project portfolio
A country garden reclaimed with care
This garden wasn’t a blank slate, it was a space with history.
Inherited from family and long-neglected, the site had once been full of life but had since become overgrown and unusable. The house was being renovated, and the garden needed to catch up, not with grandeur, but with meaning.
The brief was gentle: an informal, low-maintenance cottage garden that would support biodiversity, welcome friends and family, and feel deeply personal.
The result is a space that feels both new and rooted, connected to the past, but built for the present.
BEFORE...
what we did...
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Created a cohesive design that connected the garden to the home and surrounding paddock
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Preserved existing features with personal value, including magnolia and weigela from the family garden
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Integrated a vegetable plot, pond, and wildflower areas to support wildlife and biodiversity
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Developed a long-term planting plan around the client’s abilities and evolving confidence
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Collaborated closely with the clients, builders and landscapers to deliver the design as part of the wider house renovation
client experience
“Watching our vague notions, wants and needs transform into the most beautiful cottage garden, vegetable allotment, wildflower garden and pond has been magical.”
This project was collaborative from the very beginning. With no prior gardening experience, the clients wanted guidance, but also space to grow into the garden themselves. I have made sure that I have supported them through every stage, design, sourcing, decision-making, and encouragement when things felt overwhelming.
Years on, the garden is still evolving, and so is the confidence of the people tending it. It’s not just a finished space. It’s become a place of gathering, learning, and quiet pride.
“Ian really cared about our garden and what we wanted from it... but he never took over. It was always our garden, created as a team.”
Prefer to take your time?
If you’re not quite ready to reach out, but want to stay in the loop, I send occasional insights, insights from the design process, and a look at what’s growing in gardens and on the drawing board, that might just help you move forward.
No spam, no filler, just thoughtful updates when there’s something worth sharing.