It is important to make a distinction between billed time and real time. Real time is the actual time elapsed between the start and completion of a design, regardless whether a designer is actually working on the project. Billed time is the time the designer is working on your project and hence the time for which a you, the customer is billed. For various reasons, real time is almost always much longer than billed time.

• I often simultaneously work on multiple designs. Since garden and landscape design, like any other type of design, is a creative process, I may alternate my time between various projects so as to retain inspiration and creative interest.

• During the design process, I am in frequent contact with the customer. Customers often contact me to add constraints or new requests to a design. Similarly, customers always need some time to evaluate and think about suggestions made by me or to make decisions concerning critical design elements. For instance, customers invariably need some time to think about the conceptual designs before the project can start the final design phase.

• In some cases the design process cannot continue until information concerning local building codes and/or construction ordinances has been collected.

  

• Quite a few design projects are phased. Often, customers have their garden design phased in several stages and sometimes they want to see all phases completed before they start inplementation of the plans.

• Winter is a good season for design; customers who have their designs finished by spring have a whole growing season available for implementation and enjoyment of their new landscape.

• Surveying. The designer must have good insight into factors such as direction (North, South, etc.), slope, elevation, lot size and shape, easements, drainage and light and wind conditions. In-situ surveying provides the best means to acquire this insight for the lot under design. Although existing surveys; for example conducted as part of a mortgage or construction agreement, provide a lot of this information, it is often necessary to survey the site for surrounding structures, growth, noise or other encumbrances (a row of trees in the neighbor's yard, or indeed the neighbor's property itself are not usually represented on a standard survey).
  

  In case of an on-site design, Nova Garden Design will conduct a simple survey using instruments such as levels, really long tape measures or a measuring wheel.

  In case of an off-site design, an in-situ survey cannot be conducted. In such cases, the designer will request plot plans, photographs, sketches or other materials or may even ask the customer to conduct a few, simple measurements him or herself.

• Creative Process. Based on a customer's wishes and desires, site conditions and time and budget constraints, the designer develops a series of conceptual plans. These plans represent different ideas and approaches toward the new garden or landscape. They serve as tryouts of ideas and wishes discussed in earlier phases and offer the customer insight into alternative designs that would suit their lot.

• Final Design. Once decisions have been made concerning the options and solutions offered in the conceptual designs, the designer develops a complete and final design. This design implements all options selected by the customer and contains specifications of all required plants (species, sizes and numbers, placings, use in the design and a set of maintenance guidelines (optional)). Any required hardscape elements paths, mowing strips, ponds, decks, patio's, etc. are also included.

• Continued Support. I realize that customers often need advice and information after a design has been completed. This could include additional explanation of certain design elements, advice on alternative plant species if specified species are unavailable--despite my attempts to use locally or regionally available species, availability is not guaranteed, or even some occasional advice on new design elements or changes to a design a customer is considering introducing. Indeed, as Nova Garden Design is dedicated to its customers' satisfaction, I encourage customers to continue to ask questions. Naturally, in those cases where the requested information implies significant additional work, charges will apply. However, I will advice a customer about such charges before any such cost are incurred.