Landscaping
Landscaping covers a lot of ground, from a front yard that needs rethinking to the grounds around a new build. Most of what we take on around Bathurst sits between those two: garden beds reshaped and replanted, decorative gravel and edging laid, a retaining wall built to hold a slope, turf laid over ground that has been levelled properly first. Because we run our own earthmoving plant rather than hiring it in, the groundwork and the planting are handled by the same crew on the same job.
From a single front yard transformation to a full property makeover, we handle landscaping work end to end: garden beds, decorative gravel, edging, retaining walls, and turf and site preparation, whether it's a stand-alone project or part of a larger commercial site.
- Landscape Renovations
- Front Yard Transformations
- Garden Beds
- Decorative Gravel
- Edging
- Turf Preparation
- Site Preparation
- Retaining Walls
- Property Makeovers
Groundwork before planting
Most landscaping that fails later fails at ground level: turf laid over ground that was never levelled, garden beds that hold water because nothing was done about drainage, gravel that sinks into soft fill. We do the earthworks ourselves with Bobcat S770 and S650 skid steers and E50 and E20 excavators, so levelling, spoil removal and drainage happen as part of the job rather than as a separate trade booked before us. On a sloped Bathurst block that groundwork is usually the larger half of the work, even though it is the part nobody sees afterwards.
Retaining walls and level changes
A lot of blocks around Bathurst and Kelso sit on a grade, and getting usable flat space out of them means holding the soil back somewhere. We build retaining walls as part of a landscaping job or on their own, with the excavation, drainage behind the wall and backfill all handled together. Drainage is the part that decides whether a wall lasts: water building up behind a wall is what pushes it out of line over a few seasons, so the ag line and gravel behind it matter as much as the face you can see.
Garden beds, gravel and edging
The finishing work is what a property is judged on day to day. That means beds shaped and mulched, edging set so the lawn and the beds stay separated instead of creeping into each other, and decorative gravel laid over a properly prepared base so it stays put. We can work to a plan you already have or lay something out with you on site, and on larger jobs it is usually easier to stage the work so the heavy machinery finishes before the planting starts.
Turf and lawn establishment
New turf needs the soil underneath cultivated, levelled and topped up before anything is laid, which is where the compact tractor and front-end loader earn their place. Timing matters more here than in warmer parts of the state. Bathurst sits around 670 metres and gets hard frosts through winter, so turf laid late in the season sits dormant instead of rooting, and the safer windows are spring once the frosts have eased and early autumn while there is still warmth in the ground.
Common Questions
Landscaping, answered.
Do you do the excavation as well as the planting?
Yes. We run our own Bobcat skid steers and excavators, so levelling, drainage and spoil removal are part of the same job rather than a separate contractor booked before us. On most landscaping jobs the groundwork is the larger part of the work.
Can you build retaining walls?
Yes, either as part of a wider landscaping job or on their own. The excavation, drainage behind the wall and backfill are handled together, since drainage is what determines whether a wall stays where you put it.
When is the best time to lay turf around Bathurst?
Spring once the heavy frosts have passed, or early autumn while there is still warmth in the ground. Turf laid into the cold sits dormant rather than rooting, and Bathurst gets harder frosts than lower parts of the state.
Do you do commercial landscaping as well as homes?
Yes. The same crews and machinery cover residential front yards, commercial sites and the grounds work on our standing maintenance contracts.
How do you quote a landscaping job?
We look at the site first. Access, slope, ground conditions and how much material has to come in or go out change the cost far more than the square metreage does, and none of that is visible from a photo.
Where we do landscaping
Bathurst and Kelso are the core of it, and we cover the wider Central West from there. Conditions change quickly across the region, so the schedule and method follow the district rather than a single regional calendar.
Also serving Bathurst, Kelso, O'Connell, Portland, Wallerawang and the surrounding Central West NSW districts.
Other Services
More ways we can help.
Residential Services
Lawn mowing, garden maintenance and property upkeep for homes and weekenders across the Bathurst region.
Learn moreCommercial Grounds Maintenance
Scheduled grounds maintenance for schools, education campuses, aged care, strata and industrial sites across the Bathurst region.
Learn moreRural & Acreage Services
Acreage mowing, slashing and property maintenance for rural landholders across the Central West.
Learn moreWeed Management
Weed control and herbicide application for rural, commercial and noxious weed management needs.
Learn moreEarthworks & Excavation
Bobcat work, trenching and site preparation for small and large earthworks projects.
Learn moreView All Services
See the full list of what Markwicks can help with.