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Landscape
& Garden Design

About

Great gardens should be both beautiful and functional and we have the creative flair and expertise, coupled with extensive horticultural knowledge to ensure your space will work for you. We provide a comprehensive garden design service and can manage your project from the initial design stages right through to completion. We are also experienced at working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and we have a network of industry experts, such as lighting designers, water specialists and engineers, that we can call on as the project requires.

Our studio is based in the New Forest in Hampshire. We design gardens for private clients from across the South Coast, the Home Counties and London, covering a wide area that includes Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Sussex and Kent. We also work with architects and property developers designing residential, public and commercial projects.

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elkssmith

1,202 30,800

Award-winning practice led by Helen Elks-Smith, creating beautiful gardens. Speaker, writer & SGLD Fellow. ‘Your Garden Made Perfect’ designer.

Right plant, right place. And that means plants that will establish and thrive. Thriving once established without watering. And this last bit is key. If you have to water once the plant is established to keep alive it’s not the right plant.

Beth Chatto was championing this principle decades ago, and it’s just as relevant today.

What has changed is the conditions we are planting into.

We are experiencing higher temperatures and increasingly different patterns of rainfall - often wetter winters and drier summers. But that doesn`t mean every garden is suddenly becoming Mediterranean, or that every soil will behave in the same way.

Soil still matters. Microclimate still matters. Observation still matters.

The UK has always had enormous variation in climate, rainfall, soil and temperature. My son lives in Scotland and I live in the New Forest on the south coast, and there can routinely be a 10°C difference between us. The same soil can therefore support very different plants depending on where it is and the conditions it experiences.

I’ve seen people suggesting that Japanese anemones are now a definite ‘no’ in our changing climate. Yet in the cool, part-shaded areas of my sandy clay soil, mine are thriving after 12 weeks without rain.

That doesn`t mean Japanese anemones will thrive everywhere. It means one size has never fitted all - and it still doesn`t.

Climate change is affecting our soils through changes in moisture and temperature, and over time those conditions may alter the soil itself and in turn impact what will thrive. But for now, we need to look carefully at what is actually happening in our individual gardens.

Some planting may need to be edited out where they that are no longer thriving and find better replacements. In others, changing conditions may open up an entirely new plant palette.

The answer isn`t a universal list of plants that we can all grow - or can`t grow.

It`s to understand your soil, observe your microclimate and continue to put the right plant in the right place.

#RightPlantRightPlace #GardenDesign #ClimateResilientGardening #GardeningInAChangingClimate #GardenAdvice #PlantingDesign #GardenDesigner

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Open post by elkssmith with ID 17952124935222527
Right plant, right place. And that means plants that will establish and thrive. Thriving once established without watering. And this last bit is key. If you have to water once the plant is established to keep alive it’s not the right plant. Beth Chatto was championing this principle decades ago, and it’s just as relevant today. What has changed is the conditions we are planting into. We are experiencing higher temperatures and increasingly different patterns of rainfall - often wetter winters and drier summers. But that doesn't mean every garden is suddenly becoming Mediterranean, or that every soil will behave in the same way. Soil still matters. Microclimate still matters. Observation still matters. The UK has always had enormous variation in climate, rainfall, soil and temperature. My son lives in Scotland and I live in the New Forest on the south coast, and there can routinely be a 10°C difference between us. The same soil can therefore support very different plants depending on where it is and the conditions it experiences. I’ve seen people suggesting that Japanese anemones are now a definite ‘no’ in our changing climate. Yet in the cool, part-shaded areas of my sandy clay soil, mine are thriving after 12 weeks without rain. That doesn't mean Japanese anemones will thrive everywhere. It means one size has never fitted all - and it still doesn't. Climate change is affecting our soils through changes in moisture and temperature, and over time those conditions may alter the soil itself and in turn impact what will thrive. But for now, we need to look carefully at what is actually happening in our individual gardens. Some planting may need to be edited out where they that are no longer thriving and find better replacements. In others, changing conditions may open up an entirely new plant palette. The answer isn't a universal list of plants that we can all grow - or can't grow. It's to understand your soil, observe your microclimate and continue to put the right plant in the right place. #RightPlantRightPlace #GardenDesign #ClimateResilientGardening #GardeningInAChangingClimate #GardenAdvice #PlantingDesign #GardenDesigner

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This is Rosa ‘Scarborough Fair’, flourishing beautifully in our large country garden project in the New Forest, despite the heat!

Its soft, romantic blooms, have an elegant, delicate appearance, but don`t be fooled. It`s a tough, healthy shrub rose that flowers generously from summer right through to autumn.

Inspired by the English folk song made famous by Simon & Garfunkel, its a timeless garden favourite.

#ScarboroughFairRose #EnglishRoses #PinkRoses #GardenInspiration #RoseGarden #SummerBlooms #AutumnGarden

126 5
Open post by elkssmith with ID 18423512020195885
This is Rosa ‘Scarborough Fair’, flourishing beautifully in our large country garden project in the New Forest, despite the heat! Its soft, romantic blooms, have an elegant, delicate appearance, but don't be fooled. It's a tough, healthy shrub rose that flowers generously from summer right through to autumn. Inspired by the English folk song made famous by Simon & Garfunkel, its a timeless garden favourite. #ScarboroughFairRose #EnglishRoses #PinkRoses #GardenInspiration #RoseGarden #SummerBlooms #AutumnGarden

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A gate is never just a way in. It`s a moment of pause, a threshold that hints at something waiting on the other side.

