The garden design process

Garden design is a collaborative process, and is personal to each client. Creating a garden requires dialogue, decision making and ultimately, we want to get to know you over the course of the design process to create a garden that is unique to you.

The design process can be broken down into a few steps (although they’re not all always required):

Consultation and site survey

The consultation is an important first step. Over the course of the consultation we’ll get to know your garden or outdoor space, understand the light and know the soil. We’ll get to know you, know your home and how the garden will relate to it, and how you want to use your garden in general. We’ll also take our first measurements in order to produce the initial concept design.

Initial concept design

The initial concept isn’t the finished garden design, but a representation of what it could be. The initial concept design will illustrate how you can divide up your space, create different areas with different functions, and indicate what kind of planting we’re suggesting. Multiple concepts can be produced upon request. 

Garden design

The garden design stage is where we crystallise and distil an idea, making final selections for hard landscaping, planting and any other details. Border designs can be produced to set out beds and borders, and final scale drawings will be produced, which can then be shared with landscapers at tender, with maintenance gardeners, or anyone else that might be working on the garden.

Tender

Potwell can go out to tender on your behalf to engage landscapers that could fulfil the build stage of the design. We don’t work with any particular landscaping company, so don’t have any biases.

Hard landscaping

Once a landscaper has been confirmed to take over the build stage, hand landscaping can begin. We’ll make site visits to the build project to ensure everything is being built as per the garden design, and keep in regular contact with the landscaping team.

Planting out

Once hard landscaping has concluded, planting can begin! Planting out the garden is the last stage of a garden design, and is the most exciting. The plants make the garden a garden, after all.

Handover

Once everything has been watered in and all the finishing touches have been completed, we’ll hand the garden over to you. A garden isn’t static, and changes all the time, so we’re always happy to provide follow up consultations as the garden grows and evolves.