Great Garden Design

Lucy Huntington FSGD

Jane Inge MSGD

Arabella LennoxBoyd MSGD

Jason Lock MSGD

Merilen Mentaal MSGD
Philippa O’Brien MSGD

Alexander Oesterheld MSGD

Anthony Paul MSGD

Dan Pearson MSGD

Debbie Roberts MSGD

Charlotte Rowe MSGD

Ian Smith MSGD

Fiona Stephenson MSGD

David Stevens FSGD

Andy Sturgeon FSGD

Tom StuartSmith MSGD

Robin Williams FSGD

Julie Toll FSGD

Chevrel Traher MSGD

Cleve West MSGD

Andrew Wilson FSGD

John Wyer FSGD

Box topiary and edging lends a formal note to this richly planted suburban garden.
DESIGN BY JOHN BROOKES

Photographic acknowledgements

t = top; b = bottom; l = left; r = right; m = middle

Acres Wild: 57br, 4tr, 41r, 42r, 48tr, 56–57, 64mr, 66b, 68bl, 71bm, 73mr,
75bl, 86bl, 92br, 94tr, 97mr, 98tr, 100–101tm, 108–109bm, 110tl, 116tl,
132, 135b, 142tl

Sue Adcock: 48tl, 60, 92bl, 159
Laura Antebi: 78bl
James Basson: 5bl, 120–121, 135tl, 63tm, 98br
Mark Bolton/Homes & Gardens/IPC+ Syndication: 19
Sean Butler: 134
Denise Cadwallader: 55br, 84–85tm, 104bl, 114tr, 131mr
Cityscapes/www.cityscapes.org.uk: 152b
Douglas Coltart: 75br
Stuart Craine: 112tl
Cheryl Cummings: 86tl, 148bl
Caroline Davy: 106mr
Dr Nigel Dunnett: 146bl
Helen Elks-Smith: 40t, 97ml, 98bl, 118tr
Jill Fenwick: 97t
Helen Fickling: 21t, 42l, 64tr, 76tm, 82t
Andrew Fisher Tomlin: 2–3, 14t, 80bl, 83br, 85br, 112–113tm, 162–163
Julia Fogg: 101tr, 116–117bm, 155bl
Patricia Fox: 65tl, 68tl, 74mr, 102tr, 112br, 127t, 138–139
GAP: 135tr, 142bm, 160
Garden Company: 72tr, 89, 109br, 116bm, 85mr
Gloster Furniture/gloster.com: 122
Steve Gorton: 100br
Great Little Trading Company/gltc.co.uk: 133tl

greencube garden and landscape design: 26tr, 63ml, 65ml, 74bl, 79, 80tl,
119br, 125bl

Chris Gutteridge: 123mr, 140b
Harpur Garden Picture Library: 30–31, 33, 78mr/Design by Jo Thompson
Louise Harrison-Holland: 5tr, 67b, 94m, 137tr
Catherine Heatherington: 94bl, 114bl
Paul Hensey: 63br, 65bl, 143
Jackie Herald: 154l
Ian Hodgson: 146br
Thomas Hoblyn: 40b
Jason Ingram: 70–71t
Anne Keenan: 70–71bm, 73bm, 74br
Ian Kitson: 51br, 41l, 50–51, 72–73tm, 74ml, 108–109tr, 140t, 161
Arabella Lennox-Boyd: 37r, 43b
DeakinLock: 15t, 76m, 142bl
Marianne Majerus: 7t, 7b, 10–11, 12, 14b, 15b, 16, 20, 25, 26tl, 28t, 29b,

