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Recent Projects

Large family garden in Gravesend, Kent

Designing a Steep, Blank Sloped Garden, Gravesend

Making the most of the length of the garden

New Build Garden Transformation: From Turf and Token Patio to Real Design, New Romney

A focal point Olive tree in a round raised planter, flanks the dining area

Creating Privacy in a Garden with Many Neighbouring Properties, Chislehurst

New Build Home Garden

Designing a Garden From Scratch for a Blank New Build Plot, Charing Heath

Walled Garden

Redesigning a Garden Overwhelmed with Lawn, Sheldwich

So lucky to have had a tour of two villa gardens in Fiesole

The first was Villa Medici, one of the oldest Renaissance villas. With amazing lemons and views of the city.

The style very much evergreen, controlled and geometric. Softness from the vistas beyond.

@myfloraguide was gave an amazing guided tour. Although my illustrations were shattered that Cypress trees are not native to Italy!

The second was a much newer garden Villa La Balze. It was cleverly built into terraces and rooms to give the impression of a much larger garden.

Very different ways of using the view

And creating shade. Glorious
A wonderful day out today at Les Jardin De Marqueyssac, a chateau perfectly placed on clifftops with views for miles. The garden sports clipped boxwood (not sure about the caterpillars control here). The humid climate allowing lichen to grow in between. Lovely spot for a glass of wine.
The best gardens aren't just something to look at from the kitchen window, they invite you in. Does your garden give you a reason to step outside?

Whether it's a morning coffee on the patio, picking herbs for dinner, tending to a vegetable patch, reading a book in the shade or simply enjoying a quiet moment surrounded by nature, having a purpose encourages you to use your garden every day.

As a garden designer, I always think about how my clients will live in their garden, not just how it will look.

Spending time outdoors has been shown to benefit both our physical and mental wellbeing. Sometimes all it takes is creating a space that draws you outside.

How does your garden encourage you to spend more time in it?

 @hythegardenlandscapes

Garden Design • Outdoor Living • Garden Lifestyle • Garden Wellbeing • Garden Inspiration • Nature Connection • Garden Planning • Garden Spaces • Mental Wellbeing • Kent Garden Designer
Have you ever fallen in love with a plant at the garden centre... only for it to struggle once you get it home?

You're not alone. I've done it too!

It's easy to assume we're not very good gardeners, but often the problem isn't you, it's that the plant simply isn't suited to your garden.

Choosing the right plant means considering so much more than how it looks. Soil type, drainage, sunlight, shade, wind, moisture and even the time of year all play a part in whether a plant will thrive.

As much as I love Japanese Acers, I know my own garden is far too exposed for one to flourish. Sometimes the best decision is choosing a plant that's perfectly suited to the conditions rather than trying to make the wrong one work.

When you find plants that truly love your garden, everything becomes easier. They grow stronger, require less maintenance and reward you year after year.

The secret to a beautiful garden isn't buying the most beautiful plants, it's choosing the right plants for the right place.

Plant Selection • Planting Design • Right Plant Right Place • Garden Design • Garden Advice • Planting Plans • Soil Conditions • Garden Inspiration • Healthy Plants • Kent Garden Designer
Does your garden feel a little flat?

One of the most common things I notice in new gardens is that everything sits at the same height. While the planting may be beautiful, the garden can still feel a little lacking in depth and interest.

Adding height is one of the simplest ways to transform a space.

Trees and larger shrubs introduce structure, create focal points and draw your eye through the garden. They also bring year-round interest, whether that's beautiful blossom in spring, vibrant autumn colour, striking bark in winter or berries that provide food for wildlife.

And don't worry—not every tree grows into a towering giant! Choosing the right tree for the right place can completely change the feel of a garden without overwhelming it.

Sometimes, all a garden needs is a little lift.

Garden Design • Trees • Garden Structure • Garden Height • Planting Design • Garden Inspiration • Ornamental Trees • Wildlife Garden • Year-Round Interest • Kent Garden Designer
What's your superpower? One of mine is being able to visualise a garden in three dimensions before it's built.

I think my background in engineering, combined with a creative eye, has given me the ability to see how a space can evolve long before the first plant goes into the ground.

Not everyone finds it easy to visualise plans on paper, which is why I often create 3D CAD models for my clients. They help bring a design to life, showing the layout, levels, planting and even how light and shadow move through the space.

For many people, seeing a garden in 3D makes it much easier to understand how it will look and feel, giving them confidence before the project begins.

If you're finding it difficult to imagine the potential of your garden, I'd love to help.

