The Garden Design Process
A successful garden design involves following a simple but necessary process, starting with a consultation. However, before you meet us, make sure you have worked out your aims and objectives, and considered the views of all the garden’s users.
Once we have a plan, your garden can be planted and constructed as a single project, or you can have sections built over a number of years. Arcadia Garden Design allows you to develop a garden at your own speed.
A garden can be designed and built at almost any time of year. So if you want your new garden for the spring, contact us before Christmas to avoid disappointment.
The key stages of our process:
- Consultation
- Survey
- Presentation Design
- Working Drawings
- Construction
- Aftercare
Consultation
The initial consultation meeting is perhaps the most important of all. This is the time to discuss your ideas for the new garden, and what you want from it. Colour schemes, styles and tastes, materials and budget should all be considered at this stage, with the outcome forming the basis of a written brief.
Survey
Following acceptance of our quotation, based on a written brief, your garden will be fully surveyed. A detailed analysis of existing plants, soil type, drainage, sun and shade areas, good and bad views, is undertaken and the results included in our Survey Plan. The survey is an essential part of the design process, as only then can an accurate, scaled design is produced.
Presentation Design
The Presentation Design is an artist’s impression of your future garden, drawn to scale and using sweeps of colour. Sketches may be used to illustrate the design, helping to communicate our ideas on planting style and materials. At this stage, minor alterations can be accommodated, but wholesale changes will require a re-design at extra cost.
Working Drawings
Working drawings are the set of plans, which enables your garden to be built.
The Layout Plan is a combination of the Survey Plan and Presentation Design, with all measurements and levels included, and some of the graphics removed. This plan is essential to the implementation of your garden design.
Construction Drawings are detailed drawings of the more complicated features, such as water fountains, pergolas, retaining walls, steps etc.
Construction Notes provide the working details needed to build your garden, materials, thickness of concrete etc and work scheduling.
The Planting Plans show the garden as a whole, or as separate areas. All the plants are featured, including any existing plants. A Plant Schedule is also produced, listing quantities and sizes, which will be sent to nurseries and other suppliers for pricing.
Construction
Arcadia Garden Design’s professional landscape team has expertise and experience in all aspects of landscaping, and would usually undertake all construction and planting work. Alternatively, you may wish to use your own contractors, working under the supervision of Arcadia Garden Design to ensure a professional standard of work and smooth running of the site.
Aftercare
Some of our clients are experienced gardeners, others are novices. Arcadia Garden Design can help its less experienced gardeners by providing a month-by-month maintenance schedule, with tips on pruning and dividing herbaceous plants, and mowing routines for meadow and wild flower areas.
Tailored Service
Arcadia Garden Design offers a flexible and personal service, tailored to meet the needs of individual clients, their gardens and budgets. We can produce plans for a single border, or design and build complete gardens. Some clients just need advice, so a single consultation is sufficient. Others want a full design service and then build the garden themselves. Some use Arcadia Garden Design to carry out the construction work and then do the planting themselves. Or vice versa.
Whatever level of service you require, Arcadia Garden Design can provide it. And we quote separately for each stage of the design process, so you know exactly what you are paying for.
