We are always led by our client’s brief for the space. Gardens can vary hugely in style - from naturalistic and ecological to minimalist and formal. Whilst we love to design with a more natural aesthetic in mind we are primarily led by our client’s brief, the building’s architectural style and a host of environmental factors. We’re adaptable in style but always bring our thorough design ethos and strong environmental principles to each project.
‘Basic cost bands (as per early 2024)’
It’s not possible to accurately cost a garden without a design to work from; however, we have some basic cost bands that we call upon when having initial discussions with our clients about budgets. Some of the main factors impacting costs are: access restrictions (moving through house vs large side access), scale (urban courtyard vs country estate), quantity of bespoke items (e.g. water features or custom storage solutions), choice of materials, size of plants used.
Band 1: £100-500 /m2
Band 2: £500-1,000 /m2
Band 3: £1,000-1,500+ /m2
* The above cost bands are to be used as a loose guide only and we cannot take responsibility for variances in actual costs.
We always aim to work to our clients' timelines and can accommodate a faster or slower process where possible, so please do let us know your preference. Generally, Stage One outline design takes 4 weeks from the point of being commissioned and receiving a survey to delivering the design. We typically allow 6 weeks for Stage Two detail design with additional time for the tender process if required. Each project is unique so these timeframes are guides and the design process can be quicker or take longer depending on the scale and complexity of the project. Once the design is complete then the timescale of the build will be led by the schedule of the appointed contractor, unless the design is primarily soft landscaping and can be enacted in-house. We endeavour to have initial conversations with our preferred landscape contractors early on in the design process to ensure they are prepared to quote for the works.
We have a wealth of information on our design process here. If you’d like to learn more then please get in touch.
No space is too small and we strongly believe that nature can be integrated into even the most unlikely of places. We enjoy the challenge of designing spaces of any size and shape and are passionate about bringing the natural world into your home environment.
Check out some of our smaller urban spaces for inspiration.
Creating sustainable and environmentally conscious spaces with a low embedded carbon footprint is at the core of what we do. This underlying principle guides every design decision made throughout the project. We strongly believe that sustainable design does not need to sacrifice the aesthetic or look ‘messy’ - our mission is to craft contemporary spaces that are positive for the planet. Be it beautiful ecologically designed planting, low maintenance water management systems or innovative construction methods - there are so many ways to be sustainable when building gardens and landscapes.
Check out some of our sustainable gardens that don’t sacrifice on aesthetics.
Our planting design process is grounded in ecological principles with the aim of creating resilient, low maintenance, yet beautiful plant communities that have a long season of interest. Taking inspiration from natural habitats (e.g. woodland, meadow, steppe etc) our planting schemes create an enhanced form of nature. These are developed to suit the tastes of our clients and work with the environmental conditions of the site - low input, highly impactful and enchanting planting.
Check out some of our ecological, beautiful yet low maintenance planting schemes here.
Low-maintenance gardens need to consider every element of the space and design this thinking in from the beginning. As a core principle, we create low input yet highly impactful gardens so our planting design is founded in ecological principles and our material selection is considerate of environmental conditions and desired maintenance regime.
That’s what we’re here for. Our job as designers, and our duty to you as a client, is to maximise the budget and achieve as much as possible with the available resources. Involving us early on in the process can help to save costs in the long run, through resourceful or innovative design we can cut costs during the build. In particular, if you’re planning on reimagining the landscape or garden as part of a wider development or home improvement, involving us in initial discussions can result in significant savings.
Our designs are developed to not only enhance the lives of our clients but also to provide habitat, food and resources for the non-humans that use the space. It’s a myth that you need to ‘give over your space’ to wildlife. We firmly believe that humans are a part of nature and by creating garden ecosystems that are interconnected with the wider environment our gardens are nourishing, enchanting places where clients can be immersed in the bounties of the natural world.
Yes, we have a sister company LDN Horticulture that offers aftercare and garden maintenance services across certain areas of London. LDN Horticulture was established by HHS founder, Harry Holding, in 2016 and shares the same core ethos and values as our design studio.
