Glossary

Contemporary garden design refers to modern approaches that embrace clean lines, minimalist aesthetics, and innovative materials. Contemporary gardens often feature geometric shapes, limited colour palettes, bold architectural planting, and seamless connections between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Materials like porcelain paving, corten steel, and rendered walls are common, creating sleek surfaces that contrast with soft planting. Contemporary design doesn't mean cold or unwelcoming – the best contemporary gardens use warmth through textural planting and natural materials while maintaining their modern aesthetic. See our contemporary garden projects.

A formal garden follows principles of symmetry, geometry, and order, with structured layouts typically featuring central axes, balanced planting, and architectural elements like hedges, topiary, and parterres. This style originated in Renaissance Italy and French gardens of Versailles.

Modern formal gardens often soften the strict symmetry with naturalistic planting within geometric beds, creating a pleasing tension between order and nature. Formal elements like box hedging, clipped yew, and geometric water features can add structure and year-round interest to gardens of any size. Our garden design service can incorporate formal elements into your space.

A Mediterranean garden evokes the landscapes of southern Europe and North Africa, featuring drought-tolerant plants, gravel mulches, terracotta, and warm colour palettes. Classic Mediterranean plants include lavender, rosemary, olive trees, cistus, and agapanthus.

While beautiful, Mediterranean planting can struggle in UK conditions, particularly in areas with heavy clay soil or wet winters. Successful Mediterranean-style gardens in Britain often require excellent drainage, sheltered positions, and careful plant selection focusing on hardier Mediterranean-climate plants. Discuss Mediterranean options with our garden designers.

Naturalistic planting is a design approach that mimics the patterns and plant communities found in nature, creating gardens that appear to have evolved organically. Pioneered by designers like Piet Oudolf, this style emphasises plant structure, texture, and seasonal changes rather than traditional colour-focused bedding schemes.

Plants are arranged in drifts and matrices that reflect how they grow in wild habitats, with grasses woven through perennials. The style celebrates all stages of plant life, including seed heads and winter skeletons, creating year-round interest. Naturalistic planting is increasingly popular for its lower maintenance requirements once established and its significant benefits for wildlife. Our planting service specialises in this approach.

Prairie style planting draws inspiration from the American prairies, using bold drifts of ornamental grasses and perennials that create movement and seasonal drama. This style is characterised by late-season flowering plants like echinacea, rudbeckia, and helenium mixed with grasses such as calamagrostis and panicum.

Prairie planting is particularly effective in full sun and once established requires minimal watering and maintenance. The style is closely related to naturalistic planting but tends to feature larger-scale drifts and a focus on late summer and autumn interest. It's excellent for biodiversity and works well in sustainable garden designs.

A woodland garden recreates the layered planting found at the edges of woodland, typically featuring a canopy of trees, an understory of shrubs, and ground-level planting of ferns, hostas, and spring bulbs. Woodland gardens thrive in shaded conditions that challenge many other garden styles.

Key characteristics include naturalistic planting, winding paths, dappled shade, and plants that have evolved to flower before the tree canopy leafs out. Woodland gardens provide valuable habitat for shade-loving wildlife and can transform difficult shaded areas into atmospheric, tranquil spaces. Explore our country garden projects for woodland inspiration.

A fire pit is a contained fire feature for outdoor use, creating a gathering point and extending garden use into cooler evenings and seasons. Fire pits range from portable bowls to built-in features integrated into seating areas, using wood, gas, or bioethanol fuel.

Gas fire pits offer convenience and controllability; wood-burning pits provide authentic atmosphere but require fuel storage and smoke consideration. Some areas have restrictions on open fires, so checking local regulations before installation is advisable. Fire pits work beautifully with outdoor living spaces. Our landscaping team installs fire pits.

A focal point is a feature that draws the eye and anchors a view within the garden. Focal points can be natural (specimen trees, striking plants) or structural (sculptures, water features, containers) and are essential for creating visual interest and directing movement through space.

Effective focal points are positioned where sight lines naturally terminate: at the end of paths, opposite entrances, or framed by planting. The best focal points change with seasons and lighting conditions, maintaining interest throughout the year. Our garden designers create compelling focal points.

Garden lighting extends outdoor use into evening hours, provides security, and creates dramatic effects highlighting plants and features. Lighting types include ambient lighting for general illumination, task lighting for cooking and dining areas, and accent lighting to highlight focal points.

