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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

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  • 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.

AllKentFencing is a small independent family run firm. We provide a first class service as we would like to leave our client feeling that we have treated their garden/fencing as if we were doing our own. The services we provide include fencing, paving, landscaping, turfing and many others. Please feel free to ask for a quote for your requirements.

Hello welcome to Thistle Gardening Maintenance we are a family run business with over 10 years experience. We do all aspects of gardening&landscaping ,fencing,paving,hedge trimming, tree felling. Tree/Hedge removal and much more please contact us for a free estimate.

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Reviewed by Michael on 13/3/2026

no rating, they did half the job and haven't come back to finish it, they took £350 off me, please do not let these people anywhere near your property, they have left my garden like a rubbish dump

At Morley Gardens we pride ourselves at being the best in our field of garden management and landscaping. We offer an excellent service to all our customers at an extremely competitive price. We strive to go the extra mile, so all our customers are extremely happy. Robert

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Reviewed by Nadia on 19/2/2024

Did exactly as requested, and fit me in promptly after quote.

We are a gardening and tree services we cater for a wide range of work including trees, gardening, driveway, patios power washing etc if there’s anything you need attending to then we are here to help. We have been in the business for 9 years and love what we do regards Billy.

Tait Contracts is a construction company that offers a high standard of work, whilst being trustworthy and reliable.

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Reviewed by Iain on 19/3/2024

Really great service, job was done really professionally. The guys were really polite and nothing was too much trouble. Would definitely recommend and hire again.

5 star work we specialise in all home improvements and landscaping?

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Reviewed by Gary on 22/5/2023

Did not hire

ACG Ltd . Provides quality and good price on labour and materials All ways on time , best for clients

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Reviewed by Ray on 7/5/2022

Here at Keep it Green LTD We are a friendly, courteous, prompt, and professional maintenance company where we pride ourselves on our attention to detail and “no job too big or too small” , we are happy to help by offering a quality service that you are guaranteed to be happy with. We provide services such as: •All Building Work •Landscaping •Restoration •Rubbish Clearance •Painting & Decorating •Plastering •Roofing •Plumbing •Drainage •Electrics •CCTV Surveys Our reliability and positive hard working attitude is what separates us from competitors. “There is no job too big. And no job too small. If you need something done, give Keep It Green a call” Also you can stay updated with us on social media Facebook - Keep It Green LTD Instagram - @keepitgreenltd Website -

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Reviewed by Stephanie on 24/7/2022

Quality, work completed! Service with a smile. Would use again & highly recommend

We are a business in many trades and we take pride in our work to give our customers the best satisfaction of work and we won’t be beating on price also find us on check a trade and google First impressions we are a company that have a large team and our people all highly Qualified in Different work aspects

At Elite Roofing & we provide reliable, high-quality roofing and property maintenance services with a strong focus on professionalism, workmanship, and customer satisfaction. We understand how important it is to keep your property safe, secure, and well maintained. Whether it’s a small repair, roof maintenance, or general exterior property work, we take pride in completing every job to a high standard and making sure our customers are happy with the results. Our experienced team covers a wide range of roofing and property maintenance services, helping homeowners keep their properties protected from the weather and looking their best. Our Services Include: Roofing Services • Ridge tile repairs & ridge re-pointing • Chimney repairs, chimney pot removal & re-pointing • Roof repairs & leak detection • Tile and slate replacement • Dry verge system installation • General roof maintenance Roofline & Exterior Work • Fascia, soffit & gutter replacement • Gutter repairs & gutter cleaning • Downpipe repairs • Roofline maintenance Property Maintenance • General exterior property repairs • Re-pointing brickwork • Small building repairs • Exterior maintenance and upkeep • Storm damage repairs • Preventative maintenance to keep your home protected We believe in honest advice, fair pricing, and quality workmanship. Many of our customers come back to us again because they trust us to do the job properly the first time. ✔ Friendly and reliable service ✔ Free quotes and honest advice ✔ Work completed to a high standard ✔ Customer satisfaction is our priority If you’re looking for a trusted roofing and property maintenance company, get in touch with Elite Roofing & Property Maintenance today.

