Garden Design Company in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
Garden design that starts from what the ground can take, what the budget can deliver, and what will still look right in ten years.
Design grounded in construction
Many garden designs look impressive on paper but are difficult or expensive to build properly. At Carmen Landscapes, design is led by Craig Carmen, someone who has spent 21 years turning designs into physical spaces. That background shapes every proposal: levels are set to what drainage will support, materials are selected for how they perform as well as how they look, and features like pools or ponds are sized and positioned with the engineering in mind.
We can work from an existing brief or produce initial proposals ourselves based on your priorities. The design process involves a site visit, a discussion of how you want to use the space, and a return visit or drawings once we've had time to consider the possibilities properly.
Our design strength is in the structural elements: hard landscaping, levels, water features, pools, retaining structures, timber features. For detailed planting schemes we work with specialist planters.
What garden design covers
- • Site survey and level assessment
- • Concept proposals and layout drawings
- • Material and feature specification
- • Pool, pond and water feature positioning
- • Levels, drainage and groundworks planning
- • Structural and construction sequencing
Which areas do you cover for garden design services?
We're based in Walton-on-Thames and work across North Surrey and the wider county. Garden design in Weybridge, Hersham, Esher, Cobham, East Molesey, Shepperton, Sunbury-on-Thames, Hampton, Kingston upon Thames, Leatherhead and Woking — all within our normal working area.
Site visits are free and carry no obligation. If you're outside these towns but still in Surrey, ask — we'll tell you straight whether it's a job we can take on.
Do you design complete garden renovations as well?
Yes. Most of our work is complete garden renovation rather than design alone: a full landscape construction job from groundworks up. Complete garden renovations in Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge and Leatherhead make up a large part of what we do, and landscape construction in Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton is our home ground.
We build every element ourselves — groundworks, drainage, patios, driveways, walls, decking, pools and ponds. We don't subcontract the parts that matter, and we don't do garden maintenance or mowing. See our project gallery for examples, and read what homeowners say on our reviews page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer garden design as a standalone service?
Yes. We can design a garden and provide plans without committing to a build. Most clients prefer to combine design and construction with us so the design is led by what's actually buildable.
What information do you need to start a design?
A site visit is always the starting point. We need to understand the space, the ground conditions, your priorities and your budget. We'll take measurements and photos and come back to you with proposals.
Can you design a garden that includes a swimming pool or pond?
Yes. Pool and pond design is something we know well from building them: we understand filtration, structural requirements and the space needed for plant and equipment.
How do you charge for garden design?
Design fees depend on the scope. We'll discuss this at the initial visit. For combined design-and-build projects the design cost is often rolled into the overall quotation.
Will you work to a fixed planting scheme or is the design flexible?
Carmen Landscapes focuses on the structural and hard landscaping elements. We work alongside specialist planters where a detailed planting scheme is needed.
Related Services & Areas
Ready to start your project?
Describe what you have in mind and we'll come out to take a look, with no obligation.