Landscaping a garden on a newly built home

New Build Gardens: Turning a Blank Plot Into a Garden

New build gardens look simple — a flat rectangle of turf — but under that turf there is usually heavily compacted subsoil, builders' rubble and a thin layer of imported topsoil.

That is why the lawn puddles in its first winter and the borders fail to establish.

Patio and Landscaping work by Gardenscape in Essex

What's under the turf

Site traffic compacts the ground hard during construction. Turf laid straight over it has almost no rooting depth and cannot drain, which is the root cause of most new build lawn complaints.

Before anything else, the ground needs breaking up, cleaning of debris and improving with proper topsoil.

Getting the order right

Boundaries, levels and drainage first, then hard landscaping, then planting. Building the patio before the drainage is settled means lifting it later.

Developer boundary fencing is often minimal; upgrading it early avoids doing the job twice around new planting.

Phasing the spend

Most new build owners phase work: patio and access first, lawn or artificial grass next, planting and structures later. Planning the whole layout upfront keeps each phase consistent.

Check your plot's transfer documents for any restrictions on boundaries, structures or surfacing before you start.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my new lawn flood?

Almost always compaction from construction traffic beneath a thin topsoil layer.

Should I wait before landscaping?

Allowing a season to see how the plot drains is useful, but ground preparation can begin at any time.

Blank plot to work with?

We plan new build gardens as a whole and build in phases.

Plan your garden Call 07535 661664