Welcome to Spatial Garden Design

Garden Designer
Works mainly on residential projects and provides a more personal, focused service, paying close and particular attention to the finer nuances of design.

Landscape Architect
Similar to a garden designer, but also formally qualified to work on large commercial and public space projects, but may also work on residential projects.

Landscaper
Landscapers build gardens – but in the absence of a more considered design, their solutions may only perform the most basic functions. However, they may have an in-house garden designer or use freelancers for their projects if required. Using a high-quality landscaper is imperative, as they will realise the design and bring it to life.

Garden designers don’t generally build gardens (although some do). Nonetheless, they are an important asset and often pivotal to the success of the build. Instead, most use landscaping companies and vice versa, as it tends to be a symbiotic relationship. Perhaps think of it like this – architects don’t build houses, but are an integral part of the build.

Although we don’t currently offer landscaping services, we can assist you in several ways with the build, as outlined in our Services section.

There aren’t any regulatory bodies for garden design as such. Organisations such as SGD (Society of Garden Designers) and BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) are paid memberships and are mainly for the benefit of the designer/landscaper for accreditation, networking and endorsement. It is possible to source services through these organisations which can also offer some advice and support for the customer.

For anything with a structural aspect we would always recommend using a structural engineer, as construction must be properly regulated and health & safety must always be adhered to. Any construction drawings produced by ourselves will need to be approved by a structural engineer.

Anyone can set-up a garden design business and there are no qualifications required. However, anyone who is serious about their craft will have gained some form of qualification, of which there are numerous options – although there are also some extremely talented self-taught designers.

Spencer considers formal training to be important and is fully qualified, which can be seen in his profile.

Masterplan
The main flat plan that forms the basis of the design. We provide separate rendered and annotated plans as we find this the best method to clearly communicate our ideas.

Planting Plan
A technical plan showing the full latin plant names, position, size and quantity of plants. This is an essential part of plant ordering.

Elevation
A eye-level view of the garden from any relevant vantage point, usually to support and keyed with a masterplan. These are scale drawings that don’t demonstrate perspective.

Section Elevation
Similar to an elevation, but also shows a cross-section of the ground. Especially useful for showing level changes and elements of construction. These are scale drawings that don’t demonstrate perspective.

Construction Plan
A detailed technical drawing of an element that needs full specification, such as a setting-out plan, paving plan or a pergola design. These will show elevations of each relevant view and include detailed measurements. This also includes cross-sections showing the internal construction of walls and structures, etc. These are scale drawings that don’t demonstrate perspective.

Axonometric Drawing
A three-dimensional elevated view drawn at either 45°/45° or 30/60° (isometric) angles. These are scale drawings that don’t demonstrate perspective, but sit somewhere between a technical drawing and perspective sketch.

3D Perspective Drawing
A three-dimensional visual drawn from any given angle, that unlike axonometric drawings, demonstrate perspective. These are usually drawn using one-point or two-point perspective. These are not drawn to scale and are purely for visual purposes – although there is a mathematical process to creating these accurately, as an alternative to being merely a loose sketch.

Each client, brief and garden are different, therefore all projects are quoted on an individual basis.

The minimum project commission requirement is for a Site Survey and Masterplan or Planting Plan, which is always supplied with the relevant supporting material.

As we are a small company with minimal overheads, we are able to offer competitive prices.

This depends entirely on the project.

The design process can be relatively swift. From the initial introductory meeting through to presentation of the final plan can take as little as
4–8 weeks, but is always dependent on the brief, scale and scope of the project, the requirements and existing workload.

From briefing stage to completion of the build can take a year or more, as there’s a lot of planning involved and is also subject to seasonal influences such as construction or planting constraints and availability of contractors – please bear in mind that a good contractor will always be booked-up well in advance. The timeframe will also depend on when the project is commissioned.

We would always recommend to allow plenty of time for the design process and once finalised, not to rush into the build – thorough planning is paramount as mistakes can be costly.

The build can be approached in stages – not everything has to be done at once. What is most important is that the masterplan, groundworks and boundaries are prioritised, as these elements form the framework of the garden and are difficult and expensive to change retrospectively.

Groundworks can be carried out at any time of year, but extreme weather and temperatures can impact on hard-landscaping.

Planting out is best undertaken ideally in autumn or spring for herbaceous plants, while some trees, shrubs and plants can be planted or moved in winter – ultimately, availability and each plant will dictate its own planting time. Planting in extreme heat, frost and frozen ground should be avoided. Seasonal timings are one of the reasons the project can take a year or more.

We are based in Beckenham in Kent and cover all local and surrounding areas including:
❊ Beckenham
❊ Bickley
❊ Bromley
❊ Chislehurst
❊ Hayes
❊ Keston
❊ Knockholt
❊ Orpington
❊ Petts Wood
❊ Sevenoaks
❊ West Wickham
❊ Westerham

We also cover a wider radius across the South-East and beyond including:
❊ Greater London
❊ Kent
❊ Surrey
❊ Sussex

For some projects we can accommodate areas much further afield, so if you would like to know if we can cover your area, just ask.

The initial meetings require no commitment, but any time spent on project briefing and thereafter is chargeable.

If you change your mind and decide not to proceed prior to signing the contract, any time spent for briefing will be charged on a pro rata basis as per our terms & conditions.

You can of course change your mind about your requirements or any aspect of the design at any stage of the process, but this will most likely have cost implications – especially if the brief has been agreed and the design stage is already underway. This is why it is important to ensure there is a clear written brief agreed by both client and designer prior to commencement of any design work.

We feel very strongly about privacy and will never collect your data. If you contact us via the contact form or email, we will only hold those and any subsequent messages on file for our records.

We do not hold any personal details other than for commissioned projects and only ever with your express permission, and we will never contact you for marketing purposes.

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