LED technology has transformed garden lighting with long life, low energy consumption, and colour options. Key techniques include uplighting trees and architectural elements, path lighting for safety, and underwater lighting for water features. Professional design ensures appropriate light levels without light pollution. Our landscaping service includes lighting installation.

A garden room describes both distinct zones within a garden and enclosed buildings for garden use. As a design concept, garden rooms divide larger spaces into intimate areas with distinct characters, connected by paths and views. As structures, garden rooms are buildings used as home offices, studios, gyms, or relaxation spaces.

Creating 'rooms' within gardens using hedges, screens, or planting provides journey and discovery, making even modestly sized gardens feel more spacious and interesting. Built garden rooms typically require planning permission and Building Regulations compliance. Our designers create both types of garden rooms.

An irrigation system delivers water to plants automatically, ensuring consistent moisture levels without daily manual watering. Systems range from simple drip irrigation for containers to comprehensive underground installations supplying entire gardens.

Benefits include water efficiency (targeted delivery reduces waste), time savings, and healthier plants through consistent watering. Smart controllers adjust watering based on weather and soil moisture. Irrigation is particularly valuable for establishing new planting and maintaining gardens during owner absences. Our landscaping service installs irrigation.

An outdoor kitchen is a dedicated cooking and food preparation area in the garden, ranging from simple built-in barbecues to fully equipped kitchens with multiple cooking appliances, sinks, refrigeration, and worktops. Outdoor kitchens extend living space and support alfresco entertaining.

Design considerations include weather protection, access to utilities (gas, water, electricity), adequate worktop and storage space, and proximity to indoor kitchen and dining areas. Materials must withstand weather exposure; stainless steel, porcelain, and hardwood are common choices. Our landscaping service designs and builds outdoor living spaces including kitchens.

An outdoor living space is an area designed for activities typically associated with indoor rooms: dining, lounging, cooking, and entertaining. Modern garden design increasingly focuses on creating outdoor rooms that function as extensions of the home.

Successful outdoor living spaces consider weather protection, comfortable furniture, heating and lighting for extended use, and seamless connection with indoor spaces. The best outdoor living areas balance practical function with aesthetic appeal and connection to the wider garden. See our entertaining garden portfolio.

A water feature is any decorative element incorporating water, from formal fountains and reflecting pools to naturalistic streams and wildlife ponds. Water features add sensory dimensions through movement, sound, and light reflection, creating focal points and attracting wildlife.

Options range from self-contained fountains requiring minimal installation to complex pumped systems and natural swimming pools. Wildlife ponds with native planting support amphibians, insects, and drinking birds. Even small water features can significantly enhance a garden's atmosphere and biodiversity. Our landscaping service installs water features.

The cottage garden style originated in English rural properties and is characterised by informal, abundant planting that appears to have evolved organically. Traditional cottage gardens combine ornamental flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruit in a romantic, naturalistic style that contrasts with formal garden design.

Key features include densely planted borders, climbing roses, self-seeding annuals, winding paths, and a deliberate lack of rigid structure. Modern cottage garden interpretations often update the style with contemporary plant combinations while retaining the romantic, relaxed atmosphere. Our planting service can create cottage-style schemes for your garden.

A country garden refers to gardens in rural or semi-rural settings, typically larger than urban plots with space for generous planting, mature trees, and a connection to the surrounding landscape. Country garden design often incorporates elements of the traditional English cottage garden aesthetic while responding to the specific character of the local area.

These gardens may include features impractical in urban settings: wildflower meadows, orchards, extensive lawns, vegetable gardens, and naturalistic planting that blends with the countryside beyond. In Somerset and Surrey, country gardens often need to consider borrowed landscape, wind exposure, and local planning requirements. Explore our country garden design work.

A courtyard garden is an enclosed outdoor space, typically surrounded by walls or buildings, common in urban properties. These intimate spaces require clever design to maximise limited square footage while creating a sense of retreat. Courtyard gardens often feature vertical planting, container gardening, and carefully chosen focal points to create depth and interest.

In London, courtyard gardens are particularly common in Victorian and Georgian terraces, where the rear garden is bounded by neighbouring properties. Despite their small size, well-designed courtyards can include seating areas, water features, and lush planting that transforms these spaces into peaceful urban oases. View our courtyard garden design portfolio for inspiration.

