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Photo Copyright Sophie Skipper Photography

Is there a bit of your lawn that just keeps dying? A shrub that's got out of control? Not sure when or how to prune a particular plant for the best flower or foliage? Do you want tips for encouraging wildlife or a bit of winter interest? Are you stuck with how to make your garden a more useful or beautiful space?

Perhaps you have some design ideas for your garden and would like to run them by an expert before taking the plunge... Kate can help. Online consultations available.

Prices: from £140 for a morning or afternoon's consultation visit - this includes time to talk with you and share ideas and materials, time to look carefully at the garden and feed back verbally, or time to demonstrate techniques.

Make sure you have a notebook and camera handy, you’ll be given and shown a lot of information!

If you would like a written report of the visit with recommendations for improvements and actions, including images of relevant plants this will be from £90 for a digital copy (price of report following a morning or afternoon consultation visit. More lengthy consultations may result in a lengthier report, which would be reflected in the price.) 

'Secret garden' design

Garden design with zip-wire and natural swimming pool. 

My designs have a bias towards soft landscaping, wildlife habitat, biodiversity and permeable surfaces so if you just want acres of hard paving, astroturf and a handful of box balls I'm probably not the designer for you!

What excites me is creating beautiful places full of life. Gardens you want to spend your whole summer in. Places to relax, play, entertain or retreat from the world. Tailored to your lifestyle, your idea of beauty, your needs.

Following an initial consultation meeting, where you get to explain fully what you are looking for which we can then discuss further to develop a really clear design brief, I then like to take things a stage at a time.

First it’s important to clarify whether the things you want are achievable within your budget. High impact improvements to an outdoor space can be achieved with even the smallest budget, but some elements - excavation and building work, top quality materials, mature plants and trees, machinery hire, labour, cost.

It’s important to be realistic about this from the outset. 

The design process then goes through the following stages: site survey and analysis, intial concept drawings, through to final design drawings, planting plans and any other technical drawings necessary to the brief which can be passed on to your contractors.

I would budget for upwards of £700 for design fees unless you have a really tiny garden!

The fee breakdown will be set out for you in your initial quote following the initial consultation meeting. Please note that my fees are separate to and will not cover the costs of plants, landscaping materials, construction and labour.

If you want me to oversee the project during construction that is a further option. I also offer plant sourcing,  plant maintenance guides and planting (for small to medium size areas) as additional services.

Each project is different and can develop in different ways depending on what is required, but I aim to get everything clearly set out at the beginning with a realistic estimate of timescale and costings. 

Wildlife friendly front garden

If your garden has got a bit out of control and you want some help to sort out the weeds from the lovely things, I can help.

It is heart warming to salvage an old garden after a time of neglect. Sometimes life gets in the way - health, travel, other priorities, and the garden can get a bit lost.

Whether it's a case of filling a few of your garden bags, or a small skip you've hired for the job, I can clear away the weeds, prune overgrown shrubs to give your lovely plants a chance, and help you fill any gaps with beautiful new plants.  

Prices:  £125 for a half day's work, £250 for a full day

Technical drawings produced for Rivenhall Primary School for a new wildlife pond and a 'hill for watching sheep' requested by pupils

They say you can take the teacher out of the classroom but can't take the classroom out of the teacher! 

I've had the privilege of working with Rivenhall Primary School in Essex, providing them with guidance on the planning of their new Wildlife Area.

I tailored the support for teaching and learning, with the emphasis on pupils' leadership of the project.

With lessons on surveying, basic garden design and allottment planning to look forward to from September, the children really will be taking charge.

In addition to my expertise developed studying horticulture at Writtle College, I am a long-standing volunteer at The Beth Chatto Gardens.  

If you would like help with seasonal or occasional plant or border maintenance, such as shrub or perennial pruning, bulb planting, weeding, filling gaps or adding interest for different seasons I'd be happy to hear from you. 

At present I am fully booked for regular maintenance work.

What I don't do - mass clearance and waste disposal, large tree pruning, strimming, chainsaw work, application of herbicide and pesticide 

I have Public Liabilty and Professional Indemnity Insurance  

My Terms and Conditions are available on request

GDPR  Clients' personal details (name, address, phone number) are stored securely and will only be passed on to third parties with your prior permission for the following reasons: delivering goods to your home; referral to potential contractors to undertake work for you; referral to potential designers to carry out work for you if I am too busy.

You have the right to be 'forgotten' so if you would like your details removed from the Border Designs database once work is completed just let me know.

Kate Cox Garden Design and Consultation for:

• Horticultural Consultation - lawns, design, materials, planting, pruning, learning
• Garden Design
• Planting Design - corporate and domestic
• Plant Maintenance 
• Garden Renovation

Contact Kate today to discuss your requirements and obtain a quote