Design Essentials
Garden Design Essentials
Getting your garden on the right track.
Not every garden needs a full design-to-delivery package — and not every client wants one. If you’re after clear, professional guidance to get your space right without the full works, Design Essentials is for you.
This service is ideal if you:
Perfect for those with an established garden who want to make a few thoughtful improvements or need help solving a particularly tricky area.
Have a smaller garden (up to roughly 100 sqm) and a modest, well-defined budget
Know roughly what you want but need a designer’s eye to make it work on paper
Want to project-manage the build yourself, or hand a finished plan to your own landscaper
Would value 60-90 minutes of my time, experience and knowledge, without committing to a full masterplan
I offer three ways to work together, and you’re welcome to combine them.
Book a Garden Consultation
Discuss your plans with a professional garden designer.
If you’re not sure where to start, or simply want a second opinion on an idea you already have, book a consultation. We’ll walk the garden together (or meet via video call if you’re further afield), and I’ll talk you through layout, planting and practical fixes you can make yourself — with no pressure to take things further.
This is the service I recommend to anyone who’s spent a while scrolling Pinterest and still doesn’t quite know what to do with their space, or who has a contractor lined up but wants a designer’s eye on the plan before work starts.
How it works:
1. Booking and questionnaire. Once you’ve booked, I’ll send over a short questionnaire covering how you use the garden day-to-day, who else uses it (children, pets, entertaining), your rough budget, and anything you already love or hate about the space. Please also send a few photos taken from different corners of the garden, plus one from an upstairs window if you have one — it helps enormously to see the shape of the plot before I arrive.
2. Preparation. I’ll spend time ahead of our session reviewing your answers and photos, and where useful, looking at your soil type, aspect and local conditions, so the time we spend together is spent on ideas rather than groundwork.
3. The consultation itself. We’ll meet for up to 90 minutes if we’re walking your garden together in person, or up to 60 minutes if we’re meeting by video call. We’ll talk through layout options, planting suggestions suited to your soil and light, materials, and any practical problems — drainage, boundaries, awkward corners, overlooking neighbours, that sort of thing. Bring your questions; there’s no such thing as a silly one.
4. Written summary. Within a week, I’ll send a follow-up email summarising everything we discussed, including any planting suggestions by name, so you have something concrete to refer back to as you get started.
What’s included: - A pre-visit questionnaire and review of your photos. A consultation of up to 90 minutes on site (within a reasonable travel radius of Marlborough), or up to 60 minutes via video call for gardens further afield. A written summary of recommendations, sent by email within one week
What it doesn’t include: planting plans, scaled drawings, or masterplan.
Good to know: - In-person visits are generally limited to about an hour’s travel from my base; further afield, a video consultation works just as well and costs the same. - I ask that consultations are booked at least two weeks in advance, particularly in spring and early summer when diary space is tight. - If your garden turns out to be larger or more complex than a single session can cover, I’ll say so honestly during booking, and suggest whether the Small Garden Design service or my full design service would serve you better.
Best for: anyone wanting clarity and confidence before they spend a penny on the garden itself, or a second opinion before briefing a contractor.
