Not So Ordinary Garden Design

Naturally Inspired Garden design IN EAST YORKSHIRE

By Julie Dowding

The Design Process

All my designs for the garden are hand drawn. The connection I experience when producing a design on paper is amazing, the feeling of being in the garden and drawing what I would like to see and what would develop years down the line cannot be matched.

I do not charge for my initial visit. It allows us time for us to talk, have a look round the garden to assess what would be needed and more importantly what style of report you would like to receive.

If you already have an established garden but there are areas that need work, then a standard report starts at £400. It will cover ideas for re-designing the area and plants that could be incorporated. There will also be information on how to care for the garden giving you new ideas that you can take forward yourselves. The soil and aspect will be analysed. There will be a photographic record of what the garden currently looks like. I also go plant shopping with my clients which ensures a good combination of plants will be purchased.

The second option I offer is a full design package, there will be a plan covering the new design and the proposed planting, the report accompanying the design will outline all the new ideas. With an explanation of why and how things will work. There will be a concept board of numerous pictures that will give you inspiration for what the design could eventually look like. The garden will be measured and again the soil Ph will be analysed. Photographs of the current garden will be included in the report. There is nothing better than have a record of what something looked like at the start of the process and subsequently the current day or many years later. The budget will be agreed for the purchase of plants, and at every point you will know what exactly things will cost. The cost of this package starts from £800. I have a team of landscapers that work with me, they will likewise give you an individual quote.

At every point with re-designing a garden I feel we should make use of what hard landscaping materials exist and see if they can be used elsewhere, also if any plants can be moved and reused then I feel we are being as cost effective as possible.

Working alongside a client I feel ensures a good relationship, and more importantly a good outcome, gardens are not created in a week or even a year and both the process and the ability to be able to speak to each other at all times is vital.

 This was an article published about me by The Radius Magazine 2018

It was during a telephone conversation with a lady recently that we quickly established a mutual gardening interest, but it quickly became apparent that we were both on opposite ends of the scale. As many of our Radius readers know my gardening skills are somewhat lacking and I can at best be described as a keen novice, but this lady, Julie, had vast experience in the planning and preparation of people’s gardens. I was interested in finding out more. Julie was interested in advertising in the Radius magazine and I was more than happy to assist as we have been helping local businesses for over 20 years, we arranged an informal meeting and Julie popped into the office. Once we had finalised details for her advert we discussed my garden and Julie happily agreed to a consultation.

I had made a big effort to clear my garden late last year as it was severely overgrown, and although I was pleased with my work the result was somewhat underwhelming as the garden seemed empty, on the plus side it was a blank canvas. As a novice gardener with limited time due to my young family, I needed ideas, advice and inspiration, this is where Julie came in. Arriving five minutes early I was very impressed with Julie’s punctuality, the journey would have taken almost an hour. With 2018 so far being a strange year for weather, this Saturday morning was no exception and the sun dazzled as I greeted Julie at the doorstep but we were met with a ferocious blizzard almost as soon as we entered my back garden.

Stoically Julie continued to look around my garden but as the snow fell at almost comical proportions, we could barely see each other over a distance of a few feet and we dashed back into the house. Following a cup of tea and a chat about possible ideas the snow stopped and once more we ventured into the garden for Julie to gain inspiration. Ours is only a small courtyard garden, but we know it has the potential to be quite smart. Julie took her time looking at different aspects before getting her camera and taking some photographs.
We then went back into the house and my partner Cathy and daughter Éilis were waiting to hear some ideas, Julie immediately had visions of what could be achieved and volunteered her views and suggestions. Hers is a professional service, so Julie provided us with a list of options which I thought was excellent. Everybody has their own budget and Julie has something for everyone, from a small consultation to a comprehensive garden design and implementation. We were very pleased that Julie came to visit our house, and she was excellent with our little daughter who was quite excitable about our visitor. Julie provided us with a list of options and also inspiration, we are currently putting the gardening project on hold because an unexpected problem has arisen with two of our windows, which has diverted our budget. But I would certainly appoint Julie as our gardening consultant, and I would most definitely recommend her professional services. Shortly after our consultation Julie got in touch and mentioned that she had some chitted potatoes that she thought we might like to grow in our garden as a little project with our daughter Éilis, this was incredibly sweet and we have taken her up on the challenge. Julie Dowding markets herself as The Ordinary Gardener, but she goes the extra mile and there is nothing ordinary about her.