OUR PROCESS
To discover more about our comprehensive garden design service, click on the stages for a step-by-step guide, followed by our Case Studies and FAQ’s.
PREPARATION - This is where we get to know each other, define your requirements, formalise your project, and gather all the information needed to start your garden design.
0.1 DISCOVERY CALL
Following your initial contact, the Discovery Call (via video or phone) allows you to discuss your garden and aspirations with Sara. Sending pictures in advance is helpful. You can also discuss timescales, budget, and any questions you may have. A site visit with Sara can also be arranged.
0.2 INITIAL CONSULTATION AND SITE VISIT
Sara will visit you and your garden or site, giving you the opportunity to show her around and share any ideas you may have. She will then sit down with you to ascertain why your garden needs designing, looking at the key problems or issues you might currently have; how you envision yourselves using your new garden and what the ‘must haves’ are for your garden. There is a fee for this visit.
0.3 DESIGN BRIEF & FEE PROPOSAL
Based on the site visit, Sara will create a Design Brief detailing your requirements and project scope. This will be emailed to you along with the fee proposal and a "Working with Us" document explaining your journey through the design process.
0.4 INFORMATION GATHERING
A full topographical survey is necessary to understand the position and footprint of the house, the boundaries, the different levels and the position of existing features. If not already available, this survey needs to be commissioned separately as it is not included in our fees. We can arrange quotes for you from recommended surveyors. For off-plan designs or if your home is in the process of being built, we would also require copies of all architectural drawings and surveys already produced. Your input and inspiration are critical to us, so we invite you to share anything that has inspired you for your garden at this stage.
0.5 CDM REGULATIONS
Construction Design Management (CDM) Regulations 2015 are regulations that affect all construction projects, domestic or commercial, including garden design projects. As your Designer, we will outline roles and responsibilities and may request information to ensure compliance.
DESIGN - Where Sara's vision for your garden moves through its concept design with immersive 3D videos and images, to the detailed Masterplan.
1.3 CONCEPT DESIGN
The 2D Concept Plan is scaled drawing worked up from the topographical survey. It outlines the vision of the garden, showing the general arrangement of the different areas and features within it, along with proposed materials and planting mood boards. The beauty of working with us is that there is no need to try and imagine what the garden will look like from 2D plans and sketches, our concept designs are brought to life with a realistic 'fly-through' video tour and talk through video presentation by Sara, discussing her design rationale and the various garden features, so you can absorb your new garden design at your leisure.
1.4 MASTERPLAN
The next step is to hold a meeting to review the concept design and discuss any design refinements or amendments. Sara will then present samples of the proposed materials, carefully selected from various suppliers to find the perfect ones for your project. Once the concept plan and materials are agreed upon, the Masterplan will be developed. This plan will include all key dimensions of paths and terraces, finished levels, and the heights of fences, hedges and walls. It will also detail the proposed materials, garden structures, specimen trees and shrubs, and all planting areas and styles.
DETAILED DESIGN - The devil is in the details, and we design carefully considered, buildable gardens where every detail is meticulously considered in our construction drawings.
2.1 CONSTRUCTION DETAILING
A full set of construction drawings will be produced, showing finished levels, sections through the different level changes along with construction detailing for any hard-landscaping features or structures including retaining walls, pergolas, water features, outdoor kitchens. We also provided lighting/power, irrigation and drainage plans where required. These drawings mean the landscaping contractor can build your garden as we envision it down to the last detail, and not their interpretation of it.
2.2 SPECIFICATION & TENDERING
A full written specification document is produced detailing all materials, with quantities, areas, and take-offs along with any fixtures and fittings required, and finishes. This is then issued for Tender to professionally accredited landscapers recommended by us or another landscaper if you have someone in mind, along with the masterplan, site survey and any detail drawings required for them to price accurately the scope of works.
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2.3 SITE DRAWINGS
This set of drawings will enable the landscaping contractor to transfer your design into your garden, setting out all the gardens’ elements accurately, meaning everything is built in the correct place and to the correct levels. With the construction and site drawings the landscapers have everything they will need to bring your garden to life on site.
PLANTING DESIGN - A well-considered planting scheme is the icing on the cake for any garden, and this is when the magic happens.
3.1 PLANTING PLANS
After discussing the style of planting for your garden, we produce a mood board of the proposed scheme for you to review. We then produce scaled planting plans of each planting area, indicating each plant labeled with its name, shown at its mature plant size. These are accompanied with a plant schedule of all plants, quantities, and pot size, for plant sourcing.
3.2 MAINTENACE SCHEDULES
We can provide you with a seasonal maintenance schedule for your plants, advising you on how to tend to your new garden and keep it looking good into the future. This is an optional service that can be requested.
SOURCING -Whether the showstopping specimen tree, feature containers, or furniture for lounging we can source the perfect finishing touches for your garden.
4.1 TREE & PLANT SOURCING
We can source plants and trees from a vast network of trade nurseries, which is a very cost-effective way of planting your garden, and for those extra special specimen trees we can visit tree nurseries together to select the perfect ones. This is an optional service that can be requested.
4.2 FURNITURE & FINISHING TOUCHES
We can draw on our extensive knowledge of suppliers of garden furniture, pots, containers, garden sculpture and other finishing touches, to help you complete your garden so the whole space works in harmony.
4.3 SETTING OUT
Once your trees and plants are ordered and the garden is ready for planting, we can check off the delivery of the plants from the nursery and set them out from the planting plans, ready for planting by your landscaping contactor. This is an optional service that can be requested.
CONSTRUCTION - Congratulations you have reached the end of your garden design journey, with your landscaping contractor about to start on site.
5.1 PROJECT MONITORING
We recommend scheduling several site visits during the implementation of the garden as it progresses, monitoring the work and making sure the project is being delivered as intended, and finding solutions to any unforeseen issues that might occur. This is an optional service that can be requested.
Garden Case Study
CONTEMPORARY BARN
An off-plan garden design, we were brought in right at the beginning to review the architect's initial concept design. Being property developers, they had learned from their mistakes in relation to aspect and associated light in the key living spaces and gardens of their previous homes and wanted to make sure they got it right this time.