34ml, 35, 38, 47, 49l, 49r, 54, 62–63l, 75mr, 75tr, 80–81tm, 83tr, 86br,
104–105br, 106br, 106–107tm, 110br, 116–117tm, 126t, 130,
144/Design by Lynne Marcus, 156–157
Sarah Massey: 87
Wilson McWilliam: 8, 18tr, 43t, 94–95m, 125br, 136bl, 153tl
Merilen Mentaal: 29t, 114bm, 116bl, 129
Cherry Mills: 26bl
Alex Moira: 94br, 108tm, 149t
John Nash: 82–83bm, 127b
Clive Nichols: 126b
Charlotte Noar: 64tl, 69tr, 100tl
Brian North: 123tl/Sofa by Garden Furniture
Centre/gardenfurniturecentre.co.uk, 128tl, 131tr/Design by Amanda
Waring and Laura Arison, 133tr, 133br/Design by Claire Broadbent,
141mr, 142br/Design by Jenni Cairns and Sophie Antonelli,
145m/Design by Jennifer Hirsch, 147tl/Design by Kate Frey,
147bl/Design by Design by Jenni Cairns and Sophie Antonelli,

147br/Design by Heidi Harvey and Fern Adler, 148br, 151br/Design by
Hugo Bugg, 147tl
Chris Parsons: 154r
Janine Pattison: 27, 80bm, 118tl, 136mr
Amanda Patton: 5tl, 86tr, 97br, 123tr, 128tr
Dan Pearson: 13, 44–45
Nigel Philips: 4br, 18bl, 73br, 84br, 104tl, 107bl
Alan Pollok-Morris: 31r, 72–73bl, 76bm, 110tr, 114br, 45r, 34br, 68bm,
110bl
Ana Sanchez-Martin: 71br
Sara Jane Rothwell: 63mr
Charlotte Rowe: 4ml, 21b, 58–59, 66t, 91tm
Charles Rutherfoord: 34bl, 91ml
James Scott: 92ml, 114mr
Jane Sebire: 36–37, 93
Shutterstock: 91br, 92tr, 99l, 103, 107tr, 111, 115, 119tl, 131bl, 141bl,
145br, 149b, 150bl, 150br, 151bl, 151m, 153m
Lucy Smith: 78tr
Lucy Sommers: 52, 101bl
Nicola Stocken: 55tl
Derek St Romaine: 68–69 tm, 81tm, 85bl, 90–91m, 98tl, 102bl, 113tl,
155br
Andy Sturgeon: 155tr
Jo Thompson: 124tr
Sue Townsend: 91mr, 92mr, 99r, 102tl
Tina Vallis: 5br, 80–81br, 137tl
Vertigarden/www.vertigarden.co.uk: 145bl, 145bm
Roger Webster: 74m, 88, 97bl
Cleve West: 153b
Andrew Wilson: 104–105tr
Steve Wooster: 22–23, 28b, 61, 67t, 68–69br, 69tr, 76bl, 102br, 104tm,
113mr, 114ml, 124tl, 141tr, 153tr, 155ml, 174
John Wyer: 78br, 84tl, 125tr, 152t

Chris Zbrozyna: 1, 76–77r, 117tm


Author’s acknowledgements

I would sincerely like to thank all the members of the Society of Garden
Designers and others who provided inspirational examples of their work,
including the majority of the photographs and illustrations used in this book.
Without them all this would not have been possible.

I would also like to thank Helen Griffin at Frances Lincoln who commissioned
me to undertake the project, the editor Zia Allaway for keeping things on track,
and Becky Clarke for her inspired design. Finally, I would like to thank my
parents for first fostering my interest in horticulture and my wife Judith, whose
patience and support while I worked on the book over many months knew no
bounds.

