Trained at the prestigious London College of Garden Design at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Steve has had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the most acclaimed designers in the industry, as well as working on several RHS Chelsea show gardens. He is passionate about sustainability and his modern designs combine contemporary styling with suitable planting to increase biodiversity and encourage wildlife whenever possible.
Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, he frequently seeks design inspiration from the wider landscapes of the North East, from Northumberland National Park to the North East coastline and across to the Lake District; his beautiful creations exhibit a sensitivity to, and understanding of place. Time spent living in Australia has given Steve an appreciation and understanding of the extent to which gardens and an outdoor lifestyle can impact upon both mental and physical health, improving your quality of life. When appropriate, he enjoys integrating these Australian influences into modern ‘outdoor rooms’.
Before training in garden design, Steve worked in Project Management and is comfortable working closely with clients on the development of the design brief, liaising with landscapers and suppliers, and then monitoring the creation of the garden to high quality standards.
Whether you are building the house of your dreams, renovating an old property, adding an extension or breathing life into an existing garden, Steve can well and truly make your outdoor space stand out and become a space to enjoy. Garden makeovers and adding items such as an al fresco kitchen, elegant terrace or a stylish summerhouse could also add value to your property.
Many home surveys have shown that a well-designed and maintained garden can add up to 20 per cent onto your property’s value.
Steve offers a range of garden design services that may range from simply putting together a planting design to inject some fresh ideas into a single border, or a full design for your entire garden with beautiful sketches, detailed 3D drawings, intricate plans and scaled construction details for landscape contractors to build from.
We design gardens of all sizes and types from large rural spaces to smaller urban gardens or courtyards. Steve designs gardens of all sizes and types from large rural spaces to smaller urban gardens and courtyards. Steve is happy to work on either private residential sites for the homeowner or collaborate with architects, builders or property developers.
The process starts with an initial consultation so that Steve can see the garden, get to know you and understand your requirements, followed by working out what the ideal outdoor space means to you with a tailor-made solution that best meets your needs.
IMPROVE YOUR WELLBEING
By reclaiming your outdoor space, you can create your very own sanctuary for slowing down, recharging and re-engaging with the natural world. Regular contact with nature lowers stress levels and improves wellbeing. With the aid of a little creative thinking, a space can be created that inspires relaxation and stimulating conversation.
HELP THE ENVIRONMENT
Did you know that in the UK, gardens cover a combined landmass that’s bigger than the Lake District and Peak District put together? This means that what we do with our gardens can help towards creating a better environment for humans and wildlife to thrive in. This could be providing food and habitat for insects and wildlife through to reducing your carbon footprint by growing some of your own food produce.
CONSULTATION
Usually held at your home/garden this lets us get to know you, the garden space and analyse the site a little – a critical starting point for all our projects. The aim is to understand your wish list for the garden so we can add our thoughts and ideas to help stimulate discussion. A detailed site analysis will be carried out. From this, a written brief is developed along with a Design Fee Proposal for our services with an explanation of how the process will work and what the costs will be.
DETAIL DESIGN
After you have had some time to consider the initial concept, any amendments you want to make will be captured in a further detailed masterplan. Depending upon the level of design detail in the scheme, we will then develop additional construction drawings, specifications and other technical drawings. Hard landscaping materials are also finalised at this stage.
SURVEY
Depending upon the size and complexity of the site, a topographical survey of your garden may be required before progressing to the next Outline Design stage. This allows us to accurately consider any existing structures, trees/plants, drainage, level changes etc. A qualified land surveyor should be appointed to carry out the survey and we can help in finding and appointing a suitable land surveyor if you wish.
PLANTING DESIGN
We produce detailed planting plans and schedules (lists) used to source the required trees and plants from the some of the best nurseries in the UK. Although this ordinarily forms part of the Detailed Design package, this is also a service we can provide independently of any garden redesign for a fixed fee.
OUTLINE DESIGN
Using the brief and site analysis, together with the topographical survey of the garden, I will develop a concept design tailored to your needs. This will be presented to you at your home and will typically include plan drawings, mood boards, samples of materials and sketches or 3D visualisations. The aim of this presentation is to stimulate discussion around the proposal which will allow the design to further develop and evolve into a final design that fully meets your needs.
TENDERING & MANAGEMENT
Each completed design scheme will usually go out to several reputable landscape contractors with the drawing package and specifications, to provide a quotation on the build costs. Their quotations will be analysed and we will produce a written tender report highlighting any concerns and the merits of each. Once the creation of the garden starts on site, there are various options available to have us manage the ongoing progress on your behalf.
