Michael Read
Creative Planting Design
At his secluded Design Studio, deep in the Norfolk countryside, at the Perfect Plantings Nursery, plantsman & designer Mike Read, creates stunning bespoke planting layouts for his clients
Ranging from modern naturalistic or prairie style planting, cool contemporary styles
to city courtyards, new build houses, revamped gardens & large country homes.
Specialists in Modern Naturalistic Style Planting
The Look
Incorporating a contemporary, wildlife friendly & ecological-nature inspired style of garden planting.
Using a carefully determined tapestry of grasses & herbaceous perennials artistically combining them to introduce both lush form, seemingly random structure, & fluid texture.
These plantings develop through the seasons lasting long after more showy plants have collapsed, with subtle hues & tones, long lasting flowerheads & skeletal form.
To expand the look further the plantings can then be extended with mini coppices/groupings & singular additions of shrubs & trees set out in a natural style providing further structure & height.
Where
This style can be incorporated into urban-city planting projects , smaller city or town gardens, patio & container areas, driveway entrances, & stylish front gardens.
These effects also suit clients larger country estate gardens imaginatively.
Maintenance
by its very design the natural maintenance aspects with these plantings can be lower each year & restricted to set times for an annual prune, chop-back, tidy and evaluation.
There is no such thing as a non-maintenance garden, but with the addition of planting methods, mulches & groundcover fabrics, much ongoing toil can be avoided.
We are also in the process of developing a 'Matrix' planting system- please contact for details
History
Attending Easton "Norfolk's College of the Countryside'
1992-93 earning a National Certificate in Landscape Design, Construction & Horticulture at Distinction level.
Mike went on to establish his own Landscape design and construction company creating many projects across Norfolk & Suffolk, gaining experience in differing garden styles and requirements.
Experience
"In-depth knowledge of planting design develops with years of experience, I have been incorporating schemes of grasses & perennials into planting layouts increasingly over the years as I started to recognise their potential to beautify, enhance & reduce maintenance in a garden"
Mike has created many specialist areas such as school sensory gardens, bog gardens, winter interest borders, seaside plots, gravel gardens, mediterranean styles, & more.
How we work through the design process with you
1. Your Enquiry
Once you contact us to create a planting Design, Mike will discuss the details with you via an initial phone conversation about your enquiry, then arrange a visit for a garden consultation at a convenient date & time
Your gardens style will be reviewed followed by an in-depth discussion of your requirements gathering as much info with a design checklist discovering your likes/dislikes for your garden, & much more, plus Mike will offer experienced advice on all planting issues and also show you past projects in his portfolio.
you can also utilise our online service via Email & Phone consultation UK wide, for those who live further away.
2. Design Commission
We will then provide you with a listed specification of the design work that will be carried out along with a fixed price quotation for the commission of the planting design work on your garden.
The type of design service & all the layouts are totally bespoke & individually tailored to you, the client’s requirements, the limitations, aspects & style of the site.
'Right Plant-Right Place" is our ethos Your plants are carefully chosen for the soil & site.
The eventual size & spread of plants is taken into account to save those outgrowing their allotted spaces.
3. Show Awards
Mikes Border creations have won many Gold & Silver Medals at Major events, such as the Royal Norfolk Show, The Royal Sandringham Flower show, & Gardeners World Live to name a few, so you know you are in safe hands.
He has designed countless Gardens and Borders for many satisfied clients in both East Anglia, and across the UK even reaching right up into the windswept Scottish Island of Stornaway ! so distance is no object!
The individual planting layouts illustrate his design philosophy of strong structural & base foliage colours, woven with a tapestry of ever changing flower colours.
All year-round interest in its many forms & low maintenance aspects are taken into account.
4. You will receive
A classy portfolio folder containing full colour, to scale layout plans of your borders, showing the placing and spacing of the plants used in the design. plus laminated copies to use outside when setting out, & black & white copies to make notes on. This means you will be able to keep & store your plans & Information for future reference as the planting matures
A simple to follow guide on setting the area out, & the preparation of the planting area to ensure long term success or a quotation on the preparation & creation of your borders. We also offer a setting out service, where we will deliver and place your plants where they need to go in the design.
