Design

New beginnings

The design of a new garden with us begins with a conversation. Once we get a call, we proceed to an on-site visit with a site analysis and a comprehensive questionnaire in order to best understand what you wish to achieve with your garden, and how you intend to use it. If you’re not quite sure what exactly you want, these questions will help open up a world of possibilities you may not have considered.

Each step of the way, we want you to be as involved as you feel comfortable with in order to achieve the type of garden that will serve you best for many years to come.

technical drawing of bespoke tree planting plan, with evergreen oaks, japanese maples and large evergreen shrubs

The Design Process

  • With our first conversation we aim to establish in a broad sense what you are looking for, as well as any specifics you demand.

  • If you are happy to proceed, we carry out a visit with a site analysis, a more detailed conversation and a questionnaire to be best informed on how to provide the right garden for you. At this point, we can provide you with a rough estimate of cost.

  • Taking into account all details and notes, we proceed to creating a mood board with appropriate sketches and planting plans. This process can be repeated as needed upon your review of plans.

  • Upon agreement of deliverables, we create full technical drawings and a comprehensive planting plan with exact pricing.

  • Once you are completely satisfied with all aspects of the plan, we will get to work creating your new garden!

Bespoke & Thematic Planting Plans

Overview

We design planting plans to suit a specific vision you may have, or create a garden based on any desired theme or concept.

Whether you want low maintenance, highly manicured and formal, a huge sea of colour each summer, a cosy enclosed place for outdoor dining, just one perfect tree in the middle of your lawn, or anything else at all; don’t hesitate to contact us, we would love to hear your ideas!

For any aesthetic, function and taste; there is a perfect garden awaiting.

Some of the themes we suggest:

  • A minimalist garden can be of any style. Bold and clean looks can be achieved with mass planting and limiting variation. Maintenance is often simplified.

  • Plant species and pruning practices typically seen in Japan can be utilised with great success in Ireland due to our mild climate. Acer palmatum, Hakonechloa macra, various flowering cherries and Rhododendrons can all be used to create an exotic green haven wherever you desire.

  • Native and carefully selected naturalised plant species can be arranged to create a beautiful garden that provides for your local wildlife as well as you throughout all seasons.

  • From fruiting trees, shrubs and vines, medicinal shrubs and herbs, pollinator friendly plants and provision of space for annual crops. There is no shortage of plants to choose from to make any size garden as bountiful and productive as possible.

Alpine

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Herbaceous

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Formal

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Topiary

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Cottage

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Arboretum

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Replications

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Shade garden

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Functional

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Modern

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Forest Garden

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Alpine 〰️ Herbaceous 〰️ Formal 〰️ Topiary 〰️ Cottage 〰️ Arboretum 〰️ Replications 〰️ Shade garden 〰️ Functional 〰️ Modern 〰️ Forest Garden 〰️

Endless Possibilities

Seasonal Maintenance Packages

apple tree flower buds in spring
  • Herbaceous perennial division

  • Planting bulbs

  • Planting frost tender plants

  • Coppicing & pollarding

Spring

colourful section of herbaceous boarder in national botanical gardens in Dublin
  • Chemical weed control

  • Formative pruning for vigorous plants

  • Planting frost tender plants

  • Pesticide treatments

  • Fertiliser & biostimulant treatments

Summer

golden yellow autumn leaves on street trees, require cleanup
large Portuguese laurel hedging rootballs in nursery in winter with frosty leaves
  • Pruning evergreens for winter

  • Leaf and debris cleanup

  • Planting bareroot & rootballed plants

  • Edging and mulching for winter

Autumn

Winter

  • Deciduous plant pruning

  • Leaf and debris cleanup

  • Manual weed control

  • Planting bareroot & rootballed plants

Note seasonal task lists are non-exhaustive and many tasks can be done in multiple seasons

Certain practices such manual weed control, mulching, edging, pruning dead and decaying wood from trees and shrubs can be done year round. Many tasks however are best left for a specific season; most notably pruning, which is a different time depending on the plant and type of pruning practice.

Note that planting work can generally be done year round with the exception of certain plants. The best time will be when bareroot and rootballed plants are available, from autumn to early spring.

Contact to pre-book seasonal maintenance work and avoid waiting when work needs to be done

Plants

Plant Sourcing

At Greenpoint we work closely with trusted nursery stock suppliers to secure quality, healthy plants. We supply all plants for projects to ensure quality is up to standard.

If you have any specific or special plant of any size in mind that you wish to have in your garden, please contact us and we will do all we can to procure it for you.

hebe sutherlandii shrub container grown in nursery with wood chip bark mulch
Elaeagnus ebbingei container grown hedging in polytunnel

The Planting Process

We take every care to carry out the required planting process; involving soil preparation, establishing a proper planting pit, and rootball preparation in order to achieve the highest success rate and minimise issues.

A large proportion of planting success can be due to after care.

We offer post-planting check-ups and provide detailed after care instructions to ensure the success of your new plants.

Sizes & Forms

The bulk of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, grasses, ferns and climbers are container grown, and sold anywhere from 3-60cm tall for planting; and can be successfully planted year-round.

Larger specimen plants such as large shrubs or small growing trees, vines and conifers can be sold in a wide range of container sizes, and can generally be as large as requested at the time of planting.

Note that a plant will reach the same ultimate size regardless of the size at time of planting. The main differences are how immediate an effect you desire at time of planting, and the cost.

The size of trees when bought, depending on species, can range from 1m tall to 5m+ tall, with a variety of stem girths (the preferred marker of maturity and cost).

Whatever initial size at time of planting you desire, we can arrange.

We plant complete new gardens, can replace tired old plants, and could also plant one single specimen if needed

Weed Control

Weeds are an unsightly issue year round that can also compete with your garden plants for resources: water, nutrients and light; leading to an untidy scraggly looking garden.

We are registered professional pesticide/agrochemical users, and offer a range of methods for tackling weeds.

  • Also called hand weeding, unwanted plants are removed by and or with tools. Often the simplest method is the most effective.

  • Bark mulch, compost or decorative stones can be added or topped up where possible to prevent weeds from occurring. Weed barriers may also be used, biodegradable options are preferable.

  • Well planned garden design and plant spacing with the right plant selection can be used to leave no space for weeds to thrive.

  • Chemical weed control methods are the most effective where very large areas are concerned and where there is little risk of damaging plants. Preventative residual treatments are available for long lasting results.

Dandelion seed head in wind spreading seeds, requires weeding work spraying weed control service

Pruning

From small herbaceous perennials to grand old trees and everything in between. Most garden plants will benefit greatly from properly timed, plant specific pruning; and many may just require some every now and again to maintain proper health and form.

There are many things to keep in mind when it comes to pruning. One of the most important being when not to, to ensure perfectly healthy plants are not butchered.

If any plants on your property fit the description of tired/old, misshapen, scraggly, overgrown, stunted; or perhaps they have dead/diseased portions, appear top heavy with no leaves/growth in places that should have it; or appear off in any other way: let us know about it, we are confident we can find a solution.

If none of these descriptions sound familiar, let us know before they do!

*Greenpoint does not currently undertake tasks that require trained arborists such as felling or surgery of large trees.

large deciduous beech hedging Carpinus betulus, well trimmed with archway leading to home