A garden or landscape designer, like any other trained professional,
will help you to achieve the result you are after, efficiently and
economically. We help you to define exactly what you want from your outside space so that, in addition to performing various practical functions, the space reflects the needs, personalities and tastes of the people who will use it.
We use a wealth of knowledge and experience – about site conditions, planting, colour, construction, hard landscaping, lighting and drainage etc – to produce a design that will work for you.
Our Services

Every project is different and this is obviously reflected in the services we provide and fees we charge. Typically, however, most projects fall into several distinct phases:-
  • Initial discussion – Often on the telephone, this allows us to clarify certain key issues such as the plot size, location, and your broad objectives. A convenient date and time is then agreed for Robin Templar Williams to meet you.

  • First Meeting with Robin Templar Williams –The purpose of this is to gain a proper understanding of your needs and thoughts and the unique features of the plot, the style and period of your property and the surrounding environment. We discuss what your garden will be used for and by whom. During this meeting Robin will show you examples of previous designs to give you a better understanding of the scope of our work and to further explain the design process.

    Following this meeting we give you a comprehensive, itemised breakdown of fees for the design of your garden, in writing. On receipt of your written instruction and acceptance, we proceed to the next stage:

  • Site Survey – Before commencing the design, a fully detailed, digital topographical survey is prepared, which includes the position of the property, boundaries, trees and all of the other existing elements and ground levels.
  • Second Site Visit and Meeting – Robin visits you with a paper copy of the survey and discusses again the design intent, before commencing with the concept design. During this visit a site analysis is undertaken, which includes taking soil samples and site orientation, etc. Robin also makes a video recording of the garden to assist in the preparation of the design.
  • Concept Design – This is the point at which we commit the design ideas to paper. Our proposed design for the garden is presented to you, in person, in sketch form. It gives a very clear indication of how things will look and Robin explains any areas of uncertainty. We take time at this stage to listen to your reactions to the design and note any particular concerns or preferences.
  • Detailed Design – Following your approval of the concept design, allowing for modifications should they be necessary, we then work up a highly detailed and accurately scaled drawing of your new garden. This drawing is presented for your final approval before proceeding to the planting design. During this presentation, Robin will discuss the planting. This allows him to understand your preferences, ie, plants and colours that you may like or dislike, etc.
  • Planting Plan – Taking into account site conditions, ie, soil conditions, aspect and your preferences, a detailed planting plan is produced and presented to you.
  • Construction Drawings – Detailed construction drawings are prepared for all of the hard landscape elements, ie, steps, walls, pergolas and ponds, etc. Drainage, site section and setting out drawings are prepared at this stage.
  • Specifications – We prepare, in addition to the design and construction drawings, written specifications and scopes of work, to enable landscape contractors to submit itemised quotations, on a like for like basis, for the building and planting of your garden.
  • Building and Planting the Garden – We do not undertake the physical implementation of the garden design but work in a similar way to architects. All of the drawings and documentation are typically forwarded to at least three reputable landscape contractors. They then visit you and your garden and provide their itemised quotations. We do, if requested, monitor the construction of your garden. However this service is not covered by our design fee and is calculated separately on completion of all of the design work. Usually we charge for monitoring the project on a 'per visit' basis and the number of visits required is estimated/agreed when the scope of the project is clear.
 

Design Fees

Although hard to calculate in advance and without assessing a project, our fees for designing a garden start from about £1,200.00 plus VAT.

Please note that we do not, in addition to our fees, take a percentage of the sum of the implementation contract from the landscape contractor.

We appreciate that your requirements may differ from the above. To discuss your project, please contact Robin Templar Williams on +44 (0)1380 728999, e-mail: templarwilliams1@aol.com.
 
Services & Fees