FORMERLY ARTHUR ROad landscapes ⸻Jane Shankster, Garden Design in Wimbledon & South West London
BEST OF HOUZZ 2026 · SGLD PRE-REGISTERED MEMBER. · DESIGNING GARDENS SINCE 2005
Designed around you ⸻Designing plant-rich, tailored gardens across Surrey and the Home Counties, from compact courtyards to lively family spaces and sprawling country estates. The ideal garden isn't a magazine trend; it’s a space built around how you actually live.
Highlights ⸻Recent Garden Design Projects
Every garden starts with the same question: what does this space need to do for the people who live with it?
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![A courtyard garden in Fulham with clay pavers, yellow lupins and Crittall style doors]()
Fulham Courtyard Garden
CONCRETE PAVING · BROKEN FENCING
Herringbone brick, cedar screens and much deeper borders, so it reads as another room from the kitchen.
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![Rustic circular bench under a tree surrounded by a colourful wildflower meadow]()
Country Garden in London
NEGLECTED · OLD FRUIT TREES
The old apple and pear trees were kept and designed around, with a secret wildflower area and a tree seat at the far end.
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![Curved path leading to a green door of an Edwardian House in Wandsworth, surrounded by red, pink and white flowers]()
Wandsworth Front Garden
BUSY MAIN ROAD · STORAGE NEEDED
Echinacea, salvia and pennisetum grasses cushioning a busy main road, with secure storage absorbed into the paving plan.
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![A country style garden for a new build house in Ripley with a wooden tree seat amonst a tree fern and woodland planting]()
Naturalistic Garden Design in Surrey
BUILDER’S YARD · BARE GRAVEL
Three multi-stem cherries over a seating area, with planting abundant enough to sit inside rather than look at.
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![A backyard garden with pink and red flowers, green foliage, and an outdoor dining area with a white umbrella and wooden chairs, enclosed by a brick wall and mature trees.]()
Wimbledon Village Garden Design
UNRULY LAWN · DISUSED POOL
A series of connected outdoor rooms: dining terrace, corten firepit, and a kitchen garden fenced off from the dog.
Intro ⸻A garden designer who listens first and draws second
I build gardens you actually live in, rather than just look at from the kitchen window. Spaces that change dynamically with the seasons instead of presenting one static view. Unpredictable weather and stubborn soils mean this takes real preparation, so a huge part of my job is enriching your soil so the design can truly thrive. Most importantly, I design for real life. I assume you will be looking after the garden, so I stay by your side: a tailored handover guide, visits through your first year, and direct answers whenever something needs a bit of love.
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Trained at Merrist Wood
Under Andrew Wilson MBE, with distinction.
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SGLD Pre-Registered
Society of Garden and Landscape Designers.
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Best of Houzz Winner
Awarded repeatedly, most recently 2026.
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Designing Since 2005
Twenty years of gardens in south-west London.
Garden design services ⸻Garden and Planting Design for Gardens Across South-West London and the Home Counties
Complete garden design from first sketch to final plant, or a single part of the process if that's all you need.
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Complete design for gardens of any size: courtyards, front gardens, family gardens, sloping plots and larger country gardens. Layout, levels, materials and planting drawn so a contractor can build it accurately and you know what you're getting before work starts. Planting design is available on its own too, for gardens whose bones already work.
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Lighting that flatters the planting and gives you the garden after dark, designed into the scheme rather than added at the end. Irrigation where it earns its place, and an honest conversation about whether it will, because a system that runs whatever the weather is no substitute for noticing your garden.
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Still water, moving water and wildlife ponds, planned into the design from the start, so they sit naturally in the layout, suit the planting around them and don't become the one thing in the garden that needs constant attention.
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Furniture, pots and the finishing pieces chosen and placed so the garden reads as one considered space rather than a collection of purchases. Summer houses and garden buildings integrated into the design instead of left at the end of the lawn.
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A plant care guide at handover, regular visits through the first year, and help understanding what each plant needs as the garden settles in. Designed for you to look after, with a straight answer at the end of the phone whenever something looks unhappy.
What My Clients Say
FAQs ⸻Garden Design FAQs
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Fees depend on the size of the garden and how much of the process you'd like help with. My site consultation is £150 plus travel, and that comes off the design fee if you go ahead. The full design fee is quoted after the consultation, so you always know the cost before you commit.
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I'm based in Wimbledon and work across south-west London, including Raynes Park, Putney, Twickenham, Wandsworth, Fulham and Richmond, as well as Surrey. I also take on projects in north Hampshire, Berkshire and south Oxfordshire.
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Yes, and everything in between. Recent projects range from a tiny courtyard in Twickenham and front gardens in Raynes Park and Wandsworth, through family and terraced gardens, to a large garden on Wimbledon Common and country gardens in Surrey and Berkshire. The process is the same; only the scale changes.
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A garden designer plans the whole garden before anything is built: layout, levels, materials and planting, drawn so a contractor can price and build it accurately. A landscaper carries out the construction. I design, help you brief a trusted contractor, and stay involved while it's built and planted.
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Up to two hours in your garden talking about what you'd like it to do for you and what isn't working. I give honest feedback on what's realistic within your budget, and afterwards you receive a written proposal with the design fee and how the project would run. No obligation.
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Yes. If your garden's structure already works, I can provide a planting plan on its own: consultation, a scaled plan with plant lists, and help sourcing and setting out the plants.
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I’ll usually make a few visits back to your garden after completion. This is to see how the garden is progressing and to address any potential issues as soon as possible. It’s also a good time to answer any questions you have. I also like to photograph your garden.
Garden designer insights ⸻From the Journal
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Climate change and the challenge for London gardens
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Mental health and well-being benefits of garden design
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A New Garden in Regent’s Park for Queen Elizabeth II
Ready to Talk About Your Garden?
Start with a free discovery call. Twenty minutes on the phone to talk through your garden, whatever its size, your budget and whether I'm the right person to help.