|
You are welcome to contact me with any questions or problems you may have at any stage regarding the design area.
Take a few pictures of your proposed online landscape design area and send those along with the sketch. Show the garden area itself and the garden from longer distances with the surroundings. Provide closeups of problem areas if applicable. There are very useful disposable digital cameras available if you don't own a camera.
SIMPLE STEPS TO ONLINE LANDSCAPE DESIGN.
1) To make the process of your online landscape design more enjoyable, collect the following items:
* Plain paper
* Clipboard
* Ruler
* Pencils with erasers
* Pencil sharpener
* Retractable measuring tape (25 ft. or longer)
* Hammer
* Bamboo garden stakes - any length, 3/8 in. width
* Small hand pruners to cut stakes to 1 ft. lengths
* String
* Scissors
Mark the shape of your online landscape design as accurately as possible, although do not worry too much about scale - just so that it looks right. It can be helpful to sketch the garden from an upstairs window as well as on-the-ground measuring.
If your online landscape design is against the house, property line, a wall, a fence, a deck or patio, or a walkway - use the longest and straightest of these as your starting point or base line. Put this base line on one side of your paper..Have it start about one inch from the paper's edge. The house wall is your first choice for a base line, if possible.
If your online landscape design is not adjacent to anything, measure the distance to the nearest possible base line and/or property line, at two points, to place it.
Mark trunks of existing trees nearby and leaf canopy location over design area. Mark tree name if you know it. If you can't identify the tree, place a leaf or small twig if leafless in a Ziploc bag and send it with sketch and pictures. Then :
* Mark on the sketch approximate positions and shapes of any present structures (arbors, pergolas,sheds, etc.)
* Mark all features such as lawn, trees, large shrubs (identify any plants you know)
* Note specific items and any plants you wish to keep in the design (subject to feasibility)
* Show positions of any existing paving, decking, etc., in area
* Specify house location and any ground floor doors and windows
* Mark which way faces north
* Indicate the location of any automatic sprinkler heads and lines
* Designate any underground or overhead utilities and any manhole covers
(Call 1-888-258-0808 to find your local utility locating service. It's free. They'll come to
your house and mark any buried utilities).
It is the responsibility of the homeowner to accurately locate underground utilities. This is very important to avoid covering access to drain and sewerage systems or planting large trees near water pipes, etc. Please note that I cannot be held responsible for the specification of inappropriate design features due to lack of, or inaccurate, information.
So that I can calculate the cost of your new online landscape design I need to know the width of the garden at its widest and narrowest. Likewise, I need to know the length at the longest and narrowest point if appropiate.
All measurements must be in feet and inches. Plans can include plantings to cover fences, walls, pergolas, arches, arbors, etc. You may also desire window boxes, deck or railing boxes, as well as potted gardens and container gardens for deck, patio, or front/back doorways. Please mention this and take pictures as needed to illustrate. Include pictures and measurements of any existing containers.
2) On receipt of your sketch plan, I will mark on it the exact measurements I need to produce a scale drawing of your design area. I will send you our Planting Preparation kit and a questionnaire. This is designed to help me determine your needs, likes, dislikes, garden style preference (formal/informal) and site requirements. The Planting Preparation kit includes techniques for taking soil samples, preparing planting areas, and insider information on easy garden creation and maintenance. The fee for this kit is $50, non-returnable (check or money order only).
3) Should you decide to proceed, you will need to send back the measurements, the completed questionnaire and the photographs. Also include the signed fee proposal and a check or money order (non-returnable) for one-third of your total garden design cost. Make all payments to the order of Fragrant Garden Design. With this one-third payment the design work begins.
4) Now I will draft a rough layout plan - a simple sketch of how your garden will look. I'll show you the general types of plant materials to be used - for color, placement, utilization and beauty. Now take your time to evaluate the entire look, and feel free to request changes before I work on your final design plan.
5) The final plan will include:
* Detailed planting plan
* Complete specific plant list
* List of best sources for each plant
* Pictures of key plants
* Individual plant care instructions for planting and maintenance
Before these materials are sent to you, we shall require the remaining two-thirds balance of the total cost of the design.
6) Since this is a complex, fully integrated composition of interdependent shapes, forms, and colors specifically designed for you, any changes at this time could only be accomplished by my redoing the entire design at my hourly rate. The "rough layout plan" is the stage at which we enable you to make your changes.
SCHEDULING YOUR FRAGRANT ONLINE LANDSCAPE DESIGN
The best time to start your fragrant garden design request is several months or more ahead of your desired planting time. Then you can reserve a design time slot and get your preparation work on site finished beforehand.
Due to demand, time slots fill up fast. Therefore start early to reserve your design slot. Try to begin your design request in the off season for planting in your area. It helps you in several ways:
* Allows more advance ordering from mail order companies for best selection
* During certain times of the year, shipping costs can be less. Ground shipping in moderate
temperatures is cheaper than air transport in hot/cold weather
* Gives you more time to prepare your planting site without rushing
People have even started as much as a year ahead with excellent results. So - to get started - see our Contact page.
|
