Thinking about redesigning your garden is a big project, which comes with uncertainty – especially if you’ve never worked with a landscape designer before. So, here’s a transparent run-through of how we work, what happens, and what to expect every step of the way.
Before you read this, it’s important to know this is our process at Ralston Contracts – each landscaper will have their own approach! Do your due diligence before hiring somebody to check they’re the right landscaper for you.
Step 1 of the landscaping process: A no-strings-attached consultation
No matter what your landscape plans are, after you send an enquiry, we always start with a free home visit to understand your situation, needs, and goals. That means we find out how you really want to use your space, so it’s designed to suit you – not someone else.
It sounds simple, but it’s important. Sometimes, people design their gardens around what looks nice or a Pinterest board inspiration, but when they come to use it, it’s not functional for their everyday lives. At Ralston Contracts, it’s our priority to make sure your garden works for you and looks beautiful.
All of our clients praise us for truly listening to their needs and coming up with a tailored design, like our client in Ayr: "Communication was excellent from the start. John is an absolute perfectionist, which really suited my brief."
Whether you entertain regularly, have children or dogs, want somewhere to sit quietly, or have a specific design idea already in your head, that context shapes everything that comes next.
Fill out an enquiry form with your details, and we will contact you to arrange a visit to your home at a time that suits you.
Step 2 of the landscaping process: The personalised design
Once we’ve learned about what makes your dream garden, we design it and present a sketch. And as each client is different, each design is unique. The process changes depending on your desired approach, too. For example, we have 3 common approaches:
1. Bringing your vision to life
Some clients arrive with a very clear vision. One of our recent projects involved a Victorian villa garden in Ayr, where our client had drawn up her design in considerable detail before we met.
She knew the materials she wanted, the curves she was after, and the atmosphere she was trying to create. So our client needed a team skilled enough to execute it, and within a conservation area at that. John worked closely alongside her vision, adding his own eye for detail where it added something, without overriding what she'd already decided.
2. Designing based on your needs
On the other hand, some clients come with a broad sense of what they want but are happy to hand things over from there. Take John and Helen, whose boggy and largely unusable garden we transformed in Ayrshire. They had a clear brief in terms of how they wanted to use the space, but gave us the creative freedom to work out how to get there.
As they put it: "I'm a big believer in somebody else's idea being better than your own. That was certainly the case with the garden."
3. Guiding you to create an outdoor space that suits you
And some clients come with very little idea of where to start, which is equally fine. In those cases, we work back from the basics: how do you use your garden, what does your lifestyle need from it, what do you want to feel when you're out there. The design grows from that conversation rather than from a catalogue.
Whatever your starting point, we map out the garden properly and walk you through the design before anything is agreed. You'll be able to picture how it looks and how it flows, not just read about it on paper.
Planning applications and awkward plots
Not every garden is a blank, flat rectangle, and some projects come with additional layers before the landscaping work can begin.
Sloped or difficult ground is something we work with regularly. A family in Ayrshire came to us with a garden that sloped sharply and was essentially unusable as a result. Rather than treating the slope as a problem, we designed around it, using a generous decking area to open the space up and give the family somewhere safe and practical to spend time.
Planning permission and conservation area requirements are also something we have experience navigating. If your project is likely to involve any of this, it's worth raising early so it can be factored into the timeline from the start rather than becoming a delay later on.
Step 3 of the landscaping process: Your proposal
Now that we know all the ins and outs, we will send you a detailed proposal of your landscaping design, outlining all the costs involved and our timeline for completing the work. We aim to send quotes within 5 working days of your consultation.
Let us know you want to go ahead, and we will issue a 10% deposit invoice to secure the next available date. We are often booked a couple of months in advance, so we let you know this early to avoid any disappointment!
Step 4 of the landscaping process: Completing the work
Now it’s time to get to work! Once we’re on site, your project will move quickly.
For example, John and Helen's garden was completed in under a week. What tends to stand out for clients during the build isn't just the pace, but the care taken with the wider property throughout:
"What really impressed me was how clean the job was. Not just what was going on at the back door, but the whole team was very considerate about the front yard, the driveway, and vehicles. Everything was cleaned away. Very presentable, very professional from start to finish."
That's not something clients always think to ask about beforehand, but it consistently comes up when we talk to people about their experience.
Project managing your landscaping
For all landscaping projects, big or small, we handle all the coordination behind the scenes. Deliveries, quantities, scheduling, and sequencing. Not every landscape design company offers this as standard, but we do, because it makes such a huge difference to our clients.
When it's managed well you barely notice it. When it isn't, you spend your time chasing updates and wondering what's happening.
Our Victorian villa client put it well: "I didn't have to be chasing deliveries at all. Natalie did everything. She coordinated all the purchasing, the quantities, the delivery dates, the sequencing and scheduling, which was wonderful, and in retrospect, absolutely essential."
You'll be kept updated throughout, and if something changes, you'll hear about it from us before you have to ask.
How we deal with any problems during the process
It’s almost inevitable that something doesn't go to plan, and it's worth being upfront about that. A material becomes unavailable, something unexpected comes up on site, or a planning requirement needs working around. These things happen, but we handle them calmly and proactively.
On John and Helen's project, a material they'd had in mind turned out not to be available. Rather than presenting the problem and leaving them to figure out an alternative, we went away, sourced options, and came back with physical samples so they could see and feel the difference rather than trying to make a decision from photographs. The material they went with ended up looking better than the original choice.
Our approach is always the same: be honest about what's come up, find a solution, and present it clearly.
Step 5 of the landscaping process: Enjoy your dream garden!
The last step is to start using your newly landscaped space. By the end of working with us, you’ll have a garden that fits your lifestyle, with landscaping built to last and designed to require as little maintenance as possible.
Here’s what some of our previous clients have said after their landscape design project was completed:
"I'm out in it practically every day. There are two arbours and seating places for different times of the day. Even on a horrible day, I can be in the greenhouse. It's been a real, tremendous success. All my friends love it." – Victorian villa client, Ayr
"Anyone who comes round is really taken aback by how welcoming and comfortable it is. If your garden's chaotic, it's not a relaxing environment, but this gives you a kind of Zen feeling. It always makes people nice and relaxed." – John and Helen's, Ayrshire
Hearing feedback like this is why we love doing what we do!
Contact Ayrshire landscape designers for your dream garden
If you'd like to understand what working with us would look like for your specific garden and situation, get in touch. Remember, we always begin with a no-obligation conversation about what you're hoping to achieve with your landscape design.
