Garden Design Service
We now offer a full garden design service and a planting consultation service. If you would like a complete garden design Tina is on hand and can produce detailed working drawings. If it is a garden visit and planting ideas you require look no further than Rosie.
Tina James
Garden designer
I am Tina James and for the last 15 years I have been working with a team of garden designers on projects of all sizes and styles. Prior to this I worked for a major retail and plant distribution company before moving into design.
I like to create gardens for people that are in harmony with their surroundings and utilise materials that are natural to the environment. I prescribe a restrained palette of elements drawn from local materials. I aim to connect the house to the landscape and strive to create timeless spaces. I find beauty in large swathes of simplicity as well as indulgent border planting.
Right plant, right place is my ethos, and it is better to work with the environment that you have rather than to try and change it and go against the natural environment of the space.
I have created country gardens both large and small, town gardens of all sizes, courtyard gardens of many shapes and sizes, kitchen gardens, pool gardens and everything in between.
Layout, geography, aspect, proposed use and maintenance regime all form part of the analysis and inform the design proposal as well as your aspiration. I will listen to and incorporate your ideas and transcribe them into a beautiful garden design, a unique space for you to experience the restorative effect of immersing yourself in nature.
Rosie Dixon
Planting Consultant
Rosie is a dedicated and creative garden consultant. Trained in horticulture but with a background in performance and music, she uses her varied experience to design imaginative and thoughtful planting.
Rosie is on hand to assist you in finding the right direction for your garden and will talk through plant choice, style and form. She will work with you to get the best out of your space and find the right planting to compliment your life and your garden needs.
‘There is great joy in helping people make the most of their garden. Plants are my passion and I find the task of garden and plant planning endlessly fascinating.’
Working with Rosie is a flexible experience and she can help facilitate your garden needs from border organisation, plant recommendations and planting designs through to placing and planting your chosen plants.
‘I look forward to talking with you about your garden soon’
Rosie Dixon
The Garden Design Phases
1. Initial garden design visit – this takes place in the garden so we can discuss the space and go over your ideas and I can use my expertise to consider the garden. We will look at the potential of the space and I will listen to your ideas. From this I will provide a brief for your project which will include my fees for producing a design for you.
2. An accurate topographical survey of the existing garden is required before any design work can take place. This is undertaken by a land surveyor and shows the boundaries, existing vegetation, hard surfaces, features and levels all relative to the house. We can connect you with a surveyor if you do not have one in mind.
3. Master plan and mood board images – this will be a 2D plan produced from CAD, to scale with supporting images of how the various elements could look. It acts as a discussion document allowing our ideas to be presented to you and to talk through any changes you wish to make. Once I have your feedback, I will make any necessary revisions to the scheme. The plan will include details of terraces (including steps and walls if you have any changes of level), borders, lawns, trees, screening, and any other elements you have asked for such as pergolas, gazebos, garden rooms etc. The master plan does not include planting plans. This stage quoted on once the master plan is accepted. The mood board images will reflect the design details to bring it to life for you.
4. Planting Plans – a detailed planting plan can be produced for you once the concept design is accepted. This will detail species, sizes, and exact planting positions for you so that the garden can be quoted on and planted accurately. We would be very happy to discuss budgets and timings for us to plant the garden for you once it is constructed by your chosen contractor.
5. Lighting Plans – if you would like to include garden lighting to extend your use of the space and add a beautiful element as a backdrop from the house after dark this can be produced once the concept is confirmed.
6. Setting out drawings – should your garden contractor need dimensioned drawings these can be produced for you.
7. Any other drawings required, or further design time will be charged at our hourly rate and once we know your requirement, we would advise of the time it might take to produce for you.