What a Professional Garden Designer Can Do For You

If you were going to design a new house, you'd want the work carried out by a professional, like an architect. Your garden is integral to your home and will benefit every bit as much from this approach. Professional garden designer Karen McClure explains more.

View thru allium heads to covered swimming pool with bifold doors open onto sandstone paving. — A professional garden designer considers composition, scale and planting, among other things, to create a harmonious design.

Why use a garden designer?

Many of our clients know what they would like, or the style they’d like, but don’t know how to achieve this. It can also be difficult to picture how it will harmonise with the interiors of the home or the surrounding landscape.

A professional garden designer has been trained to look at composition, scale, planting, textures and tones, as well as the art of good design. He or she will often come away from an initial meeting with clear ideas and style direction in place.

Dining set on Slab Khaki porcelain paving with verdant beds on 3 sides. Baroque dome in background. — Garden designers ensure that hard and soft landscaping work harmoniously. Here Karen has used Slab Khaki porcelain paving to complement the background view.

You will also be employing someone who is aware of trends and requirements within the industry and will have the skill and knowledge to specify the appropriate materials for your landscaping needs. They present solutions to what you may consider problems.

Working with a garden designer

Whether you want to redesign a small courtyard, replace the paving on your well-worn terrace, or create the back garden of your dreams, the skills and knowledge of a professional garden designer can be key to the success of the project.

Choosing materials

Large house with patio of urban grey porcelain paving and gravel, with grasses in beds. — Garden designers have a knowledge of materials that leads to designs with great effect combinations. Here Urban Grey porcelain paving works well with gravel.

When selecting materials, we encourage our clients to visit the London Stone showrooms to view the vast selection of hard landscaping materials. Comparing and contrasting their large format samples in situ, rather than relying on a picture on a website, is very helpful in the design process.

It is useful to take along the garden design plans, mood boards and samples of the materials being used for the interiors, to ensure harmony and cohesion between the exterior and interior scheme.

Designing for all weathers

We advise clients to consider the suitability to their specific environmental conditions, the quality, texture and finishes available. You also need to view materials in all weathers, as they can take on a very different look in dry weather versus rainy days!

Planting with a garden designer

2 modern loungers on Tumbled Mint sandstone paving, with airy planting behind. — Karen is an expert at blending the contemporary with the traditional, as here where she uses Tumbled Mint sandstone paving with modern shapes and planting.

A garden designer has the horticultural knowledge to select the right plants, trees and shrubs They also have the right contacts to help make the build cost-effective and ensure a professional finish. You can expect advice on the aftercare plans to ensure that your investment has longevity.

Employing a garden designer will inject creativity that you didn’t think possible, ultimately resulting in the full use of your outdoor space, whilst adding commercial value to your property.

About Karen McClure

Karen McClure, woman with fair hair, sits smiling at camera — Karen McClure, professional garden designer.

Karen, of Karen McClure Garden Design, is a fully accredited member of the Society of Garden Designers and landscaping associations APL and BALI. She's been designing gardens of all shapes and sizes for over a decade, and now manages a team from her studio in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Karen has won a number of awards for her designs in the APL National Awards, as well as at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show.