3D Garden Design • CAD Garden Design • Garden Visualisation • Garden Design • Landscape Design • Garden Planning • Design Process • Outdoor Living • Garden Designer • Kent Garden Designer
It might feel far too early to be thinking about spring, but now is actually the best time to order your bulbs.

The most sought-after varieties do sell out, so planning ahead gives you the best choice and means you're ready to plant when autumn arrives.

Whether you love natural drifts of snowdrops, vibrant ribbons of tulips, cheerful daffodils, or delicate camassias and alliums weaving through your borders, planning now gives you the best choice of varieties before they sell out.

My favourite suppliers are @farmergracy  and @jparkersbulbs , both of whom offer an excellent range of high-quality bulbs.

If you're not sure what to choose or how to incorporate bulbs into your borders, I also offer a bespoke bulb planting package. Together, we can create a scheme that complements your garden and brings months of beautiful spring colour.

Get in touch if you'd like to find out more.

#CatrionaStilesGardenDesign #SpringBulbs #BulbPlanting #GardenDesign #PlantingDesign #KentGardens #SpringGarden #GardenInspiration
Last week I revisited one of my projects in Cranbrook, Kent, and I'm so excited that it's finally moving forward.

The project has been on hold while the building work was completed, so it was wonderful to return and see the beautifully renovated old grain store, which is currently being converted.

The garden is still very much a blank canvas, but the setting is absolutely stunning and full of potential.

It's a large space with some exciting opportunities to create a garden that complements the character of the buildings and sits comfortably within its beautiful countryside setting.

This long-awaited project is finally about to begin, and I can't wait to share the journey with you.

Garden Design • Country Garden • Oast House • Garden Transformation • Landscape Design • Cranbrook Kent • Garden Planning • Outdoor Living • Kent Garden Designer • New Garden Project

#CatrionaStilesGardenDesign #Cranbrook #GardenTransformation #GrainStoreConversion
How do you create a kitchen garden that's both highly productive and a pleasure to spend time in? That's exactly the brief I was given for this beautiful farm in Lynsted, Kent.

The design centres around a stunning Victorian-style greenhouse, with raised beds for growing fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, alongside elegant fruit cages, water troughs and carefully considered pathways to make the space both practical and enjoyable to use.

For me, a kitchen garden should be every bit as beautiful as it is functional. It should be a place where you want to spend time, harvesting, pottering, growing and enjoying the changing seasons.

These 3D visuals are helping to bring the design to life before work begins, and I can't wait to see this one become a reality.

Watch this space... this is going to be a very special project.

Kitchen Garden • Productive Garden • Victorian Greenhouse • Raised Beds • Garden Design • Fruit and Vegetable Garden • Cut Flower Garden • Garden Planning • Outdoor Living • Kent Garden Designer

#CatrionaStilesGardenDesign #KitchenGarden #GardenDesign
Do you remember this garden in Sheldwich, Kent? I recently revisited it and shared some photos of how beautifully it has matured. If you missed them, take a look back through my recent posts.

The exciting news is that we're about to start Phase Two of the project!

One of the things I love most about working in phases is that it allows a garden to evolve over time. We can see what's working well, build on the original design and continue creating a space that grows with the client's needs.

The garden is already looking beautiful, but I have some exciting ideas for the next stage and can't wait to get started.

Watch this space... the transformation continues.

Garden Design • Sheldwich Kent • Garden Transformation • Planting Design • Phased Garden Design • Country Garden • Outdoor Living • Garden Planning • Kent Garden Designer • Garden Inspiration

#CatrionaStilesGardenDesign #GardenDesign #SheldwichKent #GardenTransformation #PlantingDesign
With Kent now under a hosepipe ban, I thought I'd share a few simple tips that will make a real difference to your garden.

Water deeply, not little and often.
A thorough soak encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil, making plants stronger and more resilient. Light watering only wets the surface, encouraging shallow roots.

Focus on one area at a time.
Rather than lightly watering the whole garden, choose a bed or border and give it a really good soak before moving on to the next area another day.

Water the roots, not the leaves.
Aim the water at the base of the plant where it's needed most.

Prioritise the right plants.
Newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials should always come before the lawn. Lawns are surprisingly resilient and will usually recover when the rain returns.

Water early or late.
The best time is early morning or late evening, when temperatures are cooler and less water is lost through evaporation.

Planning a new garden?
Many of my clients now choose drip irrigation or leaky hose systems. They deliver water slowly and directly to the roots, are highly efficient and, depending on your local water company's restrictions, may still be permitted during a hosepipe ban.

A little thought about how you water can make a huge difference to the health and resilience of your garden.

