Garden design services
However you’d like to create your garden, we’re here to help
Every garden project starts in a different place.
You might have pages of ideas, but no clear direction. You may already know exactly what you’d like to achieve and need a professional design to bring it together. Or perhaps you’d rather place the whole journey in experienced hands and enjoy watching your new garden come to life.
Wherever you are, we’ll help you find the right level of support, giving you the confidence to move forward in a way that feels right for you, your home and your garden.
1. I need some help getting started
One-off Garden Design Consultation
Sometimes, all you need is an experienced eye.
Our Garden Consultation is designed to help you unlock your garden’s potential, explore new possibilities and gain the confidence to move forward without costly mistakes or guesswork.
Beginning with a preparatory call, followed by a dedicated session (morning or afternoon, for up to three hours) in your garden, we’ll discuss what’s working, what isn’t and how your garden could better support the way you live.
Afterwards, you’ll receive a personalised report summarising our advice and giving you clear direction for your garden. Depending on your focus, this may include an annotated layout sketch, up to 10 tailored plant recommendations and up to 3 feature suggestions, alongside practical next steps.
Perfect if you:
- Aren’t sure where to begin.
- Want professional ideas before investing further.
- Would like a clear starting place and some overall direction to develop at your own pace.
Design fee: £485, including VAT.
Looking for something a little lighter? Our Walk & Talk Garden Advice Session offers up to two hours of in-garden design and planting advice, without a follow-up report, for £190, including VAT.
2. I need a design to work towards
Garden Design for Self-Build
If you’re planning to create your garden yourself or already have a trusted landscaper or contractor, we’ll create a professional garden layout design that provides a clear and realistic vision to work towards.
Your design package includes a layout design, supporting visuals and key dimensions, giving you the clarity to build your garden with confidence while retaining the flexibility to deliver the project in your own way.
Detailed planting plans are also available as a standalone or bolt-on service.
Perfect if you:
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Are managing the project yourself and need a cohesive vision for the end product.
- Want a professional layout design before your construction project begins.
- Are aiming to do parts or all of the installation work yourself.
Design fees: Start from £1,800
3. I’d like someone to guide the whole journey
Full Garden Design
& Delivery
& Delivery
If you’d like the reassurance of expert guidance throughout your project, we’ll be with you from the earliest ideas through to the moment you step into your finished garden.
We’ll take the time to understand how you’d like to live outdoors, then translate your ideas into a thoughtful, practical design that’s uniquely yours. From detailed plans and technical specifications to planting design and, where required, overseeing implementation, we manage the details so you don’t have to.
Throughout the journey, we’ll guide conversations, coordinate the right people and help navigate decisions as they arise, giving you the confidence to enjoy the process while we take care of the thinking behind it.
Perfect if you:
- Are planning a complete garden transformation.
- Would like professional support from beginning to end.
- Value having one experienced designer guiding your project from concept to completion.
Investment: Tailored quotation based on the scope and complexity of your project.
Planting design
Planting is what gives your garden its character.
Whether you’re dreaming of a relaxed coastal garden, an abundant country retreat, a contemporary outdoor space or a wildlife-friendly haven, we’ll create a planting scheme that’s shaped around your garden, your lifestyle and the way you want to experience it.
Designed to thrive in your garden’s unique conditions, every planting scheme brings together colour, texture and scent, across every season, creating a landscape that continues to engage and surprise you year after year.
Design insights
How much does it cost to create a garden?
A beautiful garden is an investment in your home and the way you live. Discover what influences the cost of creating a garden, where your budget has the greatest impact, and how thoughtful planning can help you make informed decisions from the very beginning.
Edimental gardening: Where beauty meets purpose
Edimental gardening brings together ornamental planting and homegrown produce in one beautifully balanced space. Discover how thoughtful design can create a garden that's both visually stunning and full of flavour throughout the seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every garden makeover is unique, but I’ve developed a clear process that helps make the journey enjoyable and gives my clients confidence at every stage.
It all begins with a conversation. I’ll visit your garden, listen to your ideas and learn more about how you’d like to use the space. We’ll discuss your priorities, budget and any practical challenges, such as drainage, privacy or difficult levels.
After surveying the site, I’ll develop a concept design that explores different ideas for the layout and overall feel of the garden. Once you’re happy with the direction, I’ll refine the design and prepare detailed drawings, planting plans and specifications ready for construction.
The landscaping contractor then brings the design to life, creating the hard landscaping before the planting and finishing touches are added. If I’m involved during the build, I’ll work closely with the contractor to answer questions and help ensure the design is delivered as intended.
