How garden design can save you money
Garden design is often considered a luxury, fueled by programs, socials and magazines that feature amazing houses with equally amazing budgets to spend on their garden. This creates the perception that design is out of reach to those with more modest budgets, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Yes, of course, getting any work done will cost money, but perhaps less obviously, employing a garden designer can save you money in the overall cost of a garden transformation, as well as delivering better outcomes. Here are 3 reasons why...
Hard landscaping: The biggest driver of cost is usually the hard landscaping (eg paving, fencing, walls etc) due to the cost of the materials (paving and sub-base), transport, machinery hire, labour and waste. A garden designer will know that every m2 of paving will add hundreds of pounds to the cost, and therefore will ensure paving is sized to meet your needs. They will also explore the use of other materials, waste minimisation and alternative laying patterns to reduce the cost;
Plant cost: Plants can be expensive, whether you buy them in-store (be that garden centre, DIY place, supermarket) or online. Quality can be variable and availability restricted based on their algorithms of what will sell well, and when. Garden Designers have access to trade accounts at specialist nurseries that provide greater range, better quality and at reduced rates. At Forb we do not apply a mark-up on plants or any materials, so you benefit from the savings. Plus, by matching plants to conditions, your new plants are much more likely to thrive, minimising spend on replacements;
Design, not shopping: Good gardens aren't made by accessorising, but by responding to the needs of the owners through spatial arrangement, functionality and planting. If you try to get any inspiration online or in-store, it is usually all about shopping. Garden designers make their money by applying their skills and knowledge, not by selling products. Forb enjoys applying creative thought to deliver amazing solutions that are good value.
Sometimes it’s wise to spend money to save money. More importantly, a well-designed garden will provide more enjoyment and fulfilment, for longer. It will be of greater value to you. See Your Garden for more information on costs and savings, and below for how I put it into practice in my own garden.
I wanted to create a better outdoor dining area, replacing an existing small patio. Here’s how I saved money:
Re-used setts from the old patio to create the path, and reused edgings around the new paving;
Designed the patio area to the size of table I wanted plus circulation space, and made it within the paving pack size - I had 1/2 a paving stone left which I put to use as a table top;
The fence is a bit tired, but painted black it recedes and still does its job. I’m covering it in plants anyway!;
Worked with established plants like the pear and birch trees;
The thyme that borders the path was bought as plug plants, which are cheap and quick growing.