It’s no different to building a house, putting a recipe together or even trying to DIY kitchen joinery. It’s important to know where you are going, and to allow for all elements of the design to be worked on, improved and then finalised before the task is even started.
Such a lot of time and money can be wasted on bad advice and unthought out ideas, so think ahead and engage people that can help you to achieve the end result, and in the time frame you are thinking about (it’s always before Christmas).
Landscape design is very much about bringing the client, the site, and the designer together to create a garden that is truly inspirational, functional, and fits its intended use and clients wishes.
This process takes time, and in reality, can even take years to get to the end theme intended.
In today’s environment with many designers and landscape contractors busy, it is important to think ahead in this planning process.
Typically, the process starts with an onsite consultation. There is often an initial cost to meet with the client and to look over the site.
Once the brief is finalised, the landscape architect or designer will put together a rough sketch of the proposed design and materials palette. These are called concept plans and are not detailed specification plans, but rather an overall concept of the proposed garden. Depending on the size of the project and designer used, these plans can cost anywhere upwards of $3000.
Once the garden concept is finalised there may also be more details and added costs in building specification and planting plans; so, as you can see planning is important to ensure the process runs smoothly.
From here it’s a matter of who is carrying out the garden build, so if you have a landscape contractor in mind, they will need to price out the work and book in the build, which under the current environment could be up to six months ahead.
Depending on the design and the build, these projects can be costly, so having a budget in mind before the project starts is a great point to start in the design process. Think of it this way, it’s no different to adding onto your house, or building a garage, it’s quite an investment, and as such having a realistic budget will allow the project to be carried out with quality materials and with professionals.
(Wayne Butson, Design + Garden Landscapes Ltd)
