The design process
A garden should feel as though it belongs to the house, to the landscape around it, and to the people using it. My work starts with listening: how you want to use the space, what you want to look at from the kitchen window, how much time you want to spend looking after it. From there I read the site itself, levels, soil, aspect, shelter and outlook and design something that works with those conditions rather than against them. Every garden is different, but the process below is the path I follow from first conversation to finished planting.
1. Initial Meeting
Our first meeting is an opportunity to discuss your aspirations, requirements and budget for the project. I can share examples of my own work with you, talk through how I approach a design, and get a feel for the site and the way you want to use it.
2. Proposal
I then put together a written proposal setting out my understanding of your brief, my approach, the work stages involved and a full fee breakdown. Once you are happy with it we agree the appointment and I begin.
3. Survey and Site Appraisal
Good design starts with knowing the site properly. I carry out a measured survey or arrange a topographical survey where the ground is complex or steeply sloping — recording levels, boundaries, drainage, existing planting and trees. Alongside that I assess aspect, soil, exposure and views: the things that quietly decide what will and will not thrive.
4. Concept design
This is where the ideas take shape. I present a concept plan showing the layout of spaces, circulation, key features and the character of the planting, supported by sketches, reference images and a materials palette. We talk it through together, and I expect it to change — this stage is meant to be a conversation.
5. Detailed design
Once the concept is agreed I develop it into the drawings needed to build it accurately: setting-out plans, levels, construction details, hard landscape specification, and planting plans with species, sizes and quantities. Where a project needs planning permission or input from other consultants, I coordinate that.
6. Contractors and costs
I can issue the drawings to landscape contractors for pricing, help you compare quotations and advise on where to spend and where to save. If you would prefer to use your own contractor, the drawings are prepared so that anyone competent can build from them.
8. Handover and aftercare
When the work is complete I hand over a maintenance schedule explaining how to care for the planting through its first years. Gardens take time to settle, and I am happy to stay involved with seasonal visits or to return as the garden matures.
Not every project needs every stage. Smaller gardens can be taken through a shortened version, and larger schemes are often phased over several seasons. We agree the right scope at the proposal stage.*