Designing a garden can be both stressful and time consuming; there are many factors to consider such as drainage, plant types and microclimates to name but a few. A professional designer works with these challenges on a daily basis to deliver beautiful creations that will not only save you time and money, but will ultimately provide you with the garden of your dreams.

Samantha Jane Garden Design is a ‘Design-Only’ business, providing you with all of the information that you will need to implement the design, either yourself or with the help of the relevant contractors.

The design process can vary from job to job but the general principle is as follows:

Stage 1 – Free Initial Design Visit

The initial consultation is a chance for you meet Samantha Jane on site and to discuss your likes, dislikes and general requirements for the garden.  She will take this opportunity to draw as much information from you as possible to help her to produce an in depth design brief. This consultation is a great chance for Samantha to get a feel for the site and to judge the scale and potential of the project. During the meeting, you will also be able to take a look at Samantha’s design portfolio and selection of inspirational mood boards. The meeting will conclude with a discussion on your budget for the project and a clarification of the fees involved.

Back at the office, Samantha will compile all of the information into a detailed client brief and also a written confirmation of the fees and charging structure.

Stage 2 – Site Survey

Upon acceptance of the brief Samantha will be appointed as your Garden Designer, at which time she will schedule a second meeting to complete a site survey and evaluation.

The site survey provides all of the information required to create accurate scale plans.

The following is a list of some of the processes involved:

• The garden and surroundings will be looked at in detail to take note of the style and history of neighbouring buildings and land, the orientation, any treasured views, possible microclimates, awareness of services, security issues and remaining plants and features.
• The site will then be measured; recording the outline measurements, location of plants, buildings, services, windows, features and ground levels.

NB: In the case of complex sites, an external surveying firm will be recommended at an additional cost.

Stage 3 – The Presentation of the Design Proposal

At this stage you will be presented with preliminary scale drawings and artist impressions of how the finished garden could look.

You will also be provided with a mood-board, showing colour images of some of the design features, plants, and details to be used.

NB: This is the point at which any changes need t0 be made to avoid incurring additional charges later on in the process.

Stage 4 – Final Design

Samantha Jane will draw up the final scale drawing and accompanying 3D visuals.

NB: Any changes made at this stage will incur extra costs to you. If the change is considered completely different from the original design, it will be treated as another design and charged accordingly.

Additional Plans Drawn For Construction

If proceeding with the garden build, the relevant plans can be drawn for you at an additional cost, these are as follows:

Hard-Landscaping:

A plan showing the construction of the hard-landscaping for the design, in detail and to scale. There will also be the addition of a list of components required and possible technical drawings to help building contractors produce their quotations. Depending on the complexity of the project a construction timeframe may also be included.

Planting:

A plan detailing the location of every plant and quantities required, corresponding to an attached plant list. All plants will be carefully considered to give the best match for the design, for their optimum growing requirements and for all year round interest.

Lighting:

A detailed plan showing the quantity, position and direction of lighting for use by a qualified electrician.