★★★★★“
Absolute pleasure having these guys work on our property. Had grass put in, palm tree and a few others removed, new paving done. Very pleased with outcome and the work put in.
Garth de WetGoogle review, February 2021
Garden Design Cape Town
Starting from bare sand or a garden that never came together? Garden design and planting are part of our landscaping.
Top Trimmers' landscaping covers garden design, new beds and planting across Cape Town's northern suburbs, from our base in Parklands. Send us photos of the space and we'll come back to you within 24 hours.
Priced per job from your photos. Quotes are free.
- Design and planting
- Our own team
- Reply within 24h
- Since 2019
Parklands · Table View · Sunningdale · Milnerton · Durbanville · Bothasig and nearby
Reviews
What customers say on Google
★★★★★“
Great pricing! Very professional and flexible in terms of time booking. I highly recommend these guys! Great quality results and they go over and beyond to please a customer.
By TheRONGoogle review, July 2021
★★★★★“
Tylor and his team cleaned up our park better than expected. Great communication, efficient, friendly and thorough. Will recommend them over and over again! Thanks, Tylor and team!
Kietsie LangenhovenGoogle review, December 2023
★★★★★“
The first of three garden services that has actually done a thorough and professional service, constantly kept me informed of the changing times and dates due to difficulties with the taxi strike. My garden and pavement has never looked so neat and tidy! Friendly, kind and informative owners, please give them a try!
Ceris FinnissGoogle review, August 2023
★★★★★“
Tylor and his Team at Top Trimmers are absolutely outstanding in delivering above-expectation, great-value garden services that would leave you wanting them to come back time and time again!
Wessel van JaarsveldGoogle review, January 2021
★★★★★“
A garden service like no other, they go above and beyond to ensure that the work is always top quality. Strict Covid-19 protocols which is very impressive. We would definitely recommend Top Trimmers for all your gardening needs.
Kim RobertsGoogle review, July 2020
★★★★★“
Completely impressed and satisfied with the quality of the work that has been done. All requests I've had, has been completed in the most professional way. I have no issues or problems and would recommend them to friends and family.
Dan RobertsGoogle review, July 2020
More landscaping
The rest of our landscaping work
LandscapingNew beds, edging and planting in the garden you already have.
Roll-on lawnThe ground prepared first, then kikuyu or LM Berea laid on top.
Landscaping cost guideWhat landscaping costs in Cape Town and what changes the price.
Types of landscapingThe main kinds of landscaping, and which suit a Cape Town garden.
The job
What garden design with Top Trimmers covers
Garden design is deciding what goes where before anything is planted: where the beds go, what grows in them, and where the lawn stops and the paths start. Top Trimmers' landscaping covers garden design, new beds and planting, and our own team does the work.
Tylor asks for photos of the space and your address, and whether you'd like us to look after the garden once-off or weekly, fortnightly or monthly afterwards. He sorts out the design with you when he quotes.
Irrigation is done by the irrigation expert we have on hand, who does all of our irrigation systems. We don't lay artificial grass. Where the design needs lawn, we lay real kikuyu or LM Berea roll-on lawn.
What to think about before a garden design
- How you'll use it. Somewhere to sit, a lawn for children or dogs, or a garden that mostly looks after itself.
- Sun and shade. Which parts get sun all day and which stay in shade, since plants are chosen for that.
- The soil. Near the coast here it's mostly sandy, and that limits what does well.
- The wind. Where it hits the garden, and whether a bed needs shelter.
- Water. How the garden will be watered under the City's rules, planned with the garden rather than after it.
- Upkeep. How much time you, or a garden service, will spend on it once it's planted.
What is the first thing you put in a garden?
The plan, before any plant. Mark out where the beds, paths and lawn will go, and do the hard parts, like edging and paths, before anything is planted, so new plants don't get trampled. Then prepare the soil. Trees and bigger shrubs go in first, smaller plants and ground covers around them, and a layer of mulch, such as wood chips or leaves, goes on last.
Can ChatGPT design my garden?
An AI chatbot like ChatGPT can give you ideas, a plant list or a rough layout to start from. What it can't do is stand in your garden. It doesn't see how much sun each corner gets, where the south-easter hits or how sandy your soil is, and it won't plant anything. Use it for ideas if you like, then send us photos of the space with those ideas, and Tylor will quote to plan and plant it.
Your options
Which kind of help do you need?
| You want | What it involves | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| A new garden planned and planted | The beds, plants, paths and lawn worked out with Tylor, then planted | This page: garden design |
| New beds or lawn in an existing garden | Beds cleared, edged and planted, or lawn laid | Landscaping or roll-on lawn |
| The garden kept neat afterwards | Mowing, edging, beds and light pruning, weekly to monthly | Garden services, from R200 |
Northern suburbs gardens
Sand, wind and the watering rules
Most gardens from Parklands and Table View to Sunningdale sit on alkaline, limey sand over limestone, the ground of the old coastal dune bush. What grew here first were tall evergreen shrubs with bulbs, grasses and succulents, and trees like milkwood, sea guarri and Cape camphor. That's a good guide to what copes with this ground.
