One of the best things about being a garden designer, is being on-site to help clients during planting days. It doesn't matter if it's raining stair-rods, after months of planning and building, adding plants is like the icing on the cake. Although most plants we install are not yet mature and will fill out over a year or two, adding foliage starts really bringing a site to life.
So what does this service look like and what should clients expect?
Plant order service
A week or two before planting, I will order the plants for the site, from a range of trusted suppliers. It's rare that I can order all of the plants from a single supplier, so there may be a few separate deliveries, especially if there are specialist items or species. When the plants arrive, I check they are in good condition and viable. If not, I handle the returns with the supplier on your behalf. Depending on the season, some plants may look 'dead' but may simply be dormant. Some plants may also arrive looking smaller than expected, or pruned back to a stump, which may be the best way to transport the plant to avoid damaging soft foliage. You can be confident that the plants going into your garden have the best chance of success.
Plant setting out
Before we take any plants out of pots and put them in the ground, it's important to set them out in their approximate positions. The placing of the plants may seem odd, but spacing is given to allow for their grown sizes, as some will grow and spread out faster than others. We might also edit the plan, to account for the unique character of each plant. For example, a multi-stemmed tree may take up more or less space than expected and we might find a change in the underplanting is needed.
Planting support
During planting, I will assist you or your chosen landscaping professional to plant your plants. I will make sure that we have the right supplements (compost, grit, fertiliser etc.) and the right technique for the plants in your garden to give them the best chance of success. For example, we would add in a fertiliser to some 'hungry' plants like hydrangeas, but this would not be helpful when planting things like rosemary or lavender as they have evolved to grow best in poor soils.
Aftercare advice
I recommend clients use the free myRHS planting advice service, which allows us to create a plant list and they will send out advice on caring for those plants each month. If you have questions or worries about plants I also offer short site visits and can provide on-the-spot advice and support as is needed.
Tip number 1 - use weed suppressing fabric to keep the site clear of weeds
For my planting services I charge by the half day, so while I can and will weed your site for you before we plant up, it's not the best value of money for you! Use weed suppressing fabric to keep the site clear from the day you weed it until we arrive on site with our fresh plants.
Tip number 2 - be prepared
Be prepared for a busy day and hard work! Clear your day and have lunch and snacks prepared. Make sure you have the tools you need and the sundries (compost, powdered mychorrizal fungi, fertilizer etc.) to hand.
Tip number 3 - water, water, water
New plants going into soil are stressed, so make sure that you water them before they are planted, immediately after they are are planted, and regularly until they are established. Some plants like to sit in a bucket of water prior to planting, so a good sized trug or trough makes this much easier.