Garden Design Studio

Excited to share some images of a recently completed garden transformation in Surrey Hills.

The original brief for this garden included the removal of an Acer, along with the remnants of a children’s play area, cubby and sheds no longer being used.

In place of the sheds in the corner, the Clients wanted a bespoke studio for a reformer pilates bed, a spa and a place to relax outdoors.

During my initial site visit, I found myself drawn to the Acer with its canopy casting dappled light across the garden. I couldn’t help but wonder how restorative it would feel to soak beneath the shelter of this living umbrella.

That moment defined the concept for this garden.

Inspired by the idea of forest bathing, I proposed we locate the spa beneath the Acer and move the studio away from the corner so it could sit within the garden rather than at its edge. Large expanses of glazing along the studio walls will allow the studio to recede into the landscape as the planting grows around it.

Today, the spa sits beneath the lacy canopy of the Acer, reached by solid basalt steps. Stripping back the overgrown vegetation has allowed the smooth sculptural form of the Acer to take centre stage, and the Clients are delighted they chose to keep it.

Looking forward to seeing the new plants settle in & grow🌿.

Landscape design: Garden Design Studio MK

Construction: Semken Landscaping

A well designed pathway does more than connect spaces — it creates a sense of arrival. Greeting guests, framing first impressions and welcoming you home with each step.

At Garden Design Studio, every arrival sequence is designed with intention.

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Working beneath a mature eucalyptus required a design response that engaged with the site as it existed rather than attempting to overcome it.

Sloping east to west, this Surrey Hills garden presented a series of challenging conditions — compacted soil, significant root competition, dry shade pockets and exposure to harsh western afternoon sun.

For this garden, I focused on creating a resilient planting framework capable of settling naturally into these constraints.

The hardscape needed to connect to existing rear garden and the architecture of the period home, while responding to the Clients’ desire for a less formal arrival sequence.

Limestone steppers, reclaimed timber seating and a lawn area give moments of pause within the landscape.

Layered perennial and ornamental grass plantings drift around evergreen domes beneath the tree canopy, bringing softness, movement and seasonal change to the garden.

Rather than resisting the site conditions, the design embraces them — resulting in an immersive, textural landscape that softens the hardscape and continues to evolve over time.

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A garden designed to feel discovered rather than constructed.🌿

For this project, my intent was to contrast the clean architectural lines of the home with a softer, immersive planting experience — weaving gravel paths through meadow-style planting toward intimate gathering spaces anchored by fire and water.

The concept design draws on naturalistic planting principles, with layered textures, muted tones, and seasonal movement creating a landscape that feels calm and atmospheric.

Projects like this remind me why gardens matter: they shape how we slow down, gather, and live outdoors.

Concept render:

ModernLandscape

Dusk settling over the entry garden at our Surrey Hills Project.
Planted out in December last year, the garden is thriving.
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Hello Surrey Hills and Surrounds
I am a local garden designer in Mont Albert. I trained with the London College of Garden Design at the Botanic Gardens and love creating beautiful spaces designed to be lived in.
Here is a little before and after in reverse order 🌿💚
DM or call to discuss your next garden project.

A little before and after in reverse order! Swipe across to see the before. In this garden transformation we removed an old shed and created levels in the back garden to improve privacy and separate entertaining spaces. We reused the existing red bricks along the path to create a retaining wall for the garden beds and included a fully tiled pool with limestone paved surrounds for seating. Adjacent to the pool deck is a pizza oven with built in wood store covered by this gorgeous pergola which is draped in Boston Ivy over spring, summer and into autumn before it loses its leaves late autumn/winter. A stepped down seating area surrounds a fire pit for entertaining.💚 🌿Landscape design by

Honorine Jobert looking particularly gorgeous this Autumn. Their tall, strong stems add height to the garden while the breeze makes them gently sway adding that ever important movement to calm the senses 🌿💚🌿