How we worked
We walked the site in March, before the snow had fully melted, to map where water lingers longest. That drove the drainage layout — running everything to spec everywhere would have been wasted money.
In parallel we sketched the zones and agreed on the terrace style. The owners wanted larch — we used naturally seasoned boards with a 5 mm gap and hidden fasteners for a clean surface.
Lawn that holds up
Estonian turf is a compromise between ornamental and sport mixes: ornamental looks beautiful but tears under kids; sport is tough but dull. We blended 70/30 toward durability — within two months it looked ornamental but held up to daily play.
Hedge without the "see-through years"
A 1.8 m thuja gives a fast privacy screen; young 60–80 cm saplings are cheaper but leave the lot more visible for two or three seasons. The owners chose mature plants and follow-up care — within one season the line read as a dense green screen.
What stayed in service
Since October the property is on our seasonal care: lawn mowing, autumn pruning, leaves, anti-ice treatment of the paths. One contact, predictable schedule, no surprises on invoices.