The best gardens rarely reveal everything at once. Introducing a gate into your plot allows you to holds a little back, offering a glimpse of colour or a path curving out of sight. That`s what draws you forward.

It can also divide a garden into rooms, frames the view beyond like a picture, and marks a change of mood from one space to the next. Even its design speaks to you before you touch the handle.

So if your garden gives everything away in a single glance, a gate might be the answer. A little mystery goes a long way.

#GardenGates #GardenDesign #HelenElksSmith #GardenInspiration #SecretGarden #LandscapeDesign

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Open post by elkssmith with ID 18085396541401490
A gate is never just a way in. It's a moment of pause, a threshold that hints at something waiting on the other side. The best gardens rarely reveal everything at once. Introducing a gate into your plot allows you to holds a little back, offering a glimpse of colour or a path curving out of sight. That's what draws you forward. It can also divide a garden into rooms, frames the view beyond like a picture, and marks a change of mood from one space to the next. Even its design speaks to you before you touch the handle. So if your garden gives everything away in a single glance, a gate might be the answer. A little mystery goes a long way. #GardenGates #GardenDesign #HelenElksSmith #GardenInspiration #SecretGarden #LandscapeDesign

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Whether it`s a still reflecting pool, a gentle fountain or a wildlife pond, water has the ability to transform the atmosphere of a garden, introducing movement, light and sound and creating a sense of calm that encourages us to slow down and spend more time outdoors.

From a design perspective, it can also make a garden feel larger. A reflective surface captures the sky and surrounding planting, adding depth and drawing the eye through the landscape; while even a small pool can become a focal point, changing with the seasons and the light throughout the day.

And, of course, the benefits extend beyond aesthetics – water also provides a vital habitat for wildlife, helping to support biodiversity and bring a garden to life.

#GardenDesign #WaterInTheGarden #ReflectingPool #GardenInspiration #LandscapeDesign #GardenDesigner #WildlifeGarden #SustainableGardenDesign

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Open post by elkssmith with ID 18024534314682140
Whether it's a still reflecting pool, a gentle fountain or a wildlife pond, water has the ability to transform the atmosphere of a garden, introducing movement, light and sound and creating a sense of calm that encourages us to slow down and spend more time outdoors. From a design perspective, it can also make a garden feel larger. A reflective surface captures the sky and surrounding planting, adding depth and drawing the eye through the landscape; while even a small pool can become a focal point, changing with the seasons and the light throughout the day. And, of course, the benefits extend beyond aesthetics – water also provides a vital habitat for wildlife, helping to support biodiversity and bring a garden to life. #GardenDesign #WaterInTheGarden #ReflectingPool #GardenInspiration #LandscapeDesign #GardenDesigner #WildlifeGarden #SustainableGardenDesign

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Successful planting is as much about the relationships between plants as the plants themselves, using colour, form and texture to create balance and interest.

Here in our New Forest garden, the borders on either side of this path have been designed to complement one another. On one side, luminous white Hydrangea `Annabelle` and elegant spires of Veronicastrum provide a calm, permanent framework that brings light, height and structure to the garden.

Opposite is the cutting garden, where exuberant seasonal planting changes from year to year. This season, rich burgundy dahlias, sweet peas and deep purple blooms create warmth, drama and intensity.

By pairing a quieter, more restrained planting scheme with a vibrant, ever-changing cutting garden, each side enhances the other. The whites appear even more luminous against the richer tones, while the colourful display feels all the more vibrant thanks to its calm backdrop. It`s a simple design approach that creates contrast, draws the eye through the space and ensures the garden feels dynamic and full of seasonal interest year after year.

#plantingdesign #plantcombinations #seasonalplanting #gardendesign #gardendesignernewforest

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Open post by elkssmith with ID 18407975419153093
Successful planting is as much about the relationships between plants as the plants themselves, using colour, form and texture to create balance and interest. Here in our New Forest garden, the borders on either side of this path have been designed to complement one another. On one side, luminous white Hydrangea 'Annabelle' and elegant spires of Veronicastrum provide a calm, permanent framework that brings light, height and structure to the garden. Opposite is the cutting garden, where exuberant seasonal planting changes from year to year. This season, rich burgundy dahlias, sweet peas and deep purple blooms create warmth, drama and intensity. By pairing a quieter, more restrained planting scheme with a vibrant, ever-changing cutting garden, each side enhances the other. The whites appear even more luminous against the richer tones, while the colourful display feels all the more vibrant thanks to its calm backdrop. It's a simple design approach that creates contrast, draws the eye through the space and ensures the garden feels dynamic and full of seasonal interest year after year. #plantingdesign #plantcombinations #seasonalplanting #gardendesign #gardendesignernewforest

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