1:1 Garden Consultation

A garden designer takes your ideas and shapes them into a coherent vision for your outdoor space. That means thinking carefully about layout, levels, materials, planting, lighting and the relationship between your garden and your home. It means asking the right questions, listening to how you actually live and translating all of that into a design that feels both beautiful and entirely right for its setting. And it means staying involved through the process to make sure that vision is realised properly, not just on paper but in the finished garden itself.

We're based on the Harewood Estate in Yorkshire and work primarily across the North of England - Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, the North East and beyond. We'll always consider projects further afield where the brief is the right fit including central London.

Design fees are tailored to the scope and complexity of your project. As a proportion of the overall investment, design is typically modest, yet it's the element that has the greatest influence on the quality and longevity of what gets built. A well-considered design reduces risk, avoids costly decisions during construction and ensures every element of the finished garden earns its place. We'll always be upfront about fees before any work begins.

Build costs vary depending on size, access, materials and specification, so it's difficult to give a meaningful figure without understanding your project. We will guide you on costs throughout the design process, working with you to make sure the budget is used where it matters most. For bespoke, high-quality gardens, costs are broadly comparable to other premium areas of home improvement, reflecting the craftsmanship and materials involved. We'll always be honest about what's achievable within your budget.

Every project is different, but as a guide, concept design typically takes four to eight weeks, followed by a detailed design and technical phase of similar length. Where projects involve architects or specialist consultants, additional time may be needed to ensure everything is fully coordinated. From initial consultation to completed build, most projects take between six months and a year. And because planting can take two to three years to fully establish, the garden continues to evolve long after the build is finished. We'll give you a clear, realistic timeline at the outset so you always know where you are in the process.

We don't carry out the physical build ourselves, but our involvement doesn't end at the drawing stage. We work with a trusted network of landscapers whose work we know well, and we're always happy to recommend the right people for your project or work with your own contractors. We can also oversee the build on your behalf, monitoring progress and remaining available to support the build, ensuring the finished garden is executed to the standard the design requires.

We work on gardens of all sizes. What matters more than square footage is having the right budget to deliver the quality of design and build the space deserves. If you're unsure whether your project is the right fit, get in touch and we'll have an honest conversation.

Our expert consultation service might be a better starting point. Take a look at what that involves, or get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.

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As early as possible and ideally alongside any architectural work if you're renovating or extending at the same time. Getting the garden into the conversation early means we can influence key decisions about levels, thresholds and sightlines before they're fixed. For standalone garden projects, autumn or winter is an ideal start. It gives us enough time to work through the design properly and coordinate contractors ahead of a spring or summer build.

A garden is a living thing, it changes with every season. We're happy to advise on ongoing maintenance and can provide a monthly schedule to help you or your gardener keep the space looking its best as it matures. We also offer site visits, enabling us to continue to advise on the evolution of your garden and discuss design intentions. These are charged at our hourly rate plus travel.