Index of SGD designers

A

Acres Wild ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11,
ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22

Adcock, Sue ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Alder, Fern ref1
Alexander, Rosemary ref1

B

Basson, James ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Brookes, John ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Buckland, Mandy ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Burns, Andrew ref1
Butler, Sean ref1

C

Cadwallader, Denise ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Coldstream, Rosemary ref1
Coltart, Douglas ref1
Craine, Stuart ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Cummings, Cheryl ref1, ref2

D

Davy, Caroline ref1
Deakin, Chris (DeakinLock) ref1
del Buono, Tommaso ref1

E

Eberle, Sarah ref1, ref2
Elks-Smith, Helen ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

F

Fenwick, Jill ref1
Fisher Tomlin, Andrew ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Fogg, Julia ref1, ref2, ref3
Foster, Tracey ref1

Fox, Patricia ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6

G

Gazerwitz, Paul ref1
Gibson, John ref1
Giubbilei, Luciano ref1
Gutteridge, Chris ref1, ref2, ref3

H

Harrison-Holland, Louise ref1, ref2, ref3
Heatherington, Catherine ref1, ref2
Hensey, Paul ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Herald, Joanna ref1
Hoblyn, Thomas ref1, ref2, ref3

K

Keenan, Anne ref1, ref2
Kitson, Ian ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8

L

Lennox-Boyd, Arabella ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Lock, Jason (DeakinLock) ref1, ref2, ref3

M

Massey, Sarah ref1
Mentaal, Merilen ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Mills, Cherry ref1

N

Nash, John ref1, ref2, ref3

P

Parsons, Chris ref1
Pattison, Janine ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Patton, Amanda ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Paul, Anthony ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Pearson, Dan ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Philips, Nigel ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

R

Roberts, Debbie see Acres Wild
Rothwell, Sara Jane ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Rowe, Charlotte ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10,

ref11
Rutherfoord, Charles ref1, ref2

S

Sanchez-Martin, Ana ref1, ref2
Scape Design ref1
Scott, James ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Smith, Ian see Acres Wild
Sommers, Lucy ref1, ref2, ref3
Stephenson, Fiona ref1, ref2, ref3
Stevens, David ref1
Stuart-Smith, Tom ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Sturgeon, Andy ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Swift, Joe ref1

T

Toll, Julie ref1, ref2
Townsend, Sue ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

V

Vallis, Tina ref1, ref2

W

Webster, Roger ref1, ref2
West, Cleve ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
Wilson, Andrew (Wilson McWilliam) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7,

ref8
Wyer, John ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

Z

Zbrożyna, Chris ref1, ref2, ref3

Index

Page numbers in bold indicate a subject discussed in a coloured panel
or box. Plant styles and planting groups are indexed, but planting up
particular gardens and areas are grouped under planting.



A

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens ref1
Alhambra ref1
alliums ref1
allotments ref1
American garden style ref1
Antebi, Laura ref1
aquatic plants ref1, ref2
Arabian gardens ref1
arbours ref1
arches ref1
architectural styles ref1, ref2
Arley Hall ref1
Arts and Craft Movement ref1
aspect ref1



B

barbecues ref1, ref2
bathing in garden ref1
Battersea Park ref1
bees ref1
birds, attracting ref1
boardwalk ref1
Boboli ref1
bog plants ref1, ref2
boundaries ref1, ref2
building regulations ref1

buildings
for shade ref1
for subtropical gardens ref1

bulbs, naturalising ref1, ref2

C

canopies ref1
‘Capability’ Brown, Lancelot ref1
car park spaces ref1, ref2
carbon footprint ref1

Case Studies
contemporary formal ref1
country ref1
naturalistic ref1
subtropicalstyle garden ref1
urban garden ref1
water garden ref1

chickens ref1
Chinese gardens ref1
choosing a style ref1
choosing plants to suit style ref1
climate ref1
climbers ref1
cloisters ref1, ref2
cloud pruning ref1, ref2

colour
country gardens ref1, ref2
for formal style ref1
for gates and doors ref1
for lighting ref1
for Modernist style ref1
for sculpture and ornament ref1

commissioning designers ref1
communal gardens ref1
community gardens ref1
composts for roof gardens ref1
containers for roof gardens ref1
contemporary styles ref1

country ref1
formal ref1
urban chic ref1
cooking outside ref1
cool shade ref1
cottage gardens ref1, ref2, ref3
country gardens ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
courtyards ref1
crocosmia ref1
crops in garden ref1

cultivation notes
for architectural styles ref1
for cottage-style plants ref1
for country garden plants ref1
lawns ref1
for Mediterranean gardens ref1
for shade ref1
for subtropicalstyle gardens ref1
for water gardens ref1


