Employing a Garden Designer

[10miles]

We bought this house specifically got the garden, approx 60 x 40 ft and had loads of plans for it. 7 years on, it's gone to ruin mainly because my work took off in a way I hadn't expected, so my image of me spending many hours in the garden morphed into cutting the grass once a month, plus an hour here and there maintaining the veg bed (surprisingly easy labour wise I find)

I really want to get it into a pleasant usable space for this summer. I know that I want it to include veg and a pond, to be tidy and garden like, but not too neat with places for wildlife, I'd like some sort of terrace and some lawn, but I have no artistic ability and am struggling to work out what goes where. I don't want a "designer" garden though, I want it to look like a old fashioned real garden, not something from a makeover programme. So, do I need a garden designer or a landscaping company? I'm concerned that I could end up with a "builder" who can do the landscaping, but not understand the requirements of the pond or the veg beds.

What should I expect to pay and how can I find out if they know what they're doing?

You want a garden designer! Just tell them everything youhave said here and they will arrange any hard landscaping and the rst.
Choose one with an RHS qualification and ask to see a portfolio of their work before you choose.

Also- wanting a completed garden this year is possible, but most plants and shrubs take years or more to grow and be at their best so you may well not get quite what you want this time round.

I spend time with my clients to find out what they want from a garden and how they would like to use it.

I normally do a rough sketch and then if the client is ok with it, do detailed plans for both hard landscaping and planting. Some of my clients have compiled scrapbooks with things they like, so that gives me pointers.

I also quite like to take them around some gardens (my own, other clients of mine or a large privat/public garden) for inspiration. Watching them and listening to what they like is often very different from what they express when you first meet them.

Bricklaying, creating terrasses, building ponds, etc would be subcontracted, although I have had clients that did some of the work themselves (patio & retaining walls). Minor carpentry I do myself but for larger structures (garden arches, pergolas, summerhouses) a second pair of hands is very helpful. I also subcontract turfing. I tend to supply plants carefully selected from nurseries/specialists to ensure quality and to avoid unsuitable substitutions.

You can achieve a semi mature feel by choosing more mature shrubs/trees but this costs more because these plants would have spent years in a nursery rather than propageted and sold within six months or so. You have to allow for plants to have room to mature and can't just cram them in because otherwise borders become congested in no time and the overall scheme becomes a mess.

I understand your desire to have the "mature look" quickly but believe me a large part of fun and satisfaction comes from seeing your garden mature.

Look for experience as well as qualifications and make sure you "click" with whoever you employ.

I also recommend that you get some help with the upkeep of the garden afterwards. I once took on a garden and discovered the initial planting plans. About 90% of plants were no longer in existence because someone had dug through the irrigation hoses and the current owners had no idea about gardening, leaving the garden much to its own devices. The initial outlay would have been well over £10K some 12 years ago. Having some help for a few hours a week would have made a huge difference.

Thank you both, I wasn't expecting it to be mature this year, only tidy and useable

There are actually already a good number of mature trees and shrubs, so I'm hoping to keep most of those

I'm in a similar position, OP, so will watch with interest. Gratifying to hear that your work took off, thus depriving you of gardening leave!

I'm a garden designer too and I reckon that's what you want initially. I would make some plans for you, discuss what you liked/disliked and recommend or appoint a landscaper for any heavy work.