Read the site before you draw the garden

A useful design starts with constraints. Where does the afternoon sun hit in April? Where does monsoon water sit? Can a tree truck reach the gate? Who will water in the first dry season?

Photograph the site at two times of day. Note existing trees you intend to keep. Mark overhead lines, septic runs and the neighbour’s shade. Style — tropical, formal, minimal — comes after the site has been read.

If you cannot visit, send a dimensioned sketch, a north arrow, and photographs from each edge. That is enough for a first conversation. It is not enough to replace a professional survey before construction.