Our Proven 8-Step Garden Design Process
How We Design Your Garden
We take a structured yet personal approach to garden design across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and surrounding counties. Whether you have a compact town plot or a sprawling rural estate, our proven process turns ideas into thriving outdoor spaces. Clients often arrive with vague wishes and leave with clear plans that match their lifestyle and budget. We handle every detail, from soil testing to final planting, ensuring the garden works for you year-round.
Step One - Garden Consultation
Your journey starts with a relaxed home visit lasting about an hour. We discuss how you use the space, your style preferences, and any practical concerns.
The consultation fee depends on travel distance. We take photos, measure roughly, and note existing features to build a clear brief.
Step Two - Proposal
Our garden design proposal gives you a clear idea of how your garden will take shape, including the associated costs for the design process. It typically includes a concept plan, master plan, and detailed planting plan, helping you visualise the layout, plant selection, and overall design. The proposal shows how each element will work together to transform your space and provides a transparent guide to the investment required. It’s the first step in bringing your garden vision to life, giving you confidence in the design and a clear plan for moving forward.
Step Three - Site Survey
A site survey is the essential first step in creating a successful garden design. We typically request a topographical survey to provide accurate information about your garden’s size, levels, boundaries, and soil conditions. This ensures the design is tailored perfectly to your space. Clients can also request surveys to identify underground utilities, such as gas or electrical services, giving a complete understanding of what lies beneath and helping avoid surprises during construction.
Step Four - Concept Plan
The concept plan is a scaled drawing that shows the overall layout of your garden, including key zones, and how different elements connect .It illustrates the relationship between seating areas, planting beds, pathways, and other features, helping you visualise the flow of the space. We present initial options and refine the design based on your feedback, ensuring the concept reflects your vision before moving on to detailed plans.
Step Five - Master Layout Plan
The master layout plan is a detailed and precise guide for your garden design. It shows accurate dimensions, materials, and the overall layout, helping you understand exactly how each element will fit together. For clients who require more in-depth detail, we can also provide technical drawings, offering a comprehensive blueprint for contractors and a deeper insight into every aspect of the design.
Step Six- Planting Plan
The planting plan details the placement of every tree, shrub, and perennial in your garden, showing exactly where each plant will sit within borders, beds, and in the garden We carefully select varieties suited to local conditions, ensuring vibrant growth, seasonal colour, and minimal maintenance. The plan also includes a mood board with images of the chosen plants, helping you visualise how your garden will look once completed and bringing the design to life before planting begins.
Step Seven - Building your Garden
The construction stage brings your garden design to life. Following the master plan, we carefully prepare the ground, install hardscaping elements such as fencing, paving, and turf, and complete all structural work in a logical sequence. The final stage of construction is planting, where trees, shrubs, and flowers are positioned according to the planting plan to create a vibrant, thriving garden.
Step Eight - Maintenance Plan
Once your garden is complete, we provide a full handover, including a walk-through and a seasonal care guide to help you enjoy your new space straight away. We’re happy to offer guidance on looking after your plants, and if you’d like, we can create a tailored maintenance plan to keep everything thriving throughout the year. Even after the build is finished, we’re always available for advice or support whenever you need it.