Gardens
GARDEN DESIGN PROCESS
We follow a clear step-by-step process for our garden designs, communicating with our clients at every step, providing reassurance and building strong, trusted relationships.
Our gardens are designed and built by our expert teams of garden designers, horticulturists, landscapers, lighting experts and construction workers, who all offer the utmost quality in their work and pride themselves on their attention to detail.
Our design process follows a clear structure as detailed below:
This is a step-by-step process for Garden Design. Initial consultations are also available for our other professional services, we are happy to meet on site or quote for professional landscape services from surveys and plans. The design process follows a clear structure as detailed below:
We pride ourselves in our attention to detail.
Our Process
Initial Consultation
We like to meet all garden design clients face to face on site. We can look at the space together and agree a design brief, but most importantly you get a feel for us, and how we work. We will also ask about your budget so right from the start, your design journey is practical and achievable.
Design Proposal
Within a week of our site visit, we will write back with your Design Brief and a Fee Proposal. This will break down the process according to the following stages, identifying your costs up-front. Take a look at some of our designers’ other work in our design portfolio by clicking here…
Stage 1: Site Survey
In almost all circumstances a full topographical survey is invaluable as a start point. This gives an accurate base and starting point – the outlay is easily off-set by eradicating errors and assumptions. We can point you in the direction of surveyors and advise of typical costs if you don’t already have a recent site survey.
Stage 2: Concept Plan
This is the overview or ‘macro’ vision, based on your brief, style and a pinch of our own aesthetic to deliver a plan to your outlined budget. Plans will be to scale and include CAD drawings and mood boards to give a thorough visual understanding of how the finished garden will look. The garden design plan will show areas of landscape features such as terraces, paths, planting beds, trees lawns and others.
The drawings will be presented to you and we will discuss the plans and complete a round of amendments, if required, to perfect it for you. We can also give broad brush costings at this stage to give you a feel for the design against your budget which can inform design decisions.
Stage 3: Planting Plans
Next is the Planting Design. This will be done to create a beautiful, long-flowering scheme to your chosen colour-palettes. We specialise in creating borders that look fantastic without requiring constant titivation to keep them that way, but we love a chance to explore horticultural curiosities as well. If you simply want a planting scheme without the Concept Plan, please call – we’d be delighted to quote.
In brief, we cover it all – from creating the Design Brief to sourcing the final finishing touches. Do contact us and see how we could help you.
Stage 4: Lighting and Services Plan
If you are contemplating lighting your garden, we can provide a Lighting Plan – usually done early on in the design process so all future electrical loadings can be factored in.
Stage 5: Detail Plans, Setting Out Drawings etc.
Particularly on larger projects, Concept Plans need to be converted to detail drawings that allow for accurate pricing and construction. These could include (amongst others): Setting Out Drawings, Construction Drawings – for structures or water features perhaps – Planning Application Drawings etc. We can advise what is required and never produce drawings for drawings’ sake.
Stage 6: Other Optional Services
This includes work such as 3D visuals and animations which might be required or clients can request a quote if they would like to see renders of their project.
Our Process
Initial Consultation
We like to meet all garden design clients face to face on site. We can look at the space together and agree a design brief, but most importantly you get a feel for us, and how we work. We will also ask about your budget so right from the start, your design journey is practical and achievable.
Design Proposal
Within a week of our site visit, we will write back with your Design Brief and a Fee Proposal. This will break down the process according to the following stages, identifying your costs up-front. Take a look at some of our designers’ other work in our design portfolio by clicking here…
Stage 1: Site Survey
In almost all circumstances a full topographical survey is invaluable as a start point. This gives an accurate base and starting point – the outlay is easily off-set by eradicating errors and assumptions. We can point you in the direction of surveyors and advise of typical costs if you don’t already have a recent site survey.
Stage 2: Concept Plan
This is the overview or ‘macro’ vision, based on your brief, style and a pinch of our own aesthetic to deliver a plan to your outlined budget. Plans will be to scale and include CAD drawings and mood boards to give a thorough visual understanding of how the finished garden will look. The garden design plan will show areas of landscape features such as terraces, paths, planting beds, trees lawns and others.
The drawings will be presented to you and we will discuss the plans and complete a round of amendments, if required, to perfect it for you. We can also give broad brush costings at this stage to give you a feel for the design against your budget which can inform design decisions.
Stage 3: Planting Plans
Next is the Planting Design. This will be done to create a beautiful, long-flowering scheme to your chosen colour-palettes. We specialise in creating borders that look fantastic without requiring constant titivation to keep them that way, but we love a chance to explore horticultural curiosities as well. If you simply want a planting scheme without the Concept Plan, please call – we’d be delighted to quote.
In brief, we cover it all – from creating the Design Brief to sourcing the final finishing touches. Do contact us and see how we could help you.
Stage 4: Lighting and Services Plan
If you are contemplating lighting your garden, we can provide a Lighting Plan – usually done early on in the design process so all future electrical loadings can be factored in.
Stage 5: Detail Plans, Setting Out Drawings etc.
Particularly on larger projects, Concept Plans need to be converted to detail drawings that allow for accurate pricing and construction. These could include (amongst others): Setting Out Drawings, Construction Drawings – for structures or water features perhaps – Planning Application Drawings etc. We can advise what is required and never produce drawings for drawings’ sake.
Stage 6: Other Optional Services
This includes work such as 3D visuals and animations which might be required or clients can request a quote if they would like to see renders of their project.
“Jack the field is looking SUPER! Bex and I were just saying this afternoon actually how lovely it is to look down from the house to the lake with the sun playing off it. The sight lines that Freddie designed are terrific, and the new trees that Jess and team have put in are already giving the field a character. Thanks all for your great work“
Can we design or build your garden?
Nicholsons specialise in whole garden projects and would like to hear from you if you have a medium to large garden requiring design or construction. Start your process by filling out the form below, or give us a call on 01869 340342