The Design Process
Designing a garden that works may seem a daunting process. Here is a breakdown
of the steps that I will perform to ensure you achieve your dream garden:

Initial Consultation: this is the first meeting to view the site and gain a proper
understanding of your needs and thoughts and the unique features of the garden.
I will discuss and work through with you all your requirements to establish a brief
for the design. I will show you examples of previous designs to give you a better
understanding of the scope of my services and to explaining the design process.
From this initial consultation I will send you a document confirming the brief,
outlining proposals and the estimated design for your approval.

Survey: once instructed to proceed, a survey is carried out, which involves measuring
the site, recording levels and all relevant information; if the site is large or complex a
professional surveyor is employed, alternatively I can survey your garden.

Outline plan: from the survey I start preparing the sketch plan. This is the point at
which I commit the design ideas to paper. This is a scaled drawing of the design and
may include sketches and images to clarify design intentions.

Detailed design plan: this is the key design drawing, accurately scaled to your new
garden. I present it in colour, to enable visualisation of the design and may prepare
perspective views and section elevations. The Detailed design drawing contains all
relevant design information.

Planting plan: this drawing shows the position, quantity and species of plants,
and incorporates the plant schedule, which includes pot sizes and planting details.
Plants specified take into account site conditions, ie soil conditions, aspect and
your preferences.

Construction documents: these include the setting out plan and construction
drawings for all hard landscape elements, if required, to enable the contractor,
where applicable, to quote for and implement the design.

Specifications: I prepare in addition to the design and construction drawings,
written specifications and scope of work, to enable the landscape contractors
to submit itemised quotations, on a like for like basis.

Building the garden: you may have your own contractor to do the work, but if not,
typically all documentation is forwarded to at least three landscape contractors.
They then visit your garden and provide their itemised quotations. I can organise
this for you, and monitor the construction of your garden.

Maintenance schedule: I can prepare a separate maintenance schedule, specific to
your garden, outlining when and what is needed to manage the planting, month