Our Garden Design Process: From First Call to Finish

Our process at Gardening Luxury Services runs in five stages: a first phone call, an on-site survey, a written design and quote, the physical build, and a final walk-through with aftercare notes. Most residential projects, from a courtyard replant to a full rear garden, take between three and eight weeks from signed quote to handover.

What happens on the first call?

The first call is short. We ask what you want to change, when you want it done, and roughly what you'd like to spend. That last question makes people nervous, but it saves weeks. If your dream is a natural swimming pond and your budget is £4,000, we'll tell you on the phone instead of after a survey.

We founded Gardening Luxury Services in 2014 on Willow Lane, and after eleven years the pattern is clear: honest scoping in the first ten minutes protects everyone. You can read more about the questions worth asking on our guide to choosing a garden partner.

If it's a good fit, we book a site visit. Site visits are £75, credited back against the project if you go ahead.

How do we survey and design a garden?

The on-site survey usually takes 60 to 90 minutes. We measure boundaries, check drainage points, photograph existing structures, and log which parts of the plot catch full sun. Soil matters more than most clients expect. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, matching plants to soil pH and texture is the single biggest predictor of long-term plant survival [1], so we test pH on the spot with a probe.

Here's the contradiction: most people ask first about plants. That's the wrong first question. Ask about drainage. A £12,000 planting scheme will rot in two winters if the water has nowhere to go.

After the survey we produce a scaled plan, a plant list, and a fixed written quote. Turnaround is normally seven working days.

What does the build stage actually look like?

Build stages vary, but the sequence rarely changes:

1. We sheet the access route and protect indoor floors before any material comes through the house.
2. Existing features marked for removal come out first, and green waste leaves the site the same day.
3. Groundworks follow: levels, drainage runs, and any foundations for walls or paving.
4. Hard landscaping goes in next, including patios, paths, edging, and irrigation lines.
5. Topsoil is graded, improved with compost, and rolled before planting begins.
6. Plants go in from largest to smallest, so specimen trees set the rhythm.
7. We finish with mulch, a full site clean, and a written aftercare sheet.

Last April a client on Beech Road, Anna, 61, asked us to rescue a garden that another firm had abandoned mid-build. We stripped the failed patio, rebuilt the sub-base to BS 7533 standards [2], and replanted 47 perennials. Six weeks. On budget.

How do we compare against typical alternatives?

| Option | Typical cost | Timeline | Best for |

|---|---|---|---|

| DIY weekend redesign | £300–£1,500 | 2–6 weekends | Small planting refreshes. |

| General landscaper | £3,000–£15,000 | 2–5 weeks | Hard landscaping only. |

| Our full design and build | £6,000–£40,000 | 3–8 weeks | Whole-garden projects with planting. |

Not every job needs us. If you want a fence replaced, hire a fencer. If you want a garden that still looks intentional in year five, that's where a designed process pays back. There's more on our approach in the studio introduction post.

What happens after handover?

Handover isn't the end. We book a free visit at week six to check plant establishment, adjust irrigation timers, and answer questions. Optional maintenance visits start at £95 per hour, usually monthly through the growing season. Try this: photograph your garden the day we hand it over, then again at month three and month twelve. The change in the second photo is when the design starts working.

FAQ

How soon can you start a project?

Our current lead time is four to six weeks from signed quote in spring and summer, and two to three weeks in autumn and winter. Emergency work, such as storm damage or failed drainage, we try to slot within seven days depending on crew availability.

Do you work outside your main service area?

We cover a 25-mile radius from Willow Lane as standard. Beyond that we can still take projects on, but travel time is added to the quote transparently. For very distant sites we sometimes recommend a local firm instead, which is fairer to your budget.

Will you work with plants I already own?

Yes, and we prefer it when it makes sense. Established shrubs and trees carry value that no nursery-bought plant can match in the first three years. We'll assess what stays, what moves, and what genuinely needs replacing.

Do you offer garden design without the build?

We do. Design-only packages start at £850 for a small garden and include a scaled plan, plant list, and material specifications you can hand to any contractor. Roughly one in five of our clients chooses this route.