Your questions answered
Everything you might want to ask.
Grouped by where you are in the decision — from early research through the build to the years after. If your question isn't here, just call and ask.
Before you call
Do you charge for a consultation or quote?
No. Matt comes out, walks the garden with you, talks through how you'd like to use the space and what's realistic, and puts a clear, no-obligation quote to it — whether it's a single patio or a full garden design and build. Clients describe the whole process, from initial query to quote to explanation of the work, as professionally managed. You're under no pressure to go ahead.
Do you design gardens yourselves, or only build?
Both. Matt develops his own designs, and he also builds for other garden designers — translating someone else's drawing into a real, buildable garden. Where you've already had plans drawn up, he'll often suggest refinements: one client wrote that the ideas Matt added 'improved the overall look and design.' Twenty years of doing both the designing and the building is what lets him spot, early, what will actually work on the ground.
Who will actually be on my project?
Matt. This is a genuinely owner-led firm — he's across the project from the first site visit to the final planted border, with his own team carrying the build. It's why every one of our thirty-seven five-star Google reviews names him personally: Matt suggested, Matt managed, Matt and his team. When one person is answerable for the whole garden, nothing gets lost between trades.
What areas do you cover?
We're based on Luton Road in Harpenden and work across Hertfordshire and the surrounding counties — St Albans, Wheathampstead, Redbourn, Kimpton, Berkhamsted, Welwyn, Hitchin and the villages between. If you're a little further out, call Matt on 07585 978132 and he'll tell you straight whether it's one for us.
During the project
Will you keep the site tidy while you work?
Yes — clients single this out again and again. One wrote that we 'left the garden clean and tidy at the end of the day/weekends etc'; another that the team 'kept the space tidy at the end of every day.' On a build that runs several weeks that matters, and it's simply how Matt works: careful, tidy excavations and a clean handover at the end.
How do you handle changes once work has started?
Openly. Gardens evolve as they take shape, and Matt would rather talk a change through with you than press on regardless — clients describe him keeping them 'updated throughout' and 'making helpful suggestions.' Anything that affects the scope or the cost is agreed with you before it goes ahead, so there are no surprises at the end.
Do I need planning permission for my garden works?
For most domestic garden work — patios, paths, decking, planting, fencing within the usual height limits and permeable driveways — you won't. Some situations do need consent, such as tall boundary walls, work in a conservation area, or a front driveway that doesn't drain to a permeable surface or soakaway. If your project is one of those, Matt will flag it at the quote stage so it's dealt with up front.
Roughly how long does a garden take?
It depends entirely on the scope — a single patio or a run of fencing is a matter of days, while a full design-and-build with walls, paving, a driveway and planting runs to weeks. Matt gives you a realistic timescale with the quote and keeps you updated as it progresses. Clients have had jobs 'finished ahead of schedule,' but we'd always rather set an honest timescale than an optimistic one.
Materials, planting & aftercare
What materials do you work with?
For hard landscaping: Indian sandstone, porcelain and natural paving for patios and paths; block paving, gravel and resin for driveways; brick and stone for walls, steps, raised planters and built-in seats; timber and composite for decking; closeboard, panel and bespoke fencing for boundaries. For soft landscaping, quality natural turf and planting chosen to suit your garden's aspect and soil. Matt will talk through the options and what suits your home and budget.
Can you plant the garden as well as build it?
Yes — soft landscaping is part of what makes a garden read as one design rather than a hard shell. We lay lawns and plant beds and borders so the finished garden feels complete, not half-done. It's often the planting that draws the compliments: as one client put it, 'we've had lots of compliments on the work they have done.'
How do I look after the garden once it's finished?
It depends on what we've built, and Matt will leave you with straightforward advice for your particular garden — how to keep resin and paving clean, when to feed a new lawn, how to establish fresh planting. And because this is a settled, owner-led Harpenden firm, he's not hard to find if you'd like us back for anything down the line.
Still wondering about something?
The quickest way to a straight answer is a quick call to Matt, or a WhatsApp photo of the garden. No obligation, no pressure.