The Garden Builders - First Choice for Garden Design in London
Garden Design - Why is garden design important?
Garden design provides both creative and practical support to transforming your garden. Most clients are looking for inspiration, and this can be done by sharing 2 or 3 concepts on paper prior to deciding a final design. Typically, a client can expect a detailed plan and 3D perspective drawings to help them visualise the finished garden design. Pragmatically, the garden design also accurately scales the garden, helps anticipate problems and allows accurate costings for the landscape contractor. We work across London and the home counties.
What is the typical garden design process?
In most cases, the garden design process begins with an initial client / site meeting to look at the garden and discuss client needs and wants. This is followed by an accurate survey, noting existing trees, services, and garden levels. A second client meeting then takes place to establish a more precise brief and an indication of budget. The garden designer then starts to put together concepts and ideas in several sketches taken to a further consultation with the client to gain feedback and agreement on a lead design. The designer then produces a working masterplan with 3D perspectives, elevation drawings, material specifications, and additionally, planting plans on request. At this point, the client can also explore options of irrigation, lighting, furniture and planters. Once the masterplan is finished, the necessary specifications can be passed on to landscape contractors to price accurately. We work from anywhere in central London, outer london, the home counties and nationally.
How much does garden design cost?
Typically a garden design can cost from £500 for a basic plan up to several thousand pounds depending on the size and complexity of design. The price is also dependent on the experience of the garden designer. We work across London and the home counties.
How do you chose a garden designer?
We would always recommend using someone with recognised qualifications as a garden designer or landscape architect with a number of years experience in order to ensure plans are completed to the proper standard. If you require help, we would be happy to recommend garden designers to you that we have worked with over the years with a range of budgets and experience. We work across London and the home counties with garden designers.
The Typical Garden Design Process
Broadly speaking you as a client should look for a garden designer who has excellent garden design or landscape design qualifications and possibly someone who is affiliated to a professional and recognised garden design group or garden design society. A recommendation from a friend of colleague is always a good way to find a creative, skilful and knowledgable garden designer. We work across London and the home counties.
How to Choose a Garden Designer?
If you have specific requirements which are relative to your garden design needs or lifestyle needs such as an interest in sustainable materials, green issues, wildlife conservation, urban environment, energy usage, recycled materials etc, then you may want to locate a garden designer who works around specific environmental principles in the everyday garden design practice. We work across London and the home counties.
If you have a demanding career and very little time to tend and nurture a growing planted garden you may prefer to work with a garden designer who can design an outside space which doesn’t require much maintenance but provides a space for relaxation and leisure? We work across London and the home counties.
A family garden will probably have to meet varying needs! A safe play space, a storage space, a comfortable and versatile outdoor dining space, etc. Your garden designer should be able to please all the family and combine all requirements within an exciting garden design. We work from anywhere in central London, outer london, the home counties and nationally.
Looking at a garden designers portfolio will inform you about their previous garden design projects and their selected method of designing and their skilful garden design presentation. Good 2D sketch visuals, drawn by hand or produced using IT tools should go a long way towards showing you possible outcomes for your garden. You need to find a garden designer who is keen to listen to your ideas and who is willing to work within your potential overall budget. Many elaborate garden designs look great on paper but the reality is that they may cost a fortune to build and maintain. We work across London and the home counties.
Make a list of the garden design requirements that you have. What you expect to get from your garden. How much you would realistically want to spend on the build, etc. The look you require. Any storage you may require, ie. garden furniture, equipment, bicycle storage etc. Boundary areas, walls and fences may need to be discussed with your neighbour? Think about lighting, having the option to use the garden in the evening should be seriously considered. Your garden designer should be able to advise on any issues that require planning permission, etc. Although the necessary paperwork is usually required to be completed and submitted by the home owner. Along with a list of your requirements and, after looking at your existing garden your garden designer will be able to estimate a building cost in conjunction with a landscape contractor. We work across London and the home counties.
Finding a Garden Designer
There are various ways to locate a suitable garden designer:-
SGD (The Society of Garden Designers)
Internet Search Engines
Local Advertising; newspapers, magazines, library, shops, garden centre
Garden Design & Landscape Design Colleges: Inchbald, The English Gardening School, KLC, Pickard School of Garden Design, Merrist Wood College, Capel Manor College, and so on.