Handyhome Refurbishment Specialist are your number one choice in East Sussex for all your refurbishment and building needs. We take you through every step of your project from start to finish. Providing a professional service across Eastbourne, Hastings, Brighton, Bexhill and surrounding areas. Fully Insured Proud members of my builder and rated people

Distinctive Group Norfolk have a reliable, honest and highly skilled team of roofers, which enables us to offer you one of the most professional and cost-effective services throughout Norfolk. FREE ESTIMATES \\| NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED \\| 14 DAY COOLING OFF PERIOD ALL WORK FULLY GUARANTEED We offer the complete roofing service from major re-roofing projects to minor domestic roof repairs that are not only competitively priced but also providing you with peace of mind. NEW ROOFS \\| FLAT ROOFS \\| REPAIRS \\| CHIMNEYS UPVC FACIAS & SOFFITS \\| GUTTERING \\| DOWNPIPES

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Reviewed by Graeme on 11/4/2025

Arrived on time. Very polite and friendly. Worked hard to complete work in the time allocated. As far as I can see they did an excellent job. Cleaned up and removed all debris. I would definitely recommend this company to others.

I've been working in the maintenance Industry for the past 19 years and i've worked for 6 different councils in London, I've been trading since 2012 with this company.

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Reviewed by John on 15/4/2026

Outstanding work and highly recommend Lucky of A&L. Impressed with their professionalism, attention to detail and general tidiness. My large garden was overgrown and untidy and was pleasantly surprised at the work and outcome carried out by A&L.

Blackwell Landscapes has been trading for over 2 years with over 17 years experience in landscape gardening. The day to day jobs include Grass cutting, edging of beds and grass, hedge cutting, pruning, hand weeding, spraying chemical to stop further growth of weeds on hard and soft surfaces, planting, turfing, leaf clearance and lawn scarification. Scheduled visits are available throughout the year or one off garden tidy. We are fully insured to cover commercial and residential properties.

Over 20 years' experience High standards of workmanship Fully qualified team of builders and joiners Associated with the Apprenticeship scheme of the Construction Industry Training Board Competitive pricing Free, no obligation quotation

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Reviewed by Michelle on 31/12/2025

Beautiful carpentry work , attention to detail is amazing, hes gone the extra mile to help us transform our home. Would recommend for all joinery work doors ,door frames, bannister, skirting, loft hatch, flooring and plastering. Very good price also. Very approachable with better ideas. Have recommended Tom to everyone I know!.

We are a company that has highly skilled qualified tradesmen in all services we provide. We currently have 2 companies under our umbrella: JTL Roofing & Cladding We specialise in all types of roofing and cladding, from flat roofing to tiled roofs, to zinc to industrial units. The team has got you covered! - JTL Fencing & Landscaping From domestic to commercial, our qualified team of fencers have been trained to the highest standard. Whether you need closeboard fencing to picket fencing, panel fence to security fencing, we have a solution for you. This company also specialises in building your perfect outdoor space. whether it is a patio or a driveway, new artificial lawn or a decking area. We have got it covered. All of their garden transformations are built around the clients requirements. JTL Group Ltd are committed to providing the best service, best quality of workmanship and best value for money in the current market. Get in touch now for a free no obligation quote, or just for a bit of advice. we are here to help!

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Reviewed by Jose on 26/2/2019

James worked really hard and even mended our back gate for us even though we didn't ask him too, fantastic

Whether you want to install a new kitchen or your home needs urgent repairs, we’ve got you covered. Oliver with a twist home improvements, offers a comprehensive range of building services for customers in Leeds and the North east of England.

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Reviewed by dorothy on 26/10/2019

Very polite respectful men workmanship excellent only one criticism is Andrew needs to sort time management

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.

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Reviewed by Jill on 8/10/2021

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

Dg building and landscapes is a small company with a large amount of experience. We are qualified and experienced in all types of landscaping and general buidling work, with over 20 years experience. Give us a try for a quality service at an affordable price. We now accept all major credit and debit cards.

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Reviewed by Ann on 9/6/2025

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