Site Appraisal

Question 1

Climatic conditions to record

Answer 1

Aspect
Prevailing wind
Wind tunnels
Exposure - is there any shelter on site
Salt spray
Microclimates - where the topography creates unexpected climatic conditions
Frost pockets
Sun traps and heavy shade
Precipitation
Altitude

Question 2

Totography and soil conditions

Answer 2

Soil type 
       pH
       Texture
       Depth of soil
       Nutrients
       Bonfire
       Rubbish tips
       Compaction
Topography
       Levels and extent of slopes
       Contours
       Drainage
       Water table
       Streams and ponds
       Liability to flooding

Question 3

Physical features

Answer 3

Style if house

Drain covers, drain pipes, wells, telegraph poles, overhead wires, services and pipelines, damp course

Question 4

Other things to record

Answer 4

Existing features
Views from borrowed landscapes, eyesores to screen.
Desire lines
Access for machinery and materials. Secure storage
Boundaries - type, ownership, roads, paths, rights of way, disputes
Position of doors and windows
Vandalism, pets, pests and disease
Walls - colour, type, structural integrity.

Question 5

Existing plants

Answer 5

TPOs
Roots
Canopy
Shade
Retention
Neighbouring trees and hedges that cast shade
Perennial weeds, poisonous and hazardous plants.

Question 6

Client brief - factors to consider

Answer 6

Budget
Client requirements - provision for pets, children, utilities
Clients likes and dislikes - plants, features, styles.
Choice of materials and plants
Is a schedule of works and/or spec required, are you the clerk of works
Timing of operations - turfing v seeding, bare roots v containers, lifting and division of existing plants.
Maintenance and aftercare.
Is the garden to be built in one go or staged. - put in framework first