Having your garden designed
| First consultation |
| To discuss what you want from your garden, your likes and dislikes, to assess the garden’s
potential and to talk about the options available to you. It’s also important at this stage
to establish whether your ideas are realistic in terms of your budget. This meeting takes between
one and two hours. |
| Fee proposal and outline of work |
| Having got a clear idea of your requirements, I will provide a design brief summarising the ideas
discussed and a fee proposal for the design work. |
| Survey and site assessment |
| Once we have agreed the fee and the proposed work, I will accurately measure the garden, take
photos and assess the problems and potential of the site. From this information a scale drawing
is produced. |
| This takes between two and five hours. |
| Lay-out plan |
| Using all the information about you and the site, I can produce a design to scale showing the
proposed changes. The price depends on the size of the garden and the complexity of the design. |
| Second consultation
|
| To discuss the design, materials and planting ideas and help you visualise how the garden will
look.If necessary, I will make modifications and give you a copy of the final plan. |
| The meeting takes between one and two hours. |
| Structural plan |
| I will usually need to provide more detail for the landscape contractor which may involve construction
drawings, a list of specifications and a structural plan: a modification of the lay-out plan. Simpler
designs will not need construction drawings. |
| Hard landscaping and project management |
| I will suggest a contractor and meet him on site to discuss the job. He will then prepare an estimate
which I will check and pass to you for approval. There may need to be modifications to the plan if
the estimate is over your budget. |
| Once the price is agreed, work can start and I can oversee the work to ensure it is carried out according
to your wishes. This will involve several visits at different stages according to the complexity of the
job. |
| Planting plan |
| Once the hard landscaping is completed, the planting can be planned in detail. You might want a full
planting plan showing the position of every plant, or I may describe with the help of photos the kinds
of planting I am aiming for in each area. Because I carry out the planting myself, I can be more flexible
over the choice of plants. |
| Site preparation
|
| Plants may be moved or removed and the soil is thoroughly cleared and prepared, incorporating compost
to improve the soil structure. |
Plants and planting |
| Plants are sourced from reputable suppliers and I usually select the plants myself to ensure they are in
good condition. After planting, the borders may be mulched to retain moisture and suppress weeds. |
