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Suddenly your garden starts to take shape - By Lesley Hegarty and Robert WebberLast month our series on garden design looked at the stylistic decisions concerning your garden. This month we look at the practicalities of the construction – a necessary evil before the transformation You may already have taken the decision to build the garden yourself, but if you do opt to employ a landscaping contractor, we would certainly advise getting more than one quote, as rates between contractors can vary considerably! Most garden designers are able to give you good recommendations of contractors and suppliers with whom they have worked extensively and they can also assist you with the ‘tender process’ if you choose.A schedule of works detailing the separate landscaping operations that need to be carried out as part of the construction can also be provided, as well as a specification document including all the requisite items and finishes needed to build the garden - hard landscaping materials, makes, models and manufacturers of any structures or ornamentation, water features, lighting, irrigation systems and so on. By providing copies of these documents to each of the contractors tendering for the work you can request itemised quotes and that in turn enables you to monitor closely all costs relating to the project. If required, additional drawings such as planting plans, electrical, irrigation and drainage drawings can be produced to assist with the construction process, but it is unlikely that they would all be needed for a small private garden. In this particular case our clients, both lawyers by profession, decided to undertake the whole project themselves. Joe, a former rugby player and talented DIY-er, relished the idea of being able to get out into the garden and do some physical work after a day in the office and at weekends, while Sophie preferred to turn her attention to the ‘planty’ side of things once the construction was finished.  With the landscaping of any garden, and a new build in particular where the existing topsoil quality is often poor and full of builder’s rubble, we would advise starting the project with a clean slate and clearing the site of all unwanted material. If you are lucky enough to have some good quality topsoil, separate it out and pile it up to one side to be used later.Even if a lawn is part of the new design, we recommend killing off any existing grass with a glyphosate-based weedkiller (readily available from most garden centres) or removing it with a turf cutter. Approximately two weeks later, once the grass and other vegetation have died off, the next stage of the ground preparation can begin. The clearance of the site can be exhausting and back-breaking work, but it is a means to an end. Teamwork helps, as Joe found out when, with the help of his three brothers, they wheelbarrowed several tons of subsoil and rubble out to a skip on the driveway – a real male bonding exercise and the justification for several beers on completion! A slightly less energetic option would be to hire mini diggers and dumper trucks to do the heavy work if you are lucky enough to have easy access to and from your garden. As well as saving any decent topsoil you may also wish to rescue some of your favourite plants and objects from the garden to be used in the new scheme - our approach is always to capitalise on the existing landscape if and where possible. It is now time to mark out the site. String and pegs are one of the more popular methods, but lengths of hose or spray paint can equally be used for smaller areas. Suddenly your garden is beginning to take shape. Lesley Hegarty and Robert Webber – www.hegartywebberpartnership.com – 01934 853273 |