Projects

Creating an urban oasis

In Spring 2026 we worked with a couple who were keen to breathe new life into their courtyard garden ahead of a big family celebration in early June. Arranged around three sides with views from the dining-kitchen, the three beds had well established fruit trees, two roses and various climbers which would stay.

The brief was to create a garden full of exuberance, bright colours and dramatic contrasts which incorporated the clients' culinary interests, encouraged pollinators and was low maintenance.

Planting inspiration was taken from the clients' existing red rose and orange and purple bi-coloured tulips which the clients had spotted in a local park. The resulting scheme incorporated ‘hot’ colours complemented with dramatic purples and used plants which had been awarded the RHS’ Pollinator Friendly status whenever possible.

Clearing, soil improvement and planting was completed by late May and we also provided a personalised care guide to help the clients look after their new plants. Fast forward to August and the clients' efforts mean they have a garden which is already full of colour and well on the way to becoming established.

Click through the gallery for a closer look and continue reading for the client's story..

The client's story

“I hadn't been happy with our garden for a while, but when we decided to have a big family birthday party at our house, it finally gave me the impetus to do something about it!

"It really felt the scheme Kate created was designed for us, and it brought out the best in the plants we wanted to keep too. The timeframe leading up to the party was quite tight, but the project timeline was well planned, so everything was finished and ready ahead of the party which was great.

"As the summer has gone on, it's been amazing to see the plants grow in and begin to flower - having a guide to help look after the new plants has been really useful too! I've quite an intense job, so having a lovely outside space to help me unwind has made a real difference to me." - Julie M

Revitalising a family garden

In February, we were asked to help revitalise three beds in a family garden which had been shrouded in black plastic for years.

With a brief to take inspiration from the wonderful gardens at the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield and traditional English country gardens, we used the client’s love of lavender as starting point for a pastel colour scheme of purples, pinks and whites with pale yellow accents.

Using a range of flowering herbaceous perennials, grasses and spring flowering bulbs, the scheme will provide year-round interest and a relaxed, informal feel which complements the garden’s topography.

The design process was completed in March and by April we were onsite preparing beds and planting up. Fast forward a few months and – despite one of the driest summers on record- the garden is well on the way to becoming established, bringing the family joy this spring and summer.

To help the novice garden owners, we also created a month-by-month care guide designed to make looking after their new plants as easy and stress-free as possible.

Click through the gallery below for a closer look and keep reading for the client's story.

The client’s story

“When we first moved into our house the garden was pretty overgrown. We did some clearing but then we got a bit stuck -we don’t know much about gardening and family life is busy!

"Having Kate’s help to translate the ideas that were our heads into a solid plan and then into real life has been amazing. It’s really changed how we use the garden as a family – our girls really enjoy being outside and we all love seeing the extra bees and butterflies which come into our garden now.

"Having a guide to help look after the new plants has been really useful and it’s helped us to find our green fingers! We’re now thinking about what we could do with rest of the garden to really make the most of the space we’ve got.” - Lizzie M