The
design process begins with an informal interview in order for
me to assess what you envision for your garden. In the initial
consultation, we will explore your horticultural and design interests.
We will discuss your long-term vision for the garden you want
to see flourish through the years. We will examine how we can
best use the available outside space to create the ideal garden
for you. In developing a design, I will take into account your
budget: how much you want to invest in the materials, design,
and implementation. Following this initial planning stage, I
will develop a proposal outlining in detail how the garden will
be designed and built. This will give you all necessary information
about materials and cost, as well as a schedule for the garden’s
completion. Once you have reviewed the proposal and agreed on
its content, a contract will be drawn up and signed. The proposal
will include the following details:
• Site
inventory and analysis that will create a base map at an
appropriate scale
• Conceptual drawings and preliminary plans, which will include the
house and surrounding buildings (if any), trees, stonework, major
landmarks, drainage futures, and pertinent elevations
Once
the proposal is completed, a second meeting is then scheduled
to review the drawings. At this point, we can adjust the plan
and schedule and make any necessary changes before we start the
final drawings that will be used to create the garden. A master
design plan itemizing the location of the plantings will include
a list of all the plant species and other materials used, each
detailed by cost.