View our genuine client testimonials below
David led us through a complete garden renovation. We were delighted by his designs, planting concepts and by his support through the process. A major garden redesign is a big undertaking, we would not consider doing another project without David.
We had envisioned a garden inspired by Indonesian aesthetics, and David not only brought our vision to life, but also surpassed our wildest expectations. His meticulous attention to detail and valuable recommendations for landscapers and materials guaranteed a garden of exceptional quality. He provided us with comprehensive plans and a 3D model that
allowed us to completely visualise the garden's eventual appearance. His expertise in plants was fascinating, and his regular visits ensured that everything was executed according to the plans.
Testimonial
For many years we had tried different designs for the front garden which would incorporate off-road parking and planting that could withstand north facing shady conditions. We had spoken to a couple of other garden design companies when we found David’s site and what particularly resonated were the comments from previous clients about
how he listened to them and seemed to understand what they were trying to achieve. We found that was absolutely true and from the beginning to the end of the process David listened and addressed any ideas or concerns we had. With his experience, knowledge and access to high quality landscapers and artisans the 3-dimensional images we loved were made a reality and we have the beautiful and functional space we always wanted. We cannot wait to see the plants come into their full glory over the coming years and would not hesitate to recommend David for a collaborative and positive experience.
Bo and Richard
David has designed us the most amazing garden and we couldn't be more delighted with the outcome.
Not having much gardening experience ourselves, David has been brilliant at guiding us through this whole process.
David designed the garden perfectly to suit our individual taste whilst using his expert knowledge to incorporate amazing plants and features
we would have never of thought about on our own.
David's expertise was not only crucial during the design process but he is helping us source the materials and plants to bring his designs to fruition. Without his expert guidance and invaluable knowledge in this department we would not have known where to start!
Thank you David for all you have done so far and for making what we felt like would be a very daunting and arduous task into a seamless and exciting project form start to finish.
Paul & Eleanor.
David has recently offered a full garden design service. He has been fantastic to work for and has incorporated all our ideas. His scope of service is great and he ensures the landscape team that will eventually carry out the work are of the highest quality. We had a number of quotes but David’s designs were second to none and really worth the money.
I can highly recommend David.
Following a complete renovation of our 17th-century cottage, we decided to do the same with the gardens, front and back, and we’ve been working with David now for a couple of years, and David has been wonderfully patient with our slow progress!
The front garden is on a lane, and north-facing so is quite a challenge; the back garden is a large area
bordering on to fields. David's designs have been exceptional and it’s a pleasure working with him. He initially spent time listening to what we wanted to achieve and creatively added his ideas and extensive experience and knowledge, which has resulted in wonderful spaces for us to enjoy, and which complement and reflect the landscape that the gardens sit within.
We would never have been able to come up with the ideas he had. The finished front garden is gorgeous and we’ve had loads of positive comments from neighbours and passers-by. The garden to the rear of the house is an ongoing project which is coming on nicely.
David’s knowledge of plants and materials and his vision for how spaces will work is fantastic.
We definitely recommend him, he’s made our garden renovation journey very special.
Thank you David, see you soon!
When I bought my house, I had a garden that was just an empty square piece of lawn, with the hope of creating a garden that I loved with different areas to enjoy. David was the right person for this challenge. He was friendly, professional, listened and had an inspirational wealth of knowledge. David's processes and journey in designing my garden were
seamless and completely I felt a part of the journey throughout, with the right balance of discussion and challenge...P.S David was right! Once the design was complete David was with the project every step of the way with a recommended landscaper that has delivered our amazing garden.
David’s creative mind, ‘challenging the norm’ approach and attention to detail delivered us a truly magnificent redesign of our garden. He was keen to take us on his creative journey in reimagining our outdoor space so that we could capitalise on the plot and how the garden could seamlessly flow from inside out. Finishing touches such as planters
and pots and furniture ideas were not out of scope and cemented the final look and feel of the garden. David turned up when he said he would and was flexible in working around our work and childcare commitments which is always an added bonus. Our thanks David and we highly recommend him to create your little garden paradise
Positive: Professionalism, Punctuality, Quality, Responsiveness, Value.
We feel very lucky to have found such a personable, professional, landscape designer. David spent a great deal of time getting to know us and to understand what we were trying to achieve, in the 3 very different areas that we were looking to landscape. This allowed us to discuss
many ideas which David collated into mood books, prior to presenting his final detailed designs. The calibre of his 3D imagery, detailed drawings, planting schemes and groundwork specifications, were exceptional. He has produced the highest quality work that far exceeded our expectations. He interfaced seamlessly with other contractors and professionals that have been working onsite during the design & implementation process.. We cannot recommend David highly enough. When we commissioned him, we had no idea of the numerous awards and accolades that he has achieved throughout his career, but having seen first-hand how he works and his outstanding designs, we can fully understand why he has been so recognised by his peers and the Landscape Design fraternity.
