Why Winter Is the Right Time to Plan a Garden Redesign
When the garden isn't being used as much, it can be tempting to put any thoughts of redesigning it aside until spring. In reality, winter can be one of the best times to start.
A successful garden transformation involves much more than choosing a patio or deciding where a flower bed should go. The layout, materials, planting, privacy, access, levels and way you want to use the garden all need to work together.
Starting that process during the quieter months gives you time to make those decisions properly, rather than suddenly trying to organise a major garden project when the first warm weekend arrives.
At JPC Garden Design and Landscaping, we design and build gardens across East Hertfordshire, West Essex and the surrounding area, and winter planning can put you in a much stronger position for the year ahead.
Start With How You Want to Use the Garden
The first question in good garden design shouldn't be, “What paving do you like?” It should be, “What do you want this garden to do for you?”
Create a comfortable space for family meals
Entertain friends outdoors
Create more privacy
Give children room to play
Make the garden easier to maintain
Connect the garden more naturally with the house
Improve an awkward layout
Add more planting
Make better use of an area that currently goes unused
Once we understand what you need from the space, we can start thinking about how the different areas of the garden should work together.
Winter Gives You Time to Get the Brief Right
Our design process starts with an initial visit to your property. We look at the garden in person and talk through what you'd like to change, how you use the space now, what isn't working and what you would like the finished garden to provide.
Following that visit, we prepare a Client Brief. The brief records the important requirements we've discussed so that both you and JPC have a clear understanding of what the garden design needs to achieve.
You then have the opportunity to review and approve that brief before the design work begins. A garden transformation is a significant investment, and having an agreed brief helps ensure the design is being developed around the right priorities from the outset.
The Garden Can Be Designed Before the Build Season Begins
Once the brief is approved and the design fee has been agreed, we can move into the design stage. JPC garden designs are hand drawn in colour and show the proposed layout and key features of the new space.
Patios and pathways
Outdoor kitchens or bars
Pergolas
Planting areas
Lawns
Raised beds
Seating areas
Privacy screening
Fencing and boundaries
Front garden layouts
Garden features
Levels and connections between different areas
One set of revisions is included, giving you the opportunity to refine elements of the design within the agreed brief. By starting this work during winter, you can reach spring with a design already agreed rather than only just beginning to think about what you want.
You Have More Time to Make Material Decisions
Materials make a huge difference to how a finished garden feels. Porcelain, natural stone, brickwork, timber, oak structures and planting all need to sit comfortably alongside the style of your home as well as one another.
A period property may call for a very different approach from a contemporary new build. Winter planning gives you time to consider those decisions rather than choosing materials simply because work is due to start next week.
It also gives us time to think about the details that are easy to overlook, including borders, edging, transitions, drainage, lighting, planting and the relationship between the garden and the house.
It Helps With Project Planning
Once your final design has been approved, the landscaping work can be properly costed. For larger JPC projects, this progresses into a detailed Project Plan, bringing together the agreed scope of work, design, materials, payment schedule, anticipated project timeline and terms and conditions.
This means you know what is being built and how the project is expected to progress before work starts. It is very different from asking for a rough price for a patio and some planting and making the rest up as the project develops.
Winter Is Also a Good Time to See What Isn't Working
Gardens reveal different problems at different times of year. During winter it can become much easier to spot issues such as poor drainage, water collecting on patios or paths, exposed areas, lack of privacy after deciduous planting has dropped its leaves, insecure fencing and awkward or slippery routes through the garden.
Those practical observations can inform a better design. The aim isn't simply to create a garden that looks beautiful in June. It should function well throughout the year.
Planning Now Doesn't Mean Building Immediately
Beginning the design process doesn't commit you to starting construction straight away. It gives you clarity.
You can understand what is possible, approve the design, establish the likely investment and then make an informed decision about when to move forward. For some clients, the design and build happen relatively close together. For others, having the finished design allows them to plan the project around finances, other work on the property or family commitments.
Thinking About Transforming Your Garden?
If you're considering a garden redesign for next year, winter is an excellent time to start the conversation. We'll visit your garden, look at the space and talk through what you want to achieve before preparing your Client Brief and explaining the next steps. You can book your garden Design Visit here.
Beautifully Designed Gardens, Built to Last.
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