About

I spent my childhood exploring the West Berkshire countryside on foot and by bike. After an initial career as a Chartered Accountant, I found that creating gardens and spending time outside offered a far more meaningful path.

I trained at Merrist Wood College under Andrew Wilson MBE, graduating with distinction. I have worked as a garden designer since 2005. I am a pre-registered member of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers (SGLD), an active local park volunteer, and a multi-year Best of Houzz award winner (including 2026).

While I design every garden personally, bringing them to life is a collaborative effort. Over the past two decades, I have built a dependable network of trusted contractors, skilled landscapers, and maintenance professionals to ensure every project meets the highest standard.

The Approach

Analysis Meets Creativity

Having trained as an auditor, I bring structural discipline to a profession that can easily tip into whimsy. I don't float around scattering plants at random—I follow a rigorous, methodical process.

• Listening: A brief is rarely just what is written down. "Low maintenance" often means "I travel constantly," while "a quiet spot to read" usually means "I need a private sanctuary." My job is translating unspoken lifestyle needs into functional design.

• Uncompromising Practicality: Before making aesthetic choices, I address the unglamorous groundwork—soil composition, light levels, drainage, microclimates, and real-world budgets. A border can look stunning on paper, but if it floods every February, it is bad design.

• Longevity over Stage Sets: A garden shouldn't just look good for a photo shoot on day one. I design for how a space matures over five, ten, or twenty years as planting grows and your life evolves.

Plant-First Philosophy

Gardens should be full of plants, not paved over for convenience. I think a garden should be an immersive environment to live in, changing dynamically with the seasons.

• Working with London Soil: Extreme seasonal swings require a soil-first approach. Improving the earth always comes before enforcing a rigid planting list.

• Connection over Automation: Automated irrigation systems rarely adapt to unpredictable weather and often attract local wildlife (especially curious urban foxes). Direct, mindful care builds connection and yields healthier, longer-lasting plants.

• Cultural Storytelling: Planting schemes can subtly weave in personal heritage, native roots, or East-meets-West sensibilities, giving the space personal resonance.

• Integrated Structures: Outbuildings, studio pods, and summer houses are designed as seamless elements of the landscape—never added as end-of-lawn afterthoughts.

• Judicious Colour & Contrast: I gently nudge clients beyond safe, predictable palettes to introduce depth, texture, and year-round visual interest.

Aftercare and Year-One Support

Many clients worry they will ruin a new garden, often saying, "I'm going to kill it." Fear of plant care shouldn't stand between you and a beautiful space. Plants want to live—they simply need the right environment.

Every space is designed with the assumption that you, not a professional gardener, will be caring for it. Beyond installation, I guide you through reading your space and understanding plant care. I remain personally available throughout the critical first year to offer advice as your garden settles in.

The Design Process

1. Initial Consultation: Exploring your vision, lifestyle requirements, budget, and site potential.

2. Site Survey & Analysis: Measuring plot boundaries and evaluating microclimates, soil, and drainage.

3. 2D & 3D Spatial Design: Developing layouts with Vectorworks, virtual walk-throughs and lighting and shadow simulations to test spatial flow throughout the day.

4. Material & Quantity Specifications: Finalising exact construction materials, hard landscaping elements, and plant lists.

5. Site Build & Construction: Managing build schedules with trusted contractors across clearing, fencing, paving, drainage, structures, lighting, and border preparation.

6. Planting & Handover: Precision planting, final styling, and establishing your ongoing care guide.