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Design: The Process

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INITIAL CONSULTATION

This is the first step in designing your garden. Briony will visit your garden and talk through your initial design ideas, any practical issues,  and budget.

This meeting will establish how you want to use your outdoor space and what you would like included in the design, such as areas for eating, sitting/relaxing, storage and screening. We will also talk through styles of planting. It also gives you a chance to meet me and see some of my work.

We will then write to you confirming the design brief and a quotation for the cost of the design work.

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SITE SURVEY AND ANALYSIS

Once the quotation is approved, a detailed site analysis takes place to assess the aspect, views, soil conditions, drainage, existing features and any other issues that may affect the design. We will also cross reference from Architect files, existing drainage plans and Topographical Land surveys.

For very small urban gardens Briony can carry out a basic survey, but for all other larger or more complex sites, this will always need to be carried out by an external Land Surveyor.

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CONCEPT PLANS, MOOD BOARDS AND MASTER LAYOUT PLAN

A concept plan of the new garden is drawn up, using images, 3D visuals and hard landscaping materials to show you what the new garden will look like.

Throughout this stage you will have input into the final design. Once the concept plan has been agreed, the final Master Layout Plan will be drawn up to scale, and will show enough detail for contractors to work from. 

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CONSTRUCTION AND SITE VISITS

Briony will help to choose a contractor suitable for your project, taking into consideration the location, project scale and materials to be used. 

Once a contractor has been appointed, Briony will visit the site during the build phase from beginning to end as required, making sure the construction follows the agreed design and specification, and that the work is carried out to the highest professional standards.

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PLANTING PLANS

Briony’s love of the natural world and creativity combine to make planting design feel like painting with plants in a three-dimensional way and loves orchestrating her designs to provide bespoke highlights in each garden throughout the year. Moodboards and 3D visuals will be used to create the Planting Design concept for each area/border. Throughout this stage you will have input into the final design. Once the concept plan has been agreed, the final Planting Plans will be produced. 

Plants are chosen for size, texture, form and colour, attractiveness to various pollinators as well as maintenance level and suitability of soil. 

Planting plans are produced showing the location and spacing of all plants selected for the garden, and a plant schedule lists the sizes and quantities for costing and ordering. Briony offers plant sourcing and can arrange all deliveries of trees and plants to site, and is always involved in setting out the plants and liaison with the planting team as required on site.

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MAINTENANCE

Once the garden is completed, maintenance schedules are drawn up to make sure the garden investment is maintained to keep it looking its best. Briony also provides 1:1 training with clients and their gardeners in maintaining their newly planted gardens with thoughtful and artistic interventions throughout the seasons.

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