COLUMNIST: LYNN HILL
In this two-part special, I will share with you some top tips to get the best out of the garden design process, what to expect from a garden designer, and how to make sure you engage a true professional.
Garden design is all about the architecture of an outdoor space - not to be confused with a gardener. The easy way to explain is to compare it to the creation of a house. There is the architect who designs the plans and the contractors who construct the building. Then comes the interior design of décor, furniture, and soft furnishings.
Take this outside and plants are like the soft furnishings of a garden. The layout and the structure of the garden comes first, the hard landscaping with paths and patios for example. Just as décor and furnishings turns a building into a home, the plants, when added, turn an outdoor space into a garden.
Thus, there are three distinct disciplines involved and you can expect a professional garden designer to have knowledge in design, construction, and horticulture.
Garden design is not regulated in the same way as architecture, so how do you know that you are engaging the services of a professional? In an industry that requires no formal qualifications or experience, anyone can call themselves a garden designer.
Most designers will have details of their qualifications and experience on their website. Look to see if they have training and experience. Membership of industry organisations is also a good sign, like the Society of Garden Designers, British Association of Landscape Industries, Chartered Institute of Horticulture - to name a few of the key players. Such organisations often have codes of standards that their members must work to, which gives added reassurance.
Two words are at the fore – quality and professionalism, both in their work and how they interact with you.
They should listen to you and spend time establishing your needs, and undertake a thorough analysis of your garden space. This is your garden and it could be designed a hundred different ways. I spend at least two to three hours at the start of the process getting to know my clients and identifying their taste and lifestyle. Trust your gut instincts, do you feel comfortable, do you have a good rapport, and importantly, do they ‘get’ you?
A good designer will bring vision and added value to your project. There is a lot of thinking outside the box and problem solving in garden design: how to deal with tricky aspects, create beautiful aesthetics that work well functionally, enhance views and screen anything unsightly, and do all of this whilst maintaining a tight rein on your budget. ‘Value engineering’ - working out ways to maximising the potential for your garden, whilst minimising financial costs - can often form a crucial part of the process.
A good garden designer can be worth their weight in gold. Take your time in making sure you choose the right fit for you. In the next issue, I will share my top tips on how to get the best from the design process and maximise the potential of your garden design.
Designer and Lynn Hill Garden Design, Lynn loves creating wonderful green spaces. She has been honoured with many awards and has contributed to Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court Flower Show, and worked with the BBC as design consultant for 'Beechgrove'.
Green spaces can be sanctuaries that nourish us, inspire us, and even heal us. Lynn encourages us to view our gardens as an extension of our home and embrace the benefits they bring to our health and wellbeing.
A member of the Scottish Ecological Design Association and the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, Lynn has a 1st Class Honours Degree in Community Education from Edinburgh University, and a HNC with Distinction in Garden Design. Her professional memberships include the Society of Garden Designers and Associate Designer with the British Association of Landscape Industries.
You can follow Lynn on Instagram for more chat or find lots of professional garden design inspiration on her website.