Planting Design in Hertfordshire and Essex
Beautiful borders, thoughtfully brought together
Whether you’re creating new borders or giving existing ones a fresh start, I’ll help you bring your garden to life with planting that works beautifully together. I design complete planting schemes for gardens across Hertfordshire and Essex, choosing plants to suit your soil, light and the style you love. From trees and shrubs to perennials, grasses and bulbs, each has a role in bringing structure, colour and interest through the seasons.
This service is for designing whole beds and borders. Established plants can be included where they work within the new scheme, so a fresh approach doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch.
I love creating naturalistic, layered planting, combining trees and shrubs with perennials, ornamental grasses and bulbs. Together, they give a garden its shape and character, with flowers, foliage and seed heads bringing interest at different times of year.
Recent planting design projects
Is planting design right for your garden?
If your garden’s layout works but the planting needs a fresh approach, this service could be a good fit. I can help with:
New borders ready for planting after landscaping
Existing beds and borders that need a complete rethink
Country gardens and larger planting areas
New-build gardens and renovated properties
Front gardens that need a more welcoming entrance
Where they suit the new design, established trees, shrubs and other favourite plants can be retained.
If you’d like advice on filling a few gaps or caring for existing plants, a Garden Design Consultation may be a better starting point.
Planting design for new and established gardens
My planting design service is particularly suited to gardens where there is an opportunity to create a complete and cohesive scheme.
This might include:
Newly landscaped gardens: Bringing a finished landscape to life with carefully designed planting.
Country gardens and larger borders: Creating generous, layered planting schemes that complement the surrounding landscape.
Established gardens ready for a transformation: Redesigning existing beds and borders to create a fresh, cohesive planting scheme.
New-build and renovated properties: Introducing planting that complements the architecture and softens newly created outdoor spaces.
Front gardens and entrances: Creating welcoming, thoughtfully planted spaces that enhance the setting of your home.
Where appropriate, established trees, shrubs and other significant plants can be incorporated into a new scheme.
My focus is on creating complete, thoughtfully designed planting schemes. If you're looking for advice on improving existing borders, filling gaps or introducing a few new plants, a Garden Design Consultation may be a better option.
What’s included in your planting design
I’ll turn our ideas into a detailed plan, showing what to plant, where it goes and how many plants you’ll need.
Your planting design includes:
A site visit to understand your garden, its conditions and your preferences
A planting scheme designed for your beds and borders
A detailed plan showing plant varieties and positions
A plant list with quantities
A review of the design together, with any agreed refinements
Guidance on caring for your new planting
If you’d like help bringing the plan to life, I can source plants through specialist trade nurseries, arrange delivery and set out the plants ready for planting. I can also arrange planting with my team or landscapers.
Plants, delivery and planting services are quoted separately from the design fee.
From first ideas to planted borders
1. Initial Consultation
We begin by discussing your garden, the overall vision for the space and what you'd like to achieve. I'll assess the existing conditions and explain how the planting design process could work for your project.
2. Exploring the possibilities
I'll develop a detailed planting plan, selecting plants that complement one another and suit the particular conditions of your garden. The design considers structure, scale, texture, colour and seasonal interest.
3. Designing your planting
We'll review the planting scheme together and discuss any adjustments before the design is finalised.
4. Bringing the borders to life
If you'd like me to manage the planting, I'll source the plants through my specialist suppliers, arrange delivery and oversee the setting out and planting to ensure the scheme is implemented as intended.
Looking for advice on your existing plants?
If you're happy with the overall planting in your garden but would like advice on improving particular borders, choosing additional plants or caring for existing planting, a Garden Design Consultation may be a more suitable starting point.
This allows us to discuss your garden and explore practical ideas without commissioning a complete planting design.