Garden design is built on trust and dialogue as previously mentioned. The customer shares his ideas and dreams of the garden with the designer who then makes his plan using these ideas and his own professional experience. The final result is a flexible space where you can enjoy watching the passing of the seasons and the life cycles of plants. We make our garden plans using Eagle Point Landcadd, a professional garden designer's and landscape architect's software.

 

Why do we need a garden plan?

• A building, a car or even a simple box of matches cannot be made without planning. It is also true for a garden or a large scale landscaped area. During planning the different points of view can be discussed and changed if necessary. The plans help the constructor and the customer to make sure that they agree about their ideas before starting construction.
• Sometimes a simple sketch or a model - even a small scale one built in a sand pit - can be sufficient to start to carry out our ideas. Even from a simple sketch we can consider several variations and we can think over their advantages and disadvantages, so we can reach the best solution fast and easily.
• The plans serve to offer possible solutions on paper, so you can avoid costly changes of idea during construction work.
• The price of the garden design is usually recovered in a few years since you will not have to take out plants because of wrong positioning, the structure of the garden will not fall apart, and none of the plants will grow into each other. The trees will not overshadow the buildings, the line of the paths and pavements will not turn out to be wrong, nor will the arrangement of the garden buildings (retaining walls, stairs, pergolas, flower trellis, summer-houses, arbours, barbecues, etc.) whose positions are almost impossible to change afterwards.
• Using a detailed, measured plan we can make calculations for the construction of the garden, and relying upon these plans we can call for tenders from several places based on the same technical content, so you can compare them with one another.

Types of garden plan:

a. A sketch plan

We measure the area precisely and after the survey we draw up a bird's-eye-view plan. Whilst it does not contain all the information necessary for construction, it does show all the functions, the garden buildings and the plant locations. The sketch plan is also to scale: exact areas, measurements and units can be calculated from it. From the plan of the irrigation system the customer can see the types and numbers of the sprinklers needed. The garden can also be constructed from the sketch plan, but it is not so good for comparing several quotations, because it leaves too much freedom as far as materials, construction methods and quality are concerned (it contains a list of the recommended plant species, but there are no section drawings or detailed drawings in it). This is a kind of minimum overall plan based on the combined ideas of the designer and the customer.
 

b. A study plan or license plan:

This is similar to the sketch plan, because it does not contain all of the information necessary for construction. The depth of its content depends on the type of project. In the case of bigger design projects the study plan is equivalent to the sketch plan of small gardens. A license plan must be made when official regulations require it. The construction plan can be used as a license plan. A study/ license plan would include the following:
 

• Basic data (location, relief, climate, landscape etc.)
• Examination and evaluation of the present conditions. Planning directives, technical criteria (garden-architectural concept, architecture, plant application)
• List of suggested plants (grouped by size, quality, number)
• Area balance (rough size and quality report)
• Photo documentation
• Drawings:
  • General plan showing existing features
  • Overall garden design plan (concept plan showing the overall proposals)
  • Section and detailed drawings of the key parts (as the site or conditions make it necessary)
  • Perspective plans (according to demand)
• Construction plans (details mentioned below are additional to the study plan): This kind of garden plan is the most complete one. Besides the site survey mentioned above, it contains all the information necessary for construction: exact detailed plans and written specifications.

Technical description
 

• Detailed plant list (plant species grouped by size, quality and number)
• Budget (description of labour processes, size and quality report, which is necessary for the quotation)
• Drawings:
  • Plan for the layout of the hard landscaping (paving, features, location of measured buildings)
  • Planting plan (the exact places and number of plants to be planted out)
  • Section and detailed plans (vertical and cross sections, pavements, detailed plans of buildings etc.)
  • Plan of the irrigation system

Which plan is suitable for you?

1. Sketch plan: suitable for small private gardens, smaller than 600m², where the site is not too complicated or too steep.

2. Study plan, license plans:

• suitable for self-governing institutions (parks, avenues, parking places)
• for churches (church and cemetery gardens)
• for private gardens where the Board of Housing or other authorities require it
• for industrial areas, industrial parks
• for all kind of bigger property developments (hotels, restaurants, shopping centres, shops, etc.)
• for road constructions
• where ground levelling of more than 1 metre is necessary
• for institutes (kinder gartens, schools, museums)

3. Construction plans: continued planning of cases mentioned in point 2.

4. Country plans, environmental impact investigation: where an impact study is required in the case of larger developments (152/1995(XII.12.) Government Decree), or where required by the authorities (country plans).