When should you start looking for a landscape designer?

It’s never too early to start planning your landscaping. From securing the right designers and construction team, to sourcing plants, trees, and outdoor furniture, quality garden design takes time to develop.

Head of HollandGreen Landscape Design Mark Latchford looks at the key areas to be aware of when looking to kick off a landscape design project.

Getting the right team in place

For large-scale house renovations or new build projects, it is strongly advisable to start looking for a garden designer at the same time as you are looking for an architect.

All contractors, whether they be architects, landscape designers or interior designers, will typically have wait lists, meaning you will need to be aware of time frames, fees, and availability when planning your project.

Planning Requirements

If your project is in a conservation area, greenbelt, or area of natural beauty, there may be restrictions or permission required for tree and landscaping works, particularly if the plot features any listed buildings.

In these instances, adjusting the design timeline to include plenty of leeway to address any planning constraints will ensure you’re able to finish the build and start enjoying your garden as soon as the exterior works are completed.

Holistic Approach

Even where planning isn’t required, the collaboration between architect and garden designer starts early on. For complex house renovation projects, ensuring a closely collaborative approach between the architecture, interior design and landscaping elements is key to developing a holistic design, where both indoor and outdoor spaces work together to fit your lifestyle and vision.

Garden design projects typically entail a range of outdoor elements, many of which require power, water and gas supplies. These include features such as pools, hot tubs, outdoor kitchens, fire tables and lighting schemes. Establishing the positions of these elements early on as part of an integrated landscape plan will ensure they are installed on time and without any complications.

Ecology

Developing a landscape plan early on will allow us to consider and address the potential impact on protected species, particularly for work to existing ponds.

This can impact nearly every aspect of the design, from bee and bird-friendly planting that caters to each season and encourages biodiversity, to choosing natural, locally-sourced materials that function as part of a wider range of different habitats across the garden. Other areas such as the lighting design may also need to be considered if the area has a dark skies policy.

Beat the rush

With spring around the corner, the landscape industry is about to get busy. Making a head start on your project early in the year means you won’t be left with an area of mud once the builders have left, or have to rush to secure your outdoor flooring, walls and hard structures at the very last minute.

What’s next?

Drawing on a wealth of experience, the HollandGreen Landscape Design team have worked on a range of award-winning projects, from small garden renovations to complex collaborations with our in-house architecture and interior design teams.

Past projects have taken the team across the Home counties, including Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, as well as the Cotswolds, London, Surrey,

Find out more about our luxury garden design services, or get in touch for an initial conversation.