Services
The Brief / Design Consultancy
Firstly I will visit you at your property, familiarise myself with the space & then we can all sit down & discuss what it is that you want from the garden & how you intend to use the space, both in the immediate term as well as in the future.
I will be also interested in what is most important to you in addition to your likes & dislikes with regards to the current garden before we discuss styles, influences & what kind of atmosphere we are looking to create.
Not all clients require the full design process but may just require a selections of the services offered. However, with all journeys it is important to understand the final destination in order to not make costly or undesired decisions along the way.
Services
The Survey
A survey will be conducted in order to understand the size & topography of the garden, along with the location of buildings & services. I will also note the views to keep, views to lose, soil type, aspect, wind, cool areas, hot areas which all play a key part in the design process.
For large gardens it may be beneficial to hire a professional surveyor to complete a full topographical survey in order to fully understand the intricacies of the site.
Dependent on the site it may also be required to look at any planning requirements or local restrictions that must be adhered to.
Services
The Outline Design
The real fun & interest starts when I present back the high level design options, which can either be in a 2D or 3D form, at which point you will choose a starting point from which we will continue to tweak until we have a high level design of your dream garden.
Many clients find a design presented in 3D easier to understand as you can be walked around your future garden or see what your future garden looks like from different rooms in your house.
At this stage you will also be provided mood boards showing examples of materials, planting, lighting etc in in order that you can better envisage how the end product will look & feel.
This is the time where it is also important to discuss approximate timelines & what can be expected as the journey unfolds & the design turns from a concept into a build.
Services
Detailing & Construction Specification
The next phase is to agree on the all important detailing. Examples of which are the type of stone used, what patten it is laid in, lighting requirements, outbuildings, drainage, water features etc.
When clients desire a swimming pool or tennis court for example I will help find the best companies to work with & once a decision is made I will work closely the contractors to ensure the design integrity is maintained.
Behind what you can see on the surface resides the further construction detailing which is also specified & detailed by myself in order that we ensure the build is to a high quality, safe & long lasting. All of these drawings & specifications are also an enabler for obtaining pricing.
Services
Planting Plans
Many clients like to choose the desired atmosphere they are looking to create, or have favourite plants, trees, colours which I can incorporate as part of the planting design.
For clients that have little knowledge of trees & plants I will walk them through different themes & options & also consider how much work they would like to undertake in the garden going forward.
The planting design must also consider the type of soil, soil conditions, aspect, prevailing winds etc.
Sourcing plants & trees is a further service I offer & as such I can ensure quality through hand selecting trees & plants from the professional suppliers with whom I have relationships.
Services
Tendering
I strongly believe in there being a clear line between the design & build, as is the case with architects & building contractors. As the designer I will detail the requirements & specifications to be distributed to tender, or to provide to a landscaper of your choice in order for a price to be obtained.
The separation between the design & the build enables a designer & the landscaper to hold each other to account ensuring a quality long lasting garden.
As part of the tendering process I will be able to offer advice & value engineer the design in order that budgets targets can be met.
Services
Project Management
I also offer a project management service where my clients & I agree on how often I will be on site to ensure the quality of the work meet my high standards, answer any questions that cannot be dealt with over the phone.
I can also provide sign off for the client to pay contractors based on work being completed to the specified quality.
Services
Pricing
As every client is different, as so is every garden & landscape it is impossible to put a price on how much a garden will cost to design & build. Some designers believe that home owners could expect to spend up to 10% of the value of their home for a truly award winning garden, which may also add a similar value to the property.
However it really depends on what goes into the build & planting which ultimately is the clients choice & as such I will work to the clients budget providing sound advice & ideas along the way.
Watching television programmes would have you believe that designing & building a garden is a relatively cheap process, although remember that this is TV and home owners are only paying for some materials & in many cases the end product is far from optimal.
The most economical part of a garden design will typically be the soft landscaping (planting) whereas the hard landscaping comes at a higher price.
Other factors that have to be considered are access to the garden to bring materials in & out, & this is why clients choose a professional garden designer to add value beyond the design itself. We also provide consultation and design services to corporate and commercial clients, including schools and offices.
