Where should the patio go, how do we hold back the slope, which plants will cope with the shade? Gala Bau Kurt plans and builds gardens in Düsseldorf, Wuppertal, Schwelm, Ennepetal, Meerbusch, Cologne and throughout North Rhine-Westphalia – from the narrow front garden of a terraced house to a complete new layout after a house build.
Planning, earthworks, paths and patio construction, planting and lawn all stay in one pair of hands. That spares you the job of co-ordinating several firms and gives you a single fixed price you can budget with. As landscapers (Garten- und Landschaftsbau) we are used to working with international clients, so the whole design can be discussed in English from the first visit to the handover.
What our garden design and garden planning covers
A plan, individual phases of the work or the complete garden – you decide how far we go.
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Garden planning & design
Measuring up, a survey of what is already there and a scale plan with material suggestions – as an outline concept or as a detailed design with a full planting plan.
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Complete new gardens
From the bare plot to the finished garden with patio, paths, beds, lawn and privacy screening.
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Garden redesign
Reordering an existing garden: the tired old slabs come out, a clear structure and fresh planting go in.
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Planting & perennial beds
Trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses and hedges chosen to suit the site and set out to a planting plan, soil improvement included.
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Front gardens & terraced-house gardens
Small areas given a clear layout, privacy screening and planted surfaces instead of bare gravel.
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Sloping gardens & terracing
Retaining walls, dry-stone walls, steps and level usable areas for the hillside plots of the Bergisches Land.
How we plan and build your garden
Every design starts with what is already on site: we measure up, test the soil and the falls with a spade test (Spatenprobe) and note the orientation, where the shade falls, the access routes and any existing services. Out of that comes a plan drawn to scale showing how the areas are divided, which surfaces go where and how the garden is planted – so you can see exactly what will be built and what it will cost before the first spade goes in.
We then build to the recognised rules of the trade. Paths and patios are given a frost-resistant crushed-stone base course – roughly 20–30 cm for footpaths and 30–40 cm for surfaces that carry a car – a fall of 2–2.5 % away from the house and a bedding layer of grit 3–5 cm deep; edge restraints are set in concrete with proper haunching. Planting areas are loosened deep down and improved with compost, then planted to DIN 18916, and lawns are laid to DIN 18917. Ducting for garden lighting and irrigation is always laid before the paving goes down.
Low-maintenance, contemporary or wildlife-friendly – whatever fits your week
A good garden follows the people who live in it: hard-wearing lawn and a seating area with a view of the play space for families, beds of ground cover, grasses and mulch for anyone working long hours, raised beds and fruit trees for those who genuinely enjoy gardening. We will tell you honestly what fits your budget and the time you realistically have for upkeep. One thing we will not design is a bare gravel garden (Schottergarten): under § 8 of the state building code (Bauordnung NRW), the undeveloped parts of a plot must be able to absorb water and must be planted.
Garden design in the Bergisches Land and the Rhineland
In Wuppertal, Schwelm and Ennepetal we almost always design with the slope rather than against it: changes in level are held with dry-stone walls, L-shaped concrete units or gabions, steps are given a comfortable going, and because 1,100 to 1,200 mm of rain falls here each year onto shallow slate soils, drainage and soakaways belong in every design from the outset.
In Düsseldorf, Meerbusch and Cologne, level plots on the loamy sands of the Rhine terrace are the rule – dry in summer and hotter still inside the city's heat island. Here we plan drought-tolerant planting, irrigation and shade, and close to the Rhine we allow for the high groundwater table. Existing trees are checked before any redesign: in Düsseldorf and Cologne trees are protected from a trunk circumference of 80 cm, in Wuppertal from 100 cm, and in Meerbusch a notification has been required six weeks before felling since 2020. All of this is set out in the local tree protection by-laws (Baumschutzsatzung); Schwelm and Ennepetal currently have no Baumschutzsatzung at all.
- Wuppertal, Schwelm & Ennepetal: hillside terraces, retaining walls, drainage
- Düsseldorf & Meerbusch: large lawns, irrigation, front gardens
- Cologne: courtyards, terraced-house gardens, heat-tolerant planting
Permits, neighbour law and the tax rebate
Most garden work needs no permit at all. What you do have to keep to are the boundary distances in the North Rhine-Westphalian neighbour law (Nachbarrechtsgesetz NRW) – 0.50 m for hedges up to 2 m tall, 1 m for taller hedges, 2 m for most trees and 4 m for vigorous species – and the tree protection by-laws (Baumschutzsatzung) whenever something is to be felled. Fences up to 2 m high are normally exempt from planning approval in NRW.
The tax office helps as well, through § 35a of the German Income Tax Act (§ 35a EStG): for tradesmen's services in a household you already occupy – and a garden redesign counts as one – you get 20 % of the labour costs back, up to €1,200 a year, while planting and maintenance work counts as a household-related service (haushaltsnahe Dienstleistung) up to €4,000 a year. All you need is an invoice showing the labour costs separately and payment by bank transfer; work on a new build is excluded.
How your garden project runs with us
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Site visit & wish list
We come round free of charge, measure up, check the soil and the access and talk through how you actually want to use the garden.
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Design & budget
You receive a scale plan with suggestions for materials and planting, plus a budget figure for each phase of the work.
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Fixed-price quote & schedule
Once you have approved the design, the fixed-price quote follows with a clear specification and a build programme.
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Construction & handover
Earthworks, base courses, paths, patio and walls, then planting and lawn – waste removal included. At the end we run through the irrigation and the aftercare with you.
What does a garden design cost?
The price depends on the area, the ground, the surfaces and the choice of plants – non-binding guide figures including VAT:
| Scope of work | Costs & Prices |
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| Garden planning (outline concept with plan) | approx. €400–1,000 |
| Detailed design incl. planting plan | approx. €1,000–2,000 |
| Simple new layout (lawn, beds, planting) | approx. €30–100 per m² |
| Complete new garden incl. patio, paths, lawn | approx. €100–180 per m² |
| Planting incl. plants and labour | approx. €18–95 per m² |
| Planting a hedge | approx. €10–40 per linear metre |
We name the binding fixed price after the free on-site visit; whether the planning fee is set against the build cost when you place the order is stated in the quote.
All figures are non-binding guide prices incl. VAT. The final price depends on area, access, materials and effort. You will receive a binding fixed-price quote after a free on-site visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does garden design cost per square metre?
A simple new layout with lawn, beds and planting comes to roughly €30–100 per m², while a complete new garden with patio, paths and lawn is more like €100–180 per m². A 100 m² terraced-house garden usually lands somewhere between €3,000 and €10,000.
What does garden planning by a specialist firm cost?
An outline concept with a scale plan is around €400–1,000, a detailed design with a planting plan €1,000–2,000. For smaller gardens, advice on site with a hand sketch as part of the quote is often all that is needed.
How long does a new garden take – and when is the best time of year?
A front garden or terraced-house garden is usually finished within one to two weeks; a larger garden with patio, walls and planting takes two to three weeks. We build all year round as long as the ground is frost-free. Planting and lawns establish best in April/May and September/October, while earthworks and paving fit neatly into the quieter months from October to February.
Is a gravel front garden allowed in NRW as a low-maintenance option?
No – purely gravel or crushed-stone surfaces (Schottergarten) are not permitted under § 8 BauO NRW. Your front garden can still be genuinely low-maintenance: closely spaced ground cover, grasses and small shrubs on a mulch layer with crisp bed edges need very little attention.
Can you design our sloping garden in Wuppertal or Schwelm?
Yes – hillside plots are the normal case in our home region. We terrace with dry-stone walls, L-shaped concrete units or gabions, build steps and level areas for the patio and lawn, and design the drainage in from the very beginning.
Can I claim garden design against my tax in Germany?
Yes, for work in the garden of a house you already live in: 20 % of the labour costs for tradesmen's services up to €1,200 a year, and for planting and maintenance work up to €4,000 a year (§ 35a EStG). You need an invoice that shows the labour costs separately and payment by bank transfer rather than in cash.