Garden Design

Frequently asked questions

Do you charge for the design?

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The initial on-site brief and sketch is free as part of any build quote. Stand-alone design packages with full drawings start from £450.

Do I have to use you to build it?

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No - if you take the design elsewhere we ask for a £450 design fee. Most customers build with us.

How detailed are the drawings?

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Concept-and-spec level - dimensioned plan, material palette, planting list and lighting points. We don't do RIBA-stage technical drawings; for listed or planning-led schemes we'll point you to a chartered designer.

How long does the design stage take?

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Typically 2-3 weeks from the on-site visit to the final sketch and fixed quote.

What actually happens at the design consultation?

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We walk the garden with you for around ninety minutes. We take levels and measurements, note aspect, soil, drainage and what the neighbours can see, and ask how the space gets used across a year: children, dogs, entertaining, growing, working from a garden room. You end up with a brief in writing rather than a sales visit.

What is in a planting plan?

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A scaled plan showing every plant position, a species list with quantities, pot sizes and spacings, and a note on what each plant is doing: structure, screening, seasonal interest or ground cover. It is written so it can be priced, planted and maintained by someone other than us if you ever move on.

How do design and build work together?

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The person who drew the garden stays involved through the build. That is the difference between a design that survives contact with the ground and one that gets quietly value engineered by a contractor who never met the client. Levels, drainage and material joints are resolved on paper first and checked on site as the build progresses.

Is garden design worth it on a smaller Fleet or Odiham plot?

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Often more so. On a large plot mistakes are absorbed; on a smaller garden every zone has to earn its place, and a plan is what stops you paying for a patio in the wrong corner and a lawn that never gets sun.

Can the work be built in phases?

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Yes, and it is common on larger schemes. We design the whole garden, then break the build into stages with the services and levels done first, so phase two never involves digging up phase one.