D

decking ref1, ref2
design considerations ref1
designers, commissioning ref1

design styles
contemporary formal ref1
cottage and country ref1
naturalistic ref1
subtropical ref1
urban chic ref1
water gardens ref1

dining outside ref1
dog urine on lawns ref1
doors ref1
drainage of roof gardens ref1
driveways ref1, ref2
dry gardens ref1
Dunnett, Dr Nigel ref1,147

E

eating outside ref1
electric heating ref1
English tradition ref1, ref2
entrances ref1
environmental considerations ref1
ethical materials ref1
Ewing, Andrew ref1
Exotic garden ref1

F

fees for designers ref1
fires ref1
flowers for picking ref1
focal points ref1

see also specimen plants
formal gardens ref1, ref2

historical background ref1
French influences ref1
friezes ref1
front gardens, urban ref1
fruit crops ref1

fuel options for heating outside ref1

furniture
choosing furniture ref1
Modernist style ref1
for patios and terraces ref1
materials ref1
recycled ref1
for roof gardens ref1
shade and ref1, ref2
subtropicalstyle garden ref1, ref2
urban chic style ref1, ref2


G

games for outdoors ref1
gas heating ref1
gates ref1
Generalife ref1
geometric principles ref1
Giles, Will ref1
goats ref1

grasses
for lawns ref1
ornamental, for naturalistic style ref1, ref2, ref3

Great Dixter ref1
Greek influences ref1
green roofs ref1
green technology ref1
green wall systems ref1, ref2, ref3
Gresgarth Manor ref1
grills ref1



H

ha ha ref1
Hall, Nigel ref1
hammocks ref1
Hansen, Richard ref1
hardwoods ref1
heating ref1

hedges
architectural styles ref1
country gardens ref1, ref2

Heempark ref1
herbaceous borders ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
herbs ref1, ref2, ref3
Hestercombe ref1
Hibberd, Shirley ref1
Hidcote ref1
Highline ref1
Hillier Gardens and Arboretum ref1
Howarth, Maggie ref1
hospice gardens ref1
hospital gardens ref1
hot tubs ref1
Hummelo ref1



I

Indian gardens ref1
insects, attracting ref1
irrigation systems for roof gardens ref1
Islamic influences ref1
Italian influences ref1, ref2



J

Japanese gardens ref1
Jekyll, Gertrude ref1
JCLI Consultancy Agreement ref1



K

Kent, William ref1
Killerton ref1
knot gardens ref1



L

lap pools ref1
lawns ref1, ref2, ref3

country gardens ref1
LEDS ref1
lighting ref1

solar power ref1
urban chic style ref1
water garden ref1
lime, pleached ref1
livestock in garden ref1
low-carbon technology solutions ref1
Lutyens, Edwin ref1



M

maintenance of gardens ref1
marginal planting ref1, ref2

materials
boundaries ref1
country gardens ref1, ref2
driveways ref1
ethical sourcing ref1
gates and doors ref1
green wall systems ref1
knot gardens ref1
Mediterranean gardens ref1
Modernist gardens ref1
paths and steps ref1, ref2
patios and terraces ref1
recycled ref1
sculpture and ornament ref1
seating ref1
soakaway areas ref1
subtropicalstyle gardens ref1
urban chic gardens ref1, ref2
wildlife homes ref1

meadow planting ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Mediterranean gardens ref1, ref2

water features ref1
micro-pigs ref1
microclimates ref1
mixed borders ref1
Modernist gardens ref1
moongate ref1
motif repetition ref1
mowing lawns ref1
Munstead Wood ref1



