Lein Design Inc.

Stage 4 - Detailed Layout Garden Plan

Whereas the concept plan was a basic outline design of your new garden landscape, the detailed garden layout plan is, as the name suggests, a highly detailed plan which illustrates exactly how the new garden is to be laid out and built.
Every structural aspect of the design is included and drawn to scale (the detailed design plan will show key plants and structural planting, but not itemized plants - these come in the next stage), so the detailed garden layout plan is primarily a technical document. However, by talking you through this visual representation of your new garden I will be able to help you understand it with ease. This turns the technical layout plan into a springboard you can use to imagine every detail of the completed garden in advance.

Because the detailed garden layout plan is so exact and precise, it provides contractors and others with the relevant information they need to give you accurate and competitive quotes without any guesswork. I provide all of my clients with basic construction notes so that they can arrange for suitable contractors to carry out the work required. If requested I can also provide a list of recommended contractors that have proven to be reliable for my clients in the past. I can even supervise the actualization of the layout plan should this be required. And of course, if you wish to carry out the work yourself this is also a possibility.

With the detailed garden layout plan completed, I can - if required - provide a computer generated 3D walkthrough of your new garden before it is actually built. This gives you the most immersive presentation possible of your new garden design.
When the layout plan is complete, we are now ready to proceed to the next stage and create a planting plan and schedule.

Stage 5 - Detailed Layout Garden Plan

Although the detailed garden layout plan will show key plants and structural planting, no garden design is ever complete until all of the required plants have been itemized and located on a planting plan. This is a separate blueprint-type document which shows exactly where each plant will be positioned. The planting plan is accompanied by a plant schedule which provides all of the textual information required, including the botanical names and quantities of plants required.

There is a lot to consider when creating a planting plan. I will go through all of this with you in some detail in person, but the main areas of consideration are as follows:

Colour - The colours of the plants we include in your garden design will set the tone of the garden as a whole. Imagine the difference between a garden bursting with reds, oranges and yellows and one populated by blues, greens and lilacs. All sorts of colour schemes can work well, so we need to consider the possibilities carefully.

Texture - The textures of the plants in your garden are also important. Textures can be smooth, rough, prickly, velvety and more, and the way these textures are combined can have a big impact on the way your garden looks as well as feels.

Form - When we consider form we are considering the three dimensional impact of shape and volume on the garden. Our aim to is to find an attractive and satisfying balance between the way a garden looks from afar and the way it is experienced up close when sitting in or walking through it.

Scent - The olfactory senses are extremely sensitive, and we can choose plants to create rich tapestries of scent that perfectly compliment the visual and textural design of the garden.

Seasonality - Our final main area of consideration concerns the seasonality of the plants we use. The aim here is to ensure that the garden is attractive and pleasing all year round, whilst incorporating seasonal plants that provide variety with the natural cycle of growth and bloom.

When we have created a planting plan and plant schedule, we can progress to the sixth and final stage of the garden design process.

Stage 6 - Garden Landscaping Sustainability

The design for your garden is now completed, and it is time to start the garden landscaping process itself and make the garden design a reality. I will of course recommend preferred contractors to carry out the garden landscaping work required, though you may wish to appoint your own or even build the garden yourself at your own pace. Whichever choice you make there are a number of additional services that may be required.

Landscaping Details
Certain bespoke details on the garden design, such as water features or Pergolas, will need to be drawn up separately and accurately to a larger scale in order that these particular garden features are built exactly as you and I would like.

Landscape Specification Documents
A detailed Landscape Specification Document lists every detail of the garden landscaping requirements, such as full specification of hard landscaping materials, construction methods and details. It allows different contractors to quote exactly for the job in the knowledge that they are working to the same specification.

Project Management
However you decide to carry out the garden landscaping, I can if required supervise and oversee the entire process. This would allow you to sit back and relax, confident in the knowledge that any queries on the garden design or implementation will be quickly resolved and that all of your expectations will be met.
Should you require garden lighting and irrigation , I work with qualified contractors who can advise on and carry out the work.

Maintenance
As your garden grows and develops, I can provide a garden maintenance schedule and seasonal advice. If you would like a more regular gardener I can supply or recommend the right person for the job.
As you can see, whilst many other garden designers simply create a design and then leave you to your own devices, I am able and willing to take you right through from start to finish, ensuring your total satisfaction with the completed project. At this stage your garden will be one you can be proud of and enjoy for many years to come.