Garden Design: Getting It Wrong!!

I beavered away over Christmas at 2 designs for client's in Glasgow. This one in particular I was quite pleased with as I had met the budget well and ticked all the client's boxes.The brief was to provide a decent patio area for dining and entertaining, a second breakfast patio, and a kids play area. It is a new build property so blank canvas. I decided to break the parallel expanse of the garden up with a pergola walkway leading through to a feature magnolia. This would divide the garden into an adult area and a childrens area since they have young children. I tried to keep it simple without becoming plain or redundant and pack the garden with functional space. I came up with this after playing around for a few ideas:

The client came back to me very impressed with the design but admitted that it wasn't suited to his requirements. I got it wrong. I submitted a report suporting my decisions and he returned that he agreed but was really looking for something like this:

Ah well, you can't win them all - at least we're still getting the contract!!CheersNicky PattersonGardenImprovements.com
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Comments

  • I get drawings like that from clients all the time! That's why they've called you in, I would have thought?!!
  • Thank your stars you didn't get a mood board from the client... it is pretty heart breaking though.... In the same vein, I once wrote an extensive paper (10 pages) on a proposed approach to applying the client classification requirements under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive for my boss (I have a very boring job as you can guess) - only to find it back on my desk with a yellow post-it on it saying 'Please justify'. Returning with the report amended in hand some hours of research and rewriting later..... I find I've mis-interpreted the message.... 'Please justify' as in can you make sure that it is straight down the right side of the page as well as the left..... ARRRRRGHHHH!!!!! Followed by, "oh, and can I have a three bullet point slide as a cover piece" - translation: "No one's going to read it anyway, just give me the headlines."
  • Vision dear boy, vision. Some have it, some can't see it even in 3d. Soul destroying but hey, you got the contact!
  • I think the Leylandii hedge is a masterstroke you should have thought of that!
    Keep at it- don't let the ********s get you down.
  • And the artificial turf is a master stroke... think I had better give up and work in the supermarket....
  • You gotta laugh really- what a shame! (at least you got the job- but you're always going to be thinking how great it would have been your way!).
    Maybe the client will think about it a bit more and come round to your way of thinking.
    Like Niall- i am curious tho about your software- its very effective, what is it?
  • Yeah the client is still paying for the design but I've got to wonder - perhaps he could have given me the sketch at the survey and I could have adapted it!

    Anyway we are going ahead with a hybrid of the 2 with a view to providing scope for development further down the line so not wholly bad.

    Glad it made you all smile though!

    Nicky
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how good does this look?

Im looking for my first 100 founding members to join and use canopy and i have approx 65 spaces left.. if your in the UK running a garden maintenance / landscaping company and could be intrested , feel free to enter the waiting list.Thecanopyapp.com

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Invoicing / Quoting

does anyone find themselves spending money on an invoicing and qouting app? do some of you use tradify to manage bookings and schedule?whats the best way to manage workflow when you get busy in the season ?

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Views: 49