the DESIGN PROCESS

An initial free consultation, which normally lasts for about an hour, will provide an opportunity for us to meet and discuss your garden and requirements. This will be followed by a written confirmation of our understanding of the brief and a written quote for any design work required up to the final design. If you decide to proceed we would request written acceptance of the quote before work can commence. We will then schedule a date for delivery of the work.

An accurate survey of the existing garden is needed before any design work can take place. This is undertaken either by Catriona or in the case of larger and more complex sites by a surveyor. The survey will capture the house and any other buildings,  boundaries, existing features and levels required to inform the subsequent preparation of the design. Soil samples and reference photographs will also be taken. From this information a number of concept plans of your garden will be created, and we will then arrange a visit with you to present and discuss the proposed design.

A presentation quality detailed scale plan of the garden, will be completed including any 3D work so that the design can be fully realised.

Construction details of any specific garden structures, water features or hard surfaces are created, along with a layout plan which contains all the measurements and information needed by a contractor to accurately set out the design. Where requested, we can put you in touch with contractors who can carry out the necessary hard landscaping.

We produce planting plans for existing areas or for new designs as part of a proposed scheme. These plans show the location and spacing of all the plants in the design, and an accompanying schedule lists the plants Latin names with sizes and quantities which can be used for costing and ordering. Our planting plans take account of the specific site characteristics are usually based on a 5 year maturity scheme which provides a good balance between creating an instant impact on a sensible budget whilst providing room for plants to grow.  We also provide a plant sourcing service if required.

The following services are provided at an additional fee to the main design/build phase of the project:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Catriona is available to supervise the build of your garden, from managing the tendering process to working with the contractor on regular site visits during the build. This ensures the garden is built to the design and meets our exacting standards.

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULING - We also offer a garden maintenance scheduling service, which lays out what needs to be done when in the garden and how long each activity should take. In the first year we also make quarterly visits to ensure that the garden is maturing as planned, and carry out any maintenance that is needed. This service gives some clients peace of mind after the initial investment of having their garden designed.