Soft Landscaping

Soft landscaping is the living part of a garden.

It includes the plants, trees, hedges, lawns and soil preparation that transform the structural framework of a landscape into a garden that develops, changes and matures over time.

Typical soft landscaping can include:

• Trees

• Shrubs

• Hedging

• Herbaceous perennials

• Ornamental grasses

• Climbers

• Bulbs

• Lawns

• Meadow areas

• Soil improvement

• Mulching.

At Kirman Design, soft landscaping is not treated as the final decorative stage of a project.

It is planned alongside:

layout + hard landscaping + levels + drainage + views + privacy + maintenance.

We provide professional soft landscaping throughout North West England, including Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and the Ribble Valley.

What Is Soft Landscaping?

Soft landscaping refers to the living horticultural elements within a garden.

It contrasts with hard landscaping, which generally includes:

• Paving

• Walls

• Steps

• Structures

• Drainage.

For the construction-led elements, see our Hard Landscaping page.

The best gardens combine both.

Hard landscaping provides the framework.

Soft landscaping gives that framework:

• Scale

• Texture

• Colour

• Movement

• Seasonal change.

What Does a Soft Landscaper Do?

A professional soft landscaper may carry out:

• Soil preparation

• Tree planting

• Hedge planting

• Shrub planting

• Perennial planting

• Grass and turf installation

• Meadow establishment

• Mulching

• Irrigation preparation.

The exact scope depends on whether the project is:

• Planting-only

• Part of a complete garden transformation.

Soft Landscaping Is More Than Putting Plants in the Ground

The quality of a planting scheme depends on much more than buying attractive plants.

Successful installation needs to consider:

• Soil

• Drainage

• Plant specification

• Spacing

• Planting depth

• Establishment

• Watering

• Long-term maintenance.

Poor installation can undermine even an excellent planting plan.

Soft Landscaping and Planting Design

Planting design determines:

• What should be planted

• Where it should be planted

• How plants relate.

Soft landscaping is the practical implementation.

Our Planting Design page explores how planting schemes are professionally planned.

Ideally, the design and installation stages should follow the same horticultural logic.

Soft Landscaping and Landscape Construction

Soft landscaping often follows substantial construction work.

That may include:

• Excavation

• Drainage

• Paving

• Walls

• Structures.

Our Landscape Construction page explores the wider build process.

Soft landscaping should not simply be fitted into whatever spaces happen to remain.

Complete Garden Design and Build

Where Kirman Design is responsible for both design and construction, soft landscaping can be coordinated with the garden from the beginning.

Our Complete Garden Design and Build page explores this integrated approach.

This allows:

• Border dimensions

• Tree positions

• Soil preparation

• Irrigation

• Plant specification

to be considered before construction is complete.

Soil Preparation for Soft Landscaping

Good planting begins below ground.

Before plants are installed, the soil may need:

• Cultivation

• Debris removal

• Organic matter

• Decompaction

• Drainage improvement.

Simply digging a small hole in poor ground and inserting a plant does not improve the wider growing environment.

Why Soil Condition Matters

Soil affects:

• Root growth

• Drainage

• Nutrient availability

• Moisture.

Two gardens only a short distance apart can have very different growing conditions.

Professional soft landscaping should respond to the actual site.

Clay Soil

Heavy clay is common across many parts of North West England.

It can be:

• Fertile

• Moisture retentive

• Slow to drain

• Difficult when compacted.

Our Clay Soil Gardens page explores how planting and landscape construction can respond to clay.

Soft Landscaping and Drainage

Drainage strongly influences plant performance.

Persistent waterlogging can damage plants that require freer-draining conditions.

Equally, some plants thrive in moisture.

Before selecting or installing plants, understand:

• Where water collects

• How long it remains

• Why it occurs.

Our Garden Drainage page explores this in more detail.

Waterlogged Gardens

A waterlogged garden does not necessarily mean every plant needs to be removed.

Sometimes the best solution involves a combination of:

• Drainage improvement

• Soil improvement

• Moisture-tolerant planting.

The response should be site-specific.

Compacted Soil

Compaction can be particularly problematic after:

• Building work

• New-build development

• Heavy machinery.

Roots may struggle to establish even where the surface appears acceptable.

Soil preparation should therefore form part of the wider soft-landscaping budget.

Soft Landscaping After Building Work

House extensions and renovations can leave gardens with:

• Rubble

• Compacted soil

• Damaged lawns

• Disturbed planting.

