Full Garden Design
Creating your perfect garden is about more than choosing a few plants or putting down a patio, it’s about designing a joyful, multi-purpose space that feels like a natural extension of your home. I approach each design with careful consideration for its unique charm and challenges, understanding how you want to live, your gardening ambitions, budget, conditions, and aesthetic. The result is a thoughtful plan that balances beauty, practicality, and personality.
You can download one of our small garden example plans below to help visualise the process. This shows an example of the Detailed Design output once the initial concept has been agreed.
Example Plan (Small Garden)
Download an example plan ↓
Gardens transform how you live
Every garden has the power to change the way you live and how you feel each day. A thoughtfully designed space that looks inviting all year round can do wonders for your wellbeing. Below is the process we take to craft the masterplan for your garden transformation.
How often have you looked out into your garden and felt that it could offer so much more? Well, I can help you.
The Design Phases
The design process is made up of four phases, from the initial concept right through to construction, planting, and ongoing support as your garden matures. Being involved from the beginning, all the way through to completion allows us to champion your vision and ensure every detail is realised beautifully. Every client and garden is unique, so while we recommend being there for the full journey, each phase can be tailored to suit your project’s needs.
Phase 1 of 4 — Concept Design
On-site consultation, brief, moodboards, multiple layout ideas
Initial Consultation & Brief
Every project begins with a site visit* and a conversation about your ambitions and importantly budget. The goal is to deeply understand your needs, the way you live, ideas, fears and everything in between in order to create a strong brief that we can both agree is the design challenge. This brief will also outline the fee structure, steps of the process and be a great marker for how we measure any design decisions.
*If your distance is over 1 hour away the design process will likely be remote, but we can discuss this on a project by project basis
Concept Design
If the site is simple, measurements will likely be taken during the first visit or shortly after. For more complex spaces, there might be a need to commission a detailed topographical survey to record levels, layouts, and existing features. From there, I start shaping initial concepts with moodboards capturing layout, material and structural ideas.
This stage is designed to be collaborative — ideas are refined through feedback and discussion as the final concept is developed ready for Phase 2.
Phase 2 of 4 — Detailed Design
Detailed design masterplan, materials palette, features, technical drawings
Developing the Design
Once the concept is agreed, we move on to creating the final detailed design plan. This stage includes all measurements, material details, and specifications, along with details for any complex features, junctions, or level changes. The result is a Masterplan — the cornerstone of your project — providing a precise layout for contractors to accurately quote and build from.
Technical Drawings
Certain parts of a garden build can’t be accurately costed without technical drawings to specify the details. These plans ensure clear communication with your contractor and help produce accurate quotes — for example, for step construction, slopes, bespoke features, or irrigation layouts.
Phase 3 of 4 — Planting Plan
Planting design, positions, eventual spread and exact quanitites
Planting Plan
The final piece of the design that brings the whole plan together is the planting plan. We deliver this as a separate document for planting days, with every individual plant detailed for it's care and maintenance. Planting plans bring the whole design together, detailing the plants, trees, and shrubs to be sourced, along with their exact positions and quantities. Every combination is carefully chosen to work harmoniously and thrive in your garden’s specific conditions and aspect.
Planting plans reflect your ambitions as a gardener, ensuring that maintenance feels manageable, rewarding, and perfectly suited to your lifestyle.
Phase 4 of 4 — Implementation Support
Contractor liaison, site visits, revisions, build-oversight, plant sourcing, hands-on planting
Oversight & Liason
During the build, I can help liaise with contractors, provide additional support if anything unforseen arrises, and keep the project moving on time and with a design-led approach if revisions or adjustments are needed at that stage. I am the champion voice of the agreed design plan, and can be there to oversee and make sure it is implemented exactly as we have designed.
Plant Sourcing
I have great relationships with several of the UK's largest, most trusted nurseries, allowing us to source and deliver plants at just the right time in your build. Whether it’s reserving stock early, finding specialist varieties, or hand-selecting statement trees, we take care of the details.
I coordinate closely with everyone involved to make sure structural trees are planted at the right stage of the build schedule, keeping the project flowing smoothly and avoiding unnecessary delays.
Hands-on Planting (by me!)
Planting is one of my favourite aspects of this job, and why I got into garden design in the first place. It's fuel for the soul and incredibly satisfying and uplifting. So to support this passion, I can offer a fully hands-on planting service with myself doing the layout and labour, priced at a day rate, typically for small to medium sized gardens.
Typically construction quotes will revolve around the hard-landscaping only, so having a plant specialist come in to plant at the right time can work well. It's also a fantastic opportunity for us to work together where I can help educate you on the plants in your scheme along with their care if you wish.
Ready to get started?
All Full Garden Designs are wrapped up in a comprehensive package that is ready to go out to tender, with detailed documentation in order to get accurate quotes from build contractors. You are free to choose one of your choice, but I can also suggest recommended contractors that are BALI registered and know are able to deliver with the care and craftsmanship required for a bespoke design.
Think we are a good fit for your project? Let's talk.
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Office Address: 53 Mayfair Avenue, Worcester Park, Surrey, KT4 7SJ
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