Designing Exceptional Gardens & Landscapes
Our work encompasses both garden and Landscape design, with ecology and sustainability rooted in everything we do. Not only do we design beautiful gardens and landscapes, we design gardens and landscapes to be biologically rich, encouraging wildlife and biodiversity.
We undertake projects large or small and believe that a well-designed garden has to be functional and is an extension of your house and is essential that it sits well with your own personality. Your garden is your sanctuary and so we listen to our client’s needs and ensure these are met. All of our designs are hand drawn and we pride ourselves on attention to detail.
We guide you through every stage of the DESIGN PROCESS.
Consultation Meeting
Here we discuss your requirements, needs and any ideas that will form the basis for the overall design. At this stage we will also discuss your likes and dislikes, such as colours and textures. Before the consultation meeting takes place, it is important that a budget has been given thought as this will also be discussed.
Photos of your existing garden will be taken along with notes including aspect and any site limitations. Following this meeting a client brief will be drawn up based on all the gathered information and a schedule of fees will be produced to carry out the design work.
Survey and Analysis
This stage is vital for gathering detailed information about the site. Measurements will be taken to produce a scaled plan of the site including buildings and existing trees and shrubs.
Photos will be taken and information such as soil type and structure, drainage, boundaries, changes of levels, existing views and notes of wider landscape will be taken.
If the site is extremely complex then a surveying company will be commissioned to create the plan.
Concept Plan
Here a proposed scaled layout will be produced for your garden, along with sketches, visuals and even 3D models. This will give the overall feel for the garden and at this stage can be adjusted. It will include positioning of hard and soft landscaping.
Master Plan
Once the Concept plan has been approved a detailed scaled Master Plan will be produced. This forms the basis on which the garden can be created.
Planting Plans
These will be detailed plans showing positions of individual plants, supported by a planting schedule listing all plants, why they have been chosen and their merits.
Testimonials
“We are really thrilled with the transformation of our large, south facing courtyard – it’s beautiful and so much more welcoming and enjoyable as a space to enjoy and entertain in. The design process was fun, engaging and really inclusive. Nick listened to what we were hoping to achieve and brought to it to life really well. He also stretched our thinking and encouraged us to be bolder and braver than we might otherwise have been. We totally recommend him and his team.”
“Nick Ward produced a beautiful set of drawings for the design and planting of a cottage garden we were creating in West Sussex. We fell in love with the drawings on sight, and one year on, the planted garden is more than we could ever have dreamt of!”
“Nick redesigned our large 25 acre garden and we could not be happier. We wanted a garden that blends with the wider landscape and that is exactly what Nicks understandingof landscapes and ecology has ensured that not only do we have a beautiful garden that is enjoyed by the entire family, we also have a garden that is now simply buzzing with wildlife. We could not reccommend Nick enough”
“Very many thanks for all of the thought and care you have put into planning, designing and plant-sourcing for our garden. We had some ideas and an aspiration but you converted them into a vision and a plan and we are grateful that, and the passion, positivity and energy you brought to the process. Now it is here and we are delighted with the final result. We look forward to enjoying our new garden as it emerges and matures over the coming seasons”
“We used Nick Ward from South Downs Ecoscapes for a small design and planting job and we couldn’t be happier. Nick was friendly, helpful and super quick in producing an excellent design, which far exceeded our expectations. We will definitely use him again. “
“From the very start, it has been a real pleasure working with Nick on our garden design project. The process South Downs Ecoscapes employ is well structured, clear and collaborative, and Nick worked with us to shape and develop ideas and provide well informed input. The development of several concept plans was particularly helpful and the various stages of the process helped us refine these together, and we have ended up with a design that really meets our needs – and has exceeded our expectations. The final plans and video presentation capture in a very useable format everything that we worked on along the way. A great result and a very enjoyable journey; Thank you.”
“We just wanted to thank you so much for creating such a beautiful garden for us. We asked for a private haven in the middle of Midhurst, and that’s exactly what you gave us.
We really appreciate the time and trouble you took to listen to what we wanted, and consult us at every step of the journey.
Not only that, but you introduced us to Simon and his gang, who did a superb job of hard landscaping such a tiny, steep site! (Without driving the digger through the French windows!) And every night they left the site clean and tidy.
Your planting is quite beautiful, and is flourishing even in this hot, dry weather.
We appreciate it was a difficult brief, but it’s better than we ever imagined, and we are really enjoying it, and using it like another room!”
Many thanks,