#CatrionaStilesGardenDesign #WateringYourGarden
A garden shouldn't only look good in June.

One of the biggest challenges in garden design is creating interest throughout the entire year, not just for a few weeks when everything is in flower.

That's why a garden design plan is so important. Every plant, shrub and tree is selected not only for how it looks today, but for the role it plays across the seasons. Winter structure, spring growth, summer colour and autumn texture all need to work together.

For these clients, it was also important to retain some existing shrubs they loved, proving that a new garden doesn't always mean starting from scratch.

"We highly recommend Catriona... She did a fantastic job designing a beautiful garden with interest all year round, even incorporating in the design some shrubs that we already had in our garden and wanted to keep. This year the garden is looking lovely as the plants are all thriving. We are delighted and can't wait to see what it looks like next year."

If you're finding that your garden only shines for part of the year, it may be worth stepping back and looking at the bigger picture.

#GardenDesignerKent #KentGardens #ClientTestimonial
With another heatwave upon us, many gardeners are starting to think about drought tolerance and how their gardens cope when the rain disappears.

This is where gravel gardens come into their own.

A well-designed gravel garden can look beautiful while helping plants thrive in hot, dry conditions. The gravel helps retain moisture in the soil, reduces weed growth and creates the free-draining conditions that many Mediterranean and drought-tolerant plants love.

And before you picture a garden full of stones, the plants are still the stars of the show.

Think grasses swaying in the breeze, clouds of flowers, interesting textures and year-round structure. The gravel simply provides the perfect backdrop.

Many clients are also looking to reduce the amount of lawn in their gardens. During periods of hot weather, lawns can require significant watering to stay green and healthy, while gravel gardens continue to perform with far less intervention.

As our summers become hotter and drier, gravel gardens are becoming an increasingly practical and attractive option for many gardens.

#CatrionaStilesGardenDesign  #UKHeatwave #GravelGardens #GardenDesign
What I love and hate equally about Pinterest...

It's brilliant for inspiration, but it can also make garden design feel even more overwhelming.

You start by saving a few pictures and before you know it, you've got 100 different gardens and no idea which direction to take your own.

And then there's AI. 

More and more of the beautiful gardens appearing on Pinterest aren't real gardens at all. They're AI-generated images, often showing plants growing in impossible places, unrealistic proportions or combinations that simply wouldn't work in real life.

Visualising a garden is hard enough without trying to recreate something that doesn't actually exist.

Having someone look at your space with fresh eyes can be so valuable.

During my garden consultations, we look at the structure, flow and planting, helping you create a clear plan that works for your garden, budget and lifestyle. 

And remember, you don't have to tackle everything at once. Some of the best transformations start with a single border or one area of the garden.

If you're feeling stuck, send me a DM and let's chat about your garden.

P.S. Can you tell which of these 2 garden pictures is real and which is AI-generated? Let me know in the comments.

#CatrionaStilesGardenDesign #KentGardenDesigner
If you have a new build garden, it doesn’t mean you’re doomed.

Many people move into a new home, dig their first planting hole and discover compacted soil, 
builders’ rubble or ground that looks far from ideal. It’s easy to assume that nothing will ever 
grow well there.

The good news is that poor soil doesn’t have to stay poor.

Healthy gardens start below ground. Before focusing on the plants themselves, it’s worth 
investing time in improving the soil. 

Mulching and the no dig approach can make a huge difference, helping to build soil structure, improve moisture retention and encourage the 
beneficial microorganisms that plants rely on.

That’s one of the reasons I always take soil samples during my design consultations. 
Understanding the soil is a crucial part of creating a planting scheme that will thrive. 

There’s little point choosing beautiful plants if the conditions aren’t right for them to succeed.
I find soil fascinating. Beneath the surface is a whole ecosystem working away to support your garden. The healthier the soil, the healthier and more resilient your plants will be.

When I work with clients on gardens, we don’t just think about how the garden will 
look. We think about creating the right conditions for plants to thrive for years to come.

A beautiful garden starts from the ground up.

#SoilTesting #GardenDesign #KentGardenDesigner #CatrionaStilesGardenDesign
Garden features don't always have to be large statement pieces.

Sometimes it's the collection of carefully chosen elements throughout a garden that creates interest, personality and a sense of discovery.

In this Charing Heath garden, we incorporated several focal points. Sculptural metal forms add height and drama against the brick wall, a textured metal seed-head sculpture creates interest close to the house, while playful hare sculptures peek out from the planting, rewarding those who take the time to look a little closer.

These features help lead your eye through the garden and create moments of surprise and delight. They also provide year-round interest, particularly during the winter months when flowers and foliage are less prominent.

