Planting Design
Planting with purpose, character and seasonal rhythm.
A theatrical design approach, delivered with deep horticultural expertise.
Thoughtful planting compositions, designed for your garden and the way you live.
From a single border to an entire garden, we use a planting palette that brings structure, seasonal interest and character to existing spaces.
Working with the conditions of each site, we select plants for their form, habit, colour, texture and longevity — creating a planting scheme that feels considered from the beginning and becomes richer with time.
01 — Understanding the Garden
The conditions come first.
Every planting scheme begins with its environment.
We look carefully at what is already there — the soil, aspect, light, wind, drainage, existing trees and planting, surrounding landscape and the way the garden is used.
We consider what is thriving, what is struggling and what has the potential to become something more.
Good planting starts with the right plant in the right place. Understanding the conditions allows us to create schemes that are not only beautiful at the outset, but able to establish and develop over time.
02 — The Planting Narrative
Creating Character through plants.
Planting should have a sense of place and a reason for being there.
We develop a planting narrative that responds to the character of the garden and the atmosphere you want to create.
This might mean a restrained palette of foliage and texture, a generous seasonal display, a naturalistic woodland planting or something more structured and architectural.
Colour, texture, form, movement and seasonal change are considered together to create planting that feels cohesive rather than simply collected.
03 — Every Plant Has a Role
Structure, balance and seasonal interest.
The strongest planting schemes are built around relationships between plants.
Trees and shrubs provide the framework, while perennials, grasses, roses and bulbs bring movement, texture and seasonal change.
We select plants for their habit, longevity, colour, foliage, flowering period and ability to contribute to the wider scheme.
Like a carefully assembled cast, every plant has a role — but the real performance comes from how they work together.
04 — Developing the Planting
Designing in the garden.
Not every planting scheme begins on paper.
Depending on the garden and the project, we may develop the planting scheme through a combination of measured plans and working directly within the space.
We measure planting areas, consider the proportions and relationships between spaces, and work with the garden itself to understand how the planting will sit, move and develop.
Plants are then selected as part of the wider composition, considering their scale, habit, colour, texture, seasonal interest and growing conditions.
Like a live production, the garden gives us the space to respond, adjust and refine the composition as it takes shape.
05 — Plant Selection & Sourcing
Finding the right plants.
We carefully select every plant, from source to garden.
Once the planting scheme has been developed, we source plants through our network of trusted growers and specialist nurseries.
Where appropriate, we visit nurseries in person to select specimen trees and individual plants, choosing for quality, form, habit and suitability rather than simply relying on what is available.
This allows us to consider each plant as part of the wider composition, ensuring that what arrives in the garden is right for the space, the planting scheme and its development over time.
We look at each plant in context — its size, shape, structure and potential contribution to the wider planting scheme — before arranging supply and delivery ready for installation.
This hands-on approach allows us to select plants that work not only on paper, but in the garden itself.
06 — Planting & Establishment
Bringing the planting to life.
The design becomes a living garden when the plants go into the ground.
We plant each scheme with care, considering spacing, positioning, soil conditions and the eventual development of the plants.
Once planted, we can provide establishment care to help the scheme settle in and develop as intended, with ongoing horticultural support where required.
Planting Design for Existing Gardens
Not every garden needs redesigning from the ground up.
Sometimes the structure of a garden is right, but the planting needs a new direction.
Planting Design can be commissioned independently of a full Garden Design project, whether you want to:
Rework one tired or underperforming border
Redesign planting throughout an existing garden
Introduce more seasonal interest
Strengthen an established planting scheme
Improve planting around a terrace, courtyard or entrance
Create a particular atmosphere or planting character
Replace plants that have outgrown their space
Develop planting around existing trees, structures or views
Beyond the planting plan
A new planting scheme doesn't always mean starting from scratch.
Mature trees, established shrubs and long-standing planting can give a garden its character.
We consider what is already growing, retaining plants that contribute to the structure and identity of the garden while introducing new planting where it will strengthen the overall scheme.
The aim is not simply to replace what is there, but to understand it, work with it and develop it thoughtfully for the future.