Garden Design Services

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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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Take a look at our Garden Design specialists profiles, read reviews and request quotes directly.

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.

Gudfort fencing ltd have been erecting fences for 25 years ,no job to big or small professional work always and no money upfront until all parties are 100% happy.

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Reviewed by Joseph on 17/12/2024

Hello, I have been laying floors and doing minor repairs, including plumbing tasks, for over a year now. I also have over 3 years of experience working on large construction sites for large companies such as Saint William and other large companies. We work in tandem with our partner and will do the work you have in good faith and with high quality. I will be glad to work with you.

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Reviewed by Laura on 19/3/2025

I was greeted by a very professional, responsible and also respectful plumber which solve the problem with my washing machine appliance. I thank you very much for the Sterling work

Hi :) I have a range of experience across the trade, with specialised expertise in the following areas,over 12 years: -in Drylining -in Carpentry - in refurbishing restaurants and houses. -Loft Conversions -House extensions After all that, I finally have the team, which we can do jobs from A to Z - Plumbing (gas safe certified) - Electrical (Certified) -Roofs -Loft Conversions -Extensions -Groundwork -Gardening -Fencing -Waste removal I'm happy to help across all jobs and answer any questions. Thanks for passing by, and I hope to hear from you soon :)

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Reviewed by John on 14/2/2025

Job done to very good quality but job did run over due to the Christmas period overall very happy

Young and clean business specialising in hard landscaping. Based in Banstead but work all throughout London. We are friendly, hardworking and clean workers. Have 8 years of exp now and growing in size. We take on all sizes of work, no job too small.

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Reviewed by Jonathan on 24/9/2018

Installed a garden fence back in August. Nathan and his team did a very professional job in a timely manner. After being impressed with the teams work i then had an artificial Lawn Installed. Again a very good job. Turns up on time, does an excellent job and clears all mess from site.

Crossways Gardening & Supplies offers a complete outdoor solution for your gardening requirements in the South of England. Our team offer a full landscape design service, garden revamps and maintenance programmes to ensure your garden is looking its best all year round.

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Reviewed by Tracy on 23/5/2024

Hayden provided a very efficient and courteous service from quote to job completion. I was very pleased with the quality of the work and advice he gave. Would definitely recommend.

NORTHWEST HOME IPMROVEMENTS we provide a professional and reliable garden service,we have many years of experience and are here to offer our services and advice at very competitive rates, giving you exceptional value for money.

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Reviewed by Mathilde on 8/5/2025

We are a groundworks company with 15+years experience we do all aspects off groundworks like Blockpaving/patios/resin/tarmac/artificial lawns/real lawns/fencing Here at index groundwork’s we take pride in our work no job to big or to small our reviews speak for themselves

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Reviewed by Stuart on 22/1/2025

Walter and his team have done a great job of extending my driveway. They arrived at an agreed time, completed the work really fast and to a high standard. The amount of kit they brought along was impressive.! I would highly recommend Index Groundworks.

Hi There! I'm Joseph Oris, a talented & Passionate craftman, with multiple skill set in all Home and Office improvement works. Lets bring your dream Home to reality.

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Reviewed by James on 4/4/2025

Joseph carried out a bathroom refresh for me which I’m very happy with. His work was of good quality, he was communicative and gave advice on what might work well as we went through. I went on holiday for most of it and Joseph was trustworthy with my keys. Reasonably priced. He was also a good lad to have a chat with, nice manner and cool to be around! Cheers, James

A&H Gardening LTD With over 7 years of professional gardening experience, A&H Gardening LTD is a trusted, one-man operation specializing in all aspects of garden care and maintenance. Having previously worked as a dedicated gardener for the London Metropolitan Police, A&H Gardening LTD brings expert knowledge and a keen attention to detail to every project. Operating in North London, we offer a full range of gardening services, from routine maintenance to garden transformations. Known for reliability, quality service, and a passion for creating beautiful outdoor spaces, A&H Gardening LTD is the ideal choice for those seeking personalized, dependable gardening support. Let us help your garden thrive!

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Reviewed by Tony on 2/5/2025

Ali was very professional, punctual and understood exactly what was required, plus his price was very competitive. I would definitely use him again and again.

Hi there, we specialise in electrical, general building and Groundworks. However, we also provide the below services. We have over 15 years experience in the construction industry and we are also fully insured and licenced. House Building Extensions Electrical installation Furniture building Joining Carpentry Roofing Groundworks General wall filling and painting. Sockets and light fixings. Appliance installation Appliance hanging. Fitting shelves Fitting wall units Landscaping General Gardening Driveways Kitchen fitting Full home redec The above is not exclusive so please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Reviewed by Daniel on 12/2/2025

Very friendly company and despite setbacks and delays on the job due to weather the job was completed to a good standard. We are happy with the work done and will enjoy the extra space in the garden come summer.

Family running business based in Gravesend. Our priority is excelent service and satisfide customer. Top quality work is our trademark. Specialised in all type of build work with very expirienced team. Plenty of references form our previous satisfied clients. In need of top quality builders? call for more informations.

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Reviewed by John on 2/8/2023

An excellent service, completed on time. Would recommend

We are at your disposal to help you with Leo pop construction property maintenance Ltd We arrange tiling works, gardens, paving and other interior paint?ing and exterior jobs .

Hello my names Robert from R&R affordable home improvements where our number one priority is customer satisfaction, all our work is carried out at the highest standards using only the best materials. We do a professional job at affordable prices and guarantee all work carried out, with over 15years experience you can rest assured we can handle the smallest to the biggest of jobs all carried out and completed by professionals. We offer free estimates and advice so please feel free to contact us today!

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Reviewed by Lucky on 30/4/2025

Had a wooden gate supplied and fitted—great quality work and completed to a good standard. Very professional, turned up on time, and left everything tidy. Would definitely recommend. Has promised to come back and fit an additional panel on the gate as it left a gap when closed.

Hello everyone. Welcome to my page! Just a little bit about ourselves! We have been in the trade for many years with skills passed down for generations. We will always go above and beyond for each and every one of our customers whether it’s a small job or a big project! Thank you for your time.

i am a young man that currently works within the property developing business renovating homes but on the weekends looking to make myself and my family some more savings i am keen and reliable wont be beaten on price can do it all!!!

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Reviewed by Kenneth on 9/4/2025

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Reviewed by Pranav on 7/11/2019

Valentino has done a fantastic job of bathroom and kitchen refurbishment. He has delivered what he had promised no hidden charges and no false promises. Very reliable and soft spoken. He uses the best material in the market so quality of product is very good. He did the facia as well which is also of very good specifications. Overall he is a fantastic builder and I would 100% recommend him.

Me and my team we provide services that include team work and our priority is customer’s satisfaction. Am in trade for 6 yers. All the job that I take on that’s the jobs I’m good at and have qualifications for them.

Here at reviewed roofing & property solutions we cover a wide variety of construction, we have efficent teams who have an eye for detail. also we have a company “ Southerns finest solutions” who sub contract some of our projects who we can vouch for. We take great pride in our work, making it our mission to see our clients astonished with the finish to their project. please for free expert advice & estimates do not hesitate to get in contact.

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Reviewed by Mike on 6/11/2024

Prompt, polite and good quality work on our guttering and chimney flashing.

Good, conscientious company. High quality work. Orders completed on time, professional service and honesty to their customers.

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Reviewed by Richard on 15/5/2024

Work to retile the bathroom was scheduled promptly and delivered very well, on-time and in line with the quote. Wouldn't hesitate to use again. Tidied up and left things looking smart.

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