David is a designer who listens and interprets your ideas into the garden plan. I liked his awareness of the natural surroundings of the house and the desire to make the garden blend with the landscape. Some novel ideas which I adore and lifted the scheme to a spectacular vision.
I have already recommended him to other people near me, and I can’t
wait to see the finished project
"We bought our home over 12 years ago and knew it was a long term project, as we have a lot of land on a challenging slope.
As passionate gardeners my wife and I had always dreamed of the day when we could finally have a garden to enjoy and be proud of yet not a clue how to achieve it.
Like most people we searched on-line and came across David
Keegan, with so much emotional and financial investment at stake it was crucial to get someone who shared our vision and joined us on our journey.
We needn’t of worried as from the very first meeting David understood our passion and what we were trying to achieve. What started as only one part of the garden soon developed into a project to fully explore the full potential of the space, a vision David was keen to share. A vision that we fell in love with!
David is not only part of our long term and ongoing project for the garden but a friend who shares with us the joy of the garden as it has developed.
We cannot thank David enough for turning a sad depressing and useless space into a garden we are so proud of and enjoy on a daily basis.
We look forward to continuing our journey with David! We can have a break but trees on slope next! That’s for next year! Lots of love."
"When I searched the internet to find a garden designer for my new house, I came across David's work for the local council and saw the finished end product and I very much liked what I saw. However, it was not just the garden but what the people wrote about the design process and the project from the start to the end that made me contact him and ask
if he would be interested to do a project on a smaller scale. I am so glad he was interested.
My new garden is exactly what I needed and this is a result of David's skills to listen to the client and then transform this into a unique design. He was very clear about the design process, he is an excellent communicator and remained very involved throughout the whole project. David has chosen excellent allied professionals to work with him such as David the designer of my front garden rails and the landscaping team led by Kris, a team that will go the extra mile through storms and snow.
I am amazed every day now how the garden in evolving, it is due to David's vision and he continues to think about his projects and how he can make them even more perfect and beautiful.
David is an excellent storyteller and continues to be very curious about his clients and transforms all of this into your garden project.
My garden is a story from start to finish that has been beautifully designed, executed and is exactly what I wanted and needed to enrich my daily living"
"Having moved to Pear Tree Cottage over 5 years ago myself and my partner decided we would extend the property to give us a new lounge and master bedroom to take advantage of the superb views over to Mow Cop in Cheshire We worked tirelessly with Architects and I was very clear on what I wanted to achieve when it came to the house layout and design.
After 12 months of refused permissions and several iterations to the plans we finally got the permission granted to allow us to proceed with the building works.
The garden was to be worked on at a later stage once the building was almost complete. Before we have always had a very standard and fairly bland garden. It was a real mess to start with but over 5 years we had made it our own with some pretty planting, baskets, and a new fence and gazebo giving a place to dine outside. I had also built a fish pond to start my new hobby of keeping Koi Carp - the only place was out of sight at the far end of the garden. My hobby had taken off with the fish and I wanted to keep them.
The new house was going to have quite a wow factor and the garden really didn't match up at all now - the temptation to do a lawn and flower beds needed to be quashed.
I decided I needed help - I couldn't visualise the garden at all so started to search for a designer. After trawling websites I found David Keegan. He had won awards and really told a story of how he has helped design and bring other gardens to life. I made contact by email initially and David took it from there.
My brief was vague to start with ...... Fish pond had to stay ..... we wanted a dining area.... and we needed to garden to be safe for Teddy and private for us. I also mentioned the idea of a hot tub for my partner but could not really visualise how all of this would come together. I also wanted something that would mature well and be easy to maintain.
David's first site visit was to take the brief. His consultative approach was a pleasant surprise as I expected the garden design process to mirror the perfunctory approach we had experienced with the architects. He took time to fully appreciate how we would be using each room in the house and what we wanted to achieve with the extension. David spent time detailing how we would want to use the garden and what is important to us.
David took me through endless photos and watched carefully my reactions and responses and then went away to come up with his first plans. David had magically included all of my 'wants' into a garden that flowed and complimented the house perfectly.
There were trees! Lots of them! I was worried there would be too many at first but as the house became more interesting after the building works then the garden needed structure, texture, and new dimensions. It was morphing on paper!. There was a hot tub and areas to sit and relax. The garden was also safe for our dog - a key point that had been taken on board. The most exciting aspect for me was the pond! I would be able to see the fish from the lounge!
