Tom Stuart-Smith Studio

🌱GARDENERS’ QUESTION TIME AT THE SERGE HILL PROJECT 🌱 We are honoured that this week’s new episode of Gardeners’ Question Time @bbcradio4 , was recorded at the Serge Hill Project For Gardening, Creativity and Health @sergehillproject with @suestuartsmith @tomstuartsmith @tomstuartsmithstudio as guest panellists and broadcast today to mark World Mental Health Awareness week. This extra special episode features a generous and brave the final appearance from our dear friend and much-loved GQT panellist since 1994, @matthewbiggs55 , who recorded the episode surrounded by his longtime friends, colleagues and members of his family. In this episode, Matthew Biggs speaks about his experience of his cancer diagnosis and treatment and how living with terminal illness has affected his mental and physical wellbeing. This edition is chaired by @petergibbs3420 and @kathy.clugston and alongside Matthew features a panel of gardening experts @anneswithinbank @pippa.greenwood Chrstine Walkden, alongside Tom and Sue. Tune in live at 3pm today or catch up on BBC Sounds to hear the episode, where the incredible GQT team answer your horticultural questions and go on a tour of the Serge Hill Project, to investigate how and why gardening can be so good for our mental health. Link in bio. 📷 @rebeccafincham_ #sergehillproject #worldmentalhealthawarenessweek #gqt

Announcing The Matthew Biggs Sanctuary Garden 🌱 Writer, broadcaster and panellist on @bbcradio4 Gardeners’ Question Time, @matthewbiggs55 , has spearheaded a project to transform the garden at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood. Matthew, who has been receiving treatment at the centre, said: “During my treatment, I would always try and get to look at the garden and even sat in it once, but it lacked plants and despite the best efforts of volunteers, offered little inspiration as a healing garden. I made it my mission to turn the outdoor spaces around the treatment centre and chemotherapy unit into a healing garden which will bring patients, staff, volunteers and members of the local community together.” The project started with an anonymous donation of £30,000 to @enhhcharity @enhertstrust , which supports the centre with funds raised from the appeal set up by the charity, plus additional fundraising events by friends and supporters and a grant from @nationalgardenscheme . Matthew has also had the support of professional friends from the gardening community including: 🌱@millie_souter head gardener @tomstuartsmithstudio has designed the garden 🌱@tomstuartsmith and @suestuartsmith are also involved together through their not-for-profit @sergehillproject 🌱The gardens have been constructed by @markgregorylandscaper and Rudi Swanepoel of @landformuk 🌱New plants have been added and will be maintained by @sunnysiderural as well as friends and volunteers from Mount Vernon Cancer Centre with support from @the_nhs_forest Beth McNeil, head of fundraising for the charity, said: “We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Matthew who has championed the project from the outset. He has put his heart and soul into making this happen as a thank you for the care he has received during his treatment. Phase two of the garden will continue later this year, with the front entrance of the centre and surrounding areas being developed and planted. Funds are still needed to complete the project. The next major fundraising event will be the @mvartexhibition . Everyone is welcome at the exhibition at Kingsbury Barn, St Albans, 27-30 May 2026. 📷: @jasoningram

Thank you @houseandgardenuk for recognising Tom on your 2026 Top 25 Garden Designers list. Tom says, “More than ever, garden design is a collaborative process – beginning with the client and design team, evolving within our studio (now over 25 strong), and brought to life by the skilled contractors and gardeners who help make the ideas flourish.”

Yesterday marked the start of work on the Clore Garden at Tate Britain – a new green space for London, due to open in 2027 in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society. Our design places nature, art and community at its centre, with an organic pattern of planting, accessible winding paths and generous seating. The garden will also feature a wildlife pond and water feature, alongside reclaimed York stone paving from the site, which will be carefully re-laid, as well as a new classroom by Feilden Fowles, which will provide a sheltered space for a dedicated learning programme. Sculptures from Tate’s collection by notable modern and contemporary British artists will be included, with further details to be announced later this year. The project’s main contractors, Blakedown Landscapes, have begun initial site clearance and excavation following planning permission from Westminster Council. Tate Britain remains open throughout construction, with artworks by local school children – created with artist Mónica Rivas Velásquez – displayed on the garden hoardings this summer. The garden is made possible thanks to generous funding from the Clore Duffield Foundation, with support from the Julia Rausing Trust. Photos: © Tate Photography (Sonal Bakrania)

