Prices & costs of garden design

The prices & costs of my garden design services are detailed below. Garden Ninja likes to be upfront, so the prices are listed first. Each designer will have their own rates depending on experience, location and expertise.

How much is garden design?

Garden Design from £1250+ (Typical small-sized garden)

Online Garden Consultation £250 per 60 minutes

Plant supply and planting:  Price on request.

Garden Ninja Day Rate: £650 per day for planting, consultancy and garden styling

Charity Garden Design: Please get in touch with local community and charity initiatives

As with all things bespoke, the prices may change depending on the size, complexity and location of the work. I will always discuss this upfront, so there are never any hidden extras or out-of-the-blue costs.

Want to talk figures? Great, drop me a message!

Is Garden design expensive?  

My garden designs start at £1250 for the small designs and increase in cost based on size and complexity. Once the quote has been given for the design this is then fixed, so no surprises! Even on the tightest budgets, some form of professional garden design can save you bags of money and avoid many costly mistakes.

Some designers like to use a percentage of the overall budget for costs, but I prefer to work on the amount of time and complexity. It often saves you money, rather than a one-size-fits-all percentage of the overall cost.

Garden design is a considered piece of work and does have a cost. The 'is it expensive' depends on how you look at it. A professional design will cost more than picking up a garden design book and 'having a go. With these templates, you really are tossing a coin as to whether they will work in your garden.  

When undertaking a garden design you are paying for a completely bespoke design for your garden, aspect and considerations. It's one of a kind. It takes the guesswork out of gardening, providing you with the plan to create a garden that is fully functional and beautiful at the same time.

How much does landscaping a garden cost?

This is another frequently asked question and really does depend on the materials used and the skill level required.

At a minimum, you should budget at least £100-£150 per square meter of the garden for materials if using hard landscaping like paving. If it's just planting then £30-£50 per square meter is a good rule of thumb. Obviously, this depends on the size and type of plants.

With paving, consider the cost of buying the paving stone and then the price of laying it. As a rule of thumb, a good paver can lay between 15-20 meters of paving per day. This is based on larger 600-900mm wide paving stones. Brick, block paving and intricate patterns will reduce this significantly!

This is where a designer can really help in estimating costs and helping to keep your new garden design within budget as costs can quickly run away with themselves!

Saving money using Garden design

Garden design can help you avoid a number of pitfalls and save you money. It also allows you to work to a blueprint, giving dimensions, plans and a vision to any contractors you choose to use for hard landscaping.

Typically, people get quotes from contractors using a guestimate. Builders are often relieved to work to a plan as many quotes are as broad as 'I want a nice garden' waves hands in the back garden area, which isn't helpful for them a bit like 'how long is a piece of string!'  The quotes then are really broad with an extra contingency built-in, meaning they come in high. Having a design can completely remove this awkward step.

Garden Design Saves Money By:

• Providing a scaled design for contractors to quote from
• Allowing easier comparison of quotes as they are all from the same blueprint
• Saving valuable time in getting to your final design
• Giving a vision and a clear view of the garden you're creating
• Design expertise means you can avoid 'guesswork' in materials & planting
• Removing wasted money on unsuitable plants

Garden design templates 

Designing a garden is not something that happens overnight and it's rare that an off the shelf design will fit your garden. There are many books out there with off-the-shelf designs which may look fantastic on paper, but getting the right considerations for your aspect, soil type, and climate takes an expert to get fully right.

I always advise that if a budget is tight and you want to use a template design, then why not commission Garden Ninja garden design to give a review of the scheme you're planning? Whilst this isn't as comprehensive as the full design a few hours work I can point out what may not work or what changes you should consider. Again, this saves you time and costly mistakes.

What's the difference between a landscaper and a garden designer?

I always get asked this question, so I thought it best to help summarise. There will always be exceptions to the rule, but as a starting point, the common differences are as follows.

Garden Designers:

• A garden designer is usually the creative force behind imagining and then drawing to scale your dream garden. They should (but not always) have a thorough understanding of horticulture, with construction being their secondary skill.
• A garden designer is usually much more plant-focused, with a solid grasp of plant species, cultivars, suitability and requirements for your site, providing a more detailed planting arrangement.
• A garden designer may rely on landscapers or builders to undertake the hard landscaping aspects of the garden.

Landscapers:

• A landscape designer is someone who is usually the building force behind your new dream garden. They are mostly from a construction background and focus more on hard landscaping, with design being their secondary skill.
• A landscaper is usually less horticultural, and designs may feature more general easy-care planting groups with more landscaping features, e.g. terrace, patio, walls, etc.
• Landscapers may rely on garden designers to design the gardens they install.

Help with Garden Design via Online Video Consultations

Alternatively, if you just need garden design advice, why not use my online garden consultancy service? You can book an hour online video call with me, the Garden Ninja, to help advise and guide you on improving your garden space!

Why not get in touch with Garden Ninja to get your dream garden started today? You can also Tweet, Facebook or Instagram me about garden design. You can also follow me on Youtube where I’ve got plenty of garden guide vlogs to get you started.

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