PLANTING DESIGN

Bespoke border design services

Creating planting designs that are individually tailored to you and your outdoor space in both residential and community settings

ABOUT ANA

Qualified with the RHS, I bring 18 years of hands-on experience cultivating not only my own gardens but also creating planting plans for family, friends and more recently commissioned projects. I'm passionate about gardening and horticulture and making it more accessible for all. I promote gardening for wellbeing, mental health and believe in the philosophy that nature nurtures.
I approach every project with care and meticulous detail. I believe in building lasting relationships with my clients by understanding their unique needs and personal style. This allows me to bring their visions to life. I am committed to creating spaces that reflect my clients tastes while promoting biodiversity.

HORTICULTURE QUALIFICATIONS & CPD

I am qualified with the RHS and have attended numerous London College of Garden Design workshops. I have a CIMA certificate in Wellbeing in Horticulture and I recently completed a Level 3 Diploma in Botany.

PLANTING DESIGN SERVICES

Border Design

Bespoke border design service, whether you are stuck for ideas on how to improve your existing borders or you new to gardening and unsure of what plants would work where?

I can put together for you different planting ideas and options tailored to your conditions and aspect, as well as ensuring there is seasonal colour and interest.

Included in the border design service:

A pre questionnaire for you to fill in ahead of our call
A 30 minute virtual call
A detailed summary email of our discussion
A full list of recommended plants, quantities of each plant and planting instructions

Virtual Session £100

Planting service available on request for an additional fee.

In-person consultations also available on request as well as follow-up site visits.

Bitesize Consultation

A new bitesize service for planting and garden advice.

This service provides guidance, practical planting tips, and personalised advice to help you make confident improvements to your garden. It also includes bespoke “what to do now” email, tailored to your space and the season.

My hope is that this service helps make gardening and horticulture more accessible to all

Included in the consultation:

A pre questionnaire email for you to fill in
A detailed summary email of everything discussed and suggested design/layout changes
A list of recommended plants and quantities of each plant

Consultation Session Introductory offer £45

Planting service available on request for an additional fee.

PROJECTS

I offer planting designs for a range of different settings, in both residential and community spaces. Here are a few of the completed planting plans I've designed recently.

Residential Garden

This south-facing border runs the length of the garden. Although it had some established plants, it was missing a cohesive design. I created a planting plan with a blend of perennials and annuals for a homeowner who loves to garden and wanted something more hands-on, rather than low maintenance.

Memorial Community Garden

It was a privilege to design and plant two large raised planters in a memorial garden for The Evelyn Rae Foundation, a babyloss charity (@theevelynraefoundation). The planters needed to be low maintenance and drought-tolerant, so I chose a combination of tough perennials, self-seeders, and spring bulbs to provide enduring interest with little upkeep.

Residential Front Garden

This expansive front garden border required a design that was both low maintenance and drought-tolerant. With a large, established blossom tree as a focal point, we opted for a mix of resilient perennials and grasses to ensure year-round interest.

Container Garden

This project focused on creating a low-maintenance container display for a partially-sighted client. The design emphasised the use of vibrant colours, scented plants, and easy navigation around the existing familiar pots. I combined reliable perennials with bright annuals to create a welcoming and accessible display.

SEASONAL JOBS

What to do now

WINTER JOBS

Plant your tulips! Get these bulbs into the ground before it gets too hard/frozen.

Continue to collect fallen leaves from the grass and paths. You can leave them on the borders as a mulch.

Now is a good time to plant bare root plants and trees whilst they are in a dormant state.

Consider raising pots off the ground to prevent damage from frost or waterlogging.

Leave seed heads on and dying back perennials for their structure & winter interest. It also gives a place for wildlife to shelter & find food over winter.

Add some twinkly lights to the garden to help with the dark evenings and give you something to look out on.

DON'T PUT THE GARDEN 'TO BED'

Leave plants that are going to seed and dying. These give structure and interest to the garden throughout the winter, especially on a cold, frosty morning.

Talking of frost - refrain from cutting back plants, especially tender ones, it offers protection from frost to the new growth underneath.

