Discover our projects in the New Forest and Dorset, and see our show gardens here.
Finding your Wild Place
There’s a sweet spot which captures your needs and preferences, whilst working within the plot and its constraints. Here we find your perfect Wild Places garden.
“We were keen to make changes to our garden but unsure of the big picture and where to start. Finding Wild Places was a real help to us. Helen initially assessed the garden and our requirements. She showed a good knowledge of plants and of our environment so we were happy for her to do a design for us. We were not disappointed. The finished design showed that Helen had understood our needs and had managed to harness our rather chaotic thoughts into a design which was practical, achievable and with an element of fun. Now the hard work begins but at least we have something to aim for.” Mrs G – Dorset
Helen Milne is a graduate of the British Academy of Garden Design, and holds a Diploma in Garden Design. She also holds the Association of Project Managers Qualification.
Initial consultation
Choosing a Designer is important – you need to feel comfortable that the Designer understands you, and gives you confidence that they can deliver.
This is why we offer an hour long free initial consultation, to ensure that our services are a good fit for your project. This meeting is in person (for local Clients) or virtual if you’re further away.
In this session, we’ll explore what you’re looking for from your space, how you’ll use it, whether you will implement the plans yourself or use contractors, and many other aspects to scope your project.
Concept
Every new garden starts with a tiny spark.
The Concept design can either be a pathway to a detailed design pack and full installation, or a stand alone piece to develop ideas and visualise a design for you to take forward yourself.
We will capture all the client requirements in detail by visiting you and your garden. Our thorough client questionnaire will be sent in advance to help you think about what you want, but we’ll go through this together! We explore style preferences, how you’ll use and maintain the space, dislikes and challenges we need to consider.
A simplified site survey takes place where major measurements are taken, as well as soil tests, and noting of key features in and outside the garden.
The output of this phase are concept drawings or artwork, with accompanying slides to show the garden layout including hard landscaping features, planting schemes, seating areas. At this stage, scale plans, bills of qualities, planting lists with quantities will not be included.
Plans, mood boards and 3D visualisations are often used to communicate the design
Detailed Design
Once the Concept is approved, we’ll carry out a detailed site visit to capture any additional information needed for the plans. If the site is very complex, a land survey performed by a qualified surveyor may be needed – this could be necessary if the site is very sloped, has drainage challenges, or we suspect services are running across the site. We will identify if this is necessary in the Initial Consultation or Concept phase.
The Detailed Design will capture any changes requested from the Concept phase, and deliver scale drawings (plans), bills of qualities for hard landscaping and planting, and planting plans. This pack will provide all details required by landscapers and gardeners to deliver your new garden.
Installation
We work with trusted, insured partners to bring the design to reality. As an APM qualified project manager, Helen will oversee the work, ensuring the exceptional quality you’d expect, delivered on time and budget.
Ongoing care
You may want ongoing maintenance as your garden grows, and we can provide care packages from seasonal support through to weekly tidy-ups. Explore options here
Terms of Engagement
Our terms can be found here
Case Study
See how we work here
wildplacesgardens.co.uk 