Cost of Garden Design
The cost of commissioning a garden design will vary from garden designer to garden designer. Factors such as qualification, experience, reputation, awards won etc will have an impact on the charge that different garden designers can make for their services. Discuss with the garden designer and ask what their chosen method of designing and presentation is and what services you should expect in return for their fee. We work from anywhere in central London, outer london, the home counties and nationally.
The size of your garden will also have an impact on the cost. Although it doesn’t always follow that smaller gardens cost less! Often smaller urban or city gardens require a greater amount of garden design solutions! The restrictions of urban and city living often require garden designers to be clever with design solutions and space saving options but without losing design impact or structure. We work across London and the home counties.
Computer Aided Design Tools within the Garden Design and Landscape Design process.
Various computer applications can be used in the preparation and presentation of garden design and landscape design, including (Autocad, Sketchup, Vectorworks and Photoshop) amongst others to provide different kinds of exciting presentations for your garden design. We work across London and the home counties.
Autocad with garden Design
A fully professional and widely used IT design tool used by architects, landscape architects and garden designers alike. Autocad covers all the necessary requirements needed in order to create full design packages, concept plans, technical specifications and 3D visualisations. We work across London and the home counties.
Sketchup with Garden Design
A more recently released smart and quick design solution for creating, viewing and modifying 3D models of garden features as well as overall 3D visuals of garden designs. Much easier and faster to handle than AutoCAD and it also supports DWG format. We work across London and the home counties.
Vectorworks with Garden Design
A more mechanical IT design tool mainly used by architects and landscape architects. Vectorworks provides what all CAD users require weather its 2D drawfing, 3D modeling, drawing detail or photorealistic renderings and animations. We work from anywhere in central London, outer london, the home counties and nationally.
Photoshop with Garden Design Garden Designers use Photoshop for editing garden design proposals. It is also an excellent solution for creating various textures to enhance 3D visuals made on CAD related programs. We work across London and the home counties.
Public Gardens to Visit for Your Garden Design Inspiration
Kew Gardens
Wisley RHS
Tatton Park RHS
Harlow Carr RHS
Hyde Hall RHS
Rosemoor RHS
Flower & Garden Design Shows
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, May
RHS Hampton Court Palace London Flower Show, July
RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, July
RHS Cardiff Garden Show, April
RHS London Flower Show, February
BBC Gardeners World Live, June
Harrogate Spring Flower Show, April
Southport Flower Show, August
Shrewsbury Flower Show, August
Garden Design & Home Interiors Shows
Daily Mail Ideal Home Show London, March-April, Earls Court, London
House & Garden Fair, June, Earls Court, London
Grand Designs Live, June, Excel, London
Popular Garden Design Publications & Magazines
Garden Design Journal
The Landscape Magazine
BBC Gardeners World Magazine
BBC TV Gardener & The Fying Gardener
House & Garden Magazine
Gardens Illustrated
The English Garden Magazine
Homes & Garden
Grand Designs
Better Homes & Gardens
Homes & Property
Garden Design London
Users Currently Online: 410 Most Ever Online: 9481 (10/04/2008)
The Garden Builders - First Choice for Garden Design in London
Garden Design - Why is garden design important? 
In most cases, the garden design process begins with an initial client / site meeting to look at the garden and discuss client needs and wants. This is followed by an accurate survey, noting existing trees, services, and garden levels. A second client meeting then takes place to establish a more precise brief and an indication of budget. The garden designer then starts to put together concepts and ideas in several sketches taken to a further consultation with the client to gain feedback and agreement on a lead design. The designer then produces a working masterplan with 3D perspectives, elevation drawings, material specifications, and additionally, planting plans on request. At this point, the client can also explore options of irrigation, lighting, furniture and planters. Once the masterplan is finished, the necessary specifications can be passed on to landscape contractors to price accurately. We work from anywhere in central London, outer london, the home counties and nationally.
How do you chose a garden designer?
How to Choose a Garden Designer?
Finding a Garden Designer
Computer Aided Design Tools within the Garden Design and Landscape Design process.
Public Gardens to Visit for Your Garden Design Inspiration