Tom and the whole team are deeply saddened by the loss of Nigel Dunnett. A leading light in our field, Nigel was a hugely influential pioneer of naturalistic and sustainable planting design. His work reshaped how we understand the role of planting in our cities – revealing the extraordinary potential of ecological approaches to create landscapes that are both resilient and rich in biodiversity. We were fortunate to welcome Nigel to the Apple House and Plant Library last September, where he spoke at our Working with Water symposium. His insights into water-sensitive design, including the innovative Grey to Green project in Sheffield, demonstrated the power and potential of ecological planting in the UK. Nigel’s generosity in sharing his knowledge, alongside the clarity and conviction of his ideas, made a lasting impression on us all. His work will continue to inspire generations of designers and gardeners alike, and he will be very sorely missed.

Last week, some of the team were able to join the @sergehillproject Artist in Residence, @annemckenzieart botanic calligraphy workshop as part of their Flower Light exhibition and programme of events. The programme has included T'ai Chi under the Flower Light banners, public viewings, calligraphy workshops with local schools and members of our Gardening For Health groups hosted by Anne McKenzie, plus Spring Sing! workshops with local schools composing songs inspired by the exhibition and in particular Iris 'Cherry Garden' and 'Austrian Sky' with professional Jazz pianist Peta Letanka. Inspired by beautiful plants found in the Plant Library that Anne has been painting through the past year, it was a chance to deepen our drawing practice and explore a few new approaches together. The exhibition finishes this week but the Serge Hill Project have created a beautiful limited edition zine designed by @rachelrice_ highlighting Anne's work and the exhibition that is for sale from the Apple House at all Serge Hill Project events and soon online. The Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity and Health CIC is a not-for-profit co-founded by @tomstuartsmith and @suestuartsmith in 2023. Based in an old orchard in Bedmond, Hertfordshire, with The Apple House at its centre and a unique Plant Library, the Serge Hill Project offers resources to those most in need - including local schools, youth organisations, charities, GP surgeries and community groups - so that they can connect with nature and learn about gardening as part of a supportive and welcoming community. Follow @sergehillproject for more details. Photos @yeshen.uk @rebeccafincham_

This spring we’ve been busy bringing a diverse range of new gardens to life — each shaped by its setting and planted with a carefully considered palette suited to the local conditions. 1. A nature estate in Scotland, where 35,000 native plants form part of a major rewilding scheme for Wildland Scotland 2. A feature garden for Giardina 2026 in Switzerland, with 7,500 woodland and meadow species. 3. A memorial garden at Brookwood Cemetery, set within woodland and planted with 7,000 species adapted to acidic soils. 4. A private garden in Kensington, featuring 13 flowering trees carefully lifted over a four-storey building. 5. An office roof terrace in the City of London, with incredible south-facing views over the river, planted with 4,750 sun-loving species in a lightweight topsoil. We are proud of the scale, diversity, and craftsmanship behind each of these spaces and excited to watch them thrive. Photo 3 by Noah Santer

📣 ANNOUNCING: WORKING WITH DROUGHT: PLANTING FOR CHANGING CLIMATES 📆 Thursday 24 & Friday 25 September 2026, 9.30am-4pm Venue: The Apple House @sergehillproject WD5 0RZ To book follow link in Tom Stuart-Smith Studio or Serge Hill Project bio 🌱 Hosted by @tomstuartsmithstudio Working With Drought: Planting For Changing Climates is a two-day symposium focussed on climate resilient plants and planting - with talks, debates and demonstrations taking place in the beautiful Apple House eco barn and Tom Stuart-Smith’s Plant Library of over 2000 perennials and bulbs; half of which are growing in sand. Following the sold-out success of Working With Earth: Landscape and Architecture (2024) and Working With Water: From Ecology to Engineering (2025), our third symposium brings together a community of some of the world’s most innovative and acclaimed planting designers, nurseries, landscape architects, garden designers, botanists, horticulturists, naturalists, environmentalists and researchers working across the field of ecological planting and climate resilient landscapes today to share their practices. 🌿Speakers and demonstrators include: James Basson @jamesscapedesign | Dr Chris Gibson @bethchattogardens | @giacomo_guzzon | @jameshitchmough | @nick_macer of @panglobalplants | @fernandarionda | @henrik.sjoman.botaniska | @tomstuartsmith @millie_souter @mattiskope and @nicolapusterla of @tomstuartsmithstudio with more to be announced. Topics covered will include climate mapping, drought-tolerant plant selection including lesser known varieties of perennials, shrubs and trees, planting in sand, the ecological consequences of drought and the impact on our flora, water conservation and storage, the physiological characteristics of plants that withstand drought and exotic plants which are adapting to and regenerating in British habitats including the Latin-America perspective, to name few. 🎟️ Tickets include a homecooked vegetarian lunch and refreshments. Full symposium and individual day tickets are available, with day splits to be announced. Profits go to fund the work of @sergehillproject CIC Tickets sell out quickly, so book now! 📸 @richardbloomphoto

