Why I Don’t Rush Gardens (and Why That Usually Saves You Money)
Most good gardens aren’t finished quickly.
That might sound odd in a world where everything is expected to be done fast, on a fixed timeline, with a fixed price — but in my experience, rushing a garden is one of the easiest ways to waste money and end up disappointed.
Gardens aren’t static projects.
Unlike kitchens or bathrooms, gardens are alive. Soil behaves differently from one site to the next. Weather plays a huge role. Plants respond in ways you can’t always predict on paper.
Very often, what looks like a clear plan at the start changes once:
- areas are cleared and revealed
- light and drainage become obvious
- clients see and feel the space differently in real life
That’s not poor planning — that’s normal.
What usually goes wrong when gardens are rushed.
When everything has to be decided upfront and installed quickly:
- money gets spent before priorities are clear
- plants are chosen before conditions are fully understood
- layouts are locked in before the garden has had time to “speak”
I’ve seen plenty of gardens where work had to be undone later, which is frustrating and expensive.
My approach: work in stages
I prefer to work with gardens gradually.
That might mean:
- starting with clearance and basic structure
- observing how the space behaves over time
- adjusting ideas as we go
- spreading costs rather than forcing everything into one big spend
This approach gives space for better decisions. It also means clients stay involved in the process, rather than feeling committed to a plan that no longer feels right.
Does this suit everyone?
No — and that’s fine.
If you want a garden finished as quickly as possible, with everything decided in advance, there are plenty of landscapers who specialise in that.
My way of working suits people who:
- have larger or more complex gardens
- want to improve things long-term
- prefer flexibility over rigid plans
- are happy for a garden to evolve
A finished garden doesn’t have to mean “done”
Some of the best gardens I work in are never really finished. They improve year by year, becoming more useful, more settled, and more enjoyable.
That’s what I aim for.
I don’t rush gardens — because good ones are worth getting right.