David pushed the boundaries and made us be much more daring. He realised that the house was being done to a high specification and the garden needed to match. What we now have is a garden that is worthy of an award and will only improve with the years
David has a great personality and his passion is clear and I have to say infectious. The garden design became as important as the house design and wow .... it has paid off. The garden is now a place to relax and enjoy ourselves. We have had endless compliments and take great pride in what has been achieved. We owe our thanks to David for this.
A true professional and someone we would recommend in a heartbeat."
It's hard to express how thrilled I am with the garden you have created for us. When I was first thinking about a garden makeover, I looked at a few websites and nothing inspired me, but as soon as I saw your website and the images of the gardens you have made, I absolutely knew you were the man for the job. I had no idea what we wanted exactly - as
I remember it, the only firm part of the brief was to provide a decking or patio to eat outside and to maintain a slope for the aquaslide (summer) and sledging activities (winter)!! Oh, and a vegetable garden for my daughter. But you managed to figure it out and your design fulfils - and exceeds - all our hopes and wishes.
When I first contacted you, I had no idea about the cost of re- designing a garden, and after our initial consultations, we agreed a larger budget than we had originally supposed. Money well spent - it has been worth every penny and in fact, looking at the complete transformation now, we got a lot for our money.
The planting is just beautiful - everything has come on so well so quickly and the plants are all incredibly healthy. You planted last October, and frankly I had no idea what it was all going to look like (even though you gave me a detailed planting scheme with lots of Latin names), so when spring came and everything started to grow and bloom, it was like Christmas as each variety opened and flowered. The first sign of a tiny pink bud on that camellia near the willow fencing was such a treat - I think that was the first show we had - it was so exciting.
You have even turned me into a gardener - well, tidying up and weeding at the moment - I will continue to rely on you for expert advice! My father tried to give me some primroses (or primulas?) the other day - I said I had to wait and see if you said they could go in and if so where!!!
Sitting on the decking last week, enjoying some sun and a well earned cup of tea (after weeding!) I sent a quick message to your landscaper, Paul, to tell him how thrilled we are with his work and what a great job he has done. He did an amazing job with all the rain we had last autumn, it was a mudbath, I remember he spent about 40 minutes hosing down the mud from the paths every evening! You have a very good team, David.
I very much appreciate your ongoing advice and involvement - I still have trouble with those weeds that masquerade as plants, and conversely, I don't want to pull out a young plant masquerading as a weed!!! It has been, and continues to be, a total pleasure working with you, you are great fun to be around, irreverent and funny, but still very serious about what you do. You may have encyclopaedic knowledge, but you are an artist at heart.
"We wanted to tell you a little bit about how the garden is going. Since you came so much has come out grown, developed, fruited flowered. And we've had a lot of really good quality time out there together. But one of the nice incidents recently was when we were sitting at the end of the garden with a friend and with Vic's mum who is with us from Kiev.
Sitting on the platform and suddenly I was aware that Vic's mum was talking about being on a ship. Now you might remember that she is the one whose father was a riverboat captain on the Volga, which was part of our stories with you which led to the idea or partly led to the idea of the nautical feel and the river feel to the garden. So there she was indicating the stern of the boat and the waves she said were the grasses waving between her and the rest of the garden as she looked down towards the house. We were just absolutely amazed. Vic's mum is not the kind of person to say things that she doesn't mean and it just felt that you really should know that some of your ideas translated that clearly into practice.
In the weeks since Vic's mum came in the middle of August, she and her have spent a lot of time in the garden walking up and down the path for exercise, and Vic has even been weeding again. Both of them really enjoying being out there to take in the fresh air and sitting in the sunshine. The last few days have been harder for Vic because of a pain in her back that we've been dealing with and her health has definitely deteriorated again. But the garden remains a wonderful and such a positive influence and friend to us. It was completely natural to us to think when Oscar our cat sadly died about a month ago to bury him at the end of the garden near the bamboo. Which incidentally is doing well, only one of the plants now still looking a little sad.
So thank you again. We rarely go a day without counting our blessings including having found you on the Internet and asking you to transform the space into something beautiful. Trusting everything is going well with you, including with your automated chicken coop, and looking forward to seeing you again soon."
"Having found DK Garden Design on the web, we had an introductory meeting with David. We found him easy to work with, appreciative of our own views and able to channel these ideas and innovative thoughts around designs of his own into a fantastic design for both our front and rear gardens including a new garden room. He was conscious of our proposed
budget and timescales and fitted regular visits to our home during the design phase around our availability and needs. During the build phase he kept us up-to-date, worked hard with us to ensure we had the best contractor and was able to smooth out issues as they arose. We are left with truly remarkable gardens which we love and spend a large amount of time in."
