How a garden gets made
Five stages from the first call to a garden that has seen its first summer. One project lead stays with it the whole way.
- Visit1 week
- Design3 to 4 weeks
- Quote1 week
- Build4 to 10 weeks
- Aftercare2 years and on
01
Visit
An hour on site, within a week of the call
We walk the garden with you, look at the soil, the sun and the water, and listen to how the space is used. The visit is free and ends with a rough price range.
- Notes and photos of the site
- A rough price range
- A date for the survey
02
Design
Three to four weeks
A measured survey, then a plan drawn to scale with every path, wall and plant. Two rounds of changes are part of the design fee.
- Plan to scale
- Planting list with sizes
- Irrigation and lighting layout
03
Quote
One week
A fixed price, line by line, from the plan. Stone, plants and labour are listed separately, so any part can be moved to a later year.
- Fixed price, line by line
- Build dates
- Permits filed if needed
04
Build
Four to ten weeks
Hard landscaping first, then irrigation, then planting in the cool months. The same crew from the first day to the last, and the site left clean every evening.
- Weekly photos and a short call
- One crew, one project lead
- Handover walk with the plan
05
Aftercare
Two years, and longer on a care plan
We come back after the first summer to check every plant and adjust the irrigation. Anything that fails in two years is replaced free.
- Visit after the first summer
- Two year plant guarantee
- Garden care if wanted
What stays the same
Every garden is different. The way we work on it is not.
One price
The quote is fixed. Changes during the build are priced and agreed before the work.
One lead
The person at the first visit is the person at the handover.
Two years
Every plant we put in is replaced free if it fails, as long as the irrigation stays on.
Clean site
Tools packed, paths swept and gates closed at the end of every day.
About the process
All questionsWhat people ask between the visit and the build.
Is the design fee separate from the build?
Yes, and it is fixed before the survey. If the garden is built with us, half of the design fee comes off the build quote.
Can the garden be built in phases?
Often. The quote is laid out so the stone work can go in one year and the planting the next, or a terrace now and the rest later.
Do I need to be there during the build?
No. A short call each week and photos by email keep you up to date. Most clients come by on Fridays to see the progress.
What if it rains?
Stone and soil work stop in heavy rain, and the dates move by the same number of days. Planting is happiest straight after it.
The first visit is free
An hour in your garden with Ingrid Halvorsen, our head of design. You keep the ideas and a rough price range.