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Excellent job done would recommend
Robert
James was responsive to our request for a quote, for felling a large ash tree we suspected had died. He replied to messages quickly, turned up when he said he would, and was correct that our tree had in fact died. James was professional the whole time and we would have no hesitation in hiring and recommending him to others in the future.
Joanne
Excellent service. Hard working, polite, professional team. Lovely job. Would recommend.
Anne
Below you’ll find information to help you understand the different elements of garden design and the key things to be aware of before you start transforming your outside space. Find some initial ideas to talk through with a garden designer, including making the most of a small garden.
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Garden Design Services
What does garden design involve?
Garden design is about more than mowing a lawn and putting a couple of plants in the ground. A good design takes into account a few key elements:
- How you want to use the space.
- The amount of light the garden receives, and at what times of the day.
- The quality of your soil.
For example, you won’t want to put a shed in the best spot for catching a bit of sun, or have a patio that’s entirely in the shade.
A garden designer will help you make the most of the available space, no matter how big or small. They’ll also establish how keen a gardener you are to make sure the finished garden is either easy to maintain, or gives you something to get your teeth into – if you’re the green-fingered type.
Cost of garden design work
The cost of the work will depend on what you’re having done and the size of your garden, but prices tend to start at around £200. A good garden designer will discuss what you want to get out of your garden and ask you about your budget before coming up with ideas.
Low maintenance garden ideas
- You can stop a garden from looking untidy by dividing it into small sections. Plants, hedges, low walls and raised beds give a sense of order. Paths made from wood chips, slabs or bark help prevent weeds.
- Growing plants at different heights can give the illusion of there being more than there are, so you get the look of a fuller garden, with fewer plants to keep healthy. Shrubs, herbs and verbena are low maintenance plant options for adding colour.
- Rockeries and water features don’t need much looking after. Avoid shallow water features to save needing to top them up when they dry out. If you’d like a pond, avoid getting fish as the pH balance of the water settles naturally without them, giving you fewer algae problems so less cleaning time.
- To save cutting the lawn, artificial turf could be your best friend but if you want the real thing and don’t mind doing a little cutting every now and again, slow growing or drought resistant turf could be better options.
Ideas for small gardens
- To create more space, choose similar flooring to the inside of your home when picking the outside tiling.
- Divide a garden into different sections and add diagonal or winding paths. Extending the time it takes to get from one side of the garden to the other will make it feel bigger.
- Laying pavers at an angle to the property instead of parallel will draw the eye across the garden and extend the space.
- Attaching foliaged climbers to wires across areas of your garden will give it an extra dimension.
- Think about growing upwards rather than outwards with a trellis attached to your fence, or a vertical wall made up of climbers, grasses and ferns. A green wall can also help you lower your energy bills through providing more insulation and reducing the amount of heat that’s lost through the wall of your home. When it comes to choosing other plants, pick types that grow upwards like sweet peas and black-eyed susans so they take up less room.
Planning permission for garden design jobs
Planning permission only comes into play when you’re building or installing decking, fences, walls and gates. You’ll need to apply for planning permission if:
- The decking would be higher than 30cm above the ground.
- The decking or other raised platforms would cover more than half of the total area of the garden.
- A fence, gate or wall would be over 2 metres high, or over 1 metre high near a highway that’s used by vehicles (or a footpath next to the highway).
- The fence, gate or wall would form a boundary with a listed building or land.
If you live in a listed building or you have a front garden that you want to pave over, you should check with your Local Planning Authority as different rules may apply.
Insurance for garden design work
While it’s not a legal requirement, it’s a good idea for all garden designers to have public liability insurance so they’re covered for personal injuries or accidental damage to a property.
Questions you should ask your garden designer
- How long have they been working as a garden designer for?
- Can they show you examples of work they’ve carried out?
- Can they give you a scaled design of what the finished garden will look like?
- Do they have public liability insurance and what does this cover?
- Will they give a guarantee for the work and how long does this last? Are there separate guarantees for different plants?
- Does the quote for the work include waste disposal? If not, check with your local council how you would go about getting it taken away.
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At G&S SERVICES LTD, we provide top-quality residential services to enhance and maintain your outdoor spaces. Specializing in landscaping, painting, tree surgery, fencing, driveways, jet washing, and more, we are committed to delivering the highest standards of craftsmanship and customer satisfaction. No matter where you’re located, we travel everywhere to bring expert care and precision to every project.
I recently hired G&S Gardening Services for back garden grass mowing, front porch leaf cleaning, and hedge trimming, and I’m extremely pleased with the results. The contractor arrived right on time and completed the work efficiently and professionally. The quality of the job was excellent, especially considering a decent price. I also appreciated that they sent before-and-after photos, which clearly showed the great improvement in my garden. I’m very happy with their service and will hire again.