A list showing all the plant varieties and quantities required for the border layouts plus a quotation for the supply & delivery of all plants in your design.
ongoing aftercare advice via email or phone.
Planting Design Price Menu
Initial Garden
Consultation Fee
After an brief telephone conversation
we can arrange an onsite consultation
this Includes an hour long visit
in your garden
Distance up to 20 Miles £95
Over 20 Miles £185
above 1hr visit & further travel distance then
priced for individual location.
Online consultation also available via email & phone
Small Gardens, Borders, Courtyards etc
The minimum design fee is £195 to commission any project up to 20 sq metres
This includes full colour, scale layout plans in a portfolio folder.
Preparation & Setting out guide
Plant list of varieties & qtys
Quotation for the supply & delivery of plants in your design
We also offer a delivery & setting out service - priced per project
Larger Garden Projects & Borders
For larger areas over 25 Sq M
upwards we quote a fixed price fee depending on the total area,
the complexities & individual details of the project,
we tailor our service to the individual requirements of each customer.
We also split the fees for the Design commission through the stages of the project.
Matrix Planting Schemes
We are also in the process of developing a 'Matrix' planting system-
This is where we offer a list of plant varieties & quantities to fill a set area of square metres evenly spaced, often with key focal points marked out on a very simple plan but a very fluid natural layout for the Matrix style planting.
This system can be tailored for specific conditions
Shade to Dry Shade
Hot dry Sites or Moist soils
Prairie style Planting effects
Pollinators attractive
What you get for your money...
"A professional planting designer will create a planting adding value to both your property & lifestyle, combining vision, experience & discipline utilising the latest techniques bringing to fruition a complete design taking into account soil structure & types, environmental & wildlife requirements, whilst future proofing against climate change "
"I look forward to helping you with your gardens planting " Mike Read
A portfolio of past projects
Development & Climate Change
The last 8 years at the nursery have shown us first-hand the effects our rapidly changing climate is having on the varieties we can grow.
We trial varieties that cope better with soaring temps, long dry spells & constant winter wet, sadly discarding those from our range that are having long term problems with our climate. This process will continue unabated.
Mikes Planting Message
"Experience designing & working with plants only develops with time.
We build on our knowledge with each new project, researching & visiting top gardens for inspiration & Ideas"
We have close ties with the very best growers in the UK plus selecting, growing and handling the plants at our own custom designed nursery"
Our Planting Design Ethos
" A gardens planting is a moment in time, but not frozen in its time, the plants will constantly evolve & mature and fill out through each season, each year "
Each new season will be different, something new to experience. Our planting designs take this into account, giving your gardens planting longevity
What Past clients have to say
Reviews from clients who have utilised our planting design service
"The Prairie areas in my garden are stunning, so many varieties of grasses & perennials I have never heard of, yet have been a delight and so easy to maintain, colour right through the year & great winter structure would heartily recommend your planning services"
Mrs A White
"We are very pleased with our new border, it gives a lovely display in the summer months & the grasses give something of interest in the winter months, especially with the frost on them. The whole process from first enquiry to plant delivery was simple & thorough, following the plans was simple & enjoyable"
Mr B Hughes
"Our new parterre borders look great at the entrance to our Rectory, they really enhance the approach to the property
many thanks for all the time & care taken in the planning process"
Mrs J Davidson
"My new borders in my back garden have been a delight, they have filled out quickly even with the hot weather. lots of colour now even right into the Autumn months, looking forward to how it will fill out over the next year or so"
Miss J Jameson
Elevate your garden with our bespoke, Gold Medal winning planting design services. Contact us today to begin.
Get in touch ! I’d love to hear about your garden & the planting you’re hoping to create, I look forward to hearing from you . Mike Read.
Contact Info
07981396334
borderdesign@perfectplantings.co.uk
Address
Perfect Plantings Nursery, Woodforde Farm, Weston Green Rd, Weston Longville, Norwich NR9 5LG, UK