The initial consultation gives us a chance to view the site in context before we start planning the garden design or landscape scheme. Think of it as a walk round your garden and a discussion of several ideas and lots of questions from both parties.
Before this first garden planning meeting it's really helpful if you can write a wishlist of what you would like the garden to be. As well as the 'likes' its also worth making a list of things that you do not want or plants that make your skin crawl. These lists don't have to just list the usual things like 'dining area' - they can include pictures, atmospheres and scents - even memories.
It's also worth spending some time thinking how much time you will spend in the garden, both 'visiting' and 'gardening'. For example, if you will mainly be using the garden in the evenings then garden lighting and night-scented plants may be key design features. The 'gardening' time will obviously affect the design - neither the client nor garden designer want a scheme that cannot be kept as intended.
There is a £75 fee for the initial consultation, which usually lasts up to 90 minutes. After the initial consultation the next step is the development of the sketch plan.
Our garden design practice is based in the Midlands and we typically can be found designing country estates and courtyards gardens n Nottingham, Leicester, Warwickshire, Northants & Oxford UK.
