General advice regarding your garden:
This could include for example identification of plants, maintenance advice, suggestions for what to remove and for new planting. Depending on the size of the garden this might be a 1-3 hour meeting and would be accompanied by a written report including if necessary simple sketches to show planting ideas.
Gardening:
This includes pruning, trimming, weeding, plant removal, soil improvement, mulching, planting, general tidying up etc. This is either as a one off clean up or ongoing maintenance. For major renovation work we would recommend engagement of a landscape contractor.
Design for a new garden or a major renovation
Initial Consultation:
We provide a friendly and prompt service. Your initial consultation will be with our principal designer, Jacquie Chirgwin. The charge for this is usually $140 although a travel/parking charge may also apply. During this consultation the services available will be explained and Jacquie will gain an understanding of the overall brief for the garden and an impression of your property and the scope of the work required. She will also provide general horticultural advice and initial design ideas for your project. Together you will determine what level of service you require moving forward. Sometimes this initial consultation is all that you will need.
Following this visit a personalised quote for this work, including a detailed summary of the brief will be drawn up and e-mailed to you. Alternatively, if no further work is required, a summary of the ideas and information provided during the consultation will be e-mailed to you.
Subsequent Services:
If there is to be no change in layout, you may only require a planting plan. This may include a sketched plan roughly to scale, which indicates plants to be removed and new plants to be included. However, lists and on site discussion is sometimes all that is required, which is a cheaper alternative. A plant list with botanical and common names, expected mature plant size, recommended pot size and numbers required is always included.
The first step is to develop the design brief. This involves getting to know you and your preferences and together formulating the overarching goals of the project. As much detail as possible should be included. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire that will help to focus you on important considerations for the garden; it is often a good idea for you to collect pictures from magazines or take photographs of other gardens you have liked. This is an important phase and might take some time; investing some of your time on researching this is well worth it! The next step is measurement and assessment of the site, including levels and soil testing. A site survey at additional cost may be required if levels are complex. House/site plans that you have are very useful here.
Following these steps Jacquie will develop a 'Concept Design' and will then meet with you to discuss. The design will be hand drawn to scale, coloured and will provide a basic indication of hard landscaping and planting plans. Elevations may be included to show level changes and overall effects.
Any required changes to the Concept Design will be incorporated and the 'Final Design' or ‘Master Plan’ documentation will then be developed. This will provide a hard landscaping plan with elevation drawings and construction details where required, a detailed planting plan and a plant list indicating plant characteristics and numbers required. An additional fee will be required for council permits, engineering recommendations or other professional advice. The Master Plan drawings and specification documents are suitable for a landscape contractor for quoting on garden construction or for you to follow to construct the garden yourselves if preferred
Garden construction and planting:
We can undertake the gardening side of construction and can arrange quotes for the work required to construct the built elements of your new garden with our preferred landscape contractors or artisans for specific elements. Alternatively you may source your own contractor or build the garden yourselves. Once the contractor is chosen we recommend that we liaise with the contractor through construction and personally source plants and undertake their placement and planting in the garden, together with other 'finishing touches'. Other materials and features will be sourced as required. A written report regarding establishment and maintenance schedules for the plants is available for an additional fee.
Sourcing of plants, materials, pots, landscape features and garden art:
We are able to find almost any plant that is available for gardeners in Australia at the best price. We are also very happy to advise regarding landscaping materials (such as paving, exposed aggregate etc.), features and garden art and source as required. We can arrange manufacture of custom designed pieces as required.