More thoughts on AI and garden design....
One of my biggest concerns about AI in design is understanding exactly what it is learning from.
Machine learning has to be based on something and AI systems will inevitably rely on the work of garden designers as a foundation, whether that is plans, photographs, aerial images, or plant lists. The question is whether the people who created that work have knowingly agreed to it being used in this way.
AI can only improve by learning from existing creative work, much of which is copyrighted. In the UK we have strong copyright laws that are generally well defended, but could we realistically prove that our work is being used in this way and challenge it?
As designers we need to think carefully about what we publish now and in the future. Sharing projects, explaining our thinking, and showing completed gardens has always been an important part of winning new work. At the same time, publishing potentially allows that work to be absorbed into AI systems without consent, acknowledgement, or payment.
Drone photography in particular is a valuable resource for AI companies seeking to profit from the training and expertise of others. To date I am not aware of anyone in the garden design industry being approached and asked permission for their work to be used in this way.
As designers we need to be aware of what is happening with our data and our work. Who is monitoring what AI systems are using and how that information is being gathered? These are questions we should all be asking.
#designedbyhumans
As well as softening a garden, planting can completely define how a space is experienced, felt and used.
In this coastal garden, a line of mature olives gently softens the long driveway and helps define the structure of the site, while carefully placed trees provide screening and a sense of enclosure.
Seating areas are positioned to follow the light through the day, each enclosed by immersive planting to create distinct atmospheres and beautiful views from both the house and garden.
Photographs copyright @josmondphoto
#GardenDesign #PlantingDesign #CoastalGarden #GardenInspiration #LandscapeDesign #OutdoorLiving #MediterraneanGarden #OliveTrees #GardenIdeas #ContemporaryGarden
-AI-generated garden design-
The debate has raised its head again. I wanted to share some thoughts from an interview I gave to @homesandgardensofficial magazine a few months ago...
Most people will only be involved in the design of one or two gardens in their lifetimes. Working out what the garden must ‘do’ and how it should look is a daunting task. Clients often arrive with a long list of things that must be included. As conversations develop we frequently discover that the ‘must’ is more of a ‘maybe’, a list given initially to ensure that nothing is ruled out.
Developing a design brief is a critical first step. Creating a process where clients can add ideas, thoughts, and feelings is essential and people are much better at this than machines can ever be. Communication is often nuanced. How something is said can be just as important as the words themselves. Clients will often give apparently contradictory lists of things they like or don’t like and it is up to the designer to explore this in order to strengthen the brief.
Over time the layouts created by AI will no doubt improve. That is not a given though. Machine learning has to be based on something and AI will need to use the work of designers as a foundation, whether that is plans or photographs of gardens. Drone photography is a valuable resource for AI companies seeking to profit from the training and expertise of others and to date I am not aware of anyone being paid for this use of information.
The best gardens have a strong sense of place. They work with the local vernacular and are anchored in their community. A machine would need not only an advanced understanding of design but also considerable geographic and site knowledge to achieve the same results. Soil conditions, drainage, wind exposure, topography, and neighbouring landscapes all have a profound impact on design decisions. The list of considerations is extensive.
To sum up, design is not just data. It is listening, interpreting, and creating spaces with empathy, experience, and a genuine sense of place.
photos @richardbloomphoto
#designedbyhumans
Lovely view across my garden this morning, with the Euphorbias providing their annual burst of acid green and the spring planting beginning to knit together into a soft, immersive landscape.
#mygarden #springgarden #newforestgarden
Next month an incredible team of supporters will begin their climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of @greenfingerscharity .
Every step they take will help raise funds for a new garden at Naomi House & Jack’s Place in Winchester - a project I feel incredibly privileged to be designing.
The garden is being created as a place of calm, discovery and comfort for children with life-limiting conditions, their families and the hospice team. At its heart will be a fully accessible cabin surrounded by planting and spaces to play, explore and simply spend time together outdoors.
With the climb fast approaching, every donation really will help bring this special garden to life.
A huge thank you to everyone taking part in this extraordinary challenge and to all those supporting them along the way.
For anyone wishing to donate visit: /campaign/greenfingers-kilimanjaro2026
#GreenfingersCharity #Kilimanjaro #GardenDesign #HealingGardens #NaomiHouse #ChildrensHospice #Fundraising
Not every garden begins with perfect soil. In older gardens especially, you often inherit a mix of surprises beneath the surface - sometimes beautifully cultivated earth enriched over generations, and sometimes rubble, compacted ground and remnants of old building works.