"Heidi and I are very happy with not only your design but, more importantly, the level of service you gave to the entire project from start to finish. What sets you apart is that you are genuinely passionate about what you do. The fact that you keep in touch and are keen to see how your vision is developing shows that you really care. We'd work with
you again, for sure. All very much appreciated. With very best wishes"
"Thought I'd just drop you a quick note to say thanks for the great design for our front garden. Now the weather has warmed up a bit things are really coming on and it has been much admired by neighbours. I'm sure you don't need it but we're happy to act as or be quoted as references for you."
"Last February I sent David a very long winded email, complaining about my small urban garden. I could see its potential, but felt bewildered by the task at hand and the amount of work that needed to be done. I needed an expert, and David certainly is one! I cannot praise him highly enough.
I was a little daunted by the other gardens on the website
(compared to my own little patch) that maybe I had ideas beyond our budget, but David was very clever. He incorporated things we wanted in a way we could afford them and certainly created a 'wow factor'.
David made the best use of available space with meticulous planning and had lots of ideas we had never even considered. This spring has really allowed us to see the garden at its best, with the boarders maturing and changing throughout the seasons. They look really stunning against the cedar slats.
David's down to earth, good humoured nature made him a pleasure to work with. He was very patient with me, as I debated about where to put my patio so it achieved optimal sun! I am delighted to be able to sit in the sun, drinking a small glass, till late in the evening. So his perseverance with me definitely paid off!
The team David recommended were highly skilled and ensured the work was completed to a high standard. We are absolutely thrilled with it."
"We are both so totally thrilled with the full realisation of the garden you designed. It was an awkward space which together with our desire for something redolent of the Camargue in rainy Manchester was always going to be something of a challenge! However that is exactly what you have achieved. It is only now, one year on, that we can fully appreciate
your skill, not only with the landscaping but particularly with the planting. Each plant whether chosen for it's architectural properties or it's colour or fragrance works perfectly to create an atmosphere which is distinctly Mediterranean whilst hardy enough to tolerate our weather. It is practical for our young family as well as providing us with a room outdoors for more grown-up entertaining. We could not have asked for anything more."
"Having decided that it was time to transform my very tired garden, I found David Keegan Garden design on the Internet. I received several proposals from various designers before deciding to give the job to David. What a good decision that has turned out to be. David's design ability, attention to detail and tireless commitment have resulted in an amazing
garden. The project consists of hard landscaping along with a comprehensive planting scheme. David played an active role throughout the project and is, more than a year later, still involved in advising me on maintenance to ensure that the new planting reaches its full potential. I would wholeheartedly recommend David to anyone wanting to create an extraordinary garden."
"Just a few lines to say a big thank you for helping us achieve our dream garden. Over the years, after struggling to come up with a coordinated design ourselves, we called in a number of so called "experts" to give us guidance to make our dreams a reality. Most took one look and ran for the hills, others didn't have either the ability or the imagination.
It was quite by chance that we found you - but are so happy we did. From the initial consultations, to the end result, your attention to detail and determination to produce such a dramatic transformation is testimony to both your skill as a designer and your commitment to customer satisfaction. The garden is impressive enough, but the whole feeling and ambience of the house has been brought to new levels and visitors are often quite speechless over how much difference your design has made. Karen & I now enjoy sitting in the garden and use the space as much as the inclement weather will allow."
"We wanted to write a few short lines to tell you how pleased and amazed we are by the garden you have created for us. When we started out on this venture we really were not sure what we wanted from our garden. We had thought of having just a lawn and some tree's...
What we have ended up with is a garden beyond our wildest dreams. What impressed
us most was your attention to even the smallest of details, as well as the quality of the workmanship and plants. In a few short months you have in effect taken a patch of brown earth and turned into a little piece of paradise that looks like it has been there for years. To be eating Figs picked fresh from our own garden was an unexpected treat. It is so tranquil and peaceful we find ourselves drawn out wanting to spend as much time as possible enjoying the various different facets of the garden. We spent a lot more than we originally intended but in our view it was worth every penny. Again, thank you."