When designing a garden, I often think about where the eye will travel. What will catch your attention from the house? What will draw you down a path? What details will reveal themselves as you move through the space?

Plants are often the stars of the show, but thoughtfully placed features can help tell the story and give a garden its own unique character.

The best gardens don't reveal everything at once. They invite you to keep looking.

Garden Features | Garden Design | Garden Sculpture | Charing Heath Garden | Garden Inspiration | Kent Garden Designer | Garden Details | Planting Design

#KentGardens #CatrionaStilesGardenDesign
One of the joys of being a garden designer is that you never stop learning.

Today I had the pleasure of visiting Simon Richards' award-winning garden in Folkestone. This wasn't my project and I can take absolutely no credit for it. I was there purely for research, inspiration and the simple joy of spending time in a beautiful garden with a friend.

It's easy to see why Simon's garden won BBC Gardeners' World Magazine's Garden of the Year. What was once a traditional lawn-dominated garden has been transformed into a stunning gravel garden inspired by the work of Beth Chatto. The planting is naturalistic, drought-tolerant and full of movement, texture and seasonal interest.

What makes this garden particularly relevant for us here in Kent is that it responds so beautifully to the challenges many of us are facing. We are seeing hotter summers, longer dry spells and increasing pressure on water resources. Gardens that can thrive with less irrigation are becoming more important than ever. Rather than fighting the conditions, Simon has embraced them, creating a landscape that is both beautiful and resilient.

The judges praised its structure, ecology and planting, but what struck me most was how relaxed and natural it felt. It is a garden that works with nature rather than against it, and that's something I think many of us can learn from.

Days like this are a reminder that inspiration is everywhere. Sometimes the best thing a designer can do is step away from the drawing board and spend time experiencing great gardens firsthand.

Thank you, Simon, for sharing your garden.

@simessimondii 
@gardenersworldmag 

Garden Design | Gravel Garden | Drought Tolerant Planting | Kent Gardens | Sustainable Gardening | Water Wise Garden | Climate Resilient Garden | Garden Inspiration | Naturalistic Planting | Folkestone Garden

#CatrionaStilesGardenDesign
If you saw my stories last week, you'll know I was rather excited about revisiting a garden I designed a few years ago here in my village, Sheldwich in Kent.

A friend who helps care for the garden sent me a message last week saying, "You have to come and see it, it's looking amazing!"

She wasn't wrong.

Returning to a garden is always a privilege. As designers, we spend so much time planning, drawing and imagining how a space will look and feel, but gardens are never really finished. They grow, mature and evolve over time.

Walking around this garden last weekend, I was genuinely blown away by how beautiful it has become. The planting has knitted together, the layers are working exactly as intended, and every turn offers something different to enjoy.

These are just a few of the pictures I took during my visit.

Seeing all that planning, hard work and patience come to fruition fills me with such pride and joy. It also serves as a reminder that some of the best gardens aren't instant. They develop year by year, becoming richer and more beautiful with time.

A huge thank you to my client for trusting me with their garden, and to my wonderful gardener friend who encouraged me to come back and see it at its best.

Garden Design | Sheldwich Garden | Kent Garden Designer | Mature Garden | Planting Design | Garden Transformation | Established Planting | Seasonal Interest | Landscape Design | Garden Inspiration | Outdoor Living | Garden Planning | Cottage Garden Style | Beautiful Gardens | Kent Gardens

#CatrionaStilesGardenDesign #Sheldwich #KentGardens
I have a real soft spot for “problem” gardens.

Slopes. Split levels. Awkward layouts. Spaces that make people say “We just don’t know what to do with it.”

They’re often the gardens people avoid because they feel too complicated, but they’re usually the ones with the most potential.

This garden had already been designed and landscaped before, but something still wasn’t quite working.

Can you spot the issue with the pergola?

From inside the house, the view felt completely disconnected from the garden. A series of strong horizontal lines sat right at eye level when seated indoors, blocking the connection between house and garden. 

Not ideal, especially in the UK, when we spend so much of the year appreciating our gardens from inside. Perhaps not now in the heatwave!

This is exactly why thoughtful garden design matters. It’s not just about choosing materials or planting schemes, it’s about working in 3D, understanding levels and designing from every viewpoint.

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from solving the problems other people can’t quite see.

Problem Gardens | Split Level Gardens | Sloping Gardens | Garden Design | 3D Design | Garden Planning | Awkward Spaces | Garden Views | Outdoor Living | Kent Garden Designer

#CatrionalStilesGardenDesign
Helping to plant at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is always an incredible experience and a big opportunity for me to learn.

