Planting design is charged at a £35 hourly rate with a minimum of 16 hours.

We first work out North and South to know the sunny and shady areas. 

The soil is checked to see if compost, manure or grit need adding. 

We sit down to go through ‘The Gardener’s Palette’ book by Jo Thompson. This helps me to find out your tastes for colours and forms. We talk about which plants may or may not survive in your garden because of factors like shade and drainage (2-3 hours).

Compost can be added under certain plants that need rich soil to give them a good start.

Some old soil may need to be discarded. 

Acidic loving plants need acidic compost (ericaceous).

Grit is added under plants that need well drained soil.

Water that drains from a 30cm deep hole withing 20 minutes is considered fast draining. 

Fast drainage indicates sandy or loamy soil with excellent aeration. While it's perfect for preventing root rot in most plants, it can sometimes drain too quickly for moisture-loving species, requiring more frequent watering or organic amendments to help hold onto nutrients. 

4 hours+ indicates poor drainage from heavy clay.

Densely broadcasting chicken manure pellets 2 to 3 times a year can dramatically transform soil quality within 5 years (worms and such eat it, take it down and excrete it around). A 20KG bag from Amazon is around £20-£30 (2026).

I then measure the area to work out how many plants are needed to create the design. 

A first draft is shown and then edited as requested to make the final design.

I can help with suggestions of where to source some of the plants and their potential costs. Ordering and purchasing is done by the customer. It helps to have a budget in mind.

Smaller plants are cheaper but may take years to fill out a space. It is common to put more plants in at the start and then to remove plants as necessary. Larger plants make an immediate impact but are expensive.

Planting is charged at the same hourly rate.

I give aftercare advice and can help with maintenance but watering and their survival will ultimately be the customers responsibility.