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Designing & building gardens is possibly one of the most satisfying jobs that you can do. It is creative, takes you outdoors, gives you a sense of achievement, & most importantly, allows you to make people happy. Before you either assume that I do it for nothing out of a sheer sense of ‘joie de vivre’ or that you should give up your job & follow the horticultural path, let me illuminate the down side of the business. The past twenty years have been frequently wet, cold & muddy, often interrupted by rain & other meteorological phenomenon, & sprinkled with many hours spent waiting for deliveries or dealing with other inconveniences that are stopping gardens from being completed. The status quo between pleasure & aggravation is maintained at all times in this business, but it seems to me that sometimes those that don’t do the job have little appreciation of the outside forces that can act on the project forming in their back garden.
Not long ago I was glancing through a paper that contained a column of letters universally declaiming ‘cowboy’ tradesmen in general, & builders & landscapers in particular. Within a few weeks I found a similar column filled with missives from tradesmen, illustrating the other side of the coin, that of the ‘customer-from-hell’ phenomenon. What this illustrated to me was that both inept tradesmen & overbearing clients exist, & that with a little care & attention to the details, relationships between those of us who wish to complete a project with as little fuss as possible can remain on an even keel. This checklist of points should allow both customer & garden designer to enjoy a fruitful relationship without room for misunderstanding, which is where most relationships break down. Firstly, the design process: · Any designer that you contact should be qualified to a reasonable standard, or come recommended by someone you know, & be able to show a comprehensive portfolio that illustrates their range of skills. · There should be an initial meeting without obligation on either side at which the project is discussed in detail. Most good designers will be able to give you some ideas & will ask questions about your needs likes & dislikes. If you are asked for information about access, boundaries etc. do not guess, if you don’t now then leave it to the designer to find out from an authoritative source. · Design costs, either at an hourly rate or by piecework, should be agreed, usually in writing, prior to work commencing. Similarly the exact objective of the project must be agreed at this point. You should know approximately what you will be paying & what you will receive in return. · A timetable or date for completion of the design drawings should be agreed by both sides. Beware of the following: · A ‘free’ design service. You’ll pay for it somewhere. · Letters after the name that mean nothing, or qualifications that are not relevant. If in doubt, ask what they represent & how they were awarded. The build process is where things can often go wrong if a few simple rules are not followed: · On any quote or estimate, the project objectives & the terms & conditions of the contractor should feature prominently. Read them carefully & clarify any points that are not clear. (Note the difference between a quote & an estimate, a quote is a hard & fast price for a set project. If the customer or contractor changes the specification then the quote is no longer valid. An estimate is a far looser price structure & allows for changes to the specification.) · Be prepared to part with money for materials in advance. You should request the contractor to sign for it, & any reasonable landscaper will not refuse. · Most contractors will insist on changes made by the client to be specified in writing as these can often impact on the price at the finish. You must also keep a note of the changes you ask for. · Problems &/or queries should be raised by either side as they occur. They can then be remedied before they grow. · Ensure there is agreement about working practices. Make sure you know how long the job is estimated to take, how many people will be on site, & what will happen in the event of weather intervention, or other delays. Make sure you inform the contractor of any other tradesmen that will be on site at the same time before the start date. I have a recurring nightmare about arriving on site to start a garden at the same instant as a builder who is just starting the extension to the same house. You may think that this makes it easier for you, but two sets of workers in one space is fraught with difficulties, especially if they were not aware of each others presence. You will probably pay for their inconvenience in the long run · The contractor may need to be aware of your comings & goings as finding ones’ materials locked in the garage with the customer out for the day with the key is not the contractors idea of a productive day at work. · Make sure, if you have a partner, that both of you are giving the contractor the same instructions. The last thing any contractor wants to be is the fulcrum of an argument between a couple. I could, as you may imagine, go on to write a small book on other eventualities that may occur in the build process, but if all clients adhered to the above points then the majority of contentious issues that arise in the construction of a garden could be avoided. At the end of the day, all you want is the garden of your dreams at a reasonable cost, & all the contractor wants is to finish the job & be paid a reasonable wage. These two objectives are not a million miles apart, & given a good system of communication, is an achievable objective. |
