Over the past year I have worked with a lot of clients who have been tackling house building projects.  Most often I am called in after the work has finished when, inevitably, the garden has been rather trashed.

Ideally you need to think about the garden before any building work commences.  That way you can plan ahead of time and carry out the work in a logical order.  If your house is land-locked, for example, the last thing you want is mucky stuff being taken through the house when it’s all beautifully finished.

Planning ahead will also allow you to allocate funds where they need to go.  Even Indian sandstone will set you back in the region of £170-£180 per square metre (this includes, ground preparation, sub-base, labour and materials) so the costs soon add up.  If you don’t allocate the cash up front it’s sure to be swallowed up on other things and then you’ll be left with a pile of rubble outside your back door.

Planning in advance will also help you to be more cost effective and time efficient throughout the build.  For example, if you’re pouring concrete for foundations then it might make sense, if appropriate, to pour concrete elsewhere at the same time.

You don’t need to completely redesign the garden either, with some careful planning it’s possible to make adjustments so that the new layout of the house ties in with the rest of the garden.  You may remember my project in Wandsworth where the garden had been designed prior to my clients living there, but the new extension meant that the terrace needed to be adjusted so that the two linked together.

So I guess the message is to think ahead and plan the garden as part of your building project.  You’re likely to start with the Architect’s drawings so ask them to include the garden when they survey the plot.  If you plan to work with a designer, work with them when you’ve agreed the plans for the house so that you know what the work schedule will be ahead of time and you’ll be able to allocate the right funds to the right place without the garden becoming an after thought.

I ran my first workshop at The Decor Cafe yesterday which was lots of fun.  It’s always great to meet people who are passionate enough about their gardens to want to create it themselves. Read more

I presented the planting design and construction costs to my client in Leatherhead last week and we should be all ready to start the build phase of the project in March. Read more

If you read my blog post on Friday you’ll know that I love the snow when it first arrives and transforms the garden into a landscape that is akin to Narnia.  But, pretty as it may be, the snow can cause damage to your trees and shrubs. Read more

We’re forecast to have snow here in Surrey today so I thought it might be nice to get you in the mood by sharing some photographs I took in Somerset a couple of years ago after quite a heavy snow shower. Read more

I went to see a new client in North London before Christmas because they wanted some help to improve the front of their house.  Front gardens can often be challenging because they are predominantly functional spaces, but they must also provide curb appeal because they are the window to your home. Read more

This month’s Garden Flowers post, which I write with Rona Wheeldon of Flowerona, features Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’. Read more

My project in Oxshott is coming along really well and the landscaper is now making some headway with the back garden even despite the difficult conditions on site with the very wet weather we have been having. Read more

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to celebrating the arrival of 2013.  It’s been a fabulous year for many reasons, especially in the UK where we all became very patriotic with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games! Read more

The run up to Christmas is always a bit crazy isn’t it!?  There was a moment last week when I didn’t quite know how I was going to get everything done, but I’m now really looking forward to spending some time with my family at the only time of the year when everyone takes some time out. Read more