Landscape Garden Design
R.H.S qualified horticulturists and Landscape Garden Designers, working across Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and South Wales, creating beautiful nature-friendly gardens and outdoor spaces.
Relax, play, entertain or retreat. Folium Landscape Garden designers for bespoke garden design tailored to your individual needs.
If you are looking for the creative inspiration and horticultural expertise of garden designers in Cardiff, Newport or South Wales, we can work with you to create something exceptional. At Folium Gardens, we create highly individual, nature-friendly gardens and outdoor spaces, that are uniquely designed to fit your lifestyle and needs. Since every garden is different, every garden we design is also unique. We see design as a collaborative process, whereby we develop and refine ideas with you throughout each stage. By listening carefully to you and your requirements, we create a garden that is both functional, beautiful and wildlife friendly – and uniquely yours.
Why use Folium?
- Our combined hoticultural and design knowledge helps us to create unique and beautiful gardens that stand out from the rest.
- We spend time to really understand your wishes for your new garden, producing a detailed Project Brief based on discussions and site visits before any design work starts.
- Attention to detail with design ideas presented clearly in moodboards, 2D and 3D sketches, and plans to really convey the vision for your garden.
- If you’re looking to change the layout or design of your garden, our Garden Design service is the perfect solution. Whether you’ve just moved into a new build with a blank canvas or want to update an existing garden, we can help.
- Our Garden Design service offers three primary levels of service to suit your specific needs and budget.
- We can take you from initial design consultation all the way through to overseeing the construction process. Thus ensuring that the design process is as easy and enjoyable as possible, with our team there to guide you every step of the way.
“We would like to thank you both for all your help and design work. We really are very pleased with the designs.” Mr. & Mrs. Thomas, Caerphilly
Design Packages offered by Folium Gardens, landscape garden designers Cardiff and South Wales
Our Three Levels of Landscape Garden Design Service
We offer these three options to suit your specific needs and budget.
You can also choose from one of our Planting Design packages to complement your chosen landscape design service.
Design Light
Provides you with initial design ideas.
Finalises designs into a scaled drawing based on a site survey.
Provides everything a Landscaper needs to accurately layout and build the design.
Design Full
Provides you with initial design ideas.
Finalises designs into a scaled drawing based on a site survey.
Provides everything a Landscaper needs to accurately layout and build the design.
Design Comp.
Provides you with initial design ideas.
Finalises designs into a scaled drawing based on a site survey.
Provides everything a Landscaper needs to accurately layout and build the design.
Design Package Details for Folium landscape garden designers Cardiff
Initial Consultation
What Happens
All garden design projects start with an initial consultation* where we learn what you would like to achieve with your new garden design. Consultations can either be by phone or video (and we will ask you to send us some photos and measurements of your garden), or we can arrange a site visit at your garden. The consultation is where you explain to us what you want, with as much detail as possible.
Before The Consultation
We will also send you a few questions to answer, to help you think about what you might want from you garden. This ensures we make the best use of the time during our discussion.
After The Consultation
We’ll then send you a written Design Brief proposal to ensure that we have understood what you are hoping to achieve and we will also send you the estimate for our design fees.
Having agreed the project brief and design fees for the project, we will then begin to design your new garden.
Please Note: We charge a fee to cover costs and travel time of onsite consultation visits.
Design Light
What’s Included
1. Design Ideas
The service includes (available as electronic PDF’s and optionally printed copies):
- Mood-board
- 2D Layout Sketch (not to scale)
This package is all about generating initial design ideas. We create a Mood Board of images, as well as a sketch for a design layout (not to scale) to show how the design elements might look.
You will then either need the skills to convert this drawing to a scale drawing yourself, or a trusted and competent landscape contractor who has the skill and experience to interpret this initial design ‘onto the ground’.
Please Note: This package can be carried out remotely or an optional site visit can be included.
Design Full
What’s Included
1. Design Ideas
We start the design process by generating initial design ideas. We create a Mood Board of images, as well as a sketch for a design layout (not to scale), and a 3D Illustration to help you visualise how the design might look (not to scale).
This includes (available as electronic PDF’s and optionally printed copies):
- Mood-board
- Layout Sketch
- 3D Illustration
Once we’ve agreed the initial design ideas with you, the next stage is all about establishing the overall vision, form and function of your new garden.
2. Site Survey
This is to enable production of a scaled plan drawing of your garden as well as to record all of the relevant information we need to consider in the final design.
This phase includes:
- Measurements of the site and its features as it exists currently.
- Characteristics of the setting, the soil type, aspect, views, existing trees, materials and styles, noting access routes.
- Photographing the site.
- Assessing whether any views could be enhanced or obscured.
We may recommend you commission a survey from a professional surveyor if the site is particularly large and/or complex.
3. Final Design Plan
Having listened carefully to your feedback on our initial design ideas, and using the information from the analysis of the site survey, we will then create a scaled and detailed garden design presentation plan (available as electronic PDFs and optionally printed copies):
- The Final Concept ‘Masterplan’ Drawing showing accurately positioned paths, lawns, water features, planting areas, planters, access routes. Additionally, it includes an indication of the types of materials to be used – though not necessarily the exact material type, as some clients prefer to make these choices themselves or collaborate with their landscaping contractor. Anything else necessary to convey the information required to execute the design will also be included.
Please note: this drawing does not include any dimensions – these are supplied in the ‘Setting Out’ drawing offered in our ‘Design Comprehensive’ package.
Design Comprehensive
What’s Included
1. Design Ideas
We start the design process by generating initial design ideas. We create a Mood Board of images, as well as a sketch for a design layout (not to scale), and a 3D Illustration to help you visualise how the design might look (not to scale).
