Project Management – the beginning and the end!

GLDA president, Patricia Tyrrell examines some of the practical aspects of successful garden project management

Where does design end and project management begin? As in many aspects of design, there are several overlaps, and for me, project management begins as soon as the pen is put to paper to design a new project. One could argue that it begins before that.
Lots of the decisions that are made on site before the garden designer is brought on board – for example, access, poor site management leading to compaction issues, unnecessary tree removal etc. – have long-reaching consequences for subsequent parts of the project.

Broadly speaking, project management for garden creation can be split into two categories: action and documentation. The former captures all that you do and the latter how you record and file it.

I think most experienced designers will tell you that garden design is as much about managing client expectation as it is managing projects.

GET YOUR FILES IN ORDER

Before you agree to do anything for a client, ensure you have a well-considered structure for filing and storing documents. It has taken me a long time to realise it, but there’s a lot to be said for being well organised. For each job, I undertake I begin with the same filing structure, which is essentially folders on my PC. These include correspondence, contracts, works records, images, drawings, invoices and so on. As soon as anything is produced, it’s filed. While this might seem like overkill to some, anyone who has managed a reasonably sized garden build will tell you it’s not. For example, one recent large garden project has 60 plus various files ranging from pricing, imagery, revisions, contracts, irrigation and everything in between.

FORMAL AGREEMENT

Contracts for domestic gardens will be the subject of a follow-up article, but it is impossible not to mention it in connection with project management. While you may not feel it necessary to have a legal form of contract, it is vital that you have a written record of what is agreed between you and your client. Your agreement should include scope, expectations, costs, payments, timing and potential additional costs. Don’t be shy about this. I save myself time and money by being upfront on these matters.

KNOW WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITH

For small projects, this can be very straightforward. You might have a single client and contractor. For larger projects, you might find yourself dealing with architects, engineers,
planners, electricians, plumbers, pavers and countless others. Get everyone’s name and details, introduce yourself and make sure you know who is responsible for what.

GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT

I recall my early days of design, wasting loads of time and money going back and forth with clients and visiting sites. Now I understand the value of solid information, and that information starts with your client. I think most experienced designers will tell you that garden design is as much about managing client expectation as it is about managing projects. To prevent issues arising, before I even visit a site I pin my clients down on their needs and desires. The process for achieving this is probably worthy of a separate article, but the outcome is a written and agreed brief, filed in an appropriate folder.

When you and your client are literally on the same page you can then focus on gathering site information. Remember, it is your client brief which frames how you survey a site. Like
my filing, I have a set structure for site assessment to avoid problems and second visits. You really can’t have enough site information. In addition to standard information such as dimensions, levels, falls, vegetation, hard landscape, aspect, exposure and so on, you need to record services such as manholes, gas, electricity supplies. Make sure you check under vegetation and debris; all sorts of things can be disguised and the forgotten manhole is sure to rear its ugly head just where you least need it to be. Digging up services at a later stage can cost time and money at best or cause a blackout for the neighbourhood at worst. I doubt there is a designer in the country who hasn’t been caught out by services at some point.

Make sure to take lots of photos, notes, and drawings. I’ve gotten into the habit of taking narrated videos in recent years. When I return to the office I disseminate all my data in written and plan form. If the brief is impacted I let the client know and record the change.

SEEK PROTECTION

Good gardens and landscapes are built on good soil and oftentimes when I visit sites, particularly where building is underway, one of the first things I do is seek protection for the existing landscape. By and large, Irish builders are atrocious at looking after soil. It is simply a medium to build on, or worse, it’s just dirt. Do whatever is required to protect the existing landscape, no matter whose nose you put out of joint. And undertake proper soil analysis. It is so important to understand what kind of soil you have and conditions be they
wet or dry that will impact on planting later. If the site has been top soiled, do some digging. You might find a cosmetic layer of screened soil covering a multitude of sins. Again, record your findings and communicate.

Other elements that might need protection include trees and mature plants. Builders love driving all over the garden and storing equipment and supplies under trees. It’s important to spoil their fun by restricting where they can go. Trees need to be fenced off in advance of works on site, and as much of the garden as you can reasonably negotiate with them should also be fenced off. This will reduce costs later as less damage will be done.

