01
Visit the garden when you would normally use it
Take a photo in the morning and one in the late afternoon. Mark where the sun reaches the seating and where the wind comes through. If you mostly eat outdoors in the evening, put the table where getting to it from the kitchen feels easy. Use the photos to decide where shade and privacy would make the biggest difference.
02
Watch where water goes
Show the landscape team any spots where irrigation leaves puddles or stains. Ask them to review levels around doors, paths and planted areas before choosing paving. Agree where irrigation and lighting will run and where they can be reached for maintenance. Installing a new line after the paving is finished may mean lifting work you have just paid for.
03
Choose planting around the care you can give it
Ask a planting specialist what suits the light, soil, water supply and space available at maturity. Use that information to decide where you want shade, screening or something low along a path. If keeping the garden simple matters to you, ask what the proposed planting needs in the hottest months as well as when it first goes in.
04
Get the built elements checked early
Tell the community team about any fixed pergola, raised deck or change near a boundary. Ask which documents are needed for the scope before booking installation. Agree how the lights and irrigation will be demonstrated at handover, and keep a note of where the lines are before adding pots, furniture or more planting later.