BEAUTIFUL WILD
THE PROCESS: START TO FINISH
Here you will find the main ingredients from initial consultation to finished garden - however every project is unique and we adapt the process to your needs. Often work is carried out in stages. Sometimes a concept plan is all that is needed, or a planting design. For clients who are engaged in building work, we prefer to work alongside your architects, as you will achieve a greater degree of harmony and a more seamless connection between interior and exterior if you consider the garden design concept in tandem with your architectural plans.
All the stages of work below are led by Gini Denison-Pender, bringing in artisans, surveyors, landscapers, garden building architects, planners, and other designers as necessary to create the perfect garden for you. Gini is the lead designer and also the central liaison point, ensuring that the different elements of the project are in harmony, and that they progress in the best order.
INITIAL CONSULTATION
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Your wishes and ideas and the functional requirements of the space form the first point for discussion. This is combined with an initial assessment of the character of the space, how it sits within the built and natural landscape, and an exploration of the habitats and nature rich areas already present. Gini will meet you in the garden for a first meeting to look at these aspects with you, listen to your ideas and understand the way the garden will be used. She sends over a written report of the discussion to refer back to and build on as the design evolves. This report also explains the process to be followed, and the fees for producing the design and taking it to the tendering stage. There is a small fixed fee of £120 (plus travel cost) for an initial consultation.
Budgetary discussions are important throughout the early stages. In some projects we will work to a set budget from the start, whilst in other projects we firm up the budget during and after the concept plan stage, once there is a better idea of what will be included and realistic estimates can be given and informed choices made.
SURVEY
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If you decide to proceed the next stage will be a survey of the site. In a very small plot we might measure up, however in large or complex spaces, a chartered surveyor is best placed to carry out a topographical survey, and we will assist you in finding and instructing a suitable surveyor. The survey includes every element within the site which might impact the eventual layout of the design, from the position of trees or windows and doors, to utilities and level changes, and a record of elements directly outside the site which will also have an impact on the design.
In every case Gini also returns to make a full photographic record of the site, and analysis of influences on it which may affect planting and planning. This is also an important opportunity to form a deeper understanding of the character of the garden.
DESIGN CONCEPT
With preliminary information in hand, the creative stage arrives. The foundations for the concept plan will always be the required functions of the site. However inspiration comes from all around: the visual setting, key plants, soil, site history and wider landscape, along with more individual matters - perhaps a favourite garden style, remembered scents, important references, the atmosphere you want to create, and anything which you and other stakeholders (whether these are family members in a private garden or a broader set of users in a public garden) might love to have in their ideal garden.
Often clients tell us at the start of the process that different users want different things out of the space: as a former lawyer Gini has the skills to untangle differing needs and find a way forward in these situations, and clients are thrilled when they end up with a garden which makes everyone happy. Another common situation is that clients do not use their existing garden, or simply do not know where to start, and in all these cases it is a joy for us when clients report back how the new garden draws them to spend time outside, or transforms their home, or gives them breathing space.
Whilst designing we also take a view of everything through a wildlife lens so that the space becomes a nurturing part of the wider landscape, welcoming nature in, and enabling the creatures which also live outside your boundaries to thrive as your garden matures. Gini's experience over more than a decade of working with nature in mind is that landscapes which are not only green but also gently humming with life are without doubt the most restful and restorative for their human inhabitants too, so she applies an ecological filter to all design ideas, always aiming to regenerate the space for nature. We also design with sustainability in mind, whether in choice of materials, disposal of waste, or methods of construction.
All the ideas are blended with broader design principles to produce a balanced, harmonious design concept unique to you. A hand drawn Concept Plan conveys the key ingredients of the design and the flow of space so that you can imagine how it will feel. Perspective drawings bring the imagined space to life. The Concept Plan, once agreed with you, is the reference point for all further work.
DETAILED DRAWINGS
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After the design concept is agreed, we produce a set of detailed scale drawings in a digital format which will enable contractors to accurately transfer the design from paper into 3 dimensions. Hard landscaping elements, whether paving stones, steps, bespoke timber structures such as pergolas or gates, light fittings or items of furniture, are drawn up with dimensions and in detail to be able to turn the imagined garden into reality. This level of detail also means that accurate and comparable contractor quotes may be obtained if required. The drawings are accompanied by a written Specification and health and safety documentation where required.
PLANTING DETAIL
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With the layout of the garden mapped out, planting plans can be completed. Plant choice is a central part of bringing the design to life in the way it was intended, as plants are used to create a living architecture for the garden. They also bring seasonal change and atmosphere, colour and fragrance, and shelter, nourishment and hidden highways for wildlife. General maintenance practices are explained explaining how to look after the planting in a way which iis regenerative for soils and beneficial to nature - whilst being less intensive for the gardener (whether that is you alone, or a gardening team). A plant specification lists all the species and their quantity and initial pot size, as well as some key information to show you why they are included - perhaps for evergreen structure or ephemeral beauty, or food for birds. Dimensions of planting beds allow quantities of additional materials such as compost or horticultural grit to be calculated. Detailed plans accompany the Specifications to give a sound basis for contractor quotes.
