7 useful tips for planning your garden from PR landscapes:
1. Think about what you would like in your garden - decking & Grass, a stone patio and grass, or all stone.
2. If you prefer grass, then check that you have the room for boarders down each side. Have you decide on which plants, trees or scrubs you would like? Have you thought about the maintenance of the flower beds? Have you considered the conditions of the ground for grass? As we all know the weather can play havoc with grass and more and more areas are becoming flooded and the grass will end up all soggy and unusable.
3. For many trees and plants you have to consider the sun as it plays a vital part in where you plant your trees and flowers. See where it starts off from in the morning and where it ends up during the early part of the evening.
4. Play areas for the Children - If you are considering doing you garden in all stone then you have to consider the age of your infants as a fall on stone could be nasty, but having a play area i.e. a small grassed area, or a sand castle area could help to solve this. If you have a decking area for the children or even your self then its vital that this is kept clean as any decking can get very slippery and I know this from experience.
5. Costings - I have had the experience in going to many homes and finding out that the client would like a wow factor garden. Decking here, stone there, grass hear, new fencing, new plants and trees etc. What they do not realise is the cost of the job. Most gardens that my partner and I do start from around £5,000.00 plus. We have done some in Kensington where they start from around £25,000 plus. To start with, is your garden in a mess, how much digging has to be done, do you require new fencing? What type of stone or decking do you want, how big is your area? Good Indian stone 'which is like your stone but a lot cheaper' can start off from around £25.00 per square meter and then goes up to around £45.00 per square meter. Decking: Hardwood decking is around £5, to £8 pound per lineal meter. Soft wood decking can be around £4 per lintel meter. But that's not all, it’s the ground work that is more costly then what the top layer is and you have to take this into consideration when you have quotes in from any good Landscapers.
6. Costing of Landscapers and Decking companies - In my opinion, the best way to obtain a good company is to see for you self gardens your friends have had done, are they happy with the work, are you happy with the work, where they reliable, what did they charge. This way you can set yourself a budget price based on the size of your garden and what you want or can afford in your garden. Anyone can produce a port folio like ours, but did they really do the work? Be sure to check out all references but if possible go and see their work and ask the client what they think about the work and then go from there.
7. Laws - Most clients do not know that all Builders, Landscapers, or decking companies must have a public liability insurance which is in the region of around £2-Million. Accidents can happen at anytime and you have to take this into consideration. The client can also be prosecuted if they have failed to make sure the main builder is insured. With the removal of all rubbish, I.e. old decking, old stone, dirt, trees, etc the Law now states that as you are the client, you have to make sure that who ever takes the rubbish away has a Licence to do so. On the removal of any rubbish he or she should give you a paper stating what the rubbish is, the amount of rubbish, i.e. how many bags etc, and where it is going to be taken for disposal. If someone takes away your rubbish and tips it off down the street then you are liable for prosecution as a fly tipper. If you have a skip then that's ok.
Any questions on the above then please write to me at contact@pathompson.net or visit the PR landscapes ProblemSolved page.
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