Do I then build the garden for you?
So how does the process work?
Take a look at the pictures and plans in this portfolio. These are designs for ordinary, busy people like you and me. My clients come to me looking for a new garden for lots of reasons. It’s not just moving to a new house, an upcoming first communion, a lifestyle change now the children have grown; it can be something deeply personal like trying to regain confidence after a bereavement. Similarly, the type of service they are looking for varies: some already have a builder on site who will be doing the hard landscaping for them and all they need is a paving plan; some have talked to about six contractors who all called themselves designers and promised to quote then never came back - so they want a detailed specification and help getting a quote; others are too busy, they just want you to get on with it and tell you when it is all finished. So a tailored service can involve any one or more of these.
1. An on site consultation to problem solve and seek ideas. Follow up summary but no drawing work.
2. The above with a site survey resulting in a scale drawing showing a sketch or concept plan based on the two above.
3. A further consultation followed by a modified or more detailed design with a written specification of work.
4. Briefing the client’s contractor or the designer’s recommended contractor and review of the quotes.
5. Liaising with the contractor on start dates, overseeing implementation.
6. Personally selecting and specifying the plants, ordering them and laying them out for the contractor to plant. I prefer this to doing detailed planting plans as contractors never follow them.
The designer’s fees are determined in advance of each stage, the only tricky bit is supervising implementation (the most expensive part) as this can be hard to predict if the job increases in scope or there are many changes.