Our Garden Design After Building Work page explores how the landscape can be restored after construction.

Soft Landscaping for New-Build Gardens

New-build gardens often start with:

• Limited planting

• Poor soil structure

• Compaction

• Overlooking.

Our New-Build Gardens page explores how trees, hedging and planting can rapidly give a new garden greater character and maturity.

Tree Planting

Trees can provide:

• Structure

• Shade

• Privacy

• Scale

• Seasonal interest.

They often become the most important long-term elements of a soft landscape.

Tree selection should consider:

• Ultimate size

• Root conditions

• Soil

• Aspect

• Relationship with buildings.

Specimen Tree Planting

Larger specimen trees can provide a more immediate effect.

They may be particularly useful for:

• Privacy

• Framing views

• Giving a new garden instant structure.

However, larger trees require careful:

• Delivery

• Handling

• Planting

• Anchoring

• Establishment watering.

Mature Trees vs Younger Trees

Larger is not automatically better.

A younger tree may:

• Establish faster

• Adapt more readily

• Cost less.

A larger specimen may provide:

• Greater immediate impact

• Faster screening.

The correct balance depends on the project.

Trees for Privacy

Trees can provide screening above conventional fence height.

They are particularly useful where overlooking comes from:

• Upper-floor windows

• Raised neighbouring gardens.

Our Garden Privacy page explores how trees can work with hedges, screens and structures.

Soft Landscaping for Overlooked Gardens

Planting can be one of the most effective ways to improve privacy.

A carefully positioned:

• Tree

• Hedge

• Tall shrub

may solve a sightline more effectively than enclosing the entire boundary.

Our Overlooked Garden page explores this problem in more detail.

Hedge Planting

Hedging can provide:

• Boundaries

• Privacy

• Structure

• Wildlife habitat.

Options may include:

• Evergreen hedging

• Deciduous hedging

• Formal hedges

• Native mixed hedging.

The correct species depends on:

• Soil

• Aspect

• Desired height

• Maintenance.

Evergreen Hedging

Evergreen hedges can provide year-round screening.

They can be particularly useful around:

• Boundaries

• Outdoor-living areas.

However, eventual height and width should be considered carefully.

Deciduous Hedging

Deciduous hedging can provide:

• Seasonal interest

• Wildlife value

• Softer character.

Some species also retain dry foliage through winter, providing additional screening.

Native Hedging

Native mixed hedging can work particularly well in:

• Rural properties

• Country gardens

• Wildlife-led schemes.

It can connect a domestic garden more naturally with surrounding countryside.

Shrub Planting

Shrubs often form the permanent middle layer of a planting scheme.

They can provide:

• Flowers

• Berries

• Evergreen foliage

• Scent

• Winter stems.

Good shrub planting gives a border structure when shorter-lived seasonal plants disappear.

Herbaceous Planting

Herbaceous perennials provide:

• Seasonal colour

• Texture

• Movement.

They can be used in:

• Formal borders

• Naturalistic schemes

• Contemporary gardens.

Their placement should follow a planting plan rather than random distribution.

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses can provide:

• Movement

• Texture

• Winter seedheads

• Repetition.

They are particularly effective in:

• Contemporary planting

• Prairie gardens

• Naturalistic landscapes.

Our Prairie Gardens page explores this style.

Naturalistic Soft Landscaping

Naturalistic planting may look informal, but it usually requires careful planning.

It often combines:

• Perennials

• Grasses

• Bulbs

• Structural shrubs.

Our Naturalistic Gardens page explores this design approach.

Prairie-Style Soft Landscaping

Prairie planting typically uses larger repeated groups of:

• Grasses

• Long-flowering perennials.

This can produce strong:

• Movement

• Seasonal change

• Winter structure.

The scale works particularly well in larger gardens.

Formal Soft Landscaping

Formal landscapes may use:

• Clipped hedging

• Topiary

• Repeated trees

• Controlled borders.

Our Formal Gardens page explores how planting reinforces symmetry and geometry.

Contemporary Soft Landscaping

Contemporary gardens often use a restrained plant palette.

This can include:

• Architectural shrubs

• Repeated grasses

• Multi-stem trees

• Blocks of perennials.

Our Contemporary Gardens page explores how planting softens clean architectural landscaping.

Modern Garden Planting

Modern gardens can benefit from:

• Strong repetition

• Simple plant groups

• Structural foliage.

Our Modern Gardens page explores this design language.

