Papi Jo I think garden designers may suffer from the Chelsea effect. Rather like very few of us would wear catwalk fashions, show gardens have become so peculiar, and so little to do with real people, their children and pets that few would want their designs. The cost is a fantasy, too. I feel gardens are for enjoying, not a display of concept art.
I trained as a garden designer and this is so far from the truth to be unreal! Garden designers will work both with you and the garden to give you something that is within budget and to be proud of, all of it based on what you want. If we wanted a quick summer dress run up, we would go to the seamstress round the corner because a) we don't have the money to commission Versace to do it b) we want it how we want it and c) we want it now. We will still get as much pleasure out of that dress (if not more) albeit 'run up round the corner' as a dress made and designed by Versace that we would only wear once. Garden design at Chelsea is avant-garde stuff just like runway fashion shows, nice to look at but in most cases totally impractical and costs a fortune!
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
But that's exactly what I said! Avant garde and costs a fortune. If you want a little dress run up you get out the seeing machine: if you want a garden you get out the spade. I'm sure there are sensible garden designers and I bet you are one of them, Hogweed, but how are we to know when all we see is that ghastly Chelsea stuff?
I too trained as a garden designer and I echo hogweed's post.
Designers, be it garden designer, dressmakers or architects provide what the client wants. Other may love it or hate it. One thing is for sure, if the client doesn't like it, they'll not be in business for long.
As for
" Most designers will provide a range of services, from preliminary sketch (sometimes free)"
I've no idea why anyone should work for free. I can imagine the reaction if I suggested the mechanic doesn't charge me for the first hour he spends servicing my car, or if I suggested the electrician might just pop round and stick a socket in FOC, or maybe a decorator would pop round and just do a wall for nowt!!
Do folk turn up at work and say " tell you what Boss, don't bother paying me for this morning, it's on me"?
"that ghastly Chelsea stuff?" might be exactly what the organisation / person who commissioned it wanted,(otherwise why would they A:pay for it, or B: have their name associated with it,) even if it's just to get publicity.
I think there comes a point when you just have to think "s*d it", make a decision and go for it. Otherwise more time has passed, your brain has fried,and nowt has happened.
All the advice above has it's merits, but when it comes to it, it's your garden and somewhere you want to enjoy . Plants can be moved, hardy annuals can fill a bed while you decide on more permanent planting, mistakes will be made! It's all part of gardening
My personal advice would be a good local garden centre, they can give you good advice re planting and most of them have ideas regarding local reputable landscapers etc.
Lyndalan- hogweed and Hosta are right. Designers work to a brief. You have a budget, you have ideas. A designer will work with those two things and advise you as to what's feasible for that budget.
The best way forward is to list the main things you need, the main thing you want, and the things you don't want. £5,000 won't actually go very far, so you'll have to be realistic.
Get the main hard landscaping done first, and then be prepared to compromise on other features. If you can do any of the work yourself, that will save money. I know what it would have cost me just to put in the fence round my boundary. I saved a fortune by doing it myself. Labour costs are one of the highest expenditures in making any garden.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
After taking on board the advice I decided to roll up my sleeves and just go for it, unfortunately most of my work is underground as there are many meters of drainage channels buried that no one will even see. The pale soil is being prepared for a circle shaped lawn and the dark soil is ready for planting. Still lots to do, like all the edges but we're getting there, and most of you were right, far better doing it myself, even have the calluses to get the odd sympathy vote! :-)
Saved a fortune doing it myself, but thank goodness for "how to" videos on Youtube. Managed to find a local wholesale nursery who can supply loads of local plants at much cheapness so it's now the difficult part of narrowing the options to make some nice borders. Might even have enough in the budget for a flower circle and eh, a trampoline..
Wildlife/coastal theme hence the pond and blue shed.
Well done! It's a lot of work done already. I agree that Youtube can be very useful when you want to learn more about something. Looking forward to seeing the plants...
Hope you feel proud of the work you have done ! I have been reading back through this thread, and wondered what has happened to the trampoline ? I know it is possible to bury them at ground level so they are less conspicuous, but l don't know of anyone who has done this.
Posts
I trained as a garden designer and this is so far from the truth to be unreal! Garden designers will work both with you and the garden to give you something that is within budget and to be proud of, all of it based on what you want. If we wanted a quick summer dress run up, we would go to the seamstress round the corner because a) we don't have the money to commission Versace to do it b) we want it how we want it and c) we want it now. We will still get as much pleasure out of that dress (if not more) albeit 'run up round the corner' as a dress made and designed by Versace that we would only wear once. Garden design at Chelsea is avant-garde stuff just like runway fashion shows, nice to look at but in most cases totally impractical and costs a fortune!
But that's exactly what I said! Avant garde and costs a fortune. If you want a little dress run up you get out the seeing machine: if you want a garden you get out the spade. I'm sure there are sensible garden designers and I bet you are one of them, Hogweed, but how are we to know when all we see is that ghastly Chelsea stuff?
I too trained as a garden designer and I echo hogweed's post.
Designers, be it garden designer, dressmakers or architects provide what the client wants. Other may love it or hate it. One thing is for sure, if the client doesn't like it, they'll not be in business for long.
As for
" Most designers will provide a range of services, from preliminary sketch (sometimes free)"
I've no idea why anyone should work for free. I can imagine the reaction if I suggested the mechanic doesn't charge me for the first hour he spends servicing my car, or if I suggested the electrician might just pop round and stick a socket in FOC, or maybe a decorator would pop round and just do a wall for nowt!!
Do folk turn up at work and say " tell you what Boss, don't bother paying me for this morning, it's on me"?
"that ghastly Chelsea stuff?" might be exactly what the organisation / person who commissioned it wanted,(otherwise why would they A:pay for it, or B: have their name associated with it,) even if it's just to get publicity.
I think there comes a point when you just have to think "s*d it", make a decision and go for it. Otherwise more time has passed, your brain has fried,and nowt has happened.
All the advice above has it's merits, but when it comes to it, it's your garden and somewhere you want to enjoy . Plants can be moved, hardy annuals can fill a bed while you decide on more permanent planting, mistakes will be made! It's all part of gardening
My personal advice would be a good local garden centre, they can give you good advice re planting and most of them have ideas regarding local reputable landscapers etc.
Last edited: 23 October 2017 17:15:36
Lyndalan- hogweed and Hosta are right. Designers work to a brief. You have a budget, you have ideas. A designer will work with those two things and advise you as to what's feasible for that budget.
The best way forward is to list the main things you need, the main thing you want, and the things you don't want. £5,000 won't actually go very far, so you'll have to be realistic.
Get the main hard landscaping done first, and then be prepared to compromise on other features. If you can do any of the work yourself, that will save money. I know what it would have cost me just to put in the fence round my boundary. I saved a fortune by doing it myself. Labour costs are one of the highest expenditures in making any garden.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
After taking on board the advice I decided to roll up my sleeves and just go for it, unfortunately most of my work is underground as there are many meters of drainage channels buried that no one will even see. The pale soil is being prepared for a circle shaped lawn and the dark soil is ready for planting. Still lots to do, like all the edges but we're getting there, and most of you were right, far better doing it myself, even have the calluses to get the odd sympathy vote! :-)
Saved a fortune doing it myself, but thank goodness for "how to" videos on Youtube. Managed to find a local wholesale nursery who can supply loads of local plants at much cheapness so it's now the difficult part of narrowing the options to make some nice borders. Might even have enough in the budget for a flower circle and eh, a trampoline..
Wildlife/coastal theme hence the pond and blue shed.