Garden Design/Using a designer

4 years ago

Having built a single storey extension we are now ready to have the garden landscaped and patio built. We have been recommended a garden designer who we have engaged and will pay for his designs as a design package. He has presented two designs, neither that we particularly “love” although there are elements which we like. We realise that we have probably left the brief too wide. We are trying to find further inspiration online before we have a review meeting. The garden slopes from right to left by about half a meter, is south-west facing. We don’t have an unlimited budget but appreciate that whatever we do will add value to the property.

Ideally we would like the patio to be flush with the bifold doors and are considering composite decking and porcelain paving.

For any designers out there, what things do you wish your clients would consider before engaging your services?

I am struggling to find gardens/patios on line with similar slopes for inspiration.

Any ideas?

Comments (5)

arc3d
4 years ago
Hi Louise,

Might be more productive to post pictures of the proposed designs, explain why you don't love the them and then get feedback from this forum?
Louise King thanked arc3d
Sonia
4 years ago
Forgot to add a pictures of Himalayan Silver Birches!
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This thread was started by minnie101 in March and her comments at the end of May indicated she may have been by then well advanced in the planning if not the implementation. Doesn't that make suggestions for clearing and early stage design the following January somewhat posthumous? Changing topic to a piece orf growing advice for minnie101: we are now in a new year with a new growing season coming up. Instead of buying new lavendar plants to replace those which are getting leggy annd unkempt, why not look up how to take cuttings from those you have and replace with newly grown, free plants of your own? This will not only work with lavendar but with a huge variety of herbacious plants as well as most shrubs andd, if you have the patience to wait for the results, trees. You need some cheap plastic plant pots and some compost. A trowel would be useful. But you could even use an old spoon from the kitchen and a few empty yoghurt, margarine or other empty, washed packaging tubs with a couple of holes punched in the bottom for drainage. Here's an offer for all you Houzzer folk. If enough people would like to learn how getting free plants from your own cuttings works, I shall write an article for you and post it with a few pictures or drawings for clarity, here on the Houzz site if I can find out where to put it!
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Love the frontage of your cottage. That wall is adorable! You have a couple of shrubs there already. Do you know what they are? There are some great low growing plants that need very little work once they are established. As well as T Gray‘s suggestions, you could also add Aubretia which is a low growing plant that has gorgeous purple flowers in spring. It’s very common and available everywhere. Campanula is a blue flower that cascades in summer (some are tall so read the labels). Another flower is Erigeron, again it spreads and is low growing with quite large purple daisy like flowers in the summer. My favourite is Geranium - they come in a huge array of colours and various heights so check those before buying. They flower in the summer. Don’t forget daffodils, such a ray of sunshine in the spring. They can be planted in the autumn. A lawn is a great idea - relatively cheap to lay too. I think the best way to have a low maintenance garden is to stick with trees and shrubs which dont need too much fussing with. Trees can be pricey, but so many places sell shrubs, not just garden centres, such as nurseries,, supermarkets and even car boot sales! AUBRETIA CAMPANULA ERIGERON GERANIUM ROZANNE
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Hi Stacy, yes thats where my comment came from. I will look back at that again to see about the planting. I wasn't keen on the horizontal pavement. What I really need is a designer to look at the whole space. I'm not sure how to best build up the raised area and I'm worried it's going to be put together quickly and I will miss a key moment to get this right!
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PRO
Gerbera Designs (Garden Design)
3 years ago
Hi Louise. You should tell your designer the ideas that you love and the ones that you don't like. Design is an evolving process. If your designer has presented concept designs initially then this is a point of discussion for you all going forward to the final design. I get my clients to fill out a questionnaire and also set up Pinterest mood boards for each of my clients before I even start drawing anything. You could also use Houzz for mood boards. Hope this helps. Regards Joanne
Louise King
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you Joanne...that’s helpful. We’ve done some sketches and put together some pictures of what we like and from that we now have some further designs which are a great point for the design to evolve from. It is such a financial investment that we want to get it right.
PRO
Neil Jones Design
3 years ago
I always agree a written brief with clients before embarking on the design process and where possible provide some examples of gardens you or like or similarly don’t like, to help the designer build up a picture of what you are seeking to achieve. It’s important to choose a designer whose style you associate with and admire in order to get a best fit from the design process. Good communication between all parties is key throughout the process so I’d encourage an open discussion and hopefully your designer can respond positively to your comments.

Garden Design/Using a designer

Comments (5)

arc3d

Sonia

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