A family garden is designed to accommodate the needs of households with children, balancing play areas, entertaining space, and aesthetic appeal. Successful family garden design creates distinct zones for different activities while maintaining a cohesive look.

Key elements often include durable lawn areas for play, child-safe planting (avoiding toxic plants), secure boundaries, and flexible spaces that can evolve as children grow. Many family gardens incorporate outdoor dining areas, trampoline zones cleverly integrated into the design, and wildlife features that encourage children to connect with nature.

A large garden typically refers to spaces over 200 square metres, offering opportunities for multiple zones, mature trees, and generous planting that smaller gardens cannot accommodate. Large garden design requires careful spatial planning to create intimacy and human-scale areas within the overall space.

Successful large gardens are often divided into garden rooms with distinct characters, connected by paths and sight lines. They may include features like wildflower meadows, woodland areas, formal lawns, kitchen gardens, and dedicated entertaining spaces that would overwhelm smaller plots. See our large garden design portfolio.

A small garden typically refers to outdoor spaces under 50 square metres, though the definition varies. Small garden design requires different approaches than larger spaces, focusing on making every element work harder, creating illusions of space, and choosing appropriately scaled features.

Successful small garden techniques include using diagonal lines to lengthen sight lines, limiting material palettes to reduce visual clutter, incorporating mirrors or light colours to reflect light, and choosing multi-functional furniture. Vertical gardening, climbers, and well-placed focal points can make small gardens feel surprisingly spacious. Browse our small garden design portfolio.

A sustainable garden is designed and maintained with minimal environmental impact, using eco-friendly materials, water-wise planting, and practices that work with nature rather than against it. Sustainable gardens reduce reliance on artificial inputs like fertilisers and pesticides while supporting local ecosystems.

Key principles include using locally sourced and recycled materials, choosing plants suited to local conditions, harvesting rainwater, composting garden waste, avoiding peat-based products, and creating habitats for wildlife. Sustainable gardens often incorporate SuDS (sustainable drainage systems) to manage rainwater on site. Explore our sustainable garden design approach.

A terrace garden can refer to either the garden of a terraced house (typically a long, narrow rear plot) or a garden on a raised terrace or balcony. Victorian terrace gardens present specific design challenges including limited width, potential overlooking from neighbours, and often difficult access for construction.

Effective terrace garden design uses clever spatial techniques to overcome the corridor effect, creating distinct zones along the length and using planting to provide screening and privacy. Diagonal paths and offset features help break up the linear nature of these spaces. Our London garden designers specialise in terrace garden transformations.

An urban garden is any garden space within a city or town environment. Urban gardens face unique challenges including limited space, overlooking from neighbours, pollution, heat island effects, and often poor soil. However, they also offer opportunities to create green oases that contribute to urban biodiversity and provide essential outdoor living space.

Good urban garden design maximises every square metre, uses vertical space effectively, creates privacy through clever screening, and selects plants that thrive in city conditions. Urban gardens play a vital role in creating green corridors that allow wildlife to move through built-up areas. See our urban garden design portfolio.

A wildlife garden is designed specifically to attract and support native wildlife including birds, bees, butterflies, hedgehogs, and other creatures. Rather than a wild or unkempt space, a wildlife garden uses thoughtful plant selection and habitat creation to support biodiversity while remaining beautiful and functional.

Key features include native plant species, berry-producing shrubs, nectar-rich flowers, log piles, insect hotels, bird boxes, and wildlife ponds. The best wildlife gardens provide food, water, shelter, and nesting sites throughout the seasons, creating a complete ecosystem within your outdoor space. Learn more about our approach to sustainable garden design.

Composite decking is manufactured from a mixture of recycled wood fibres and plastic polymers, creating boards that mimic timber's appearance while requiring minimal maintenance. Composite decking won't rot, splinter, or require annual treatment like traditional timber.

Higher upfront costs are offset by longevity (25+ year warranties are common) and zero maintenance requirements. Quality varies significantly between manufacturers, with better products offering more natural appearance and improved fade resistance. Our landscaping team installs quality composite decking.

Decking is a raised wooden or composite platform used to create level outdoor living spaces. Decking is particularly useful on sloping sites, over uneven ground, or to create elevated areas that catch more light. Modern options include traditional hardwood, pressure-treated softwood, and composite materials.

