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Listen and assess
We take our time to listen to both you and your space and let the design be guided by what feels most natural.
Services / Design
Design
We design from the ground up, starting with the soil and the conditions the garden will live with.
Definition
Garden design is the process of blending the scientific understanding of your individual property with the artistic beauty we hope to capture – in one blueprint.
After initial introductions, on meeting potential clients for the first time, our main goal is to listen. How do they envisage their finished garden? Why have they decided to change it? Will they be looking out at it or sitting in it, enjoying the plants? Then we head out and brainstorm, coming up with different designs and colour palettes for them to consider.
The design phase is the process we undertake to create an overall blueprint for our client. Working within their proposed budget and striving above all else for aesthetic appeal, we will present different plant choices, colour palettes and ideas. We will suggest hardscaping if required and then render drawings to show what the finished garden will look like now, and how it might grow in years to come.
Our tailored design services
Site and soil assessment
Soil tested on site, with light, drainage and exposure mapped before any plant is specified.
Concept design
The layout, planting zones and character of the garden, for you to respond to before we go into detail.
Plant selection
Species chosen for your soil and microclimate, and for the job each one does: structure, screening, groundcover or habitat. Natives where they suit, other species where they do the job better.
Planting plan and schedule
Every plant specified by species, size and quantity, drawn to A3.
Irrigation and lighting planning
Watering zones matched to the planting and lighting incorporated to create a beautiful space that can always be enjoyed.
Coordination
We work alongside your architect or builder. Structural elements are designed by us and delivered with licensed construction partners.
As-built planting plan
A record of what was planted and where, supplied at completion.
Our Approach
01 02 03 /03At SurrealScapes, our landscape design process is collaborative. Here's how we work:
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Concept
A layout and planting direction for you to respond to.
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Detailed design
The planting plan, schedule and irrigation plan, finalised and costed.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. The earlier the better, ideally before levels and drainage are fixed.
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A concept, then a planting plan and schedule drawn to A3 and an irrigation plan. Once planting is complete, an as-built planting plan.
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No. We choose for the conditions. A lot of what we specify is native, and some isn’t.
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We design the whole garden, including where paths, walls and paving sit. They’re built by a licensed construction partner under a separate contract with you, and we coordinate that work with the planting.