Country Garden Soft Landscaping

Country gardens often require more generous planting.

This can include:

• Large borders

• Trees

• Hedging

• Meadow

• Naturalistic planting.

Our Country Gardens page explores how planting can connect the property with the wider landscape.

Soft Landscaping for Period Properties

Planting around older properties should complement the architecture.

Our Garden Design for Period Properties page explores how material and planting choices can respond to the character of the house.

Soft Landscaping for Listed Buildings

Existing mature planting and historic landscape features may be particularly significant around listed properties.

Our Garden Design for Listed Buildings page explores the wider design considerations.

Lawn Installation

Soft landscaping may include:

• Turfing

• Seeding

• Lawn renovation.

The finished lawn depends heavily on:

• Soil preparation

• Levels

• Drainage.

Installing new turf over unsuitable ground can provide quick visual improvement without solving the underlying problem.

Turf vs Seed

Turf

Provides immediate visual coverage.

Seed

Can be more economical for larger areas and allows greater choice of seed mix.

The right option depends on:

• Garden size

• Timescale

• Site condition.

Lawn Preparation

Before installation, soil may need:

• Levelling

• Decompaction

• Improvement

• Stone removal.

This stage is usually more important to long-term lawn performance than the turf itself.

Lawns on Clay Soil

Clay soils can hold water during wetter periods and become hard during dry weather.

Drainage and soil preparation should therefore be considered before replacing a failing lawn.

Our Clay Soil Gardens page explores this more broadly.

Meadow Areas

Meadow can provide an alternative to conventional lawn in appropriate gardens.

It can offer:

• Seasonal interest

• Wildlife value

• Reduced mowing frequency.

However, meadow requires its own establishment and management regime.

It is not simply a lawn that has been allowed to grow long.

Groundcover Planting

Groundcover plants can help:

• Suppress weeds

• Protect soil

• Knit planting together.

They can reduce dependence on bare mulch once established.

Bulb Planting

Bulbs can create seasonal layers within:

• Borders

• Grass

• Woodland planting.

They can extend interest through:

• Late winter

• Spring

• Early summer.

Climbers

Climbers can soften:

• Pergolas

• Walls

• Fences

• Screens.

They are particularly useful where garden space is limited.

Pergola Planting

Traditional pergolas can support:

• Climbers

• Roses

• Wisteria

• Clematis.

Our Pergola Ideas page explores how structures and planting can work together.

Planting Around Patios

A patio can feel harsh if planting is reduced to narrow strips around the perimeter.

Where space allows, deeper planting beds can:

• Soften paving

• Create enclosure

• Provide privacy.

Our Garden Patio Ideas page explores how patios can sit within the wider garden.

Planting Around Outdoor Living Areas

Soft landscaping helps make outdoor-living spaces feel part of the garden.

It may provide:

• Shelter

• Scent

• Privacy

• Shade.

Our Creating an Outdoor Living Space page explores how these spaces can be integrated.

Planting Around Outdoor Kitchens

Planting can soften the visual impact of cabinetry and built elements.

Our Garden Design Around an Outdoor Kitchen page explores how kitchen, dining and planting can work together.

Planting Around Fire Pits

Fire-pit planting should preserve:

• Safe circulation

• Appropriate clearances

• Good views.

Our Garden Design Around a Fire Pit page explores the wider layout.

Planting Around Water Features

Planting can make a water feature feel integrated rather than isolated.

Our Garden Water Feature Ideas page explores different relationships between:

• Water

• Planting

• Hard landscape.

Garden Lighting and Soft Landscaping

Lighting can reveal planting after dark.

Good candidates include:

• Multi-stem trees

• Architectural foliage

• Grasses

• Interesting bark.

Our Garden Lighting Ideas page explores how garden lighting can be integrated rather than overused.

Planting for Shade

Shady areas can support highly attractive foliage-based planting.

Typical design tools include:

• Ferns

• Large-leaved perennials

• Woodland shrubs.

The exact choice depends on whether the shade is:

• Dry

• Moist

• Deep

• Seasonal.

North-Facing Gardens

North-facing gardens often benefit from a planting-led approach.

Our North-Facing Gardens page explores how shade, seating and planting can work together.

Planting for Full Sun

Sunny borders can support:

• Grasses

• Perennials

• Flowering shrubs.

But exposure and soil moisture still matter.

Full sun does not automatically mean dry soil.

Planting for Windy Gardens

Exposed sites require robust plant selection.

