Mark, the designer, did a fantastic job in designing a really varied and yet easily maintained garden for me and I was delighted with the plans which were very original and thoughtful. He did a brilliant job on designing a pond. This service was not by any means cheap however.
However, the execution of the plans was not entirely satisfactory. Although BGD were prompt and hardworking, and they made an excellent job of the pond, they did make several errors, including removing a well-established climbing rose that I had specifically asked to keep. This was absolutely heart-breaking as it had taken several years to attain its current size. BGD did replace the rose when asked.
My other problem was that a great many of the plants supplied died, more than I would have expected. One bed at the top of the garden was virtually empty after the first 6 months and I stress that this was not because of a lack of care on my part! On examination, I found that in several instances the holes dug were inadequate and the new plants had not had their roots teased out correctly and therefore remained 'potbound'.
There was no mention of any guarantee for the plants, though a friend of mine who had her garden done at half the price had been given a written guarantee of all the plants, which would be replaced if they died within 2 years of installation, except in the case of very severe neglect or intentional damage of course.
In summary, I would not hesitate to use Mark's design skills again, in spite of the expense - his knowledge of plants is huge and he has provided the means for a perpetual display in my garden. However, I would find another supplier to source the plants and execute the plans. read more