Survey, concept, planting plan
Garden design
A measured survey, a scaled concept plan and a planting list, drawn by hand and then to scale, for gardens we build and gardens you would rather build yourself.
Most gardens that disappoint were built without a plan. A plan is cheap, a patio in the wrong place is not.
Cerys visits, measures the garden, photographs it from every window and asks what you want to do in it: eat outside, grow food, keep a dog, hide a shed, stop the neighbours looking in. The first drawing is a hand sketch over a cup of tea, because people say more about a sketch than a CAD drawing. The second is a scaled plan with levels, materials and a planting list by Latin and common name.
The planting plan is where a garden becomes a garden. We choose plants for the soil you actually have (usually clay in the Vale, with some limestone pockets), the light each bed gets, and how much time you want to spend on it. Low-maintenance is a real option; no-maintenance is not, and we say so.
You own the plan. Build it with us, build it yourself over three summers, or hand it to someone else; the fee is the fee. If we build it, we take the design fee off the price.
What is included
- Measured survey and photographs from every window
- Hand-sketched concept, then a scaled plan
- Levels, materials and drainage shown
- Planting plan with quantities and sizes
- Two site visits and one round of revisions
- Design fee deducted if we build it
What it costs
Concept design from £450 for a typical back garden, including the survey, two site visits and a scaled plan. Full planting plans from £350. Design fees are deducted from the build if we build it. All prices include materials, labour, waste removal and VAT. See the full price list.
Questions about design
How long does a design take?
Three to four weeks from survey to scaled plan, longer in spring when everyone wants one. Planting plans a further two weeks.
Do you design front gardens and small courtyards?
Yes, and they are often the most satisfying. A small space needs a plan more than a large one because every mistake is visible.
Start with a visit.
Cerys comes to the garden, measures it and listens, for free. A sketch follows, then a plan, then one price. No pressure at any stage; some people build it three summers later.