Services

SERVICES

Gardens, Landscapes, Orchards and Community Growing Spaces.

Design, Consultancy, Maintenance and Workshops.

Pick up the phone or email and we can discuss your wishes. No job is too small, you may just want someone to prune your apple tree, a planting plan designed for one bed or a community garden and orchard designed, built and planted.

If you wish for a design or planting plan and think we may be able to help Charlotte can visit to look at the site and talk through your ideas. If you are within 20 miles of Cambridge city centre this visit is completely free.

At this first visit we would have an informal chat where you learn about what can be offered and Charlotte learns about what you want to achieve, your ideas, likes, dislikes and dreams as well as the practical issues involved. She may also take some initial outline measurements.

At this point everything is very fluid, sometimes several choices arise from the discussions and sometimes a more definite idea evolves. After this visit Charlotte will send one or more outline ideas in rough form. This provides an opportunity for you to mull over things, ask questions, look carefully at your growing space, decide to what extent you want to change things and firm up your wishes.

If you then wish to employ Verdant Earth, Charlotte will write confirming the brief stating what you wish to be done and the fee for this work.

Charlotte will then return to survey the garden/landscape, take photographs and sample the soil as well as getting a good feel for the surroundings, light, viewing positions, architectural features. etc. She will also discuss such things as features to enhance or hide, any future building plans, underground service routes, drainage and many other practical issues. If a complete redesign of the garden/ landscape is required this visit may take several hours or more than one visit may be necessary but it is invaluable if the final plan is going to be a success.

Charlotte will then have a good idea of what you wish and will send a first detailed drawing of your new garden/landscape and come and talk these through with you once you have had time to look at and consider them. Minor amendments can of course be made at this stage and these will be within the original fee. However if there are major changes due to a change of mind or unforeseen circumstances then an hourly fee for the amendments will be required.

The final plans will then be drawn up and sent to you. These will be in full detail ready to send out to contractors and builders. If required they will include detailed construction drawings for all the hard landscaping elements such as walls, ponds, pergolas, steps etc. When you have chosen a contractor then Charlotte will meet them on site to run through the plans with them to check that they are happy and answer any queries they may have. If a planting plan is required this will be included at this time. Verdant Earth can source and deliver high quality plants which can be planted by us if you wish. If a crop rotation or long term mangement plan is required this can also be part of the design package.