N

natural swimming pools ref1
naturalistic gardens ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
new naturalism ref1
Newby Hall ref1

O

objets trouvés ref1, ref2
Oheme, Wolfgang ref1
ornament ref1
Oudolf, Piet ref1
outdoor experiences ref1
ovens ref1



P

paradise gardens ref1
parasols ref1
Parham House ref1
parks ref1
parterres ref1, ref2, ref3
paths ref1

lighting ref1
meadows ref1, ref2
patios ref1, ref2
Paxton, Joseph ref1
perennials for naturalistic style ref1, ref2, ref3
pergolas ref1
Persian influences ref1, ref2
pH of soil ref1
Picturesque Movement ref1
planning regulations ref1

planting
architectural styles ref1
cottage gardens ref1, ref2, ref3
country gardens ref1, ref2, ref3
cultivation notes ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
front gardens ref1
green wall systems ref1
lawns ref1
meadows ref1, ref2
Mediterranean gardens ref1, ref2
Modernist ref1, ref2
naturalistic gardens ref1, ref2, ref3
ponds ref1, ref2, ref3
pools ref1
roof gardens ref1, ref2
school gardens ref1
shade ref1
soil quality and ref1
styles ref1
subtropicalstyle gardens ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
to suit styles ref1
urban chic ref1, ref2
vegetables ref1
water gardens ref1, ref2
wildlife ref1

play areas ref1
play equipment ref1, ref2
playhouses ref1
pleaching ref1, ref2
ponds ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
pruning, cloud ref1



R

railways ref1
rain gardens ref1
raised beds ref1
recycling ref1

relaxing areas ref1
Renaissance gardens ref1
repurposing ref1
rill ref1, ref2
Robinson, William ref1, ref2
Roman influences ref1
roof gardens ref1, ref2

S

scale of design ref1
Scampston ref1
school gardens ref1
screens ref1, ref2
sculpture ref1, ref2, ref3

Modernist style ref1
seating ref1

shade
furniture for ref1
planting for ref1

sheep ref1

shrubs
Modernist style ref1
naturalistic gardens ref1

Skärholmen ref1
slides ref1
Smith, Lucy ref1
Society of Garden Designers ref1
soil quality ref1
solar power ref1, ref2
sources for inspiration ref1
specimen plants, urban chic ref1
Stahl, Friedrich ref1
steps ref1
subtropicalstyle gardens ref1, ref2, ref3
Sustain ref1
swimming pools ref1
swings ref1
symmetry in formal gardens ref1



T

tents ref1
terraces ref1, ref2
Thijsse, Jac P ref1
Tokachi Millennium Forest ref1

topiary
architectural styles ref1, ref2
contemporary formal ref1
country gardens ref1, ref2
naturalistic gardens ref1

town gardens see urban chic
Transition Towns ref1
treehouses ref1

trees
architectural styles ref1
Modernist style ref1
naturalistic gardens ref1, ref2

Tresco Abbey Garden ref1
tropicalstyle gardens see subtropicalstyle

gardens
Tudor gardens ref1

U

umbrellas ref1
urban chic style ref1

V

Van Sweden, James ref1
Vaux le Vicomte ref1, ref2
vegetables ref1
Versailles ref1, ref2
views, keeping ref1
Villa d’Este ref1, ref2
Villandry ref1

W

walls ref1
subtropicalstyle gardens ref1
urban chic style ref1

water collection ref1
water features ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

contemporary formal style ref1
how to make ref1
Modernist style ref1
planting ref1
rill ref1
solar power ref1
subtropicalstyle gardens ref1
urban chic style ref1
Weisse, Rosemary ref1
Westpark ref1
wild flowers in meadows ref1
wildlife gardens ref1, ref2
naturalistic gardens ref1
water for ref1
winter protection for furniture ref1

woodland glades ref1