Introductory Garden Design Consultation & Bid Process Depending on your needs; an Introductory Garden Design Consultation typically takes 2 hours and includes; an interview and a yard tour. I’ll bring samples of my work and design books for fine tuning your likes and garden dreams. I’ll also ensure the project is within my capacity. The initial consultation and bid are at no cost.
During the interview we will discuss the following;
- likes & dislikes
- colors, textures, styles that you enjoy
- favorite types of plants & gardens
- areas to focus on
- time & skills availability
- maintenance
During the yard tour we will:
- identify specific locations to design
- identify existing plants and structures
- with your approval, I will take photos of your home and landscape
The consultation time needed will be less if you have clippings, photos, your needs/likes decided upon.
Within the following week, you will receive
· an bid estimate for the design time needed for the selected area(s)
· 4 levels of support to choose from for your gardening needs; Plant List/Quantities, Landscape Drawing, Plant Care Sheets, and Extra Support
The following 4 phases are steps of the design process, approximate timelines and support offered by Gardens Alive Design.
Design Phase I – Bid Approval
We’ll correspond about the levels of support that Gardens Alive Design can offer to assist you in reaching your gardening goals and the level of design work to help you get there. A “Final Consultation” date will also be agreed up on for about 2 – 4 weeks after the bid has been approved.
Design Phase II – Gardens Alive Design –ing
A draft document will be produced to assist you in meeting your gardening needs.
Design Phase III – “Final Consultation”
We will meet for about 2 hours, depending on the extent of the design, to go over your custom Gardens Alive Design documents which may include any of the following that are tailored to your needs, site requirements, and interests;
- list of plants needed and quantities suggested
- care instructions for each plant suggested
- a theme to inspire and create cohesion within the design
- collage of plants used in each garden bed
- collage of plants that are highlighted during each season
- hardscaping recommendations for paths, arbors, containers, art, etc.
- a gardening calendar that lists tasks for each month
- task management plan
- additional supportive documents based on your needs
- landscape drawing(s) (nearly to scale) in full color that include existing structures/plants and plants that could be included in the future
After we visit the second time, I’ll make any additions or corrections to the document and deliver a final copy to you. Payment will be due at the time of delivery of the final document or at the Final Consultation if the draft copy is kept.
Design Phase IV– Gardens Alive Design – “Continued Support”
Gardens Alive Design offers many levels of ongoing support including; individualized “Coaching Sessions”, “Wholesale Deliveries”, “Next Steps; Annual Support” and “Next Steps; Perennial Support”. Below is a description of each level of support guaranteed to encourage, inspire, and educate. Each option is simply charged at my hourly rate and payment is due after services rendered.
· Gardens Alive Design; Coaching can be a continuation of the Introductory Consultation or occur at a later date. Coaching includes support to reach your gardening needs for; pruning, lawn care, seed starting, vegetable gardening, task management solutions, gardening dilemmas and possible approaches, garden pests, even supporting your own design creations or many other gardening need you may have. Helpful documents may be included and sent via pdf after the Coaching Consultation.
· Gardens Alive Design; Wholesale Plant Purchases and Delivery from area nurseries and suppliers for your plants, soils, outdoor furniture, quality containers, and most landscaping supplies. I’m excited to offer plants purchased from Molbak’s Wholesale, Vibrant Plants, TL Nursery, Pacific Northwest Nurseries, Storm Lake Growers, Pacific Topsoil, AW Pottery and possibly other area nurseries at my hourly rate which include; pickup, drop off, and time spent ordering. Assistance will be required to unload larger materials.
· Gardens Alive Design; Next Steps; Annual Support will occur about a year after a design has been completed. I’ll contact you to revisit your gardening design, needs, abilities, and areas to focus on. Based upon my understanding of plants and people, I can further guide you toward your gardening aspirations.
· Gardens Alive Design; Next Steps; Perennial Support is perfect for any gardener that wishes to keep more updated with gardening. With this ‘gold level’ of support you will receive ½ hour monthly calls at a time convenient to you to review goals, receive friendly encouragement and have immediate answers for your gardening questions. Based on your needs, additional supportive gardening tips and articles will be emailed after our conversation. A perfect gift for any gardening friend or family member!!!