Composite decking (made from recycled wood and plastic) has gained popularity due to lower maintenance requirements and longer warranties, though it typically costs more than timber. Proper substructure design is essential for safe, long-lasting decking installations. Our landscaping team builds quality decking.

Edging creates defined boundaries between different garden areas: lawn to border, paving to planting, gravel to beds. Materials range from metal strips and timber boards to brick courses, stone setts, and contemporary corten steel.

Good edging serves both practical and aesthetic functions: preventing lawn grass spreading into borders, maintaining clean paving lines, containing gravel, and creating visual definition. The choice of edging material significantly impacts the garden's overall character and style. Our landscaping service includes all edging installation.

A gravel garden uses decorative aggregate as a surface mulch, typically combined with drought-tolerant planting. Gravel gardens can range from Mediterranean-style spaces with lavender and rosemary to contemporary designs with architectural plants and self-seeded perennials.

Benefits include excellent drainage, low maintenance (no mowing), permeable surfaces for sustainable drainage, and habitat for ground-nesting insects. A weed-suppressing membrane beneath the gravel reduces maintenance, though some gardeners prefer membrane-free installation to allow self-seeding. See our sustainable garden portfolio.

Natural stone paving includes materials quarried from the earth: sandstone, limestone, slate, granite, and yorkstone. Each stone type has unique characteristics in colour, texture, durability, and behaviour. Natural stone creates beautiful, individual surfaces that age gracefully and suit both traditional and contemporary settings.

Indian sandstone is popular for its affordability and colour range, while British limestone and yorkstone command premium prices for their heritage associations. Proper sealing and appropriate stone selection for the intended use ensure longevity. See our landscaping portfolio for natural stone examples.

Paving refers to any hard surface material used to create patios, paths, and other ground surfaces in gardens. Common paving materials include natural stone (sandstone, limestone, slate), porcelain tiles, concrete slabs, brick, and setts. Each material has different characteristics regarding durability, maintenance, slip resistance, and aesthetics.

Good paving installation requires proper foundations, appropriate falls for drainage, and quality workmanship. On challenging soils like clay, deeper foundations and flexible pointing systems prevent the movement and cracking that plague poorly installed patios. See our landscaping service for professional paving installation.

A pergola is an outdoor garden structure consisting of vertical posts supporting an open framework of beams and rafters. Pergolas provide partial shade, define outdoor living spaces, and create vertical growing surfaces for climbing plants like roses, wisteria, and jasmine.

Modern pergolas range from traditional timber structures to contemporary designs in steel or aluminium, often incorporating retractable canopies or louvred roofs for adjustable shade. Pergolas have become increasingly popular as outdoor living extends beyond summer months, creating year-round usable spaces when combined with heating and lighting. Our landscaping service builds bespoke pergolas.

Porcelain paving consists of high-density ceramic tiles manufactured for outdoor use. Porcelain has become increasingly popular due to its exceptional durability, low porosity (resists staining and frost damage), consistent appearance, and slim profile that suits contemporary designs.

Available in various finishes including stone and timber effects, porcelain requires specific installation techniques with adhesive rather than traditional mortar bedding. Its strength makes it particularly suitable for challenging soils like clay where other materials might crack. Our landscaping service specialises in porcelain installation.

A raised bed is a contained planting area built above ground level, typically constructed from timber, brick, stone, or corten steel. Raised beds bring soil above the surrounding grade, providing improved drainage, easier maintenance access, and the ability to use specialised growing media.

Beyond practical benefits, raised beds create visual interest through level changes and can define different garden zones. They're particularly valuable on poor soils like clay, for accessible gardening, and for creating focal points with premium planting areas. Our landscaping service builds raised beds in various materials.

A retaining wall is a structure designed to hold back soil and manage level changes in a garden. Retaining walls enable creation of terraced gardens on slopes, raised planting beds, and defined areas within the landscape. Materials include brick, natural stone, concrete blocks, and timber sleepers.

Engineering considerations become critical as walls increase in height; walls over one metre typically require professional structural design. Proper drainage behind retaining walls prevents water pressure buildup that can cause structural failure. Our landscaping service handles retaining wall construction.