Useful strategies can include:

• Shelter planting

• Hedging

• Strong-rooted shrubs

• Trees suited to exposure.

The planting should create protection progressively rather than depend on delicate plants from the outset.

Soft Landscaping for Rural Properties

Rural gardens often need to transition into the surrounding countryside rather than stop abruptly at the garden boundary.

Soft landscaping can achieve this through:

• Tree groups

• Native hedging

• Meadow

• Informal planting.

Soft Landscaping for Large Gardens

Large gardens require planting at an appropriate scale.

A few isolated shrubs can disappear visually.

Larger gardens may instead use:

• Tree groups

• Long hedges

• Large perennial drifts

• Extensive lawns

• Meadow.

Our Large Gardens page explores the importance of masterplanning substantial landscapes.

Soft Landscaping for Small Gardens

Small gardens often benefit from fewer plant species used more strongly.

Strategies may include:

• Repetition

• Vertical planting

• Compact trees

• Evergreen structure.

Our Small Garden Design page explores how planting can maximise limited space.

Soft Landscaping for Courtyards

Courtyard planting may need to work with:

• Shade

• Walls

• Containers

• Limited soil volume.

Our Courtyard Gardens page explores how planting can soften enclosed spaces.

Family Garden Planting

Family gardens often require plants that can coexist with:

• Play

• Lawns

• Seating

• Children.

Our Family Garden Design page explores how practical use and planting can be balanced.

Dog-Friendly Soft Landscaping

Dogs can affect:

• Planting routes

• Lawns

• Border edges.

Our Dog-Friendly Garden Design page explores the overall garden.

For plant selection, see Dog-Friendly Garden Plants.

Accessible Soft Landscaping

Planting can contribute strongly to an accessible garden.

It can provide:

• Scent

• Texture

• Wildlife

• Seasonal interest.

Our Accessible Garden Design page explores inclusive landscape planning.

Raised Beds for Accessible Gardens

Raised beds can bring planting closer to a comfortable working and viewing height.

Our Raised Beds for Accessible Gardens page explores this approach.

Sensory Planting

A sensory planting scheme may include plants chosen for:

• Scent

• Texture

• Movement

• Sound.

Our Sensory Garden Design for Accessibility page explores this in more detail.

Low-Maintenance Soft Landscaping

Soft landscaping always needs some maintenance.

The objective should be:

appropriate maintenance

rather than claiming a garden will be maintenance-free.

Strategies can include:

• Strong groundcover

• Fewer species

• Longer-lived shrubs

• Appropriate spacing

• Reduced lawn area.

Low Maintenance Without a Lawn

Removing the lawn may reduce mowing, but the replacement still needs careful design.

Our Low Maintenance Garden Without a Lawn page explores alternatives.

Planting Density

Correct planting density is important.

Too sparse and borders can remain:

• Bare

• Weed-prone.

Too dense and plants may:

• Compete

• Need regular thinning.

Spacing should consider the intended mature size.

Plant Sizes

Soft-landscaping quotations should ideally make plant sizes clear.

The difference between:

• Small nursery-grown shrub

• Large specimen

can materially affect both:

• Price

• Immediate impact.

Smaller Plants vs Larger Plants

Smaller plants may:

• Establish quickly

• Cost less.

Larger plants may provide:

• Immediate maturity

• Screening.

A balanced scheme can use both strategically.

Plant Quality

Plant quality matters as much as plant size.

Plants should ideally be:

• Healthy

• Well rooted

• True to specification

• Suitable for installation.

A larger but poor-quality plant is not necessarily better value.

Plant Substitutions

Occasionally a specified plant may not be available.

Substitutions should consider:

• Habit

• Size

• Colour

• Function.

Replacing a plant simply because something cheaper is available can undermine the design.

Mulching

Mulch can help:

• Retain moisture

• Reduce weeds

• Improve the appearance of newly planted areas.

It may be:

• Organic

• Mineral

depending on the planting style.

Watering New Soft Landscaping

Newly installed plants need adequate water while roots establish.

This is especially important for:

• Trees

• Hedges

• Larger shrubs.

Installation is only the beginning of plant establishment.

Irrigation

Irrigation can be useful for:

• Large gardens

• Extensive borders

• Specimen trees

• Difficult-to-water areas.

If irrigation is required, it should ideally be planned before the hard landscaping is completed.

Plant Guarantees

Where plant guarantees are offered, ask about:

• Duration

• Conditions

• Watering requirements

• Maintenance obligations.