I believe the planning stage is one of the most valuable parts of the process. Taking time to get the design right at the beginning creates a smoother build, avoids costly changes and results in a garden that’s thoughtfully designed from every angle.
A professional garden design service is about much more than producing a beautiful plan. It’s a collaborative process that helps you create an outdoor space that’s tailored to your home, your lifestyle and the way you want to use your garden.
Every project I undertake starts with listening. During our initial conversations I’ll ask lots of questions about how you use your home and garden now, what’s not working and what you’d love it to become – for you – for example, whether you’re looking for a peaceful retreat, a space for entertaining, somewhere for children to play, or a garden that’s easier to maintain, the design starts with you. I’ll want to get to know you a bit better – what you enjoy, how you like to spend your time, even places that you’ve been that have great memories or sparked a flash of joy in you.
You don’t need to know exactly what you want – I am here to help work that out. My experience in garden design, but also research, means I will pick up on cues from you, and your landscape, you may not even be conscious of.
From there, I’ll carry out a detailed site analysis – that includes a site survey and soil and environment assessments.
Once I have got under the skin of what you and your garden really need and want, I develop a concept design that explores the layout, character and flow of your garden. Once we’ve refined the ideas together, I’ll prepare detailed plans, planting designs and, where needed, technical drawings that provide everything required for the landscaping and planting stages.
Throughout the process, I’ll guide you to make informed decisions about materials, planting, features and – importantly – budget priorities. My aim is to give you a clear, well-considered design that not only looks beautiful but functions brilliantly and can be enjoyed for years to come.
Whilst great design is essential – one of the most important things I can do for you, whichever level of design service you choose – is guide you on how to get the most from your budget. i.e., where to invest more, and where you can save.
It’s one of the questions I’m asked most often, and the answer depends on what you’re trying to achieve.
If you’re replacing an existing patio, repairing fencing or carrying out straightforward improvements, and you’re fairly clear and confident in your ideas or requirements, a landscaper may be all you need. They’re the skilled craftspeople who build gardens and bring designs to life – and a good professional landscaper will make plenty of suggestions, from their experience.
However, if you’re looking to transform the way your garden looks, feels and functions, I’d always recommend starting with a garden designer. My role is to understand how you want to live in the space and develop a design that brings all the different elements together into one cohesive vision.
I’ll think about how the garden connects to your home, how people move through it, where the sun falls, how to improve privacy, what planting will thrive and how the garden will look throughout the seasons.
In many ways, I see my role as being similar to an architect – and an interior designer – for your outdoor space. Once the design is complete, the landscaper uses those plans to build the garden. When designers and landscapers work together, the result is usually a far more successful and enjoyable garden.
When you hire a garden designer to work with you, they are on your side – their independence means they should put what you and your landscapes needs first.
Absolutely. In fact, one of the things I enjoy most is uncovering the potential in an existing garden and making the most of the good features or plants you have in your space.
A garden makeover doesn’t necessarily mean starting with a blank canvas. Mature trees, established shrubs, attractive walls or good-quality paving can often become valuable parts of a new design. Keeping the right features can preserve the character of the garden, reduce waste and make better use of your budget.
Frequently, I find that clients think everything in their garden needs to go, but I’ll spot that old shrubs and trees can be made beautiful and functional with some careful pruning, and paving materials can be reimagined as a feature elsewhere in the garden.
During our initial consultation and site survey, I’ll assess what’s already there and talk through which elements are worth retaining, adapting or replacing. Sometimes a garden simply needs a stronger structure or a fresh perspective to completely transform the way it feels.
I’m always looking for opportunities to make thoughtful, sustainable decisions rather than replacing things unnecessarily. My aim is to create a garden that feels fresh and exciting while making the best possible use of what’s already in place.
Most garden design projects take between six and twelve weeks, although every project is different and the timescale will depend on the size of the garden, the complexity of the brief and how quickly decisions are made. (I would certainly allow longer if the design is part of a larger house building project, and/or there are planning authorities involved).
Good garden design is a collaborative process rather than something that’s produced overnight. After our initial consultation, I’ll carry out a site survey and begin developing ideas that respond to your garden, your home and, most importantly, the way you want to use the space.
As the design develops, we’ll review the proposals together, discuss any refinements and make decisions about materials, planting and key features. Once the overall design has been agreed, I’ll prepare the detailed (technical) drawings and specifications, and the planting plans needed for the landscaping stage.