3D visualisation uses computer software to create realistic three-dimensional images of proposed garden designs. Visualisations help clients understand spatial relationships, material appearances, and planting effects before construction begins.

Modern visualisation software produces photorealistic renders showing gardens in different seasons, times of day, and lighting conditions. These images are invaluable for decision-making, allowing clients to 'walk through' their future garden and make informed choices about materials, planting, and layout. Our design service includes 3D visualisation.

A conservation area is a designated zone of special architectural or historic interest where additional planning controls apply to preserve the area's character. Gardens in conservation areas may require planning permission for work that would otherwise be permitted development.

Restrictions can apply to front gardens, visible areas, trees, walls, and structures. Understanding local conservation area guidelines before planning garden work prevents delays and potential enforcement action. Many beautiful period properties in London and Surrey lie within conservation areas, requiring sensitive design approaches. Our designers understand conservation requirements.

Garden design is the art and process of designing outdoor spaces, combining aesthetic vision with practical knowledge of horticulture, materials, and construction. Garden designers create drawings, specifications, and planting plans that guide the transformation of outdoor spaces.

Professional garden design involves understanding clients' needs, site analysis, concept development, detailed design, and often project management during implementation. Good garden design balances immediate impact with long-term evolution, creating spaces that improve with time as planting matures. Learn about our garden design service.

Hardscaping refers to all non-living elements in garden design: paving, walls, fences, structures, and built features. Hardscaping provides the permanent framework within which planting (softscaping) exists and typically represents the largest investment in a garden project.

Quality hardscaping creates the bones of a garden that last decades, while poor construction requires expensive remediation. Key hardscaping elements include patios, paths, walls, steps, pergolas, and drainage systems. Material selection significantly impacts both appearance and longevity. Our landscaping service delivers quality hardscaping.

Landscaping is the process of altering the visible features of an outdoor area, encompassing both design and construction phases. Landscaping includes earthworks, drainage installation, hard landscaping construction, planting, and all activities that transform a space from existing condition to finished garden.

Professional landscaping involves skilled tradespeople executing designs to specification, using quality materials and proper techniques. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with 'garden design', though design and construction are distinct disciplines often performed by different companies. See our landscaping service.

A low maintenance garden is designed to minimise ongoing care requirements while remaining attractive. Low maintenance doesn't mean no maintenance; rather, it's about smart design choices that reduce repetitive tasks like weeding, pruning, watering, and lawn mowing.

Key strategies include dense ground cover planting, self-sufficient plant choices, mulched beds, hard surfaces reducing lawn area, automated irrigation, and choosing plants that don't require regular pruning or staking. Truly low maintenance gardens are thoughtfully designed, not simply simplified. Our design service creates low maintenance solutions.

A master plan is a comprehensive design document showing the overall vision for a garden, including all elements and their relationships. Master plans enable phased implementation while ensuring that work completed in different stages forms a coherent whole.

Master plans are particularly valuable for larger gardens or projects with budget constraints requiring staged delivery. The plan provides a framework that guides individual phases, ensuring consistency in style, materials, and spatial relationships regardless of implementation timeline. Our garden design service creates master plans.

Planning permission is formal approval from local authorities required for certain building work and changes to property. In gardens, planning permission may be needed for large structures, boundary walls over certain heights, hard surfacing in front gardens, or any work in conservation areas.

Many garden works fall under permitted development rights and don't require permission, but rules vary by property type and location. Checking requirements before starting work avoids costly modifications or enforcement action. Professional designers understand planning constraints and can advise on permissions.

A site survey is the systematic measurement and assessment of an existing garden space, forming the foundation for accurate design. Surveys record dimensions, levels, existing features, services locations, soil conditions, microclimate, and any constraints or opportunities.

Accurate site surveys are essential; design decisions based on incorrect measurements lead to costly problems during construction. Professional surveys may use laser measuring, GPS positioning, or traditional methods depending on project complexity and accuracy requirements. Every project begins with a thorough site survey.

Softscaping encompasses all living elements in garden design: plants, lawns, and other organic features. Softscaping works alongside hardscaping to create complete garden designs, providing colour, texture, seasonal change, and habitat value.

While softscaping elements are replaceable and evolving (unlike fixed hardscaping), quality plant selection and installation are essential for long-term garden success. Softscaping includes everything from trees and shrubs to perennials, groundcover, climbers, and lawns. Our planting service creates beautiful softscaping.