A plant guarantee rarely means that plants can be installed and then ignored.

Soft Landscaping and Establishment

A newly planted garden develops over time.

Immediately after installation, planting may appear more open than it will after:

• One growing season

• Two growing seasons

• Several years.

Professional planting should anticipate this growth.

Maintenance After Installation

Typical maintenance may include:

• Watering

• Weeding

• Pruning

• Cutting back

• Dividing plants

• Mulching

• Lawn care.

The amount varies considerably according to planting style.

Soft Landscaping for Wildlife

Planting can support wildlife through:

• Nectar

• Pollen

• Berries

• Seeds

• Shelter.

A wildlife-friendly garden can still feel:

• Designed

• Contemporary

• Formal.

Wildlife value and strong aesthetics are not mutually exclusive.

Native Planting

Native plants can be particularly useful in:

• Rural gardens

• Hedgerows

• Wildlife areas.

But the entire planting scheme does not necessarily need to be native to provide ecological value.

Seasonal Interest

A good soft landscape should not rely entirely on summer flowers.

Consider:

Spring

• Bulbs

• Blossom

• New foliage.

Summer

• Perennials

• Flowering shrubs

• Grasses.

Autumn

• Berries

• Seedheads

• Foliage.

Winter

• Bark

• Evergreen structure

• Stems.

Winter Structure

Winter reveals the underlying quality of a planting scheme.

Structural elements may include:

• Trees

• Hedges

• Evergreens

• Architectural grasses.

Without these, a border that looked impressive in July can disappear visually by January.

Foliage and Texture

Flowers are only part of planting design.

Foliage can provide:

• Colour

• Shape

• Contrast

• Texture

for a much longer period.

Strong soft landscaping considers leaves as carefully as flowers.

Repetition

Repeated plants help different parts of the garden feel connected.

Using too many unique species can create:

• Visual noise

• Maintenance complexity.

Repetition gives a planting scheme rhythm.

How Much Does Soft Landscaping Cost?

There is no single soft-landscaping price.

Costs depend on:

• Area

• Soil preparation

• Plant quantities

• Plant sizes

• Trees

• Hedging

• Lawn area

• Access.

A modest planting refresh and a major mature landscape are completely different projects.

What Makes Soft Landscaping Expensive?

The main cost drivers can include:

• Large specimen trees

• Mature hedging

• Extensive borders

• High planting densities

• Significant soil preparation

• Irrigation

• Difficult access.

Plant size is particularly influential.

Soft Landscaping Costs vs Hard Landscaping Costs

Hard landscaping often represents the larger immediate construction cost because it includes:

• Excavation

• Paving

• Walls

• Structures.

But planting should not be treated as whatever remains in the budget.

A successful garden needs enough investment in both.

Set a Garden Landscaping Budget

Our How to Set a Budget for Garden Landscaping page provides a framework for balancing:

• Groundworks

• Hard landscaping

• Planting

• Garden features.

How Much Does Landscaping Cost?

For broader project budgeting, see How Much Does Landscaping Cost?.

This helps place soft landscaping within the complete garden investment.

Planting Budgets for £50,000–£100,000 Gardens

For significant garden transformations, planting should usually be established as part of the project budget from the beginning.

Our Garden Design £50,000–£100,000 Budget page explores this investment level.

Soft Landscaping for £100,000+ Projects

Larger garden transformations may include:

• Mature specimen trees

• Long hedges

• Extensive borders

• Large lawns

• Meadow.

Our Garden Design £100,000+ Projects page explores this scale of project.

Choosing a Soft Landscaping Company

A professional soft landscaper should understand:

• Soil preparation

• Plant handling

• Planting depth

• Spacing

• Watering

• Establishment.

Do not select solely on the cheapest plant-supply figure.

Compare Soft Landscaping Quotes

Check whether each quotation includes the same:

• Species

• Sizes

• Quantities

• Soil preparation

• Mulching

• Watering

• Labour.

Two planting quotations may look very different because one uses substantially smaller plants.

Ask for a Plant Specification

A planting quotation should ideally be linked to a clear:

• Planting plan

• Schedule

• Specification.

Without this, it can be difficult to know exactly what is being supplied.

Questions to Ask a Landscaper About Planting

Ask:

• Who designed the planting?

• Are plant sizes specified?

• What soil preparation is included?

• Is mulch included?

• Is watering included during installation?

• What aftercare is required?

• Is there a guarantee?

