Garden Design Client Testimonials

Ken has been intuitive and instinctively understood our needs, wants and expectations. He has worked tirelessly, gone above and beyond duty to facilitate the enhancements and improvements within the garden of our new home. His knowledge, expertise, attention to detail is combined with a passion for both hard and soft garden design. He has sourced and introduced us to landscapers and fabricators that he felt were suitable. He has also helped to select the companies most able to complete the project to a required standard. Ken is a rare breed in that he is able to create beauty but also combine this with practically in a way that very few people are able or willing to do. We cannot recommend him highly enough!

Ken was very easy to work with. He  is clearly very experienced. He listened to us patiently and delivered a design which is what we exactly wanted. Ken has good social skills and is very warm and friendly. We highly recommend him.

Ken has provided an excellent level of service. Ken was very quick to assume project management beyond his original remit resulting in an outstanding design.

I would recommend First Garden Design to anyone who wanted an excellent design with the best of service.

I'm very happy to recommend Ken Haken and First Garden Design. Of the three designers who came to quote for the job, Ken was the only one who seemed to grasp my vision for the garden, which had to allow for the needs of my disabled husband and include a pergola!

The 80-foot garden we inherited when we moved in was very inadequate, with dangerous, poorly made steps and patio, a haphazard edging of mixed shrubs, and the rest covered in gravel or hardstanding with a jungle of seasonal weeds, all surrounded by a cheap, failing fence.

Ken's experience and profession approach were clear from the beginning, and his enthusiasm for his work was inspiring. He was always happy to answer my many questions and made helpful suggestions as well as recommendations for achieving a beautiful, quality result, for example the stunning sandstone for our large split-level patio. He thought out every detail, having particular concern for husband's safety and comfort.

When I realised that my original budget would not get us the garden I wanted, Ken came up with a second plan that had a true wow factor with its curving lines and range of colourful shrubs and climbers. He also took great trouble to find a landscaping firm that could work to his high standards for the best price (and we also saved some money by going for younger plants).

The end result is the envy of our neighbours on both sides, and I have a view out the kitchen window that gladdens my heart every day, come rain or shine.

I first heard of Ken via a gardener. My garden is fairly large, plain with a lot of sheds! Ken looked around, and spent a lot of time asking what the family’s main use of the garden would be, to make sure his design was just right. No small task.

Ken listened to everything and came up with the perfect design that fits all our needs. His time and commitment to our project has been wonderful and I would highly recommend Ken to do any project no matter how small, how big, how simple or complicated – you will not be disappointed. I can't wait for the Landscaper to start.

Our experience of using First Garden Design began by going a search engine on the web for a suitable garden designer in our area. Ken then contacted us by telephone, and arranged to visit us in our home to discuss our specific requirements. We found the first meeting with Ken to be very extremely informative and various options were explained on how we could move forward.

A design was finalised which met our requirements and a full set of drawings and specifications were handed over, so that we could proceed with getting quotes from suitable landscape contractors. Overall, our experience of using First Garden Design was very positive and we would be happy to recommend them to others looking to have their gardens redesigned.

We would like to thank you for designing our dream garden. Your knowledge, care, and attention to detail in every aspect of the design and planning through to overseeing the project has been invaluable.

The end result is a garden that gives us so much joy. We are barbecuing and dining under the pergola, playing games on the lawn, or just sitting and enjoying the view. The plants and all the design features especially the beautiful raised beds and perfect.

The garden has become a seamless and complementary extension of our house and is a very versatile and usable space.

We sincerely thank you for all your hard work, patience, and due diligence in seeing the project through to successful completion. We love our garden and are so happy with the end result.

We approached First Garden Design to design, construct and plant our garden in Launton.

From the outset it was obvious to us we had picked the right company and person to do this work. 

The attention to detail, design, programme and budget was first class. Ken could not have been more helpful. The design took into account all our aspirations and the finished article is excellent. We are really pleased with the outcome and now enjoy our garden.

We would recommend First Garden Design and Ken to anyone who wants a painless first class design and garden.

Ken visited our home to discuss the garden that we wanted to create. We found him very personable; he listened to what we wanted, asked lots of questions about what we used the garden for, those who lived within the household and what we really wanted once the garden was finished. He put forward lots of ideas for designs and was clearly very knowledgeable about the different types of materials and the plants that would go in our garden the best.

Ken was then able to produce a mock up of what our garden would look like and it was absolutely outstanding! The detail that was obtained was incredible and we really felt as if we were walking around it. We were very excited to say the least.
Overall, we would like to thank Ken for his expertise and passion that he put into the design for our garden.

We wanted to restructure our garden and had a vague vision, but no detailed plan. We found Ken by chance and were delighted we did!! We needed help to get the best out of our garden and to give us the confidence to get rid of some established trees which were limiting our options. Firstly, Ken is a very approachable, down to earth man. He is clearly creative and interested in garden design. He has a very methodological process to ascertain what his clients are actually after. We each had to complete questionnaires to gauge our likes / dislikes and give Ken some insight to our personalities and design styles. We were also encouraged to create some design / mood boards from magazine cut outs etc. Ken then undertook a very detailed survey of the garden topography. Following further discussions,

Ken then took everything away and came back with some detailed first proposals for the garden. Once these had been tweaked to our satisfaction, Ken produced some beautiful coloured and scaled plans for the final design. This really enabled us to visualise the final outcome. Ken also kept out budget in mind throughout the design process and provided detailed costs for all the components suggested and possible suppliers. Ken also has good knowledge and suggestion for planting schemes.

Our garden is now completed and maturing beautifully. We would have no hesitation in recommending Ken. He has excellent ideas, is hard working, has a transparent fee structure and seeks to delight his clients. We have had loads of compliments on our garden. Thank you Ken!

Dear Ken Re Garden Design This is just a quick note to let you know how pleased both my wife and I were with your design to our garden. Not only did you express our wishes perfectly, you also gave us some innovative and fresh ideas that we were more than happy to incorporate.

Your finished drawings and design pictures were first class, far above anything we’d seen from anyone else, and gave a realistic feel to what our finished garden will look like.