A bulb is an underground storage organ that holds nutrients allowing plants to survive dormancy and regenerate. In gardens, 'bulbs' often refers broadly to bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes that share similar characteristics and uses.

Spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and crocuses provide early colour before other plants emerge. Summer bulbs include alliums, lilies, and dahlias. Planting bulbs in layers (lasagne planting) and drifts creates naturalistic effects and extended flowering seasons. Our planting service incorporates bulbs for seasonal impact.

A climber is a plant that grows upward by attaching to supports through various means: twining stems (honeysuckle), tendrils (clematis), aerial roots (ivy), or suckers (Virginia creeper). Climbers add vertical interest to gardens and can clothe walls, fences, and pergolas with greenery and flowers.

Self-clinging climbers can damage some surfaces and may not be suitable for all walls. Twining climbers need support structures like wires or trellis. Popular climbers include roses, wisteria, jasmine, and clematis. Many climbers provide food and shelter for wildlife. Our planting service selects climbers for every situation.

Deciduous plants lose their leaves in autumn, entering dormancy through winter before producing new growth in spring. Deciduous plants offer seasonal drama through spring emergence, summer fullness, autumn colour, and winter silhouettes.

While deciduous plants leave gaps in winter, their seasonal changes add dynamism to gardens. Many deciduous trees and shrubs have attractive bark or framework that provides winter interest when leaves have fallen. A balanced planting scheme combines deciduous with evergreen plants for year-round appeal.

An evergreen plant retains its leaves throughout the year, providing permanent foliage and structure. Evergreens are essential for winter interest and year-round screening, maintaining presence when deciduous plants are bare.

Common evergreens include box, yew, holly, photinia, and many conifers. Evergreen shrubs provide backbone to borders, while evergreen hedging creates permanent boundaries. A good planting scheme typically includes around 30% evergreen material to ensure the garden looks good in all seasons. Our planting designs balance evergreen and deciduous plants.

Ground cover plants spread horizontally to carpet the soil surface, suppressing weeds and creating cohesive planting areas. Ground cover is particularly valuable under trees, on slopes, and in low-maintenance schemes where it reduces the need for mulching and weeding.

Effective ground covers include geraniums, ajuga, pachysandra, vinca, and heuchera. The best choices form dense coverage quickly, tolerate the intended conditions, and require minimal intervention once established. Some ground covers also provide flowers, autumn colour, or winter interest. Our planting service uses ground cover extensively.

Herbaceous describes plants with non-woody stems that die back to ground level each winter. Herbaceous perennials form the majority of traditional border planting, emerging fresh each spring and growing vigorously through summer before dying back in autumn.

The term distinguishes soft-stemmed plants from woody shrubs and trees. Herbaceous borders, featuring collections of these perennials, have been a mainstay of British gardening since Victorian times, though modern schemes often mix herbaceous perennials with grasses and shrubs for extended interest.

Ornamental grasses are decorative grass species grown for their form, movement, and texture rather than lawn use. Grasses have become essential elements of contemporary and naturalistic planting, providing movement, sound, and year-round structure that many flowering plants cannot match.

Popular varieties include miscanthus, calamagrostis, stipa, and pennisetum. Grasses work beautifully in prairie-style schemes, as structural specimens, or woven through perennial borders. Most ornamental grasses are low maintenance, requiring only an annual cut-back in late winter. Our planting service incorporates grasses for movement and texture.

A perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years, typically dying back to the ground in winter and regrowing each spring. Herbaceous perennials form the backbone of most garden planting schemes, providing colour, texture, and structure throughout the growing season.

Perennials are generally lower maintenance than annuals (which need replanting each year) and offer excellent value as they increase in size over time. Many can be divided to create new plants. Popular perennials for UK gardens include geraniums, salvias, echinacea, and astrantia. Our planting service creates perennial-rich schemes.

A planting scheme (or planting plan) is a detailed design specifying plant varieties, quantities, and positions for a garden or border. Professional planting schemes consider colour, texture, height, seasonality, growing conditions, and maintenance requirements to create cohesive, attractive combinations.

Good planting schemes balance evergreen with deciduous, structure with softness, and early with late interest to ensure year-round appeal. The plan typically includes a scaled drawing and plant schedule with botanical names, common names, and specifications. Our planting service creates bespoke schemes.

