Our process begins with a consultation and site visit with the client. During this initial meeting we get to know about the client’s lifestyle. We talk about subjects such as how many children they have, do they entertain, and are they away during August. How the client lives is more important to us than the terrain. It is the nucleus of how we build our garden.
The layout and architecture of any existing or proposed structures on the property is also a driving factor. The views and the aesthetic from the inside of a home are almost more important than the views from the outside as more time is spent from the inside. It is in our first meeting with a new client and first few site visits that these guidelines start to form conceptual designs.
From there we pick the concepts that we like and refine them. Gale Nurseries works closely with the client to revise the plans in order to come up with a set of working drawings that will be used to bid construction and eventually will turn into final construction drawings. Included in these sets of drawings are planting plans, irrigation plans, lighting plans, and construction details. Throughout the entire process, the designer works very closely with the client, sometimes spending time walking through other gardens and garden ornament exhibits to understand their personal stylistic likes and dislikes.
Upon completion of design, many times we are required to go through township zoning, which includes minor grading permits and stormwater management studies. When the township gives us the ok, construction begins.
We believe it is crucial to have the designing landscape architect project manage the entire construction experience. Our construction crews come from many diverse backgrounds including horticulture, masonry, and landscape construction. Our subcontractors include an eclectic mix of professions including pool builders, tennis court builders, electricians, excavators, arborists, carpenters, and irrigation specialists. The building process is flexible in that many times small changes can be made to the plan throughout construction.
After construction is complete, we do a final walkthrough with the client and any remaining details that need to be worked out will be taken care of. It is at this time we talk about professional garden maintenance. Our professional garden maintenance includes seasonal flower rotation, plant health care, turf and bed fertilization, aeration, edging, deadheading, and mulching. We like to stay involved with our gardens for years, sometimes decades after the garden is first built. As the needs and wants of the client change, we often update or redesign spaces.