How Much Does a Planting Design Transformation Cost?

When a client contacts me about planting design it's usually when they've realised that they need help from a professional when selecting, combining and planting the right plants for the right place in their garden.  I've been working with plants for 20 years and over that time I've developed a wealthy of information and knowledge about which plants work well together and where plus when they need to be planted.  When you're considering transforming the planting in your garden, how much will it cost?

There are a few things to consider when you're thinking about budgets for a planting design project:

How big is your garden?  The size of space to be transformed has a huge effect on the overall costs. Large gardens take considerable time to design, prepare and plant plus there will be large quantities soil improver and plants needed...

What is the scale of the project?
Is the space a blank canvas, an established garden or an overgrown wilderness? If you are looking to create new planting areas in a lawn, then there is little preparation work to be carried out - simply remove the turf, turn the ground and incorporate soil improving materials. Most gardens have some existing planting which will need to be removed or pruned before the ground preparation and planting can start too so they'll be labour and waste removal costs.
For those with a wild overgrown garden, it's likely that a team of landscapers and machinery will be required to clear the site. Skips are often used for waste plant/soil removal so the more you have the higher the cost. 

What is access to the site like and how does the land lie?
Straight forward flat sites with wide easy access are a landscapers dream, there are fewer hours spent to-ing and fro-ing and fewer issues with moving materials around the sight. Bear in mind that sites with awkward access, sloping ground or minimal space to work in will cost more to transform. 

What are you hoping to achieve?
A traditional country garden mix of shrubs, perennials and grasses with the occasional small tree is the most cost effective way of greening up a garden. If your tastes are more tropical or you're looking for instant wow factor with specimens then plants for these styles will be more expensive.

So what should you budget for?
In general i work on projects with a minimum of 30 square metres of planting  up to country gardens with several acres of planting to design and install. In order to transform a space with planting, there'll be several phases - the design process, garden clearance and soil preparation by a landscaper and finally the planting. 
In my experience, areas of 50sq/m cost approx. £5-7k+ for design, ground preparations and planting using a traditional mix of shrubs, perennials and grasses. Areas in the region of 100sq/m cost in the region of £10-15k+ depending on the scale of works required. These rough costs are very much dependent on the factors outlined above and each project is unique.

In conclusion, when it comes to planting design and installation the square meterage of ground to be planted has a strong correlation with costs. A starting figure of £5k for design, installation and planting for a small easy to access garden is feasible. If you are lucky enough to have a larger garden then be prepared to spend from £10-30k+ and above to achieve the results you require. ​​

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.

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