treating the Landscape as Separate from the House
The final and perhaps most fundamental mistake is treating the landscape as a separate project from the house — something to be "done" once the build is complete, rather than an integral part of the overall design.
The result of this approach is a garden that sits beside the house rather than extending from it. The materials don't relate to the architecture. The levels don't align with the interior floor levels. The sightlines from inside the house haven't been considered. The result is a property that feels incomplete — where the house and garden are two separate things rather than one cohesive whole.
How to Avoid It
Engage your landscape designer at the same time as your architect or builder — not after the build is complete. The most successful projects we work on at DG Gardens are those where we're involved from the concept stage, working alongside the architect and builder to ensure that the landscape and the architecture are designed as a single, integrated whole.
Contact us to discuss how we can be involved in your project from the beginning.
Key Takeaways
- Drainage is the most critical and most frequently overlooked aspect of landscape design in Brisbane — design it first, not last
- Choose plants that are appropriate for Brisbane's subtropical climate, accounting for mature size and root systems
- Never start construction without a proper design — the cost of design is a fraction of the cost of fixing mistakes made without one
- Choose materials based on their 20-year performance in Brisbane's conditions, not their day-one cost
- Be honest about maintenance requirements and design the landscape to match your available time and budget
- Understand Brisbane's regulatory requirements for retaining walls, tree removal, and stormwater before starting any project
- Integrate landscape design with the architecture from the beginning of the project, not as an afterthought
Ready to Get It Right From the Start?
Avoiding these mistakes starts with working with the right team. At DG Gardens, we bring together design expertise, construction capability, and deep knowledge of Brisbane's specific conditions to deliver landscapes that are beautiful, durable, and properly built.
Book a design consultation to discuss your project. We work across Brisbane and South East Queensland, and we'd be delighted to help you avoid the pitfalls that trip up so many homeowners.
