Helping Nature By Design

I approach all my projects with my full attention - my aim is to help you and nature in tandem. I love the process of finding out what you want and what makes you tick, even more I love the process of pulling together your wishes with my freshly sprouting ideas and creating a vision to hold up for approval. Aesthetics and tailoring your garden to your lifestyle are never compromised in the pursuit of helping wildlife - on the contrary, I set the stage for you to meet nature - the true beauty. I always use plenty of imagery to make sure my proposal is understood, and we only go ahead with creating the garden once you are happy.

001
First Contact

I will usually direct you to read this process to see how I work. Otherwise I’ll fill you in with a quick chat on the phone to get a better idea of the kind of project you are looking for.

002
Consultation & Questionnaire

I set up a visit and fill in a detailed questionnaire. This is a nice process and ideas often begin bubbling. I charge £100 for a consultation which includes a write-up of our meeting.

003
Brief, Estimates and Contract

I send you the write–up of the questionnaire, this forms our working brief. I also give you  estimates of my design fees. This is the point where you decide to use or decline my services. Fees vary widely since every project is different, but you can expect a minimum of around £2000 for a full service. I use a very simple contract that relates to the brief and my fee estimate.

004
The Survey and Site Analysis

I (or land surveyors) will come and measure your garden for drawing up on CAD software. Surveying also includes noting existing plants and seeing what we can keep. I might test the soil, assess trees and shrubs, take notes, photo and sketch. I will also note any existing hard materials that might be re-used or repurposed with your approval.

005
Design & Planting Concept

I will present the design and planting concepts. Depending on your earlier choice you will have either a 2D plan of the concept design or a 3D model presented as an animation. These are accompanied by a montage of photos to help communicate the ideas. You are free to suggest changes at this stage and I will not charge for minor amendments. 

006
The Final Plans

I will present the final drawing with all the details and amendments, there may also be construction drawings which are all complete enough for a contractor to work from and to quote from. The planting plan is a detailed list of plants with their location in the garden. A management plan of how to look after the garden in a manner that helps nature is presented after the build.

007
The Landscaping Quote

I have a network of trusted landscapers and artisans to call on. The chosen contractor will use my detailed plan and specifications to provide an accurate quote.

If the detail required is beyond my expertise, I call on a trusted consultant to provide drawings e.g. for a natural swimming pool.

008
The Build

The team arrive in your garden and the transformation begins. I work with landscapers to assure the garden is built according to plan, and that materials are reused or recycled where possible. I also do what I can to protect the plants we have decided to keep, and that the soil ecosystem is preserved and retained as much as possible.