Garden Design: DIY or IYD?

Spring is finally making an appearance, the garden is calling…

If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor space, making your garden work for your family and your lifestyle will have countless benefits. But when it comes to optimising your soon-to-be paradise, should you Do It Yourself (DIY) or Invest in Your Designer (IYD)?

“Would a garden designer really help? Will they understand me? Will they just make the whole process lengthy and complicated? Surely, it can’t be that difficult to design a garden that I can’t take it on myself!”

These are all valid points and concerns. I often make a parallel to building a house.

Whilst an experienced builder is fully capable of designing a house to your requirements, an architect will spend this extra time understanding your lifestyle, your aesthetics and often push the envelope to make your home a little more special and personal. If you have a clear idea of what you want for your garden, a landscaper will be able to design and build a lovely space for you to enjoy. But if your budget stretches a little bit further, you are after something unique or are open to the unexpected, then I cannot recommend the services of a garden designer highly enough. When presenting a design to clients for the first time, my favourite reaction is “I didn’t think about doing it this way!”.

Garden design - Concept stage

Like with any relationship, communication is key. Make sure you get to meet your garden designer face-to-face (at least virtually) and establish whether you will be able to work with them seamlessly. Ask questions about their process, portfolio, aesthetic, pricing model, relationship with landscapers and suppliers, etc. I pride myself in being open and honest with my clients. I would always let them know if some of the aspects of the design are challenging or if we need to enrol specialist expertise. Although the overall design process can take a few months, I follow a stepwise approach with regular check-ins with the clients. This ensures changes are implemented early on and, when comes the time to build the garden, there is no room for improvisation. The relationship triangle between client, landscaper and designer can be a source of tensions if not managed well. The garden designer should adjust their communication strategy to fit the project and the personalities involved. How frequently should we meet? Who makes decisions when changes are needed? Clear processes will help the project run smoothly.

Garden design - Planting design stage

So, of course you can immerse yourself in garden design theory, dust off your paint brushes and come up with a lovely design for your outdoor space. But a garden designer will bring their expertise, network and creative touch to make your outdoor space that extra bit special.

Ready to create your perfect garden? Get in touch with NaniKo Garden Design.