Our Questions to Ask a Landscaper page provides a broader contractor checklist.

Warning Signs With Soft Landscaping

Potential warning signs include:

• No planting plan

• Unspecified plant sizes

• Poor soil preparation

• Unapproved substitutions

• No discussion of establishment watering.

Our Warning Signs When Choosing a Landscaper page explores contractor red flags more broadly.

Garden Planting Ideas

For inspiration rather than installation information, see our Garden Planting Ideas page.

This soft-landscaping page focuses on the practical creation and establishment of the living garden.

Do I Need a Planting Designer?

If the challenge is deciding:

• What plants

• Where

• In what quantities

professional planting design can be useful.

Our Planting Design page explores the design service.

Do I Need a Garden Designer?

If the project also involves changes to:

• Patios

• Paths

• Levels

• Structures

a complete garden design may be more appropriate.

Our Do I Need a Garden Designer? page explores when professional design can add value.

Soft Landscaping as Part of a Complete Garden Transformation

Soft landscaping should not feel separate from the rest of the garden.

Trees should relate to:

• Views

• House

• Scale.

Borders should relate to:

• Patios

• Paths

• Walls.

Hedges should relate to:

• Privacy

• Boundaries

• Wider landscape.

That is why soft landscaping works best when it develops from a coherent overall plan.

Our Complete Garden Transformation page explores this whole-garden approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is soft landscaping?

Soft landscaping includes the living elements of a garden, such as trees, shrubs, hedges, perennials, lawns and meadow planting.

What is the difference between hard and soft landscaping?

Hard landscaping refers to built elements such as paving, walls and steps. Soft landscaping refers to plants, lawns and other living elements.

What does a soft landscaper do?

A soft landscaper prepares soil and installs plants, trees, hedges, lawns and other living landscape elements.

Does soft landscaping include trees?

Yes.

Does soft landscaping include hedging?

Yes.

Does soft landscaping include turf?

Yes.

Does soft landscaping include soil preparation?

Normally, appropriate soil preparation should form part of the planting process.

Is planting design the same as soft landscaping?

No. Planting design determines the planting scheme; soft landscaping is the practical preparation and installation. See Planting Design.

Can soft landscaping improve privacy?

Yes. Trees, hedges and tall shrubs can provide effective screening.

Can you soft-landscape a new-build garden?

Yes. New-build gardens can benefit significantly from trees, screening, soil improvement and planting.

Can you plant on clay soil?

Yes. Clay can support excellent planting where the species and ground conditions are properly understood.

Do you install mature trees?

Larger specimen trees can form part of a professionally planned soft-landscaping scheme where site access and conditions are suitable.

Can soft landscaping be low maintenance?

It can be designed to reduce maintenance, but no living garden is completely maintenance-free.

Can soft landscaping support wildlife?

Yes. Planting can provide food and habitat for birds, pollinators and other wildlife.

Can you install naturalistic planting?

Yes. See Naturalistic Gardens.

Can you install prairie planting?

Yes. See Prairie Gardens.

Does new planting need watering?

Yes. Establishment watering is particularly important after installation.

Should I use irrigation?

It can be worthwhile for larger planting schemes, specimen trees or gardens that would otherwise be difficult to water consistently.

How much does soft landscaping cost?

Costs depend on area, soil preparation, plant numbers, sizes, trees, hedging and access. For overall budgeting, see How Much Does Landscaping Cost?.

Should planting be included in my garden budget from the beginning?

Yes. Leaving planting until the end can result in an overbuilt garden with insufficient budget for the living landscape.

Do I need a planting plan?

For substantial planting schemes, a professional plan helps ensure the intended species, quantities and positions are installed accurately.

Soft Landscaping Turns a Landscape Into a Garden

Hard landscaping can create:

the terrace

the wall

the path

the steps.

Soft landscaping gives those elements context.

Trees create scale.

Hedges establish structure.

Shrubs provide permanence.

Perennials and grasses bring movement and seasonal change.

Lawns and meadow create space between them.

The result should not feel like plants have simply been added after the construction work finished.

They should be an integral part of the design.

At Kirman Design, soft landscaping is considered from the beginning of the project so that:

soil + drainage + plant specification + hard landscape + long-term growth

work together.

If you require professional soft landscaping in Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, the Ribble Valley or elsewhere across North West England, Kirman Design can provide planting design, soil preparation, tree and hedge planting, garden planting and complete soft-landscape installation as part of a new garden or existing landscape transformation.