I always encourage clients to allow plenty of time for this part of the project. The design phase lays the foundations for everything that follows, and taking the time to get it right not only helps to ensure the finished garden is both beautiful and practical; it minimises the risk of stressful (and potentially costly) problems surprising you later down the line.
When it comes to design and build, it really does depend on how large and how complex the garden is. Some gardens can be completed in a few weeks, others will take many months, (perhaps with intentional breaks in the schedule, to give you a rest).
Typically, a medium-sized garden from the start of design (brief), to handing over the garden trowel, will take 6-9 months, or longer.
The wonderful thing about a garden transformation is that you’ll usually be able to enjoy your new outdoor space almost as soon as the landscaping work is complete.
Patios, seating areas and paths can generally be used straight away, so you’ll be able to start spending time in your garden from day one. If you’ve included features such as outdoor dining spaces or entertaining areas, these can usually be enjoyed immediately once construction has finished.
Planting is a little different. While your new borders will look attractive from the outset, gardens naturally continue to evolve. Perennials will fill out, shrubs will mature and trees will establish over the coming months and years, creating a landscape that’s richer and more beautiful with every season.
I often tell clients that a newly completed garden is rather like moving into a new home. It’s ready to enjoy immediately, but it becomes even more comfortable, characterful and personal as time goes on.
One of the joys of investing in a professionally designed garden is watching it develop. With the right planting in the right place, each year brings new colour, texture and interest, making your garden an investment that only gets better with time.
A garden makeover can cost anything from a few thousand pounds for a simple planting refresh, to tens of thousands for a complete redesign. The final cost depends on the size of your garden, the scope of the project (a complete change, or some targeted improvements), the materials chosen and the level of landscaping involved.
Rather than focusing on a fixed figure, I encourage my clients to think about what they want their garden to achieve. Perhaps you’d like somewhere to entertain, a relaxing retreat after work, a safer space for children to play or simply a garden that’s easier to maintain. Once we understand your priorities, we can shape the design around both your aspirations and your budget. If necessary, we can also look at how your garden can be phased, to spread the cost, but also so that you can enjoy the first part to be completed sooner.
One of the biggest advantages of working with a garden designer is that I can help you spend your budget wisely. Careful planning at the beginning helps avoid expensive mistakes, ensures every element works together (especially when the build is phases) and creates a garden that will continue to bring enjoyment for years to come.
Based on recent projects: typical construction and planting budget for a high quality small garden in Hampshire starts from £20,000, medium-sized gardens tend to require budgets between £40,000 and £120,000, and large gardens in excess of this.
Absolutely. While sloping gardens can present challenges, they’re often some of the most rewarding spaces to design.
Rather than seeing a slope as a problem, I like to think about how it can become one of the garden’s greatest assets. Changes in level create opportunities for terraces, steps, seating areas and carefully framed views that simply aren’t possible (or are complex to create) in a completely flat garden.
The key is understanding how people will move through the space while ensuring drainage, retaining structures and access are carefully considered. Every decision needs to balance practicality with aesthetics.
Whether your garden has a gentle incline or a more dramatic slope, thoughtful design can transform what initially feels like a difficult site into a series of beautiful, functional outdoor spaces with real character.
Some of my favourite projects have involved challenging sites because they allow creative solutions that make the finished garden feel truly unique.
Yes—and some of the most peaceful, atmospheric gardens I’ve designed have been in shade.
Many people assume a shady garden limits what you can achieve, but that’s simply not the case. The secret is understanding the type of shade you’re working with, whether it’s created by mature trees, neighbouring buildings or boundary planting, and then choosing materials and plants that will thrive in those conditions.
There are countless beautiful shade-loving plants that provide texture, colour and seasonal interest throughout the year. Combined with carefully positioned seating, subtle lighting and thoughtful use of hard landscaping, they can create gardens that feel cool, calm and inviting, particularly during hot summer weather.
Rather than trying to fight the conditions, I always prefer to work with them. Every garden has its own character, and part of my role is to unlock its potential by designing for the site rather than against it.
In my experience, once clients begin to see shade as an opportunity rather than a limitation, it completely changes the way they think about their garden.
Furthermore – with our changing climate, a shady-garden can be a real sanctuary – offering cool, green respite from the heat. I think we’ll see more home-buyers seeking gardens with shade, and homeowners embracing the shady areas of their landscape, rather than ignoring them.
Not sure which service is right for you?
Every garden, every project and every client is unique.
If you’re unsure where to begin, we’d be delighted to talk through your ideas and help you decide which level of support is right for you.
Working with clients across Hampshire, West Sussex, Dorset and the surrounding areas, we’re here to help you take the next step with confidence.
