Finding The Right Garden Designer For You

Whether you're an experienced gardener or a keen amateur, calling in a professional Garden Designer can bring new insight to your project.  With experience of working with gardens of all shapes and sizes they will be able to draw upon their creative techniques for making the most of the space and dealing with any awkward areas, often suggesting ideas you haven't thought of.  
Most importantly, a good designer will develop a scheme that works both practically and aesthetically and is tailored to your needs and site providing, a high-quality bespoke service.  
Having worked in the industry for over 21 years in design, horticulture and garden retail, I have a wealth of knowledge which I use on each and every project to create designs which for fill the clients needs and which are buildable by professional landscapers.  

Which Designer Will Suit Your Project?  Professional Garden Designers each offer a range of services based on their availability, expertise and location. Not every designer will offer the same range of services, for example, If you are looking for a bit of garden advice rather than a full garden transformation then you’ll need to search around for a designer who offers design consultations.
​Some designers run ‘design and landscape’ businesses which offer the client the design process and landscaping all under one roof. That’s no good if you already have a landscaper lined up and simply want a design plan to work from, so some designers offer a ‘design only’ service, allowing you flexibility when it comes to choosing your ideal landscaper. So It’s worth considering what services you require before you search for your designer. ​

What's your style?
Garden styles are very varied, from ultra-modern sleek spaces to rustic rural country gardens and everything in between. Garden Designers will have their own preferred style which they can use to create the garden of your dreams. If you have a specific style ideal for your garden, seek out a designer who looks familiar with creating spaces along those lines.
 
My professional style is Contemporary Country, providing a classic English garden look with a modern feel and aesthetic. Living in rural Leicestershire, we are rarely asked to create ultra-contemporary urban spaces. 

Reviews
Word of mouth is a great way of finding a professional to work with. Many of our projects are as a consequence of a referral from a past client. But if you don’t have a recommendation to go on, then reviews are a good way to assess what previous clients feel about their experience. Online reviews are the norm now. Look for a well-respected review website or Google. You can find our Google Reviews here and there are more reviews on our website.
 
Portfolios are also useful to gage the level of a designer’s skill for creating a beautiful and practical garden. Online portfolios are now the norm. Taking a look at a designers Portfolio will give you an idea of their style, level of competence, scope of work and attention to detail. You can find our Portfolio here with details of each project from start to finish. ​

 
At Bel Grierson Garden Design, we are generally booked up 3-6 months in advance so there can be a significant wait for our services, and landscapers can be booked up well in advance too. Designers and landscapers who have immediate availability are those to be wary of! A waiting list is usually a good sign that the designer is in demand and therefore worth the wait.
 
We offer Garden Design and Planting Design Packages which provide the clients with a bespoke garden or planting design. The clients are free to use which ever Landscaper they wish too, although generally they used our recommended professionals, you are not tied to using our preferred landscapers. As we are busy with projects we don’t offer ‘advice’ consultations, so we don’t cater for those wanting a standalone meeting for advice / inspiration.

​Design Detail
The level of detail a designer will go into will depend on their level of knowledge, experience and tech knowhow. Very basic designs may include a simple hand drawn ‘Concept Plan’ and notes on the materials to be used. This might work well for you if you are looking to develop the garden yourselves and just need a basic plan to work from. However, if you are looking for a professional job, installed by landscapers then you need more information for them to quote from and build from.
 
Our Garden Design Packages include accurate CAD drawn 2d to scale plans, 3D photo realistic visuals, mood boards, setting out plans and a scope of works to assist in communicating the design to the landscape contractor, material suggestions and 3D visuals of structures to be built. Backed up by professional Topographical Surveyors reports, the full package of documents provides the information required for a pro landscaping team to build from. 

Qualifications 
Choosing a qualified garden designer isn't essential but, when searching for your perfect Designer, looking to see if they have any qualifications is a good way of assessing the designers’ professional credentials. Courses are offered in Garden Design to keen amateurs and those looking for a career in Garden Design alike. A quick term of evening classes will not provide the level of knowledge required for someone to become a professional designer, responsible for advising clients how to spend their money wisely.
 
I hold a Royal Horticultural Society Distinction in Horticulture and a diploma in Garden Design for which I was also awarded a distinction. In studying for these qualifications for 3 years, I built a broad and varied knowledge base to draw from and I continue to build on this with courses, events and professional development days to keep up to date and abreast of developments in the industry. It is worth looking for a designer with qualifications, knowledge and expertise if you are looking for a full garden design and transformation to be completed of a high quality and skill.

Costs for Design Services
This will vary depending on the experience of the designer and the size and complexity of the project. A small garden project with a long list of ‘must-haves’ can be equally demanding of the designer as a large plot with a basic layout.  Most designers will price for a project once they have viewed the garden and taken a brief from the client – typically during an initial consultation.  They’ll then have an idea of the requirement list, layout of the plot, level of detail required etc.

A self-employed designer, just starting out, will cost less than an established firm, but they will have less experience and expertise, so you get what you pay for.  At Bel Grierson Garden Design, we have a minimum size of garden we work on, in order to be cost effective for the client and time efficient for ourselves. Each project is priced individually, and details of our design fees can be found on our FAQ page.

​​So when It comes to looking for the most suitable Garden Designer for your project, it’s worth considering what level of service you are looking for, the detail you require, your budget, time scale and the level of professionalism you require. I hope that you feel well equipped to find your ideal designer and that you will consider Bel Grierson Garden Design Ltd for your garden project. 

Bel Grierson

Expert Plantswoman and Garden Designer with 20 years experience in horticulture.  Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.