How to come up with a garden design?

Grey123

Planning on doing a new patio and some raised beds, not sure on sleepers or something else.

I've had contact with a couple of landscapes who will basically do what I aske them to do. .

Chatting with them and they didn't really offer any input when I asked how they thought x or y might look. Or if x could work. Fair enough I suppose.

I have also had some contact with landscape design companies that would be a full on design package to tender. Sets of drawings designed etc. Out of my price range and overkill.

Basically what I want is someone who has lots of experience and able to advise on material and what might look well. Maybe we put a hand drawn sketch together and look at a few photos from the internet / previous projects and agree on design. They can give me some pros and cons of doing this or that. Ideally they would be doing the landscaping but if not I'd have something clear to bring to the contractor guys.

It could probably even be done over the zoom. Does such a service exist?

looksee

If the landscapers cannot offer any suggestions or take an interest in the design then they are not really so much landscapers as people who do groundwork. If you give them clear enough instructions they will probably be able to do construction/patio laying etc. However don't expect them to deal appropriately with soil conditions or planting. You may have to tell them things like not putting a sheet plastic sump in the bottom of your raised beds for example.

I have no idea about the zoom and general information idea, but if you put some photos and measurements, including orientation of garden and general situation - are you beside the sea, or exposed to strong winds or other local issues, you will probably get lots of good suggestions here.

macraignil

You can get lots of free advice by posting photos and relevant information and questions on a gardening forum but you also need to input what plants you like and what you want to get out of your garden if you want the advice to be relevant to what you want rather than what the person offering the garden advice would like for themselves. Not heard of any experienced garden designers willing to offer cut price designs for operating over zoom and feel myself that actually being in the garden at different times of the day and different times of the year provides vital information that would be relevant to the design in a lot of cases. Maybe invest in a good book on garden design (I found this one good) and do a bit of research yourself as well as posting photos and discussing what you are doing online if you have the time.

Happy gardening!