During your quotation for landscape design, you will receive a proposal fee outlining Platylobium’s involvement during the build. This is optional but strongly encouraged. This includes consultation throughout construction, attendance at key site meetings, and check-in points to ensure everything is tracking as it should. This ensures our input doesn't end when the design is finished — it continues throughout implementation. We provide this upfront so you have all the costs and understand the process.

From the Start: Budget-Led Design

Before we start sketching planting plans or selecting materials, we drill into your budget. Why? Because a beautiful design that’s impossible to build within your financial limits doesn’t serve anyone. We’ll ask:

• What’s your total investment?

• Are you planning to stage the build over time?

• Will you be taking on any construction tasks yourself?

• Is your budget realistic for your goals?

This early honesty gives us clarity — it’s not about limiting creativity, it’s about designing smart from the start.

Collaboration with Landscapers Starts Early

We bring in the right people early in the process. Yes, part of our design fee covers the time it takes to get one of our preferred landscapers on site during concept development. Before we even finalise the planting plan, we’re talking logistics, costs, and feasibility.

This kind of early collaboration ensures that your design isn't just beautiful — it’s buildable. We check materials availability, discuss site access, construction methods, and start shaping the plan around real-world conditions.

Design Presentation and Construction Planning

Once your concept is fully developed, we sit down with everyone: you, your landscaper, your pool builder (if you have one), and any other professionals involved. Before that meeting, Nadia thoroughly reviews the proposal and scope, identifying areas that may need reshaping — both creatively and practically — before construction begins.

This is where things get real. Yes, the design process is a place to dream a little, but the presentation and quoting stage is where we narrow in on:

• Priorities for the build

• Cost implications and material choices

• What must happen now, and what can wait

• Where adjustments might bring savings without compromising the design

We want you to be informed and confident about your decisions — not guessing.

We’re Still There Once It’s Go Time

Once construction begins, we don’t disappear. We’re available to meet on site, answer questions, and adjust where needed. Gardens are living things and sometimes changes need to happen on the ground. Whether it's tweaking plant placement, responding to site surprises, or reviewing construction progress, Platylobium remains in the loop to help guide your landscape to completion.

Why Close Collaboration Matters

When a landscape designer and landscaper work together from the start, the results speak for themselves. Here's what it delivers:

• Accurate budgeting — fewer cost surprises and better planning

• Efficient construction — clear communication, realistic timelines

• Design integrity — the vision gets built as intended

• Ongoing flexibility — space to make informed changes mid-build

There’s a time investment in this level of collaboration, but it pays off in spades. You end up with a landscape that reflects your vision, meets your needs, and doesn’t blow out your budget.

Need Help Navigating Your Own Build?

We’d love to work with you — whether you’re starting fresh, revamping an old garden, or just trying to figure out what’s possible.

Let’s get it right, together.