Who does what in a Garden Renovation ?
Do you know who to contact to renovate your garden?
Do you what services the various trades offer?
There are lots of professionals that work on and in a private garden; from designing it, to building it, and on to maintaining it.
Getting the right team can avoid costly mistakes, so you get the garden of your dreams.
Let’s start with a garden designer
A garden designer is a professional qualified in garden design. (external link)
They will work with a client to fully understand their requirements to be able to design the garden to meet these requirements.
They will be able to produce scaled drawings of the garden from presentation plans to detailed drawings that will provide enough information for the landscaper to be able to build the garden.
They will select the materials and produce specifications for the build.
They will often work closely with the landscaper, monitoring the build stage to make sure the garden is built as designed.
Garden designers are knowledgeable on many aspects of the garden from lighting to drainage and will have horticulture skills to be able to select the right plants for your garden.
Their role is different to that of a landscape architect, who will often work on much larger projects such as urban landscapes, whereas Garden designers tend to work in private gardens and have detailed plant knowledge.
Planting design is a service many garden designers provide.
This is selecting plants combinations that will thrive in your garden and create the desired garden ambience.
Some designers just focus on planting design.
When selecting a garden designer it is important to understand the service they offer, the qualifications and experience they have and an understand if they have a particular style or philosophy to make sure they are a good fit for you.
Landscapers get your garden built.
Landscapers are the people who will deliver the built garden.
Landscapers are highly skilled trades people and will work with the different ground conditions and levels, build walls, lay patios, landscape the ground, install drainage, prepare the ground for planting and much much more.
They ususally don’t get involved in plant selection.
Before hiring a landscaper it is really important to know what you want built and the materials you want to use.
Garden under Construction
Horticulturist or gardener?
We have all heard of the term gardener, but there are many different levels of skills from amaturer gardeners to highly trained and skilled horticulturists.
Horticulturists know their plants and how to look after them.
They understand the difference between a weed and a plant in the right place.
They can ID plants, know how and when to prune plants and much more.
Horticulturists are very different to gardeners who will only cut you grass or hedges and can’t tell the difference between say Astrantia and Ajuga.
Before hiring a gardener to look after your space, think about the tasks you want done, how often you need help and what you are willing to pay for ongoing maintenance.
It is a good idea to find out what other gardens they look after so you can get an ideas if its the right maintenance team for your needs.
Astrania Roma
There are many other professionals that work in private gardens from lawn care professionals to Arborists; who specialise in looking after trees and maintaining good tree health.
Choosing who to work with
Selecting who to work with is important.
Personal recommendations are a good place to start.
Also check out trade bodies, they will often list accredited members who adhere to professional standards.
It is always a good idea to see examples of work and ascertain skill levels and the service provided.
Communication will also be key to a successful working relationship, are they easy to get hold of, answer your questions and keep you informed of progress ?
If you are looking at a full garden transformation, then contact a garden designer in the first instance.
They will not only design your garden for you, but they will often bring in skilled and knowledgeable trades people at the different stages of the garden development.
So if you are ready to start your garden transformation let’s start a conversation.
Anna Blackwood is the founder of Blackwood Gardens, a garden design studio based in East Lothian, operating across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
She is a keen plantswoman and enjoys transforming people’s gardens.
Anna is an associate member of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers currently completing the final stages of accreditation.
