Learn About the Design Process

Posted by Coffee Girl Designs on 13th November 2020 -

We offer a FREE initial consultation meeting to all our clients.
The best time to re-design your garden is Autumn and Winter when most plants, shrubs and trees are dormant and you can work on hard landscaping construction without missing out on your summer garden fun.

BRIEF

This is your 1st consultation visit with your garden designer. I will come and meet you in your garden and spend time with you discussing your ideas, needs and wants for your outdoor space.
Please allow around an hour for this meeting in order to make the most of it.

DETAIL DESIGN

When you’re ready to take your dream garden to the next step, we’ll make another visit to measure up and take pictures of the existing space. For bigger gardens it may be necessary to arrange a site survey.
Your designer will then start creating a plan for your new garden following your brief and based on the design package you have selected.
The design process will take around 10 working days depending on a size of the space.

CONSTRUCTION

All our designs are suitable for DIY projects ot installation by a professional landscaping company.
We can recommend a number of landscape contractors who will deliver work of the highest quality. 

How To Choose Your Garden Designer?

If you are looking for garden designer, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel a little lost as it’s probably not something you have done before. Hopefully the below will offer some guidance and help you avoid costly mistakes.
A - First of all, make sure you check them out on other social media platforms like Linked In, Facebook, Instagram. Do they have a website? 
Remember - Visibility is credibility. You can find out a lot of useful information about designers and range of services they offer by doing a little bit of research online.

B – before settling for a designer, find out how far from your area do they live? Many designers are prepared to travel far and often for their design projects, but they will be invoicing accordingly. So in order to avoid spending a big chunk of your budget on travel expenses – make sure you search locally.

C - Credentials – there are many shows and competitions that designers can apply and display their talents to the public and a panel of judges – we have all heard about the Chelsea Flower show and equivalent. Exhibiting in these shows is an incredibly expensive and time-consuming exercise and there are many designers out there that will wear as a badge of honour any medals achieved at such shows. And quite rightly so, it is an officially recognised standard of excellence.  But there are couple of things you must remember: It is not essential for a designer to have any medals of achievement in order to create an excellent design for their customers.  The medals do not stand for excellent customer service and care. But they are likely to elevate a price bracket for any products and services provided by a designer.

D – Find out exactly what is the range of services your designer can offer you? Ideally you want to find someone that will not only create a stunning design but can also offer a detailed planting plan and will have a team of landscapers and professionals on hand to complete the project. 

IMPORTANT– don’t fall in to “all-or-nothing” trap. You want a designer to create a plan for a DIY project. There are designers out there that will offer a design-only option.

E – determine, do you actually need a designer? Many landscapers now do offer a basic design service, so if you are looking for some advice and basic layout ideas, you might get away with using your local landscaper. But please be aware they are not likely to offer a detailed 3D or hand-drawn models as creating these are too time consuming and not cost effective for their business model.

Take time, choosing the right person will make the whole process a lot more enjoyable for you and your family