DEMO You're viewing a demo of LeadReady's landscaper template. Landscaper demo

01 / Garden design

Design that knows
your soil.

Bespoke garden plans drawn around your site, your soil, and the way you actually live. From first survey to detailed planting schedules — every drawing made with your hands-on builders, not outsourced.

Book a free site visit See the process

A formal garden pathway with mature topiary — Heritage Gardens design work in Wirksworth

Members of BALI RHS APL Marshalls Register Trustmark

Established planting outside a country cottage — design by Heritage Gardens

Why our designs work

Drawn by the people who'll plant it.

Most landscape designers hand their drawings to a separate contractor. We don't. The team who designs your garden are the same people who build it, plant it, and tend it for the next ten years.

That changes the drawings. We never specify a stone we couldn't lay, a tree we couldn't source, or a planting plan we couldn't keep alive. The result is gardens that get built exactly as drawn — and grow into themselves the way the design intended.

Every commission begins with two visits to your site, an honest conversation about budget, and a soil sample sent to our preferred lab in Loughborough. The design that follows is yours, not a re-skin of a portfolio favourite.

How a design comes together

From first sketch to finished plans

Four stages, typically delivered over six to twelve weeks. We agree the timeline at the outset and stick to it.

Site survey & soil analysis

Two-hour visit to measure, photograph and assess. We take soil samples, check drainage and aspect, and listen to how you'd like to use the space.

Week 1

Concept & mood board

Initial concept drawings with material palettes and reference imagery. We meet on-site to walk through it and refine before any detailed work begins.

Weeks 2–4

Detailed plans & specifications

Scaled drawings, construction details, hard-landscaping schedules and full plant lists. Everything needed to build the garden — by us, or by another contractor.

Weeks 5–8

Planting plan & schedule

Plant-by-plant layout drawings with seasonal interest charts, growth-on schedules, and a clear maintenance plan for years one to five.

Weeks 9–12

Everything you'll receive

A folder of drawings you could build from anywhere.

Every design package includes the full set of documents below — yours to keep, regardless of who eventually builds the garden. Many of our clients commission us to design and build, but we're equally happy to hand the work to a contractor of your choosing.

Discuss your project

Full site survey with measured drawings
Soil analysis lab report
Aspect & light study
Concept drawings & mood boards
Scaled site plans (1:50 and 1:100)
Hard-landscaping specifications
Detailed planting plans
Plant lists with quantities & sizes
Lighting design (where applicable)
Drainage & irrigation schedules
Five-year maintenance plan
Full project handover documents

A recent design project

Featured project

A formal parterre for a Georgian rectory

Wirksworth, Derbyshire · Completed 2023 · Design + Build

The Whitfield team understood the rectory's history before they sketched a single line. The parterre they designed feels like it's always been there.

Read the full project story

The completed formal parterre at the Georgian rectory in Wirksworth

Common questions

Things people ask before they commit.

If your question isn't covered below, the easiest thing is to call David directly — happy to talk through anything before you commit to a site visit.

01629 555 0123

How long does the design process take?

For a typical residential garden, six to twelve weeks from first site visit to a complete set of drawings. Listed-property and larger commissions can take longer, particularly where planning consents or arboriculture surveys are needed.

We agree the timeline at the outset and keep you in the loop weekly.

What does garden design cost?

Our design fees typically range from £2,500 for a small urban garden to £15,000+ for an estate-scale project. We give a fixed-price quote in writing within 48 hours of the initial site visit, so you know exactly what's involved before any commitment.

Design fees are entirely separate from build costs. If you commission us for the build phase too, the design work is credited against the project total.

Do I need planning permission?

For most residential garden work, no. Permitted development rights cover the vast majority of patios, paths, fencing, and planting. Listed properties, conservation areas, and certain structural changes (raised terraces over 30cm, garden buildings, tree work on protected species) may require consents.

We handle planning applications on your behalf where needed, and our designers know which local authorities respond to which approaches.

Can you work with my existing garden?

Absolutely — and most of the time, we recommend it. Mature trees, established hedges, and well-built hard-landscaping are extraordinarily valuable assets that take decades to replace. Our first job on most sites is identifying what to keep.

That said, if there's something genuinely working against you — drainage problems, structural failures, the wrong tree in the wrong place — we'll say so honestly.

What if I want to change my mind during the design?

Two rounds of revisions are included as standard. Most projects don't need more than that — the concept stage is when most refinement happens, before any detailed drawings are produced.

If you want to change direction substantially after detailed plans are underway, we'll quote that work separately and transparently. No surprises on invoices.

Can I implement the design myself or use my own contractor?

Yes. Our drawings are detailed enough to be built by any competent landscape contractor. Around a third of our designs are built by other firms or by capable owners themselves. We're happy to be on call for technical questions during your build at no extra cost for the first six months.

Request a callback

Tell us where to call.

A few quick details and we'll be in touch within one working day to talk through your project.

Reply within 1 working day Free, no-obligation site visit Fixed-price quote in writing

Design that knows your soil.