The design process
To give you an idea of what to expect, I’ve outlined my standard working process below. Of course, no two gardens—or clients—are ever the same, so I'll happily tailor these steps to fit your exact requirements.
My services are designed to accommodate projects of any scope. Whether you are looking for standalone professional advice, a fresh layout for an existing planting bed, or a comprehensive redesign of a large property, I am here to help.
Information gathering - getting to know you, your dream and your garden
Getting to know you - a free 30 minute video call to see if we would work well together, and if my services fit your needs.
Getting to know your dream - a 90 minute garden site visit to find out more and walk your garden together. After this meeting I draft a Garden Transformation Plan, a blueprint of the services needed to bring your garden vision to life.
Getting to know your garden - depending on your garden, we may commission a professional topographical survey, or I may carry out a survey myself. I'll also conduct a site analysis, to fully understand the nuances of the site such as soil, light, noise and also get a feel for the unique sense of place.
Bringing the vision to life - concept designs
The concept phase is an iterative, collaborative process of bringing ideas together, testing them and refining until we hit that sweet spot that works. I offer three styles to suit you and your way of working.
Concept Blueprint - 2D style to show location of key features, with thumbnails illustrating details such as structures and materials. Great for flat gardens, smaller gardens, or where you have a good imagination and experience of technical drawings.
Concept Perspective - 3D artistic style, to really bring to life the look and feel of a design. Great for gardens with multiple levels, more complex site, or where you prefer to invest a little more to better visualise our ideas.
Concept Immersion - 3D images with more realistic materials and lighting. More lifelike than perspective, helps us to zone in on materials, structures and features at an early stage of the process.
The living element - planting that adds that personal touch
Matching the right plants to your lifestyle, your unique site, and your aesthetic goals. Services include:
Planting mood-board - Using a comprehensive online plant tool (Shoot Gardening) to share ideas, I partner with you to curate a planting palette that meets the needs of you and the site. A planting mood-board is included in all concept plans, showcasing some feature plants which are specifically chosen for you.
Planting design visualised - See your garden grow before it’s even planted. The plants we choose in the mood-board can be shown directly in garden designs to illustrate how your garden will look as it matures. It provides a vivid, artistic representation of the structure, colours, and textures in their planned positions, allowing you to truly step inside the feeling of your future garden.
Planting plan - Your Planting Plan maps the precise position and spacing of every plant in the design. An accompanying Plant Schedule details the exact botanical names, pot sizes, and quantities required for seamless costing, sourcing, and setting out.
Sourcing - Where clients want to get their hands dirty, I help you find the best trade suppliers for your budget and project.
Plant install - Support for self-install or pro-install, I can spend a half or full day helping ensure the right plant goes in the right place. Yes, that's me getting my hands dirty (one of the best parts of my job!).
Plant care - Safeguard your garden's future and never worry about missing a critical care task. Monthly maintenance guide emailed to you each month using Shoot Gardening.
Masterplanning and tendering - success is in the detail
I offer tailored packages to fit your needs:
Dark Sky Lighting Design - Custom lighting plans designed to reduce the ecological impact of artificial light, protecting nocturnal wildlife while beautifully illuminating your garden. Available on request.
Project support - keeping the project moving forward
Garden transformation framework - for complex or self-build projects, a transformation framework breaks the work into parts to make it easier to bring to life. We can focus on what matters most to you:
- Build phases based on logical ordering for maximum resource efficiency and shorter build time.
Build phases based on budget availability and relative priority of built elements, to maximise the usability of the garden during the build phase.
Tender Support & Project Monitoring - I help you source and select the right landscaper for your project, ensuring a reliable fit from the start. Once construction begins, I conduct regular project monitoring visits to support the contractor, resolve on-site complexities, and safeguard the original design intent.
Site visits during build phase - To ensure the highest standards of workmanship, I host structured, minuted site meetings with your contractors. This collaborative approach keeps communication clear, deadlines tight, and budgets on track. Our goal is to absorb the day-to-day stress of the build, allowing you to enjoy the garden's transformation while we manage the technical details.