A shrub is a woody plant with multiple stems growing from the base, typically shorter than a tree. Shrubs provide permanent structure to gardens, offering year-round interest through foliage, flowers, berries, and bark. Many are evergreen, maintaining presence through winter.

Shrubs range from compact specimens suitable for containers to large boundary plants. Popular choices include hydrangeas, viburnums, roses, and cornus. Strategic shrub placement creates screening, defines spaces, and provides essential habitat for birds and other wildlife. Our planting schemes incorporate shrubs for structure.

Aeration is the process of creating holes or channels in soil or turf to improve air circulation, water penetration, and root growth. On compacted clay soils, aeration is essential for healthy plant growth and lawn care.

Lawn aeration using hollow-tine aerators removes plugs of soil, allowing air and water to reach grass roots. In borders, regular cultivation and avoiding walking on wet soil prevents compaction. Aeration is particularly important on heavy clay soils that compact easily. Our garden maintenance includes lawn aeration services.

Clay soil is characterised by tiny mineral particles that pack together tightly, creating heavy, sticky soil that drains slowly. Clay soils are common across Surrey, Kent, and parts of London, presenting specific challenges for gardening and landscaping.

Clay shrinks when dry and expands when wet, causing ground movement that can crack paving and damage structures. However, clay soils are nutrient-rich and retain moisture well, making them excellent for many plants once proper drainage and soil improvement are addressed.

Compaction occurs when soil particles are pressed together, eliminating air spaces and preventing water infiltration and root growth. Foot traffic, heavy machinery, and working wet clay soil all cause compaction, leading to poor drainage, surface water, and stressed plants.

Preventing compaction through careful site management during construction, designated paths, and avoiding work on wet soil is easier than remediation. Relieving existing compaction requires deep cultivation, organic matter incorporation through soil improvement, and patience as soil structure rebuilds.

Drainage in gardens refers to how water moves through and away from the soil. Good drainage prevents waterlogging that kills plant roots and damages structures. Drainage solutions range from simple soil improvement to comprehensive systems of pipes, channels, and soakaways.

Understanding your site's drainage is fundamental to successful garden design. Signs of poor drainage include standing water, moss in lawns, dying plants, and algae growth. Solutions vary depending on the cause: compaction requires aeration, high water tables need land drains, and impermeable surfaces require permeable alternatives.

A French drain is a drainage solution consisting of a gravel-filled trench containing a perforated pipe that collects and redirects groundwater away from problem areas. French drains are essential on clay soils and in gardens with poor natural drainage.

The system works by providing an easy path for water to flow through the gravel and into the pipe, which carries it to a soakaway, surface water drain, or dispersal area. Proper installation with correct falls and adequate capacity is essential for effective drainage. Our landscaping team installs drainage systems.

Mulching is the practice of covering soil surfaces with organic or inorganic materials. Organic mulches include bark, compost, and leaf mould; inorganic options include gravel and slate. Mulching conserves moisture, suppresses weeds, moderates soil temperature, and improves soil structure as organic mulches decompose.

For best results, apply 75-100mm of mulch in spring when soil is moist and warm. Avoid piling mulch against plant stems, which can cause rot. Regular mulching is one of the most beneficial practices for garden health and reduced maintenance. Our planting service includes mulching as standard.

Permeable paving allows water to pass through the surface and into the ground below, reducing runoff and supporting sustainable drainage. Options include permeable block paving, gravel, resin-bound surfaces, and grass reinforcement systems.

Planning regulations now require permeable surfaces for front garden driveways in many areas. Beyond compliance, permeable paving reduces local flood risk, recharges groundwater, and can create attractive, low-maintenance surfaces. Proper sub-base design is essential for effective water management. Our landscaping service installs permeable surfaces.

A soakaway is an underground structure designed to disperse surface water into the surrounding soil, typically a pit filled with rubble or plastic crates. Soakaways collect water from roofs, patios, and drainage systems, allowing it to gradually percolate into the ground.

Soakaways work well on sandy or chalky soils but can be ineffective on clay, where water may simply sit in the pit rather than soaking away. On heavy soils, connection to surface water sewers or alternative dispersal methods may be necessary. Our landscaping service assesses drainage needs.

