When is the best time to landscape a garden? Season and planning

The good news: most of a garden build can be done almost all year round. Earthworks, paving and the base of a complete garden can be laid in any season — only sustained frost halts the work, because you cannot dig and pave properly then. Drainage and water management, which belongs below ground, is also not season-bound.

The planting is. For planting trees, hedges and borders, autumn and early spring are most favourable: the soil is moist and the plants root calmly without the stress of summer heat. Planting in summer is possible — with extra watering — but the setback is greater. A landscaper phases the work accordingly: first the earthworks and paving, then the planting at the best moment.

For planning, when you ask matters most. Good landscapers fill their diaries fastest in spring, exactly when everyone wants their garden done before summer. Whoever requests quotes in winter or early spring has more choice and can schedule the build at the preferred moment. Because landscaping nearly always needs an on-site quote, asking well ahead is wise anyway.

Unsure about the approach or the order? Have a garden design made first — then the plan is ready and you can schedule the build tightly as soon as the season allows. The bands per element are in the price index.