Bespoke Planting Design
Planting can completely transform a garden — often it's the one thing that takes a space from adequate to alive. I design planting schemes the way I'd think about any ecosystem: not as a collection of individual plants, but as a living community that has to actually function together.
That comes from my background in biology and marine biology, and years spent studying how natural systems behave before I ever trained in garden design. Structural aesthetics mean very little to me if the underlying ecology isn't functioning.
What do I consider in a planting design
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This is basic horticulture. I use my background in biology to ensure every plant I select will thrive. This is increasingly important in our changing climate. Understanding a plant’s life history, where it came from, how it evolved is all part of this story.
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Variety in the plants I chose not only makes for a beautiful garden to be in but one that is beneficial too. I consider the habitats created, microclimates and ask other questions of the planting design such as, when does this plant give out nectar? Do flying insects have somewhere to land? Are there microstructures to hold moisture which will further attract biodiversity?
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Planting design from me is considered across the year. I want you to always enjoy looking out of your window at your outdoor space. This could be winter flowering shrubs with fragrance, evergreen structure or architectural seed heads to leave over the winter.
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If you’ve ever experienced a wonderful space but couldn’t put your finger on what made it so magical, it would have been the presence of structure and repetition. As a designer, I consider the space in it’s entirety to ensure it is balanced and visually interesting. Key repeating forms and colours or fragrance tie the whole scheme together.
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My designs primarily consider function. ‘How it looks’ comes after function is solved. I will design based on how much time and energy you can invest into your space. If you prefer a gentle potter than I won’t give you plants that require regular taming.
Often planting is all a garden needs — a new lease of life without a full redesign. It's also woven into every complete Garden Design project from the start, never bolted on at the end.
