During the tender stage, we will send the landscape design package to landscape construction contractors for pricing. It is important to consider that just like landscaper designers all landscape construction contractors are not equal. Just like any contractor, variation in skill, experience, and attention to detail can vary enormously.
The chosen contractor will ultimately impact the success of the garden we have designed for you. I like the analogy of the garden designer is like the songwriter. Once they have created a song and considered all the details and everyone is happy and excited. They can then take the song to the band. A great band will breathe life into a song and take it to new heights. Conversely, if you have the wrong band and they don’t understand the nuance of the song how can you possibly explain it to them? The same is true when building a garden. You have the song now is the time to take it to a great band to see what it can become.
The landscape construction process is a collaboration between landscape designers, construction contractors, and clients. Landscape Designer we are during the construction process to make sure the garden is built as intended and that corners are not cut. Soil preparation is a good example as it may seem simple but this can be done well and very portly and the results will be seen over time. If it is done poorly plants will suffer and issues will arise which cannot be easily resolved once the garden is built. If the soil work and drainage are done well the garden will thrive over the years, look better, and require less maintenance and ongoing costs. So over the long term, the extra costs initially may be a long-term saving.
Another important issue is how responsible and communicative the appointed landscape construction partner is. How pleasant is the experience going to be? Are they experienced at working with Melbourne landscape designers or do they usually work only with homeowners directly? With the wrong people, the process can be unpleasant and this can taint your experience with your new garden.
In our experience, a great landscape construction contractor is methodical and systematic, runs a neat site and cares deeply about the work they do. They have an eye for detail and a satisfaction from the work they do. They can read plans and if something is unclear on site for any reason they will get in touch to resolve the issue before it goes any further. Most of all they have a broad understanding of the garden they have been engaged to build. This part of the process of creating a new garden should not be a battle, it should be exciting as the vision comes to life.