NADDER VALLEY VILLAGE GARDEN

When my clients moved into their new home, they loved the beautiful countryside views from certain points within the garden. However, the garden itself was a mismatched collection of areas which didn't connect or flow together, and there was nowhere to sit and enjoy the views and light except for directly next to the house. They brought me in to make sense of the existing garden and remodel it so the various areas worked for them and how they wanted to use the garden - keeping space for vegetables, the existing pond, and a focus on late summer and autumn interest. There was already a wildflower area with some spring bulbs, which they wanted to enhance and extend - I helped them understand how to manage these areas for the best wildflower displays. Wildlife and bringing nature into the garden was very important to them, so I have created a garden which focuses on native or near-native species and those which offer food or habitat for insects, birds and mammals.

Extending the interest of the garden through late summer and into autumn was particularly important with this garden. I did this by choosing trees and shrubs in consultation with my clients, with beautiful seasonally changing leaves and bark and late season flowering plants such as Nerines, Asters and Persicaria.

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2023

I was commissioned by the art gallery Gladwell & Patterson to 'Chelsea-fy' their pop up gallery at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show. They had several large planters which they wanted to fill to the brim with plants to complement the beautiful artwork they had on display. I worked with the gallery to provide a verdant green backdrop, with occasional pops of colour to bring out elements of the paintings. Plants were supplied by the Hampshire nursery Hortus Loci.

Link to Gladwell & Patterson Chelsea Blog

WILTSHIRE WILDLIFE GARDEN

My clients were looking to create an oasis for wildlife in their garden alongside a beautiful chalk stream. The vision for the wider land of woodland and wetland was to include areas for nature alongside forest garden principles of growing produce for consumption and wildlife and protecting the soil. Importantly, there also needed to be areas for playing, enjoying nature and lawn for the young family.

For this project, I designed a naturalistic garden to blend in with the wider land and countryside. Trees and shrubs are either native or near native, with a profusion of blossom and berries for wildlife. There is a real focus on creating refuge for nature through shrubby planting, a green roof and habitat panels on the garden room and improved management of the wider landscape, alongside a productive vegetable garden close to the house. Drawing on my background in wildlife conservation, I also created a land management plan for the areas of woodland and potential wildflower meadow.

The hand drawn outline plan for the entire garden and neighbouring land was presented to my client in watercolour to help them illustrate to their neighbours how the various pockets of land could be connected and managed to better improve it for wildlife.

BERKSHIRE RIVERSIDE GARDEN

The brief for this beautiful rural garden was to create plenty of spots for entertaining and enjoying the space - both conveniently near the house, and immersed within the quiet of the garden. Year round interest and a focus on wildlife and nature was a priority. A large lawn leaves space for the family to play, whilst a long rose and clematis smothered pergola fills the air with scent all summer long. A shepherds hut is placed on a mound overlooking the river, surrounded by elegantly curated water and wildflower meadow planting.

DORSET VIEWS

The brief was to break up the sight lines between the house and a recently built annexe at the bottom of the garden, whilst maintaining the beautiful views out into the rolling countryside and maximising the space and usability of the garden. My clients had a large poultry pen which takes up a large proportion of the garden - it was required to screen this and make it not the dominant feature in the space. I designed a garden with new areas for seating in the sunshine to enjoy the view, whilst maintaining privacy between the two houses. Planting was designed to screen, embrace and provide year round interest, whilst not providing too much in terms of maintenance.

WILTSHIRE VILLAGE GARDEN

My client here wanted the structure of a garden to be created which was more interesting than it's existing green rectangle of lawn. Low maintenance was key, so trees, shrubs and easy perennials were recommended to provide year round structure and interest. We introduced a deep bed close to the existing terrace to provide a beautiful picture window from the kitchen window, and encourage exploration beyond. A new small patio at the bottom of the garden makes the most of the sunshine, whilst planting provides privacy from neighbours.