The garden consultation is the first step in the design process. It is a walk through your garden and a conversation about what’s there and what’s possible. During your consultation we’ll:
- review the site;
- establish priorities;
- establish goals and budget;
- determine how to proceed;
The process
The consultation is an idea-generating and information-gathering meeting between you and the designer. It’s an opportunity for you to see your garden through ‘new eyes.’ You control the meeting by concentrating on any aspect of your property. The consultation can be as long or as short as you request., but 2 hours is common.
Examples of what to expect during your consultation include:
- identification of and care tips for existing plant materials;
- determination of plants worth saving or suggested removals;
- recommendations for in-fill plants;
- ways to revise lawn or plant bed shapes;
- ideas for dealing with drainage problems;
- discussion of ways to improve your soil.
Preparing for your consultation
Take this opportunity to share lists of favorite plants or inspirational photographs from online places like Houzz.com or Pinterest. Depict the mood you’d like your garden to evoke, describe elements you’d like your garden to include — a water feature, native plants, edibles, a secluded retreat, or a moonlight garden. This is the time to begin thinking about the level of maintenance you expect and the size of budget and scope of project you have in mind.
It will be valuable for you to spend time thinking about your garden and how you’d like it to be integrated into your lifestyle prior to our first meeting. To help focus your thinking, I’ve provided a self-interview here.
To discover other ways I can help or to set up an appointment, contact me today!
After the consultation, I’ll make referrals for arborists, contractors or other professionals. I recommend that we take notes during the consultation so you’ll be able to review our meeting later.
Additional help is always available
If you need further design services or plans, I’ll take the notes from our consultation to use as a guide. I’ll spend additional time to gather any needed site measurements and photos of the area(s) to be designed. I’ll provide an estimate for the amount of time needed to design your project and calculate a projected completion date.