By not clearing your borders, you give shelter to wildlife. Birds will forage the seed heads and insects will find shelter for the winter.

Only clear fallen leaves from lawns as this can kill the grass underneath. Don’t clear leaves from borders as this acts as a mulch and an extra layer of protection from the cold.

Instead, leave your tidying up until the spring and let the wildlife enjoy it.

FALLEN LEAVES

Leave them where they fall - If they fall on soil then leave them to provide a natural mulch and shelter for insects and other animals. Avoid leaving thick mats of leaves on lawns as they can smother the grass and cause it to die back.

Use as mulch - Shred leaves and spread them around perennials, vegetable beds, or the base of trees. This will help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and insulate roots over winter.

Add to the compost bin - Leaves are a great “brown” (carbon-rich) material to balance “greens” (nitrogen-rich) material. Mix roughly 2 parts leaves to 1 part greens.

Make Leaf Mould — Simply bag up your fallen leaves in either a wire mesh bin, wooden frame, or black plastic bags with holes for airflow. Lightly moisten them and keep in a shady corner. Check moisture every few months and add water if dry. After 6–12 months, you’ll get partly rotted leaf mould (great as mulch). After 1–2 years, it becomes dark, crumbly, and earthy — the perfect soil conditioner.

GREEN THERAPY

What is it?

GARDENING FOR WELLBEING

Gardening for wellbeing refers to the practice of engaging in gardening activities to promote physical, mental and emotional health.

I am a qualified complementary therapist and reflexologist so the bringing together of my love of gardening and my holistic therapies feels very natural and just another form of therapy - green therapy.

Gardening for wellbeing can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age, capabilities, gardening experience or size of outdoor space.

Both holistic and green therapies improve your physical and mental wellbeing in a wide range of ways, some of which are listed below:

Stress reduction - gardening lowers cortisol (a stress hormone) and encourages relaxation.
Mindfulness - focusing on tasks like planting or pruning fosters a sense of presence and mindfulness.
Mood Boost - increasing feelings of happiness and contentment by increasing serotonin levels.
Improved sleep quality.
Physical wellbeing - with gardening activities, improved vitamin D levels from being outdoors and nutritional awareness from growing your own fruits and vegetables.
Sense of purpose - watching plants grow and thrive gives a sense of accomplishment.
Mental stimulation and memory support - planning a garden and learning about plants all keep the brain active
Ecotherapy - the act of connecting with the earth and the natural cycles and seasons can bring feelings of grounding and balance.
Environmental awareness - gardening fosters a greater appreciation for the natural world and sustainable practices.

INSTAGRAM

@olivetreegarden @anagardendesign

PRESS & SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram

I have two accounts on instagram which follow my home garden journey and garden design that I keep regularly updated.

@ana_gardendesign

@olivetreegarden

Magazine coverage

March 2021 I had a double-page feature in Modern Garden magazine which covered my home garden.

January 2024 I was mentioned in The RHS The Garden magazine and won a prize in Garden News magazine.

I used Ana's garden designs to revamp my garden after moving. Her natural flair and passion, combined with her expertise and knowledge has created a beautiful little oasis that I couldn't be more thankful for. From planning, planting and advice, Ana has made it easy and affordable. I would highly recommend her services to anyone.

Victoria

Ana has transformed our garden with her planter designs. She understood and interpreted our brief perfectly! It was easy to order plants and plant the beds following her design instructions, and everything has matured beautifully. We would definitely recommend her.

Vanessa

Ana really helped me visualise what my garden border could become and gave me the all the necessary information for me to make the design a reality. Ana took into consideration all my garden likes and dislikes and gave me a border design totally unique to me. I love it!

Andrew

GIFT VOUCHERS

If you’re stuck what to get someone for a birthday, a special event, or even a moving in present to a new home then why not give them a gift of a garden!
I offer a bespoke border design service, whether it’s ideas on how to improve your existing borders or you’re new to gardening and unsure of what plants would work where. I can create planting designs that are individually tailored to you and your outdoor space.

The vouchers can either be sent electronically or a card version in the post.