Business Details
23 Years
experience
Your Trusted Garden Design Partner in Leeds
Established in 2003, Earthworks Garden Design is a specialist garden design practice based in Leeds, Yorkshire. Our founder, Cheri LaMay, holds a BA Hons in Landscape Architecture, an HND in Horticulture, and a PGCE teaching qualification. With over two decades of professional experience, we have delivered bespoke garden designs across Yorkshire, combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of horticultural principles. As a Registered Member of the Society of Garden Designers, we adhere to the highest industry standards while maintaining a client-centred approach. Our services include concept plans, detailed master plans, planting schemes, and consultancy support throughout the construction process.We have collaborated with the Royal Horticultural Society, delivering accredited garden design courses and mentoring professionals in the field. Our transparent tendering process ensures competitive pricing through industry-standard contracts, while our planting plans prioritise species suited to each garden's unique conditions. We work with carefully selected landscape contractors to ensure quality execution of designs, offering consultancy support during construction when required. Our reputation for excellence stems from detailed technical drawings, a commitment to client collaboration, and a passion for creating gardens that reflect individual lifestyles and aesthetic preferences.
Services
Garden Design Consultancy
Horticultural Consultancy
Concept Plans
Detailed Master Plans
Planting Plans
Tender Documents
Construction Consultancy
Details
- Year established: 2003
Highlights and features
- We offer 20+ years of professional garden design experience since 2003
- Our team includes RHS-qualified garden design course instructors
- Detailed technical drawings ensure accurate project costing and execution
- Transparent tendering process with industry-standard contracts
- Planting schemes tailored to your garden's specific growing conditions
Associations and certifications
- Society of Garden Designers
Services
Garden Design Consultancy
Our garden design consultancy begins with an on-site meeting to understand your lifestyle needs and aesthetic preferences. We create unscaled sketch plans during initial consultations, allowing immediate visualisation of potential garden layouts. Clients receive detailed proposals outlining project briefs, pricing structures, and engagement terms for transparent decision-making.
Concept Plans
We develop scaled concept plans showing garden layouts, key viewpoints, and illustrative visuals to clarify design intentions. These plans enable clients to fully understand proposed designs before progressing to detailed documentation. Feedback sessions ensure alignment with client expectations prior to finalising designs.
Tender Documents
Our tender documents follow architectural industry standards, enabling accurate cost comparisons between contractors. The transparent tendering process ensures 'apples-to-apples' pricing through detailed specifications and constructional drawings. We provide industry-standard contracts to protect both clients and contractors during construction phases.
Planting Plans
We create custom planting schemes using species suited to each garden's specific conditions. Our plans include Latin-named plants plotted on scaled drawings, with schedules detailing quantities and sizes. Clients receive plant palettes for approval before finalising designs, ensuring aesthetic coherence with the overall garden concept.
Master Plans
Master Plans provide highly detailed construction drawings incorporating client feedback and technical specifications. These documents ensure material quality standards and enable precise cost estimation. The plans form part of contractual agreements with contractors, guaranteeing clear project deliverables before construction begins.
People
Cheri LaMay
Garden Designer
BA Hons Landscape Architect with 20+ years' experience, RHS-qualified course instructor, and Society of Garden Designers member. Specialises in creating bespoke Yorkshire gardens through collaborative client partnerships.
Questions
What garden design services do you offer?
We provide concept plans, detailed master plans, planting schemes, tender documentation, and construction consultancy services tailored to Yorkshire gardens.
Are you currently accepting new projects?
Due to Long Covid health issues, we are temporarily unable to take on new projects until further notice.
How do you ensure competitive pricing for garden construction?
Our transparent tendering process uses industry-standard contracts and detailed specifications to enable accurate 'apples-to-apples' pricing comparisons between contractors.
Do you work with clients outside Leeds?
We primarily serve clients throughout Yorkshire, with our design services adaptable to various locations within the region.
Can you help with planting schemes only?
Yes, we offer standalone planting plans specifying appropriate species for your garden's conditions, including plant schedules and installation guidance.
Videos
Reviews (5)
Alice Bagley-Harrison
Mar 20, 2021
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Cheri is really easy to work with and a true professional. She helped with some great creative solutions for our garden design and advised on placement and plant species. She took our needs and the garden setting into consideration and we are now embarking on using her design to slowly create our garden. We would highly recommend Cheri!
Helen Hanna
Nov 29, 2018
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I have recently been on the Introduction to Garden Design Course run by Cheri at Harlow Carr near Harrogate. I feel as though I have learnt so much in 6 sessions! Cheri is a very warm, knowledgeable tutor who made our sessions fun and interesting. The group was very friendly and Cheri helped us to get to know each other at the beginning of the course so that we felt like friends by the end of it. There were opportunities to share ideas and Cheri gave us 1 to 1 time on our own designs which was very valuable. Her advice was always creative and incisive. I would recommend this course to anyone
Mags Shevlin
Nov 24, 2018
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I recently completed the Introduction to Garden Design course at RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate. Cheri is an excellent garden designer and tutor, really knows her stuff and has a very creative and engaging approach to teaching. I enjoyed the course and learnt a huge amount from it. It changed my thinking about what is possible in my garden and inspired me. I came away with a garden design that I feel confident to implement. Definitely recommended!
Jenny Shevlin
Nov 02, 2018
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My garden has been transformed by Cheri's design - it was just predominantly grassy slopes and a few random bushes, now it has a series of clearly defined spaces, each with it's own function and character. It is now a lovely garden full of colour and life.
Judith Cusworth
Sep 07, 2018
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Earlier this year I attended the Introduction to Garden Design course at RHS Harlow Carr. The course taught by Cheri, covered the different stages of garden design and the relevance and importance of each stage to achieve the required result.
Cheri's inclusive and motivating approach created lots of opportunity to work together and a relaxed atmosphere in which to learn and practise as we progressed. Her experience in garden design is both extensive and refreshing and in the individual sessions, she helped each of us to create a design we could confidently develop and implement.
Harlow Carr
Cheri's inclusive and motivating approach created lots of opportunity to work together and a relaxed atmosphere in which to learn and practise as we progressed. Her experience in garden design is both extensive and refreshing and in the individual sessions, she helped each of us to create a design we could confidently develop and implement.
Harlow Carr
