Garden design

Stoke Newington forest glade

My first design job. The client wanted a ‘chic, woodland glade’ to accompany the mature silver birch in her dry, shady London front garden. Surrounded by a car park and brick housing it was a testing microclimate.

In winter the birch was crown-lifted to boost light levels. The beautiful winding path was laid by land artists Samuel Collins and Mo Langmuir. Internships at Great Dixter and Beth Chatto have inspired the succession of flowering perennials and bulbs that rise and fall around the ‘forest floor’ creating a green tapestry. Tracery is the focus, ensuring the eye has plenty to dance across. Galanthus nivalis, Pachyfragma macrophyllum, Polystichum polyblepharum, Briza media and Epimedium grandiflorum var. higoense 'Bandit' feature throughout.

Planted in April 2025 with bulb planting scheduled for October. Photos of its maturity will be shared in time.