Hi customers welcome two SLC builders a reliable family run bussnies u can trust we specialise in aspects of roofing&building &landscapes feel free ro get in touch for a free qoet&advise
Friendly and honest lads. Martin came looked at the roofing job told me what was needed and how much. A few days later they came and did the job found a few more faults but put these right as well at no extra cost. Great work, friendly and cleaned up after themselves. Will be using them again.
We are a well established landscaping / maintenance company who pride ourselves in top quality workmanship. we are friendly and strive to deliver quality at a reasonable price, Covering a 20 mile radius. Thankyou.
Mario and Chris came this morning and were finished by 3.30.An excellent job,they worked hard and completed the job successfully to a very high standard.Mario kept in touch prior to starting and arrived on time as arranged.I would not hesitate to recommend these guys for any of your landscaping work.
Landscape gardener with over 47 years of experience, specialising in paving, decking, fencing and turfing.
We are so pleased with the work Simon did for us. The indian stone paving looks fabulous, great attention to detail and a really pleasant man. We've recommended him to friends and family. Great value for money and would highly recommend to anyone.
Hard working tradesman with 15 years experince
I have hired Laurance and Monty and their team, for house re- innovation. I would give them 10/10 quality work. 10/10 for they try their best to give economical option without undermining quality. 10/10 for their politeness and manners. I loved the house - thank you
We are a small family business based in OxfordShire with over 15 years experience providing customers with excellent Building and maintenance solutions. No project is too big or small. We offer free quotations, Costumers are our priority.
Good communication and timing. Did work as requested and very friendly. Would use again.
we are a fast, honest, reliable company that provides quality work with many years of experience in a wide range of services. M.j.w.d solutions ltd (part of the m.j.w.d property maintenance group) based in lingfield is a family run and well established, experienced company that covers all aspects of the building and landscaping trades. We take pride in all the work we take on and believe in an honest/reliable cost effective solution that leaves all our clients happy and to recommend us to friends and family making most of incoming work loads from word of mouth clients. All employees are trained or hold the relevant qualifications and experience that is required for a particular job We are fully insured including public liability and will provide a copy for peace of mind upon request. We also have a Waste carriers license for that extra peace of mind. Get in touch for a competitive quotation! Thanks for taking the time to read through our profile. Kind regards Mark. MJWD property maintenance
Mark of MJWD provided a competitive quote for the refurbishment of my garden which involved re-fencing, soil removal, full paving and associated drainage and also creation of steps. While carrying out the work, amendments were needed to achieve the desired end result which required additional materials and labour - these were discussed and competitive quotes for these additional works agreed as we went along. Mark and his team provided an excellent standard of workmanship and I am happy to recommend.
Hi we been doing these jobs for last 20 years .what are the company does ! hard landscaping and soft Landscaping? brickwork paving and patios wooden and Concrete sheds ?fencing general tidy and drainage? And driveways?. Please give us a try you’re not going to be disappointed as you can see all my Your writing is five star thank you?
Shpend and his team did a great job for us. Really good value for money, and great quality of work. He was very professional and gave his expert advice when needed to help decide on best approach in resolving pre-existing issues. We would definitely use this company again.
Need outstanding handyman services. I'm an experienced full time worker all around London who can promise excellent solutions for your home and business. I complete all my tasks at maximum effort, as It is my passion to assemble things whilst keeping high attention to detail and satisfaction of my customers. Love meeting different people and making their day.
Very professional and quick. Will definitely be booking again. Thank you
Handyman services include: All types of gardening and landscaping undertaken •Fencing •Deck building, painting and staining •Mowing the lawn or yard cleanup •Light fixture installation •Garage door opener installation •Garage floor coating All types of home and property maintenance undertaken •Appliance installation •Furniture assembly •Wall builds/brick work •Stud walls •Plaster boarding/Boarding out •Painting and Decorating •Bed frame assembly • Closet door installation •Drywall work •Putting bookcases or shelving together •Sink/Faucet/Shower/Cabinet/Tile/Toilet repair and installation •TV wall mount •Plumbing leaks •Caulking •Vanity and bathroom mirror installation •Fixing a broken window •Replacing a door •Putting up shelves AND MORE Any service includes WASTE REMOVALS I can handle putting together your furniture so you don’t have to We aim to carry out works to the highest of standards biding by all building and trade regulated laws. Below are some of the jobs our specialists cover however, if what you’re looking for is not mentioned don’t hesitate to message your requirements and I'll get back to you with a quote. Rates vary depending on tasks requested.
