What does a garden designer do?

Our first meeting. A chance for us to have a chat about what you'd like to get from your garden. What you like about it, what you don't and the garden you'd like it to create.

I'll come back to you with a detailed proposal of how I'll approach your design, each stage we'll follow through to completion and all the costs involved.

We'll go through books and magazines together, pulling references and discussing how we can make your garden work for you. We'll then create a formal brief, a detailed wish list of what you'd like to achieve and how much you want to spend.

Depending on the size of your garden either myself or a surveyor will attend to measure up and draft a detailed plan. I'll also carry out a full site assessment to assess your soil type, aspect and growing conditions, which will be key in determining the planting scheme.

 I'll present my initial design concepts, which will include rough sketches, mood boards, and reference images. I'll explain my rationale behind each decision and how it aligns with your brief.
You'll then have the opportunity to feedback, which I'll integrate into the next stage of the design.

Incorporating your feedback I'll refine my design and create a master plan that includes detailed plans and detail on landscape elements such as paths, patios, structures and water features. I'll detail the materials we'll use, a guide to the planting, a guide budget and schedule. This plan will be our blueprint for your new garden.

In some cases a client will prefer to have a more detailed planting plan, which names and maps out where each individual tree, shrub and plant species will be placed.

This is also a stand alone service for clients who have a boarder, bed, planter or pond they'd like refreshed. 

We now have everything we need to engage a landscaper. I'll put the project out to tender with a small selection of trusted landscapers. My priority is always quality of workmanship as I want to create gardens that last and leave a good impression wherever I work.

I'll supervise the build of your garden with regular site visits during the construction. With the landscaper reporting directly to you I'll be there to ensure the project runs as smoothly as possible and to help you with any key decisions that need making. 

This is when your garden really comes alive. All those trees, shrubs and plants go in the ground and suddenly it'll transform from building site to garden and you'll get a true sense of what your finished space looks like.

You take ownership of your beautiful new garden.

I supply a management and maintenance plan that'll detail how you'll need to care for your garden over the coming years and arrange a follow up consultation three months after delivery where we can talk through any questions or issues that may arise.