KEEPING IT REAL

Designers are a creative lot and can get lost in their own ideas, only to find later on that those ideas won’t translate.

As you design, it’s important to keep any restrictions in the back of your mind, and that’s apart from the budget. For instance, if there is no access to the back garden, then unless
you have a massive budget there is little point in designing something which involves moving large quantities of materials in or out. Better to work with what you have if possible. Constraints on a design can actually make it better. The last thing you want is to be trying to manage an unbuildable scheme.

GOING SOFT

Planting is one of the most challenging aspects of project management. Trying to manage your clients’ wish for an instant garden in the face of plant sizes, availability, budgets and planting timing causes more than a headache or two, particularly on extended or delayed works. It is vital to communicate with clients and stakeholders on planting to ensure they all understand the implications of any changes to original plans. While I personally prefer to do layouts in situ this is not always possible, and I find it increasingly important to have trustworthy and knowledgeable contractors who can be relied on to carry out works as instructed. Remember, it all comes back to you in the end.

Another issue with planting is substitutions. Some cheeky nurseries will make cultivar substitutions without communication. Thankfully they are in the minority and most will make suggestions first. Be sure you retain delivery dockets for your records and preferably buy on site so that when plants are delivered you can inspect and record them as delivered. You have little come back when they’re on the ground.

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

When detailing hard landscaping such as paving, make sure you know the dimensions and depths. Combining paving with different depths will not make you popular with your landscape construction team. Make sure too that your design is a multiple of the paving dimensions to avoid endless cutting. And unless you can really, really justify it as something vital in your design, don’t go for fancy angles in your paving that will involve each one being painstakingly cut. Look at local regulations to ensure your design is compliant.

Finally, when your design has been approved by the client, build it in your head. Go through each stage and think of the possible opportunities or pitfalls. There will always be something you have missed. During the construction phase, make sure you visit at key stages such as setting out, foundations and finishing. Record everything and demand changes to deviations from plans. Don’t be bullied by contractors.

THE RIGHT BUILDER

To avoid major headaches, find some good landscape contractors and build relationships with them. There are other options. It may be that the builder has a price in for site works and landscaping, and for simplicity, the client may want to use them. This can work, though there are not many horticulturists in the building profession so it can have drawbacks. Direct labour is another option, where specialists are brought in for each part of the job. This was easier to do in the past, but now contractors are so in demand that it can be difficult to make it work.

Whoever you are working with, communication is key. The best form of communication is your detailed drawings and specifications. Everything needs to be carefully detailed. It’s so easy to think that what is in your head has been successfully transferred to your contractor by the power of the spoken word, but that’s often not the case.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

A brilliantly designed garden can fall very flat if the build is not managed correctly. This is relatively straightforward for small jobs but can quickly spiral out of control for large
projects. Over the years I have learned that successful builds are based on the skills of a realistic designer, an experienced contractor and a reasonable client. If you are new to the game then I suggest you always use of a programme of works. Even if it is not stuck to rigidly, it will help provide a general structure to work to.

If there was an ideal schedule for building a garden it would be doing all the hard landscaping in the drier months and the planting in the autumn. This is optimum, ensuring less soil damage and also that the plants go in when the soil is still warm, thus establishing quicker and needing less maintenance. It’s what one might consider a sustainable approach.

Spring or summer plantings will need high maintenance and as part of the project management, this needs to be provided for by specifying irrigation in some form. On a minor scale, this could be as simple as making sure there is an outside tap, all the way up to installing an irrigation system. Regardless, sowing, turfing and planting are always the last jobs to be done.

AFTERCARE

Aftercare is often overlooked in project management but is critical to the creation of a great garden. I like to use a maintenance schedule where possible. Having said that, I will
forgo this when I’m working with a contractor or gardener who knows what they’re doing.

DUCKS IN A ROW

Project management is not rocket science but failure to attend to it will negatively impact the quality of your product, your bottom line, and your stress levels. Do yourself a huge
favor and get yourself organised. Find a system that works and stick to it. ✽

PATRICIA TYRRELL is a landscape architect, garden designer, horticulturist and gold medal winner. She can be contacted via her website at living-landscapes.com