There’s more to choosing a garden designer and landscaper than you might think. In the first part of a series of blogs, we highlight some of the questions you should ask when choosing a landscape design and build company.
How to choose a landscape designer and landscaper will vary depending on what you as a client are looking for and what the garden design company offers. Some garden design companies offer a range of services that are subcontracted out to third parties. Other garden design companies have a team of people with the expertise to take on different aspects of a garden design and build in-house. There are advantages to both:
With a sub-contracted design and build, there may be cost advantages as you can shop around for quotes for the different services you need. You can also choose to take more of a project manager role to ensure that all elements of the project work together, on time and on budget.
When all elements of a garden design and build are taken in-house, you have access to skilled professionals who have been involved at all stages of the process. This means that you benefit from a wealth of expertise which can result in a higher attention to detail and a better quality finish. Keeping all elements of the garden design and build in-house will also ensure that none of the essence of the initial design and client brief is lost in translation.
Landscapers do not need to be accredited in the UK. This means that you cannot always be sure of the expertise and experience you are going to receive. It can be so tempting to go after the cheapest quote, but at the end of the day, you pay for the quality you receive.
If you are wondering about how to choose a landscape designer and landscaper, one of the best ways is through word of mouth. Personal recommendations speak volumes, but Google reviews and customer testimonials are also worth reading to see what other people in the area are saying about the quality of work.
To see if a landscape gardener has the sort of experience you are looking for, take a look at the portfolio or case studies on the company website. By viewing pictures and videos of recent garden designs and builds, you can get a feel for the style and scale of projects that the company takes on and see if they match your vision.
Finally, go to the professional bodies to see if the company is accredited with either the Society of Garden Designers (SDG), British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) or the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL). These will give a list of accredited garden design and landscape companies in your area (see more on this in question 5, below).
And, for extra peace of mind, it is a good idea to check to see how long the company has been trading for (you can check on the Companies House website).
When it comes to transforming your garden, it can be difficult for clients to verbalise what they actually want. We’ve seen this so many times, but it is our job to help clients visualise how they want to use their outdoor space.
It is easy to say ‘I want a patio’, or ‘I want somewhere to cook’ but when you dig a little deeper, what does this look like? How do you want to use this garden? How do you want to cook? How many people do you envisage using your outdoor space?
If you closed your eyes and imagined your ideal garden, what would it look like? The best landscape designer and landscaper are those who can capture this vision and then transform it into reality. That’s why when you are looking at how to choose a landscape designer and landscaper, it is important to make sure that you and your gardener understand each other and are a good fit, way before the project gets off the ground.
Some people like to project manage their own garden design and build while others prefer to have a more hands-off approach. Whether you want to get involved or leave it to the professionals to get the job done, someone needs to be accountable for meeting deadlines and budgets.
If you choose a landscape design and build company that provides in-house services, you will often be assigned a project manager who will run your project for you. You will have one point of contact throughout the process, which makes it easier to keep track of what is being spent and the deadlines that you are working towards.
It also means that other members of the team can offer their expertise as different services are required at the different stages of the process. While this set-up might appear more expensive in the initial quotes, in the long-run having this expertise in-house could actually reduce costs and time frames. That’s because the quotation you receive will be comprehensive, with all elements of the garden design and build accounted for upfront – meaning no surprise extras added to your bill at the end of a project!
If you prefer to manage your own project, then a garden design company that subcontracts landscaping and building services is a good option. The level of input you have can vary – some garden designers may charge a consultancy fee to oversee the project and the third parties while others will let you deal directly with the different trades. If this is the case, you will act as project manager, negotiating costs and making sure everything runs smoothly to meet deadlines so that each third party can perform their job at the right time.
As mentioned before, landscape designer and landscaper in the UK do not need to be licensed or registered, which can unfortunately lead to some rather unsatisfactory industry practices.
But one of the first questions you should ask when deciding how to choose a landscape designer and landscaper is whether they are registered with a professional body. This will help to reassure you that you are dealing with a reputable outfit and that they are fully insured and industry compliant.
BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) is the gold standard of accreditations, but you can also look for garden designers and landscapers that are registered with APL (Association of Professional Landscapers) and SDG (Society of Garden Designers).
At Gardens by Keltie & Clark, we are proud to have been accredited by BALI, since 2013. This body is committed to continually improving the landscape sector and sets high standards for its Accredited Designer members. For that reason, membership is only granted to companies who meet BALI’s stringent terms and conditions. Membership of this association helps us to keep improving our services, and last year, our team won a BALI National Landscape Award for one of our garden designs in Cheltenham.
At Gardens by Keltie & Clark, we have a team of skilled garden designers and landscapers who all work in-house. If you are looking for a landscape designer and landscaper in the Cotswolds, please take a look at our portfolio. If you like what you see, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