"Now we have completed the project for the redesigning and landscaping of the garden I just wanted to drop you a note. Christine and I are absolutely thrilled with the outcome and wanted to express our sincere thanks for both the vision that you showed in creating the garden but also the professionalism and commitment to perfection that you demonstrated
throughout the building process. Is always satisfying to see a glorious outcome but we have both enjoyed the process of working with you and the enjoyment that our regular interface gave to both Christine and I. We are really proud of what you have helped us to achieve and without your vision and creativity our outside place would not have become the intriguing area that it has. If only the weather in the UK were slightly better we would be able to tell you more often how much we have enjoyed the pleasures of the spaces that you have helped us to create. Thank you most sincerely David and naturally if any subsequent client, or potential client would like to see how your vision can become a reality then please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be delighted to give either a verbal referral or show people around."
Just thought we'd write and tell you that finding you was better than finding the crown jewels!! We can't believe how, with your design, you managed to transform a very steep and difficult "scrubland" to the most fantastic, usable space. We reckon we must have had at least 6 different designers over a period of time to look at the area to be landscaped
and without exception, they tutt tutted, scratched their heads and went away, never to be seen again! Until, that is, the day we came across your website. We were most impressed with the site - it looked very professional and when we e-mailed you we never expected anyone to come back to us. But you did, and unlike the other designers (a couple of them well known), you viewed it as a challenge and you certainly came up with the "goods" as it were. Your design incorporated everything on our wish list and more! Your project managing skills were second to none and we will be forever grateful to you for taking our project on.
Your design took care of everything including the long range views to the Peak hills, which we never actually noticed before. As you know, our house is listed and is situated in a hamlet, which is classed as an area of outstanding natural beauty Cat.4 so it was important that the design reflected that aspect. Now that the project has finished and planted up, we can hardly contain our excitement to see the numerous bulbs and plants coming up in the spring. Not only have you transformed the site but your design and planting has also transformed our house and has certainly added that magic to the whole place.
We are eternally grateful to you and your team for the most wonderful design and build anyone could ever wish for! Oh, and not forgetting that great cheeky Irish humour that was thrown in for free!! We feel that not only have we got a beautiful garden now but we also gained a wonderfully warm friend - thank you so much.
I wanted to write to thank you on behalf of all of us here at Start in Salford, the staff volunteers and members are extremely delighted with the fantastic garden space that you have created for us all.
I realised that it would be quite a challenge for you to take on this project given that we had consulted all our members both gardeners and artists
to contribute to the vision for our garden - and there was quite a hefty list of what we wanted to include.
However you were not daunted by this and instead were keen to take up the challenge. You brought bags of enthusiasm, great imagination & knowledge drive and your own ideas and incorporated nearly everything we had wished for in the final stunning design.
We loved your sense of humour and the friendly way you had with everyone and this made the time we spent working on the garden very enjoyable and fun for us all.
We also want to thank you for all the additional help and support you gave us and to pass on our thanks to your super 'garden crew' Cid and the lads who were really fantastic.
We would end by saying that everyone who sees the garden are excited and delighted by all the different facets to it and as the seasons pass it transforms and gives us something new.
We think of you all as our new friends and hope you will continue to drop by and see how our beautiful garden space continues to flourish.
"I am pleased to say I am no longer the owner of a 'cr*p garden' but one which mirrors the amazing views across the rolling hills of Saddleworth that we are so fortunate to live amongst. My original mission statement was a simple and frank one and I can honestly say you have surpassed our expectations. You have turned a small, characterless front garden/yard
into the best room in the house! Everything is in keeping with the surroundings and feel of the area. It is not pretentious yet it is full of subtle surprises. We asked for a lovely garden but never thought that you would achieve so much with so little. As for the fence - fantastic! Thank you - we love it!"
"So now that the plans are all finished, I'd like to take a few paragraphs to discuss my response to what you've produced. The best summary I can come up with (and Bethany has heard me say this a few times!) is that I think it's superb. It's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, but its also much more than I was expecting. It's adventurous and
appropriate... elegant and practical... fitting and yet it'll (inevitably) be the talk of the town. In particular I appreciated the way that you worked to incorporate some of the useful smaller details that we discussed, such as working off the commune plant list, the hops for my brewery, the areas for dumping the old concrete, the working in of the garage area, the re-factoring around the septic tank, the bread oven etc. It's clear to me, looking now at the finished plan, that you really took on board my visions and ideas for the place (vague as some of them were) and helped to shape those into some kind of reality... and that's what I was hoping for.
Other things I particularly like are the list of herbs (I love to cook, so these will be very welcome) and the places where they are used as borders; the practical advice and guidance around the use of plants for animal consumption; the detail with which the construction of some of the structural pieces have been laid out; the raised vegetable garden with the steps and the plants along that wall; the use of lavender; the detail in the greenhouse; the climbers around the front of the house; the tree-lined driveway... and ultimately how each wellcontained area contributes to a cohesive whole."