Soil improvement refers to practices that enhance soil structure, drainage, fertility, and biological activity. On clay soils, this typically involves adding large quantities of organic matter; on sandy soils, it means increasing water retention and nutrient-holding capacity.

Effective soil improvement is a long-term process, not a one-time fix. Annual applications of compost, regular mulching, avoiding compaction, and encouraging soil life through reduced chemical inputs gradually transform problem soils into productive growing media. Our planting service includes soil preparation.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, encompassing all plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. In garden terms, biodiversity describes the range of species a garden supports, from soil organisms to birds, bees, butterflies, and hedgehogs.

Gardens collectively form a significant wildlife habitat network across the UK, and designing for biodiversity has become increasingly important as wild habitats decline. Creating biodiverse gardens involves planting diverse species (especially natives), providing food sources throughout the year, creating habitat features like insect hotels, and avoiding pesticides. Learn about our sustainable garden design approach.

A green corridor is a connected strip of vegetation that allows wildlife to move through urban or agricultural landscapes. Individual gardens can form part of larger green corridors, enabling hedgehogs, birds, insects, and other creatures to travel between feeding and nesting sites.

Creating garden connections through hedgehog highways (holes in fences), wildlife-friendly boundaries, and continuous planting helps maintain viable wildlife populations in fragmented landscapes. Urban green corridors are increasingly recognised as essential infrastructure for city biodiversity. Our urban garden designs prioritise wildlife connectivity.

An insect hotel (or bug hotel) provides shelter and nesting sites for beneficial insects including solitary bees, lacewings, ladybirds, and beetles. These structures typically contain materials with holes and crevices: bamboo tubes, drilled logs, pine cones, and bundles of hollow stems.

Positioned in sunny spots near flowering plants, insect hotels support pollinators and pest predators. While commercial hotels are available, homemade versions using materials like drilled hardwood and hollow stems can be equally effective when constructed properly. They're a great addition to wildlife gardens and sustainable designs.

Native planting refers to using plant species that occur naturally in a region, having evolved with local wildlife over thousands of years. Native plants provide familiar food sources and habitat for insects, birds, and other creatures that have adapted to use them.

While 100% native planting isn't necessary or always desirable, incorporating native species supports local ecosystems. A balance of natives for wildlife value and well-chosen non-natives for extended flowering seasons often creates the most biodiverse gardens. Our planting schemes incorporate natives where appropriate for wildlife gardens.

A pollinator garden is specifically designed to attract and support bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other pollinating insects. With pollinator populations declining due to habitat loss and pesticide use, gardens play an increasingly important role in supporting these essential creatures.

Successful pollinator gardens provide nectar and pollen sources from early spring to late autumn, include a variety of flower shapes to suit different pollinators, avoid pesticides, and provide nesting habitats. Single-flowered varieties are generally better for pollinators than heavily doubled cultivars. Our planting schemes always consider pollinator value.

A rain garden is a planted depression designed to capture and absorb rainwater runoff from roofs, driveways, and other impermeable surfaces. Rain gardens are a key component of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), helping to reduce flood risk and filter pollutants before water enters the drainage system.

Plants in rain gardens must tolerate both temporary waterlogging and dry periods, with species like iris sibirica, astilbe, and native grasses commonly used. Well-designed rain gardens can be highly attractive features while serving an important environmental function. Explore our sustainable garden designs.

Rewilding describes allowing nature to take the lead in managing land, reducing human intervention to let natural processes restore ecosystems. In garden terms, rewilding can range from letting lawns grow into wildflower meadows to allowing self-seeding and accepting some untidiness.

Garden rewilding doesn't mean complete neglect – it's a conscious choice to work with nature, allowing spontaneous plants, leaving seed heads, maintaining log piles, and mowing less frequently. Even small rewilded areas within otherwise managed gardens benefit wildlife significantly. Our sustainable garden designs can incorporate rewilded zones.

SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) are approaches to managing rainwater that mimic natural drainage processes, allowing water to soak into the ground, evaporate, or be stored and released slowly rather than rushing into drains. SuDS reduce flood risk, improve water quality, and create wildlife habitats.

Garden SuDS features include permeable paving, rain gardens, green roofs, swales, and storage tanks. With increasing rainfall intensity due to climate change, SuDS are becoming essential elements of responsible garden design, particularly in urban areas.