David painted the whole interior of our house. He did a first rate job for us. Punctual, friendly and quick. Recommended.
Welcome to AM Maintenance, We specialise in all aspects of building and maintenance works. Ranging from a leak in the roof or a new bathroom. we have an extensive range of services at competitive prices whilst delivering quality.
Dan & team did a fantastic job throughout and we are so pleased with the end result. They've transformed our home. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a builder they can trust. Thanks again!
Here at 5 star luxury drives, patio’s & landscaping we offer a number of services while getting the job done well with many years of experience and also offer a very friendly service through out the job if needing a quote then please contact us on our page or website and we we’ll get back to you a soon as possible thank you.
I hired 5 Star Luxury Drives & Patios to install a patio in my back garden & to renew the path down the side of my house & to my front door & rear gate. A great team & they've done a fantastic job, absolute top notch. They put the hours in everyday & got the job done on time & to budget. I was kept informed on how it was progressing all the while & the finished product is a work of art. I can't recommend them enough.
We are multiskilled general builders with over 30 years experience, having undertaken a wide range of projects over this time from large scale refurbishments, extensions, ground / garden works, and new builds. There is no job too big or too small.
It was perhaps a small "bitty" job with a few complications (my fault) along the way but it was completed in time with good communication and expertise. It was done exactly as I requested at a good price so I have no hesitation in recommending.
we are complete landscapes we cover all areas of groundworks, from driveway resufacing to indian stone flagging, patios fencing, and artifical grass , we have over 22 yrs experience and offer a friendly reliable and competative service.
Shaun was prompt with the visit and with the quote. We were away when it was laid but my Son-in-law over saw the job. A few issues but these were discussed and overcome with ease. A good job, a good clean up after and a safe path for my Mother. She is happy.
Over 35 years of experience paving and landscaping across central Scotland, with 100% customer satisfaction.
If i could give 6 stars I would, From the first point of contact with Frank on revamping my back garden to him coming to my house to brainstorm ideas. Discussing renewing decking Frank gave me an idea of building a retaining wall and back filling the space to have a level even garden. Frank and James were punctual and professional on site. The whole job seemed effortless (from my kitchen window). Given what was required. If I ever need anything else done garden or driveway wise i'll be calling him!!
We are a Decorating company based in the Peterborough area providing an efficient and quality service. We cover all the Decorating aspects, these being; - Exterior painting - Interior painting - Wallpaper hanging - Airless spraying *NEW SERVICE* - Plastering - Wood floor restoration www.allieddecorating.com The company is fully insured with public liability give you piece of mind. We look forward to working with you.
Really disappointing! Started off good, Mitchell got in touch and quoted for the job by the photos, he didn’t come out to quote. I was happy with the quote so I said go ahead and as he said he could do the job in 2 weeks I removed my post thinking great I’ve found the person for the job. 2 weeks later no sign of Mitchell or a reply to my emails asking when he’s planning to start the work so now I have to start the process again. Poor show from Mitchell or a no show, as it would appear
We are a gardening and landscaping company and cover all types of work regardless of size. We take pride in our work and offer very competitive rates and we believe we offer a service like no other. We have built up a good reputation in and around Cambridge and Royston areas over the years. We have a passion for the trade and a understanding how important your outside space is to you.
I am available for all your building work and landscaping. Kitchen, bathroom and flooring done as well. Carried out to a high standard.All at a good price and great value. Now doing resin bound driveways
I would highly recommend Brian and his team for any building or renovation work. They were consistently professional, prompt, and courteous throughout the project. The work was completed to a high standard, and they maintained a tidy and organized site at all times. Communication was clear and timely, and they showed great attention to detail. Overall, a reliable and trustworthy team that delivered excellent results. Would not hesitate to use them again.
Just the Garden was established in West Molesey, with many years experience in the Gardening trade, Just The Garden are a professional, reliable and fully accredited company operating in West Molesey and the wider areas. We take pride in all our work.
Super value and first to respond
Moldova Builders Ltd. is a trusted landscaping company specializing in all types of landscaping and garden project designs. With 4 years of experience, we take pride in delivering high-quality services through a reliable and skilled team. Our expertise includes fence installation, natural turf laying, paths and patios, tree surgery, shed installation, pergolas, brick walls, and flower bed construction. Whether you’re transforming your outdoor space or adding functional and aesthetic elements, we ensure professional craftsmanship and attention to detail in every project. In terms of materials, we include them in the quotes, by taking into consideration or clients opinion and decisions, to achieve the best results. We look forward working and meeting with every single one of you and transforming dreams into projects.
Great job! They were punctual, fast and professional. My new garden fence looks wonderful and I'm very pleased with it!
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