Garden Consultations
Practical Garden Advice Before You Start
At MNB Designs, we offer garden consultations for homeowners who want clear, experienced advice before starting a garden project.
Whether you are planning a full garden makeover, improving one section of your outdoor space or trying to understand what is possible, a consultation can help you get a better sense of the size, cost and practical considerations involved.
It is a useful way to understand your “ball of string” before you start pulling at it. With the right advice early on, you can avoid costly mistakes and make more confident decisions about your garden.
Why Book A Garden Consultation?
A garden consultation is ideal if you know your garden needs attention, but you are not yet sure what the best route forward looks like.
If you already have a fixed plan, detailed drawings and a clear idea of exactly what you want, a consultation may not be necessary. But if you need expert, unbiased advice from someone with decades of practical experience, it can be a very useful starting point.
Christian brings over 30 years of horticultural, landscaping and design experience, combining practical knowledge with a creative eye for how gardens should look, feel and evolve over time. The client’s notes specifically position this as a “non biased no commitment consultancy service” designed to help homeowners understand options, costs and practical next steps before they commit to a larger project.
What A Garden Consultation Includes
On-Site Garden Advice
We spend up to 2.5 hours with you on site, looking at your garden, discussing your ideas and assessing what may or may not work in practice.
Practical Guidance
We can advise on layout, planting, materials, access, levels, maintenance, existing features and the likely scale of work involved.
Sketches & Measurements
Where useful, Christian can leave you with sketches, notes and measurements taken during the consultation.
Written Follow-Up
After the visit, we spend time back in the office gathering relevant information and typing up notes for you to review.
Follow-Up Questions
You are also welcome to ask follow-up questions after the consultation, so you are not left trying to make sense of everything on your own.
Online Consultations
Online garden consultations are also available where an on-site visit is not required or practical.
How Long Does The Process Take?
The on-site consultation usually lasts up to 2.5 hours. The full process, including preparation, the visit and follow-up information, normally takes around 6 to 8 hours in total.
Most garden consultations are completed over a couple of days, depending on what needs to be assessed and the level of information required.
This is not intended to replace a full garden design where detailed drawings, surveys or CAD plans are needed. Instead, it gives you a clear, practical starting point before deciding what level of design or landscaping support is right for your garden.
Consultations For Established Gardens
Garden consultations are not just for blank canvases or new spaces.
If you have an established garden, we can help you understand what you already have, what is worth keeping and what could be improved. This can be especially useful if you have moved into a new property, inherited a mature garden or want to refresh a space without starting again from scratch.
We can also help with practical questions such as plant identification, problem areas, future maintenance and whether existing features can be adapted rather than removed.
Insurance Estimates & Specialist Advice
If your garden has been damaged and you need an insurance estimate, MNB Designs can also provide practical advice and guidance.
This may include assessing damaged areas, looking at likely reinstatement work and helping you understand what may be involved in returning the garden to a suitable standard.
For prices and availability, please get in touch and we can advise on the best next step.
Looking for garden talks?
Christian is also available for garden clubs, horticultural societies, businesses and groups looking for practical, experience-led talks on gardening, planting, ponds and how outdoor spaces are changing.
