FAQ's
Will getting my garden designed add value to my property?
Invariably, attractive, easy to use garden spaces add to kerb appeal and the value of the property.
What budget should I allow for my garden design project?
Typically a professionally designed garden can cost up to 10% of the value of the property to which the garden relates. There are several factors which will influence the total budget – not least, the slope of the site requiring engineered structures to retain soil, access to the site (do materials and plants have to be delivered through the home, or via crane over the property).
If you allow between £100 and £350 per square metre of garden – for hard landscaping, labour and plants and trees, this will give you an outline budget. Make sure you compare this to the cost you would invest in an internal project – where you could be looking at £2000-£4000 per square metre – and don’t forget your garden is often the largest ‘room’ in your home. Getting the most from this space is important. You will notice health and wellbeing improvements immediately, you will experience joy in your new surroundings and you will add value to your property.
How long will it take to undertake the garden design?
I ask my clients to give me 6 weeks for the concept design phase, from receipt of topographical survey and approved client brief. This gives me time to spend in the garden, noodling ideas and coming up with a solution that I feel is best for you. If I feel rushed, this can restrict the flow of creativity.
The construction of the garden can take several months, depending on the complexity of the design, the size of the landscaping team and the weather. Don’t forget to book your landscape contractor well in advance, good ones are often booked up several months in advance.
I recommend that clients start engaging with a designer a year in advance of when you plan to enjoy the completed garden. Don’t forget that plants take 3-5 years to establish too (and trees a lot longer than that).
How do I have an initial no commitment chat about my garden?
How much should you expect to pay in design fees?
This varies from designer to designer. As a rule of thumb, a professionally trained, accredited garden designer would charge between 8 and 15% of the build cost, on average for the design. I’d encourage you to think about your chemistry with your chosen designer. They will be part of your life for a decent stretch of time. And as in any purchase decision in life, you tend to get what you pay for.
How should I tackle my front garden?
How should I prepare my garden for winter?
Journal
September Tidy Up
I’ve spent a few happy moments in the gravel garden today. I ran my fingers through the Stipa tenuissima to decongest untidy thatch, I clipped a few straggling Verbena bonariensis and deadheaded the Salvias. A few minutes of therapeutic gardening results in a tidier gravel garden. The Calamagrostis brachytricha or
Autumn stock take
The nights are drawing in aren’t they? There’s a distinct Autumnal feeling in the air. The grasses, dahlias, rudbeckias and heleniums are doing their best to lift our spirits as the verdant abundance of summer slips away to reveal the softening retreat of Autumn. I always think about Autumn as
Front Garden ideas
Front gardens give a sense of arrival at a property. They are a window into your personality and lifestyle. We walk through them on a daily basis and they can have a meaningful impact of making us feel better about where we live. Research indicates that spending a mere 3
