How long does it take to transform a garden?

As soon as the spring sun warmth starts to venture into folks gardens, a new found motivation comes to create their outdoor idyll ready for the summer. Unfortunately most will be disappointed by which summer that will be. In this post I explain the garden transformation stages, how long they typically take and how you can make the most of picking the quieter periods.

Out of sight and out of mind. This is typically what happens with gardens. When we are not using them (Autumn/ Winter) we can stop using them and they are not in the fore. At the time of writing this article (Oct) my next design slot is Dec and will quickly be moving into the new year. Designers who produce work that appeals to you are likely to be in demand and be operating a waiting list. Quality landscapers will also tend to be booked into spring. So once we get into spring there are very few slots for designers and landscapers. This can lead to disappointment, but for those who are prepared to wait, only a temporary one,

The design process for a garden can take some time and makes sure that you have a set of drawings to clearly communicate your needs and specification to trades people. To get to this stage involves interaction with you; to understand the brief, exchange of ideas, mood boards, site surveys and research. I would allow 3 months for this process (sometimes more, sometimes less).

Once you have a suite of drawings the quote process can start. Professional landscapers will have set time aside to quote but when the weather is good and they have a full order book it may not be as high on their priority list. In the winter landscapers have less enquiries coming in and are happy to get away from a muddy site to come and spend time with you on your garden vision. It can take a month to get a quote back (even more if it is complex) so you need to allow for this time.

Landscapers can be operating a waiting list so will give you a rough idea on when they can start. Unfortunately weather has a huge influence on the timing of a garden project. Certain jobs cannot be carried out if it is raining, even more when we experience freezing temperatures. Its a good idea to keep in touch with them to see how they are progressing to their schedule and whether they are on track.

Once they are on site they will advise how long they will be on site. This is of course dependant on complexity, size, access and our old favourite the weather. Once all the hard landscaping had completed its time to consider the best part (in my humble opinion) – planting!

My rule of thumb is that as long as the ground is not frozen or baked hard its ok to plant. The ultimate time used to be considered spring, last year this meant that new plants had to undergo the stress of a very hot summer. This fine if you are prepared to water properly and/ or use irrigation, especially with trees and shrubs. This summer has been wet so actually the planting season really hasn’t stopped. Autumn planting is now considered optimal as the ground is still warm and it gives the roots time to get down into the soil before summer comes. The only caveat to that is bare root planting. These are trees and plants that are grown in the ground (rather than pots) and dug up when dormant (in the winter) to put directly in the garden. A great option as you are not paying for pots and compost to be transported.

In summary I would suggest allowing at least a year for a garden creation project, of course it will be ever evolving! I would highly recommend that you start conversations with your preferred garden designer and landscaper as soon as possible to get ahead of the spring wave. This is of course a general view and projects can happen quicker or take longer but are all worth it in the end.