My Design Process

I will arrange a meeting with you to talk through what you feel is and isn’t working in your existing garden, what your ideal garden would include, and what level of budget you have. If you are planning a complete redesign of the garden, I will bring my portfolio of hand-drawn designs for you to look through which will show you the different styles of projects I have worked on; this can also enable you to see what different budgets can achieve.   

It is also really helpful for me to gain an insight into your lifestyle, tastes, and what level of ongoing maintenance you would like. This initial meeting is for both of us to get to know each other and decide if we are a good fit – if we are going to work together to create your ideal garden, it is crucial that we are going to be able to work collaboratively.  For this initial meeting, I suggest we meet for around one hour, for which I charge my standard hourly design fee.  I will make notes of any of your ideas or requirements, which will be incorporated into any design you commission. 

If we agree to work together on a complete redesign, then I will arrange a convenient time to return and take full measurements and photos of your garden.  These will enable me to draw a base plan, a simple line drawing that shows which existing features will remain, and any site issues such as drainage points etc. 

I will work on at least one concept design, which is a drawing that will help you envisage how your garden space could be used and the styles that could be achieved. These will be accompanied by a mood board that shows the types of textures, hard landscaping surfaces, colour pallets, and other features such as furniture, planters, lighting, and water features. I often like to present clients with two concepts with contrasting styles and shapes - these can give completely different perspectives that will help you to move towards your final design. I’ve found this is especially helpful as it can even lead to a blending of features from the two concepts for the final design. Having said that, sometimes we will have a very clear vision and one concept is enough. 

I will arrange a second meeting to present my concepts to you, at this stage it is often helpful to walk around the garden space as I describe how the new design would feel in real life. I will bring any samples of landscaping materials I have, we may even try positioning furniture in new places to bring it to life.

For this stage of the design process, I will charge all my time at my standard design hourly rate, as per the terms we’ve agreed. We will agree a maximum budget for this stage of the design process in advance of any work undertaken. If you would like me to adjust drawings or produce more designs, then this will also be charged at my hourly rate, so the process can take as long as you feel you need it to.

I will produce a full-colour drawing of the final design, with all landscaping materials and general specifications listed. You will receive three copies of the final design in a folder.  If you have your own preferred landscaping contractor, I can produce a black and white technical plan with detailed technical specifications for them to work from.  Alternatively, I have trusted contractors that I work with regularly who are experienced in working from my colour plans.

I can also produce full planting plans at this stage if requested, which would specify all plants, cultivars and quantities with a plan that could be followed by any gardener.  Alternatively, I have many clients who are happy to leave the plant choices to me if they would like me to return at the end of the building stage.

I will be available to oversee the stages of building work, to ensure that the design is being followed and to guide any decisions on adaptations necessary.  I do not subcontract to the landscaping team, so for this stage you would be their customer, however, I will always be available as I like to see the process first hand.

This is the exciting stage where you will literally see your garden coming to life!  I will return with a van full of plants, pots, and any other features, to plant the garden. If necessary, I will bring other gardeners with me to assist with the planting.

Due to the nature of nature, not all plants are available at all times of the year, so I find it helpful to plan a few visits through the first year to plant bulbs for the spring and fill in small gaps with annuals while perennials mature.  Again, we will always agree your maximum budget at each stage while your garden develops into the final design result. 

While we can design low-maintenance gardens, there is no such thing as a no-maintenance garden!  Some clients are confident that they can manage the ongoing nurturing, for which I can produce a detailed list of each plants needs to help. Other clients prefer to have a gardener to keep everything looking at its best – if I don’t have the capacity to do this myself, then I can recommend local gardeners.

For me, a big part of the joy of my job is returning to see gardens I have designed over the years and watch them evolve, so I hope we will stay in touch for many years to come.