This includes (available as electronic PDF’s and optionally printed copies):
- Mood-board
- Layout Sketch
- 3D Illustration
Once we’ve agreed the initial design ideas with you, the next stage is all about establishing the overall vision, form and function of your new garden.
2. Site Survey
This is to enable production of a scaled plan drawing of your garden as well as to record all of the relevant information we need to consider in the final design.
This phase includes:
- Measurements of the site and its features as it exists currently.
- Characteristics of the setting, the soil type, aspect, views, existing trees, materials and styles, noting access routes.
- Photographing the site.
- Assessing whether any views could be enhanced or obscured
We may recommend you commission a survey from a professional surveyor if the site is particularly large and/or complex.
3. Final Design Plan
Having listened carefully to your feedback on our initial design ideas, and using the information from the analysis of the site survey, we will then create a scaled and detailed garden design presentation plan (available as electronic PDFs and optionally printed copies):
The Final Concept ‘Masterplan’ Drawing showing accurately positioned paths, lawns, water features, planting areas, planters, access routes. Additionally, it includes an indication of the types of materials to be used – though not necessarily the exact material type, as some clients prefer to make these choices themselves or collaborate with their landscaping contractor. Anything else necessary to convey the information required to execute the design will also be included.
4. Construction Details
During this stage we will produce a series of plans and drawings that show precise dimensions and levels, as well as any other necessary details to fully explain the design and construction methods to your contractor.
Depending on the complexity of the design, this may include some or all of the following (available as electronic PDF’s and optionally printed copies):
- Setting Out Plan – to facilitate accurate translation of the design onto the ground.
- Construction Drawings – for steps, walls, pergolas, water features and other bespoke garden features.
- Drainage, irrigation etc. layout plans.
Folium Landscape Garden Designers Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and South Wales
Additional Landscape Garden Design Services
Lighting Design
What’s Included
We provide plans and products for garden lighting either as part of one of our designs, or a stand-alone service for your existing garden.
For this purpose we discuss what you want to achieve, establish your budget and the scope of works, which is crucial to planning a successful lighting solution.
This service includes:
- Lighting plan, which shows position of lights, suggested cable runs and type of light fitting.
- Full list of specified products, including costs.
We specify from a range of high quality reliable, and durable 12-volt specialist garden lighting systems, which we supply.
Project Management Service by Folium landscape gardens designers Cardiff
Tender Process
What’s Included
For larger landscaping projects typically above £50,000 it’s good practice to obtain two to three estimates via competitive tender for the work. For this reason we can prepare a detailed Scope of Works document. This used alongside any plans produced in the Design Details and Planting Design packages – in order to form a tender package (available as electronic PDF’s and optionally printed copies). These documents enable the contractors to put together an accurate quote for the work on an equal basis.
We also supply these documents for planning approval purposes.
If you already have a landscaper you wish to use we can work with them offering information and direction. Otherwise we can contact others on your behalf to tender for the project. At this point contractors are briefed to ensure a clear understanding of the work as laid out in the tender document. To that end we will also arrange and meet with contractors individually on site (where appropriate). Additionally, we will also guide you through contractor bids to help you choose.
Project Monitoring
What’s Included
Once you have chosen a landscaping contractor and the build gets underway – we will make regular site visits on your behalf to ensure the landscapers and other professionals deliver your garden exactly as designed and to the specification.
Planting Design Service offered by Folium landscape garden designers Cardiff
Designed to integrate seamlessly with our garden design packages.
Planting Design
What’s Included
This package will provide bespoke planting design to achieve the look you prefer, as well as the specific planting information required to populate your new beds and borders.
Plant List
We will create a Plant List (photo ID and named varieties) of a selection of plants suitable for your new planting scheme as well as the style you want us to create. As a part of this service, we will also create an ’Image Board’, which will include a set of images and collages will help you visualise the colours and textures of the selected plants and how they will look together.
Planting Plan
Once you approve the style and plant selection, we will create a bespoke Planting Plan that will complement your existing garden design. The Planting Plan will arrange and position plants for maximum impact, taking into account how much space they will need to grow and their final dimensions. We will also consider colour combinations, shape, form and all year round interest so that the plants work well in combination.
Plant Schedule
The accompanying Plant Schedule is a bit like a ‘shopping list’ and specifies the category of plant, plant name and quantities of each variety required for your new planting scheme. All you need to do is take the list to your local nursery supplier.
This service also comes with an option to include a comprehensive Plant Care Guide with photo ID of each plant and maintenance instructions for each of the plants included in the new scheme as well as and a ‘Seasonal Maintenance’ summary. It includes aftercare instructions for watering and complementary Soil Improvement Guide.
What this service includes:
- Consultation to discuss your planting requirements and what you would like to achieve
- Site visit including consideration of environment, soil, light and shade conditions.
- Image Board – set of images and collages to help you visualise the planting.
- Plant List (named varieties and photo ID).
- Detailed Planting Plan showing positions of each plant in the new planting scheme.
- Plant Schedule – a list of the plants by category along with total quantities of each plant required.
- Plant Care Guide with descriptions of plants, photo ID, and plant maintenance instructions as well as guide to watering and aftercare of your new plants (Optional – charged at £95.00)
- Complementary soil improvement guide (included with Plant Care Guide)
See our ‘Planting Design’ page for additional options to suit your budget.
Fees
Since every garden design project is different, we provide a written estimate of our fees after our initial consultation. In detail this estimate will include those parts of the design process that you have asked us to carry out. We can add additional services (such as plant sourcing) under a separate estimate, if requested. In general, our fees are based on guidance from the Society of Garden Designers.