It brings together some of the most skilled designers, landscapers, gardeners and plantspeople in the industry, and every year I come away so inspired.

I’m always in awe of the new plants I discover, the creativity behind each design and the sheer dedication it takes to bring these gardens to life in such a short space of time. Especially this year, with hail, rain and thunderstorms thrown into the mix!!

These gardens often feel more like works of art than gardens, with so much thought in every detail.

If you ever get the chance to visit Chelsea, take your time. Pause. Look closely at the planting combinations, the materials and the craftsmanship behind each space.

And remember, while these gardens are designed to inspire, many of the ideas can be translated into real gardens in practical ways.

@the_rhs 
@theplantingdesigncollective 
@plantheritage 
@crowton_rowarth_ltd 

Chelsea Flower Show | Garden Inspiration | Planting Design | Garden Design | RHS Chelsea | Landscape Design | Plant Lovers | Garden Creativity | Kent Garden Designer | Planting Inspiration
Reviews like this mean such a lot (slide across). Not just because someone has taken the time to write them, but because this captures exactly what I hope clients feel throughout the design process.

Many people come to me feeling stuck. They know their garden isn’t working, but they can’t quite see the solution, especially when the space comes with a few challenges.

That might be a small footprint, awkward layout, levels, privacy issues or simply not knowing what plants and materials will work best.

My role is to bring fresh ideas, practical solutions and creative thinking, while making the process feel enjoyable and collaborative.

And ultimately, creating a garden you genuinely want to step into and spend time in.

That last line was my favourite part of this review. Because that’s really what good garden design should do.

Thank you to my lovely client for taking the time to share this.

Garden Design | Client Review | Small Garden Design | Problem Gardens | Garden Transformation | Outdoor Living | Garden Planning | Kent Garden Designer | Planting Design | Garden Inspiration
Should you paint your fence or not? It’s a query for lots of people including me. I love that black makes a fence disappear and creates a pop of colour in front. But if you aren’t sure you can lose your fence with greenery. It will take a little patience but with a mix of climbers you can have green boundaries with flowers and fragrance.
A glorious spring morning visiting an National Open Garden. So many lovely and different plants. A few may have made it home with me… @swallowfieldsnursery
There is something special about plants that evoke memories or are a reminder of someone. In today’s garden we incorporated dahlias that the client had nutured and brought from their previous garden. So special to include family memories from one space to the next.

Back at home my first Angelica Gigas is about to flower. The seed kindly sent to me by @thegardentaylor taking me back to three years ago helping with her beautiful Chelsea Garden. 

This is the human element to garden design: bringing together design and emotional connection.
Not sure about your spring flowers? Its a really good time to evaluate your bulbs now so you can remember in the summer.

I inherited these red tulips when I moved here. They have naturalised the border, now some of them reverting to yellow. I'm not a fan of red and yellow, to be honest red was never in the plan but its easier to go with nature. So my plan? I'm going to put some dark purple tulips in the midst of these this winter. So squirrel permitting it will harmonise the display with the rest of the garden.

#tulips #gardenplanning
A revisit to this small garden in Faversham today. This was planted up in November last year and the plants are settling in well. 

The client had downsized to the town, lost her beautiful garden and inherited this one. Swipe right to see the before pictures but it was a patch of mainly weeds, rotting fencing and a path taking you through the middle. Now with new fencing, with gate to the side, two seating areas have been created in the idyll. The raised beds bringing planting up higher and giving a sense of enclosure. 

Looking forward to seeing it once fully established.

Beautifully built by @hythegardenlandscapes 

Thanks to @the_truant_gardener for your help

Plants by @palmstead
If your garden transformation is a large one, sometimes it’s a good idea just to start in one area. It really can depend on your avaliable time and budget. Hard landscaping is the best place to start and is also the most expensive. You can just start with one planting border.
In terms of pests that visit the garden I have a very laissez faire approach. If something is decimating my poor plants, I will have a go at manually removing them but my main line of defence is the wildlife. By encouraging wildlife into your garden you increase the bio diversity. If you have aphids, in a garden that is diverse, the aphid eaters are going to come. The heros are the ladybirds, hedgehogs, frogs, bettles and birds. If there is no-where in your garden for wildlife to hide and shelter you can end up with an unbalanced climate. So give the wildlife a chance, have patience and relax if you have imperfections in your garden.
And so it begins. Thought I’d be disciplined and have only sown a few of what I’m looking to grow. Inspired by Sarah Ravens book on cut flowers I’m sowing flowers to cut and come again. Fingers crossed for lots of gorgeous blooms..