This part of my garden falls firmly into the latter category.
The soil here is only workable for part of the year before drying hard as rock, but over time it has proved that even difficult conditions can support a rich and resilient planting palette. Rather than fighting the site, I’ve tried to work with it - choosing plants that can tolerate the conditions and allowing the space to evolve naturally.
A reminder that successful gardens don’t always depend on perfect beginnings.
#mygarden #soil #planting #newforestgarden
Thrilled to be included in the House & Garden 2026 ‘Top 25 Garden Designers’ this year …and in such wonderful company!
Many thanks to @clarefostergardens and @houseandgardenuk
Rain garden is a term that we are likely to hear more of – the idea is to sculpt the garden to hold water and slow its passage – often creating ditches to be able to hold a larger volume of water. Much of the New Forest, where I live, has used this technique for generations. You create a shallow area in your garden that receives run-off from roofs or gutters and plant it with plants that can withstand waterlogging, with more drought-tolerant choices at the margins. We sometimes introduce linking elements such as a a rain chain, water butt or pond in our projects.
Pictured here is a a rain chain I designed for a garden project in Poole. It was created to channel rainwater from the roof to a gravel bed - a beautiful yet functional element that adds so much character to a garden.
The second image shows a large swale — a shallow, planted dip designed to catch and hold rainwater - that we created for clients. It collects runoff from surrounding surfaces, giving the water a place to pause rather than rush away. The level rises and falls with the weather, slowly releasing water through the soil on the lower side of the garden.
#raingarden #rainchain #watergarden
Creating a true connection between house and garden isn’t just about layout—it’s about craftsmanship, repetition, and the subtle cues that tie everything together.
For this listed property, we looked closely at an original gothic arch window and reinterpreted its form into a series of bespoke gates. Every curve, proportion, and join was carefully considered, echoing the language of the building in a way that feels both intentional and effortless.
The result is a garden that doesn’t just sit alongside the house, but feels intrinsically part of it.
When it comes to design, it’s often the smallest decisions that make the biggest difference.
#GardenDesign #Craftsmanship #DetailMatters #bespokedesign
Perched high above the valley, this reimagined home is a bold architectural response to its surroundings - designed by architect @katestoddardltd - it rises in layered forms, reaching out toward the woodland beyond.
Working in tandem from the outset, our design sought to complement and complete this vision - softening the dialogue between structure and landscape rather than competing with it.
The result is a series of flowing terraces that mirror the home’s shifting geometry, stepping gently down the slope and anchoring the building into its setting.
Each layer creates its own atmosphere, spaces to pause, gather, and take in the view, while carefully considered planting brings cohesion, movement, and a sense of calm to the whole composition.
Completed in Autumn 2025, this garden marks the final chapter of the project, a carefully crafted “soft landing” where architecture and nature meet in balance.
Built by @bluefishlandscaping
#GardenDesign #ModernGarden #LandscapeArchitecture #TerracedGarden #DesignCollaboration #OutdoorLiving
Aronia x prunifolia - a resilient, low-maintenance shrub that works beautifully in naturalistic planting schemes, offering structure, ecological value and seasonal interest in equal measure.
Seen here in my own garden, it comes into its own in autumn, when the foliage turns rich shades of crimson and burgundy, creating a striking moment in the landscape.
In spring, delicate white blossoms bring a soft slightly wild feel to the planting and attract much-needed pollinators.
While in summer the glossy green foliage forms a calm, textural backdrop before those deep, almost inky berries begin to develop.
A quiet but dependable presence in the garden, offering interest from one season to the next.
#PlantingDesign #SeasonalInterest #Aronia #GardenDesign #AutumnColour #SpringGarden
It's Earth Day! A reminder that every garden, however small, can play a part in supporting the natural world.
My work has always been informed by a lifelong love of landscape and an instinctive understanding of the way gardens make us feel. I believe that a beautiful, well-designed garden can have a hugely positive impact on our wellbeing, but also that it should sit comfortably within its surroundings and support the environment around it.
Through thoughtful planting, sustainable materials and creating spaces for wildlife, gardens can become places that nurture both people and biodiversity.
From choosing climate-resilient planting to leaving seedheads for birds and insects, even the smallest decisions can have a lasting impact.
#EarthDay #EarthDay2026 #GardenDesign #Biodiversity #SustainableGarden #WildlifeFriendlyGarden
