Garden Design Process and Services

Thoughtful garden design for the Tweed Shire, Northern Rivers, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast

Every garden Carmel designs begins with a conversation and ends with a ready-to-build landscape design package. The garden design process and services are detailed and thorough, it’s everything your landscape contractor requires to bring your new garden to life

DESIGN PROCESS

1.Design Consultation

Carmel begins with an on-site visit to your property. We explore your space together, discussing your outdoor lifestyle, style preferences, budget and timeline. This consultation runs for 60-90 minutes and a fee applies. Following the consultation you will receive a detailed fee proposal outlining the full scope of work.

2. Concept Design

Working collaboratively with you, Carmel develops a Concept Landscape Design Plan – a scaled drawing that brings the vision for your garden to life. The plan includes planting schedule, materials schedule and design notes. Because this stage is deeply collaborative most clients find that the concept lands close to their vision first time. One round of revisions is included and in practices that’s almost always all it takes.

3. Design Documentation

Once your concept is approved, Carmel prepares a complete, professional landscape design package — fully specified and ready for your contractor to quote from and build with confidence. Your package is presented to you in person, then delivered digitally so it’s ready to share with your landscaping team.

4. Construction Support

Serendipity Garden Designs is a landscape design studio — Carmel does not manage construction directly. However, she works with a small number of trusted local landscape contractors in the Tweed Shire and Northern Rivers region, and is happy to provide referrals when your design is complete. Where feasible, Carmel will visit the site during construction to stay connected with the build, offer guidance, and document key stages.

KIND WORDS FROM CLIENTS

We recently worked with Carmel from Serendipity Garden Designs in Terranora, and the experience was outstanding. She listened to our ideas and created a beautiful, practical native garden design. Her detailed plant list and care notes have given us the confidence to tackle the project ourselves. Highly recommend Carmel’s expertise and collaborative approach!

Carmel from Serendipity created a beautiful garden design for us that has bloomed over the years into a stunning array of unique plants that have been easy to care for and maintain. Carmel has an excellent horticultural knowledge which is combined with a passion for design and creativity. She was great to work with and we are thoroughly pleased with her garden she created for us.

Carmel did a lovely design for our back yard which included a deck, with a built-in servery, planter boxes and bench seat, and a lawn and garden with native plants. Carmel took a lot of care in selecting materials and plants that suited the space and our requirements, including using vertical space to make the plantings more eye-catching. She made sure the design integrated well with an existing pergola and rainwater tank and a tree that we wanted to keep. We love our Serendipity-designed garden and would highly recommend you talk to Carmel if you need some garden design savvy from someone who really loves what she does.

A massive congratulations on the garden at the Shores Club. Great design and plants. We have had great compliments on it all day. Give yourself a pat on the back and thank you for letting me do little changes and for working with you.

Working with Carmel from Serendipity Garden Designs was a pleasure. Her friendly expertise and professional approach helped us clarify and finalise our native garden ideas with confidence. We couldn’t be happier with the direction she guided us toward.