Finding the right garden designer

Finding The Right Garden Designer For Your Project

9 July 2026

family gardens, family garden design, gardening with kids

Finding a Garden Designer

Engaging a design professional can be a daunting prospect if you’ve never done it before.

So, how can you maximise your chances of choosing the right one to work with you to help create your perfect garden?

It's going to depend a little on what your ideal space looks like (or, if you don't know, to understand what the important things are going to be for you - wildlife, sustainability and rain water management, family friendly, clean minimalism or plants, plants, plants?)

You’re also going to be spending time with and / or talking to them a lot over the lifespan of the project and it’s important you’re on the same page when it comes to approach.

When I moved out of London about 14 years ago, I wasn’t a garden designer. My husband and I had moved from a one bed, first floor flat in London to a partially-completed barn conversion project in a rural village with 2 acres of mud, docks and nettles.

We’d wanted a project and that’s exactly what we had. However, instead of taking a breath and listening to myself and treating the garden as wonderful part of the jigsaw that didn’t have to be fixed there and then, I panicked.

I phoned a local (very well known) designer to see what first steps in engaging her might be.

The call was not what I would have hoped for and I put the phone down feeling small and a bit silly to have bothered her.

It was a moment I reflected on considerably when I came to start my own design practice.

We have access to lots of information at our finger tips these days so, what would I consider if I was looking for someone now?:

Not all designers have necessarily been to ‘design college’ and not all have taken RHS exams. Many have gained their knowledge and experience in a practical context over time. Equally, there are lots that have one of the many professional qualifications out there currently without necessarily having lots of practical experience. There are also lots of people that have all of the above.

Understanding the designers ‘how I got here’ is a starting point and for me, personally, it would be of interest. However, I would also look for examples of their previous work both in design and having been built as an indication of experience, style and approach to visually communicating their ideas rather than obsess about what certificate they got from where.

Most things can be learnt, not everything can be taught.

Professional Accreditation:

The garden design industry is not currently regulated in terms of qualifications needed to be a 'professional designer' although, I do think may change at some point. However, there are professional bodies such as the APL (Association of Professional Landscapers*) and the SGD (Society of Garden and Landscape Designers) which designers can apply to for accreditation to show their commitment to professional standards and an agreed Code of Practice.

As an APL accredited designer myself, it’s a sign I have gone through a certain process to have my work recognised by a professional body. However, I also know there are also good designers who choose not to do this.

Word on the street:

Reviews and testimonials: Access to written feedback is instant these days and while I would definitely have a look at these I'd also consider word of mouth and personal referrals (especially where you can go and see the designers previous work in real life) to be more insightful.

If you the opportunity, ask lots of questions and get to understand the clients experience of the designers approach as well as the end result.

Feel Appeal:

Website and social media accounts: This is a virtual shop window so, if you like the way the designer and their process comes across, you like the look of their previous work and generally get professional and / or a warm, fuzzy vibes, it’s all good information.

Does the way they talk about their process resonate with you? Do you recognise similar challenges and aspirations from the projects included?

Ultimately, you're looking for someone who gets where you're coming from and understands any challenges you're looking to overcome and will get your project from A-B in an organised, professional and, ultimately enjoyable, manner.

So, I would say if you feel like you’d want to have a conversation with the designer after having read what’s written there, all good.

Make Your Move:

All the above are the preliminaries.

Making contact and having an initial conversation to discuss what you’re looking to achieve** and the designers suggested approach is the next step. If you end the conversation excited at the prospect of hearing more about how you can work together, it’s a good sign.

*******

*More about the APL and the accreditation process can be found here:

**During this conversation you should reasonably expect to have a discussion around your budget to ensure that your expectations are realistic, accounting for the size of your space and the length of your wish list. Some designers also have a minimum budget they are prepared to work with (often included on their websites).

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Are Traditional Gardens Dead? Part 1: Trees

by Hannah Phillips • 13 August 2026

Part 1: Trees. Climate change means we all need to start thinking differently about what it means to and, how, we garden. A fair share of Clients I speak to are looking for a garden that is somewhere between Chelsea ready and low maintenance’, however, the new normal (ostensibly meaning ‘anything could happen but there’s probably going to be a hosepipe ban at some point’) means achieving any garden at all is going to need some forward planning. Trees, in particular will require careful consideration. Especially the trees we choose for our gardens from now on. With most hoping to live at least 50 years, the right ones in the right place, 100’s, they will bear witness to everything Climate Change brings over the decades to come. They are also some of the most important flora in terms of supporting both people (think shade, cooling, maybe, oxygen?!) and wildlife. I went to Ely earlier this week for Barcham Trees ‘Our Urban Forest Future’ event. As a primarily residential designer based in rural Northamptonshire I do get to design a few urban gardens (and I do love the challenge of designing a small space and they are some of my favourites to work on!) but, they’re not something I do everyday. So, why go to an urban tree focused event? Well, consider the conditions your average urban tree has to contend with: Often limited soil and planting space, soil compaction, erosion. Warmer temperatures and microclimates due to the urban heat island effect and limited water and nutrients. (As well as pollution, potential vandalism etc). As Climate Change bites, these sound remarkably similar to the stresses that a lot of planting will experience in one form or another. Certainly the trees in your average garden might be in for a shock as temperatures rise and the convenience of watering gardens with drinking water is seen for insanity that it really is and the feast or famine effects of extreme weather affects soil structure and stability. The insights provided came from a wide range of schemes - large scale tree planting in the Middle East, tree audits from across the American North West parks to the current challenges facing the Royal Parks Treescape teams. Perhaps the biggest face-palm moment of the day for me was that in the USA, Native American Tribes Partners are being consulted to help in the management of areas of national woodland (presumably, that their ancestors had acted as custodians of for millennia, prior before being removed to create 'National Parks'?) as the approaches typically used in modern forestry management are not working to mitigate the now, increased, risk of wildfires. (Finally. Waking up to the idea that working with nature instead of against it is a good idea)... Another take away that can be applied to planting at any scale was resilience in diversity. The example of one of the Royal Parks which has had a heavy historical reliance on London Plane trees (Platanus hispanica - as does much of London) and the emergence of a hitherto, unknown, pathogen attacking it. This is another by-product of a changing climate and in this instance, has led to the removal of a large number of mature trees, fundamentally changing the character, canopy cover and associated ecosystem of the space. There are other species that have been and will be impacted by the influx of previously unseen pests and diseases brought about by the changing conditions with their effects rendering trees even more susceptible to less hospitable climate conditions. There are many other impacts that will be seen and felt amongst our trees. Phenological adjustments (how plants adjust the timing of their seasonal lifecycle in response to changing climate patterns (such as longer growing seasons) will mean that species will survive based on their ability to adapt. So, as we observe how some of our own garden favourites over the next few years and, when some of them inevitably fail, choosing their replacements from a range of trees better suited will be critical in helping to maintain ecosystems and all the other benefits they provide that we tend to take for granted.