Fynbos is a popular choice for a water-wise garden, and most fynbos plants are hardy once they're established. But they prefer slightly acidic, sandy, well-drained soil, and the coastal sand here is alkaline, so it's worth choosing carefully.
Then there's the wind. The south-easter sweeps across to Blouberg, and near the sea it carries salt. A hedge, trellis or fence that lets some wind through shelters a garden better than a solid wall, which causes turbulence behind it.
And the water. Under the City's Water By-law, gardens may be watered only before 9am or after 6pm, and hosepipes need a trigger nozzle. If you want an irrigation system, our irrigation expert puts it in.
We're most focused on the suburbs close to our Parklands base, and go no further out than Durbanville and Constantia. We're happy to take on big jobs in areas like Constantia and Bishopscourt, and we have capacity for the city centre and Camps Bay, but not further out than that. See what we do near you:
How it works
From photos to a planted garden
01
Send photos
WhatsApp photos of the space to 071 623 4949, with your address and what you'd like from the garden.0224h
We get back to you
Within 24 hours, with a price or a time to come and look. The quote is free.03
The design
Tylor sorts out with you where the beds, plants, paths and lawn go.04
We plant it
Beds prepared and planted by our own team.Pricing
What garden design costs with Top Trimmers
Every garden is different, so design and planting are priced per job.
Garden design and plantingQuoted per job
From your photos or a look at the garden.
Waste removalR450 a load
Old plants and garden waste taken away on our large trailer, when it isn't already in the price.
Your quoteFree
Pay by EFT or cash. We're not VAT registered, so there's no VAT on the quote.
Prices are a guide only. Your final price is confirmed in a written quote after we’ve seen the job. Prices last checked 23 October 2026.
Why Top Trimmers
Why people ask us to design their garden
- Design and plantingBoth are part of our landscaping, and our own team does the work.
- Real lawn where you want itWe lay kikuyu or LM Berea roll-on lawn. We don't lay artificial grass.
- Irrigation through our expertThe irrigation expert we have on hand does all of our irrigation systems.
- Owner-run since 2019Tylor Titus started Top Trimmers in Parklands in December 2019 and still runs it.
Best for
- Homeowners with a bare or tired garden who want it planned before it's planted
- Owners of small gardens and courtyards who'd like a plan for the space
- Anyone who wants the garden planted and then kept neat by one team
Not the right fit for
- Artificial grass: we don't lay it
- Gardens further out than Durbanville, Constantia, the city centre or Camps Bay
Pricing
Garden design and planting are priced per job from your photos, and quotes are free.
Our promise
The Top Trimmers Promise
- Free quotes, priced from your photos or a look at the job.
- A reply within 24 hours.
- Our own team does the work: Tylor, Grant, Anthony, Thapelo and Courage.
- If anything isn’t right, we’re happy to come back, evaluate and correct whatever needs fixing.
Is this you?
Is garden design what you need?
This job suits you if
- You're starting from bare ground or a garden that never came together
- You want new beds and plants, not just a tidy-up
- You'd like the same team to plant it and look after it afterwards
Look elsewhere if
- You want artificial grass: we don't lay it
- The garden only needs a tidy-up: see garden services
- You only need a new lawn: see roll-on lawn
Read more
Garden ideas for Cape Town
Garden ideas
Low-maintenance garden ideas for Cape Town
Landscaping
What are the different types of landscaping?
FAQ
Garden design questions
Who plants the garden once it's designed?
Our own team. Garden design, new beds and planting are all part of Top Trimmers' landscaping, and we don't use subcontractors.
Which plants grow well in sandy Cape Town gardens?
A good guide is what grew on this coastal sand first: tall evergreen shrubs, bulbs, grasses and succulents, with trees like milkwood, sea guarri and Cape camphor. Fynbos is water-wise once established but prefers slightly acidic soil, so it needs more thought on the alkaline sand of the northern suburbs.
Can you design a small garden or courtyard?
Send us photos of the space and your address, and Tylor will tell you what's possible and what it would cost. The quote is free.
How much does garden design cost in Cape Town?
It's priced per job, from photos of the space or a look at it, and the quote is free. Pay by EFT or cash, with no VAT on the quote. Our landscaping cost guide explains what changes the price.
Quick quote
Ready to plan your garden?
WhatsApp photos of the space to 071 623 4949, or send the form. We'll get back to you within 24 hours.