We are looking for a Landscape Architect with at least two years’ experience to join our team. You will work on a variety of public and private gardens, urban spaces and historic landscapes in the UK and overseas. To apply please send your portfolio (max 10MB, no external links), CV and cover letter to [email protected] by 21st April 2026. For more information, visit the careers page via the link in our bio. Photos credits: The Reflection Garden, London – Marianne Majerus © @mariannemajerus South-East Mallorca Garden – Richard Bloom © @richardbloom Aldourie, Scotland – Claire Takacs © @clairetakacs 25 Cannon Street Roof Garden, London – Marianne Majerus © @mariannemajerus Horatio’s Garden, London – Eva Nemeth © @eva_nemeth Oxfordshire Garden – Eva Nemeth © @eva_nemeth

Are you available Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May 2026 (9:30am–3:30pm both days) and interested in contributing to an ambitious plant research project? We are offering 30 places on a two-day data collection event at the Plant Library at Serge Hill – a unique living collection of over 2,000 plant taxa. We are collaborating with Dr. Harry Watkins from St. Andrews Botanic Gardens with an exciting and ambitious initiative to develop a new digital resource for gardeners, designers and growers. As climate change reshapes planting conditions, this project aims to build a knowledge base that better captures how plants perform, adapt and contribute to biodiversity. More information and tickets can be found in the link in the bio.

With just two months to go until we return to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we’re delighted to share more about this year’s project, realised once again in close collaboration with Crocus. The Tate Britain Garden at Chelsea will offer a first glimpse of the forthcoming Clore Garden at Tate Britain – a public space where art, nature and community come together. Our design reimagines the museum landscape as a place where contemplation and relaxation go hand in hand with creativity and learning. The garden at Chelsea brings bold planting, sculptural form and material innovation into dialogue – offering a preview of what’s to come at Tate Britain. At its heart will be Barbara Hepworth’s Bicentric Form 1949 – the first work from the national collection ever to be exhibited at RHS Chelsea – set within richly textured, drought-tolerant planting. Repurposed stone from the Millbank site forms a gently curving path, inlaid with a shimmering golden water rill made by Factum Arte, that leads to a large bowl set into the paving and surrounded by benches cast from reclaimed materials,  creating  a space for teaching and gathering. Together, these elements reflect a commitment to sustainability. All made possible thanks to generous funding from the Clore Duffield Foundation and Project Giving Back.   Image credits: The Tate Britain Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, visualisation © Tom Stuart-Smith Studio Dame Barbara Hepworth, Bicentric Form, 1949. Barbara Hepworth © Bowness. Photo © Tate Photography (Sonal Bakrania and Matt Greenwood).

Day three of @giardina_official 2026 and our garden has already welcomed thousands of visitors. Many have paused to sit, immersed in the space and surrounded by the beautiful Pinus sylvestris trees, with the gentle sound of the water feature grounding the experience. These mature Pines have been cultivated for over 40 years and were sourced by Bernhard Baumschule and planted together with beech trees (Fagus sylvatica), one of the most important woodland trees in northern Switzerland. Planting weaves through the space, contrasting with the blocks of sandstone sourced from the local Bärlocher quarry, who have lent the stone for the show. Giardina 2026 closes on Sunday. Photos Noah Santer @noah_santer Design and Construction Team Landscape Architect - Tom Stuart-Smith Studio. Lead designer Nicola Pusterla. Landscape Contractor - NaturDesign AG @naturdesign_ag Tree Nursery – Bernhard Baumschule @bernardbaumschulen Stone Supplier – Bärlocher @baerlocher_gruppe Water Feature Specialist – AQUA AG @aqua__ag Lighting Design – Jean-Philippe Weimer @jpw_designer_de_lumiere Furniture Design – Andrew Jones Design @andrewjonesdesign & Nathalie de Leval @nathalie_deleval