PLANTING DESIGN portfolio
A serene scented garden
This garden was conceived as a tranquil haven, offering a peaceful, immersive retreat for a couple who want to enjoy their outdoor space in their retirement. Beyond the existing patio, the space was redesigned throughout using a plant led approach. Rooted in zen principles and softened by romantic planting, it weaves structure and serenity with scent and seasonal beauty.
Nestled within lush planting, a wooden bench invites quiet reflection. Nearby, the soft murmur of water flowing over smooth pebbles introduces a calming rhythm, enriching the garden’s meditative atmosphere. Anchoring the surrounding borders, graceful Japanese cherry blossom trees create a living backdrop. In spring bloom, they mark a moment of renewal, through the rest of the year, they are quietly architectural.
The planting palette strikes a balance between form and flourish: evergreen shapes bring structure and grounding, while drifts of pink, purple, and white scented flowers, lavender, climbing jasmine, verbena, peonies, and roses add romance, texture, and a sense of timeless beauty through the seasons.
A long border "Forged Wild"
Designed for a couple looking to bring interest and biodiversity into a once bare front garden, Forged Wild is a long border shaped by time, resilience, and the quiet beauty of nature reclaiming its place in a post-industrial landscape where raw materials meet bold planting.
Framed by Corten steel edging, it thrives in the contrast between structure and wildness with rich, rusted patina speaking of weathered history and transformation, echoing the marks of time and the steady return of nature.
A raised border, both structured and free flowing, holds a dynamic planting scheme, anchored by multi-stem trees and offering textural contrasts, warm hues, cooler blues, and self-sufficient species that soften the hard edges.
The border frames the entrance to the property's front drive with a planting that offers successive waves of interest as the seasons unfold and is drought tolerant once established.
A naturalistic inspired New Build garden
The owners of this large semi-rural plot in Berkshire transformed a bungalow into a beautiful family home, complete with a new driveway and a spacious patio. Both the front and back gardens required rebuilding from the ground up, providing an opportunity to connect high end contemporary lines with neighbouring heathlands, woodlands and meadows to create a harmonious outdoor space.
In the front garden, we incorporated three stunning mature olive trees donated by a family member and developed a drought-tolerant (once established) Mediterranean-inspired scheme to take full advantage of the sunny exposure. This included plants such as dwarf pines, chamomile, rosemary, lavender, roses, Achillea, echinacea, Erigeron, and ornamental grasses.
For the back garden, we created a meadow-inspired planting designed to soften the large raised patio with a scheme featuring ornamental grasses, Achillea, Heleniums, and Echinacea. In the shadier sections, we designed a woodland-inspired scheme featuring ferns, grasses, and acers.
A Vibrant front garden border walk
The owners of this house in Crowthorne had just completed a large extension and a new driveway, and they were eager to breathe new life into their front garden. They desired a low-maintenance, contemporary planting scheme that would harmonise with the modern extension and enhance the overall aesthetic of their property.
Considering the presence of a large birch tree in the middle of the front lawn, we designed a low-level border to gracefully edge the paving area leading to the front door, creating a welcoming pathway for visitors.
To achieve a dynamic and visually appealing garden, we developed a mixed perennial herbaceous and evergreen planting scheme that offers long-season interest. The plant selection includes ferns, pinus mugo, and euonymus to provide an evergreen backbone for winter; ornamental grasses that add texture and movement; vibrant roses, echinacea, asters, and geraniums; and fragrant herbs such as lavender and rosemary.