Design Process

Christopher Lane will work closely with you throughout the design of your garden to ensure the finished product is exactly as you dreamed it would be.

Initial meeting
Time frame – one hour

Christopher will come to your home for an initial free, no-obligation consultation. This consultation is for you to get a feel for Christopher’s work style and for him to develop an initial grasp of what you envisage. Your ideas may change markedly while brainstorming with Christopher or they may remain relatively unchanged.

Quote
Time frame – one week

When Christopher has a basic idea of the type of garden you require, including the size of the job and any hard-landscaping aspects, he will develop a quote for his work, specifying the services he will provide.
To develop a quote Christopher will need to know the following information:

• extent and complexity of the job
• size of the area to be developed
• if he will be required to source products
• if he will be required to oversee the landscaping
• timeframe restraints
• hard landscaping requirements
• irrigation requirements.

If you change your mind about any of these aspects during the job, that’s ok. Christopher will develop a new quote if, for example, you decide you would like him to source products or to oversee the landscaping.

If you are satisfied with the quote and give Christopher the go-ahead for the job, he will book to meet with you again to go into more detail about your ideas for your garden and to provide his advice, ideas and expertise. He will also provide a basic work schedule and possible completion date.

Research and rough concepts
Time frame – two weeks to a month depending on workloads and the complexity of the job

During the next few weeks Christopher will complete a variety of research tasks. He may contact you or meet with you several times to ensure your needs are being met during the research period. Feel free to contact Christopher during this time to discuss any ideas, concerns or issues.

Christopher will do a site analysis of your yard including a measure-up and soil tests. He will also do copious research into the native flaura of your area, the plants that grow well in the area, and the rainfall and other environmental aspects that could have an impact on your garden.

From the thousands of plants available, Christopher will hone a list of 20 or so plants that would best suit your garden, keeping in mind your specific preferences such as colour themes and plant types (for example, succulents, natives and conifers). Plants will be chosen for structure and aesthetics, how they work in with other selected plants, texture, scent, lifespan and durability. Depending on where you live, plants may also need to be suitable for coastal environments, high winds and arid environments. Waterwise and native fauna attracting plants can also be researched and selected.

Christopher will also be working on several rough concepts for your garden.

Choosing a concept
Time frame – one or two weeks for the client to make decisions

Once Christopher has completed his research and rough concepts, he will book to meet with you again. At this meeting, he will show you the rough concepts and go over the suitability of various plants and features. Don’t expect full-colour, formalised plans at this stage.

The concepts will be rough sketches so you can add, delete and change details. Usually, there will be one concept you like better than the others, but even this may need to be altered or reworked.

Finalising the design
Time frame – two to three weeks

Once you have chosen a concept and discussed changes with Christopher, he will draw up a to-scale, full colour plan that includes a planting list. This will take two to three weeks. If you require hard landscaping, he will also draw up construction plans (basic hard landscaping plan) for the builder or landscaper to follow.

Sourcing products
Time frame – two to three weeks (may be longer if items are sourced from interstate or overseas)

You may require garden features such as pots, sculptures, or water features. If you want Christopher to source these items, this will be included in your initial quote.

Christopher will source items throughout Adelaide and will use the internet to source products interstate or overseas if required. Christopher will take photos of items he has sourced to show you, but recommends that you go and see any items you are considering for your garden so you are not disappointed. If products are sourced from interstate or overseas, there may be delays in delivery times.

Christopher goes to a great deal of effort to ensure the products he sources are of exceptional quality, are appropriately priced and, in most cases, are of a unique nature.

Overseeing landscaping
Time frame – dependant on landscaper availability

Once the garden design is finalised and all products have been sourced and delivered, this may be the end of Christopher’s involvement in your garden. But if you want to ensure his design is properly implemented, Christopher can liaise with, and oversee the work of, the landscaper. Christopher is happy to recommend a landscaper or work with a landscaper of your choice.

During this stage, Christopher will meet with the landscaper several times if required and visit the site weekly to provide advice and instruction. He will be on call to discuss aspects of the design with the landscaper to ensure the job is implemented correctly and to his high standards. Don’t hesitate to call Christopher to discuss any concerns about landscaping deviations from the formal design.