Romantic & Biodiverse planting design

For clients who want to feel confident they’ll love their new planting, and supported at every stage with clear communication and attention to detail.

Every project & every client is unique

You set the project brief, I take care to test and communicate design options, co-ordinate the right team for your needs, and ensure you get the garden you have dreamed of.

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My approach

Planting for people and nature

The way we look at and care for the natural world has to change, and our gardens offer an opportunity to help shape that change. My belief in nature-led design has been informed and strengthened by the past 4 years of public RSPB projects.

Romantic

Gardens are places of immersion, connection and memory - the scent, the buzz of bees and dragonflies in the air, and the gentle movement of a butterfly between flowers. How the light falls and how the garden changes through the seasons, who we spend time with in our gardens and the plants we remember from childhood are as important in creating atmosphere as a beautiful view.

Biodiverse

I believe in nature-led gardening to regenerate and connect with the natural environment. In practical terms, this means creating densely planted, layered gardens with messy edges. It means understanding your soil and carefully considering the plants we use and how we put them together, to provide year-round food and shelter for wildlife. The result is resilient planting that’s adapted to its site.

How your planting design comes together

The following steps give an overview of a typical Romantic & Biodiverse planting design service.
Each project begins with a complimentary 30 minute introductory phone call to answer any questions you may have.

Project brief & preparation

1 | Brief

The initial meeting provides an opportunity to visit the site, get to know you & your vision for the garden & agree the aims of the project. After the meeting a written brief is provided along with a bespoke project fee proposal.

2 | Survey

A topographic survey (and architectural drawings) are needed to complete our work.

Design stages

3 | Site Analysis & Concept Planting design

I start with a site analysis, exploring the site’s opportunities, constraints, atmosphere, history and biodiversity opportunities. Guided by your brief, the site conditions and existing planting, I produce illustrated mood boards for discussion, along with a 3D sketch showing any structural planting changes.

4 | Detailed Planting & Technical Specifications

A detailed planting plan indicates the positioning of new trees & plants. A spreadsheet schedule lists the size, spacing, quantity & price of all new plants.

How the soil is prepared and mulched, and any drainage needed, all suited to the style of planting we have designed, is key to a thriving garden full of life. Additional written specifications covering this are prepared alongside the planting specifications.

MASTERPLAN redesign

A well thought out & balanced layout is the backbone of a good garden. If a new layout would improve how you use your garden & its biodiversity opportunities, the structural changes we make to create a new series of spaces can be plant-based and chosen to enhance biodiversity.

To create a wildlife-friendly garden we can include:

  • Wildlife ponds

  • Log piles

  • Meadows

  • Green roofs

  • Rain gardens

  • Woodland & coppice areas

Masterplan

If you choose to include a redesign of your garden’s layout, we will add this into the Concept Design stage, producing additional concept drawings including layout plans, 3D visuals and mood board images, and then refine the design in an additional Masterplan stage.

Technical Design

We will also include technical details of any water features, green roofs or bespoke elements agreed in the brief.

Implementation

5 | Tendering & Installation

The design plans & schedules provide information for landscape contractors to price from. This sometimes includes site visits to introduce the project and evaluate returned costs. With a professional landscape contractor in place, I provide a monitoring service to oversee the work and ensure that the design is implemented correctly & to the highest quality during the installation phase.

You may choose to do the clearance & soil work yourself, and if so I can guide you through the process.

6 | Planting

I source and supply the plants for your project, generally at much lower prices than typical online suppliers. I come to set out each plant in place & co-ordinate a team for planting.

Future garden care

7 | Quarterly Visits

How you care for your garden each year, as it establishes and grows, is as important to biodiversity as how we lay out and plan your space. I offer time and advice so that you or your gardener can confidently nurture your garden in a nature-friendly way.

  • “I am delighted to enthusiastically endorse Catriona’s work on my garden over the past eight years. She designed an artistic well-balanced garden with a lot of thought on blending colours both with and without flowers, with attractive grasses, as well as maintaining an awareness of the value of habitat for Bees and Butterflies, which was important to me. She visits and works on the garden 2 or 3 times a year and we devise a plan for the next year. The garden has been a source of ongoing delight for me and in Catriona’s hands I am always assured that thoughtful decisions have been assessed.”

    - Dermot, Cambridge

  • “Catriona’s professionalism made for an easy and cordial working relationship with her, which in turn made the process of creating the garden as satisfying as the result. We have probably spent more time in our garden in the seven months since the completion of the project than in the previous seven years”

    - Luca & Luisa, Cambridge

  • My design services are fully bespoke and fees vary according to the needs of the project. I write a detailed project brief with you and provide a personalised proposal outlining each stage of work and its fee, quoted in advance where possible and estimated where not.

    For a fully supported and bespoke newly planted border or garden, I have a minimum engagement fee of £2.7k.

    Generally, projects have a minimum cost of £8k, up to £50k+, including design fees, soil work and planting. If your budget is tight, it’s best to speak to me.

  • My office is in Linton, just outside Cambridge, and I work in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and London. If you’re interested in working with me and your project is outside these areas, get in touch and we can discuss your project.

  • Yes. I work with architects, developers, arboricultural consultants and ecologists to provide support with planning applications and Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions