Prioritizing horticulture. Do you want to have the entire garden planned?

I was at my parents' today and thought I'd show you their garden. My parents have more of a natural garden since they, as retirees, like to do a lot of work there themselves.

Today I asked what they paid for the garden. The one in the first photo is the "old garden." The one in the second photo was added later. About 10 years ago, they already paid €45,000 for various measures there. Specifically, these were the tile work next to the pavilion (which is not included in the price), the grass, the bench around the beech tree, the gravel there... something in the beds... important: the hedges and parts of the rhododendrons were already there!

So also quite hefty and that was ten years ago... I really see black regarding my upcoming appointments with landscaping contractors. Full-grown hedges etc. probably won't happen... Fortunately, no need for sod. Seed will be enough.

The birch turned into a.... linden? No, what kind of giant tree is that, it can't have grown that much in 10 years or been newly planted at that size.

Nothing has been newly planted there and these are not before and after pictures. The tree is a hornbeam and it has been there for as long as I can remember. The photos show different parts of the garden.

ok I misunderstood, and you had already written the book - it’s probably time for bed here
the 2nd photo is just a garden extension behind the part from the 1st photo, right. When I look at the house in the picture...

Yes, the second photo is a garden extension. From the birch tree in the first photo, it goes to the left at the back.

Folding rule? [emoji1]

I would build the fence together with the daughter... even if it's not until two years from now or so...

I don’t want to be misunderstood because of my saying on your easy set-up.
I can understand if someone doesn’t feel like doing certain things. On top of that, there’s a time issue as well as no whining from you that everything is too expensive and so on.
Then just let it be done! Absolutely right!

And you did the right thing by budgeting a good amount for the garden. I criticize many prospective builders for seriously underestimating this item.

Whether these generalizations, costs per square meter, are correct, I doubt. I can sink more money into a 100sqm small terraced garden in several levels than into a 1000sqm area that just hosts apple trees on grass.