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How much will it cost?
 This is the first question a client usually asks! It’s an understandable question but not easy to answer - how long is a piece of string? It all depends on what you want. As a general rule, hard landscaping (paving, pergolas, walls, water features etc) is expensive, planting, lawns and gravel are relatively cheap. The best advice is to think of it in terms of fitting a new kitchen. You want it to last for many years and although you may want to change the colours (i.e. add to or change the planting) the basics must be built to last. The best way to plan a new garden is to decide what you can afford to spend and ask me to design within that budget. Don’t forget that a lovely garden will add considerably to the value of your house and it would not be unreasonable to spend between 5 and 10% of the value of your property on a really good design that will last for decades. As a rough rule of thumb, a small London garden with a patio, lawn and planting would start at around £5000 excl. VAT. Front gardens, balconies and courtyards could be less. At the other end of the scale, a recent 30m x 12m garden in Ealing with lawn, two patios, lighting, irrigation and complete replanting came to around £25000. If you just want some ideas, planting plans and concept designs start at around £300. See My service. How long does it take? Designing and building a beautiful garden from scratch takes time. On average you should allow about six months. The main reason for this is the seasonal nature of landscaping work. Most landscaping is done between March and November. Some hard landscaping can be done during the winter months, weather permitting, but this is not a good time for planting. Landscapers get very busy from March onwards and the best are often fully booked from early May. The best time to plan your garden is during the winter months. If you come to me in April the construction work may have to wait until the autumn. However, if we do the planning between September and January you will be in the front of the queue for a beautiful new garden next summer. |
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