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TENDERING
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Once the full set of plans is ready, Gini will either recommend contractors who she knows from experience will offer the best service for your garden build, or send the drawings and Specifications out to tender with a selection of reputable firms, as you prefer. We will contact landscapers for explanatory discussions before fixing appointments on site; and provide them with document packs. Gini attends meetings with contractors on site to answer any design queries; and then she will assess the quotes with you to help you decide which contractor you would like to engage.
THE IMPLEMENTATION STAGES
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Gini is on hand during the build, liaising with the landscapers throughout. She usually attends on a weekly or fortnightly basis while work continues, particularly at crucial moments such as when the first layouts are measured out on the ground or hard landscaping elements are positioned. Gini sources plants, usually from trade nurseries local to your area. We have a network of known nurseries which we prefer to use, which are family run, innovative in finding alternatives to peat in plant production, conscientious in reducing energy inputs, and as an end result produce healthy plants which have the best chance of survival when transplanted into your garden. Supporting small businesses and reducing transport miles are an important part of the ethical way in which we aim to build Beautiful Wild gardens. Gini works directly with the landscapers at the stage of laying out plants, ensuring that they will bring the plans to life as intended.
We send you and the landscapers written notes following each monitoring visit. Gini liaises between you, the contractors, and anyone else involved in the build, until the project is complete, saving your time by answering design questions, whilst always referring back to you and being on hand with advice when there are new decisions to be made.
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CARING FOR PLANTS AND HARD LANDSCAPING
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Caring for the garden is an important aspect so that the plants continue to develop according to the plan. As standard we provide a general advice sheet explaining how to look after the garden in a way which encourages a nature rich environment and cuts out chemical use (as pesticides are known to be harmful to humans as well as wild creatures, and chemicals can disrupt the soil structure which supports your plants). If required we provide notes for individual plants too, or particular zones such as cutting gardens, and we can talk through the plans with your gardener - or help you find one. We offer copies of the concept drawings to gardeners so that they can visualise how the garden will look a few years on, and understand how to prune key architectural plants, or maintain areas for wildlife. Gini will also arrange follow up visits with you in future years if you wish, to keep an eye on the garden as it evolves.
DESIGNER FEES
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Most of the planning and design stages of work are charged at fixed rates, priced for you after the initial consultation. Design fees depend upon the complexity of the work, time needed, team required and size of plot. During implementation stages, our fees are 12% of the net cost of the build. We will advise you about the likelihood of external fees where necessary: for surveyors, or planning applications, structural engineers, ecologists and so on.
Sometimes hourly rates will apply, for example for additional works or to cover follow up garden visits after the build is completed, and there is always clear communication about the work being done and when hourly rates will apply. The exact hourly rate depends on the team members involved. Gini's current rate is £120ph.
BUILD COST AND VALUE
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Costs for the build vary enormously depending on the site and what you need. If you are wondering about a budget for a private garden, quotes from contractors registered with reputable trade bodies show that in a compact central London plot, using natural stone, you could currently expect to budget around £500-£600 plus VAT per square metre of hard landscaped area. In rural areas where access is easier this could be less - or if you use simple materials such as gravel the costs drop dramatically. Planted areas tend to be in the region of £150 plus VAT per sq.m.
Gardens enhance daily life in many unquantifiable ways and our clients report back on their sense of peace and serenity and joy in their gardens, and how these spaces are much better used once our design is implemented. For a more quantifiable approach, research by Foxtons estate agents suggests that an investment of between 4% and 10% of a house price in a well thought out private garden can create an uplift in property value of 20% .
Gini is always happy to to suggest ways in which changes can be made at a sensible cost. If there is much to be done we often plan the build as a series of smaller phases over a year several years, setting out a timeline and working with contractors who are experienced in working in this way.
Alternatively if you just need some ideas to get you started, Gini offers a fixed fee consultancy service for smaller gardens at £450 (plus travel): we will talk and walk through possibilities in the garden over the course of approximately 2 hours, pacing out potential dimensions for new hard landscaped areas, with quick outline pencil sketched options for the structure of the garden, also considering the atmosphere of the planting, and how to enhance it for you and for wildlife. Gini follows up with a detailed written report containing photos of the garden with a reminder of suggestions for change in each area. and also a bespoke written list of key plants (some from our discussion on site, and others added after further consideration) which will suit the soil and garden microclimates and wildlife and help you create the mood you want, along with general maintenance advice, and concluding with a 15 minute zoom call a few days later to address any follow up questions so that you can proceed with confidence.
