Catherine Clancy Garden Design



… a friendly, flexible, pragmatic, professional garden design service. I enjoy working collaboratively with you (the client) to create a garden to suit your needs, working out all the details along the way. I have considerable expertise and experience which will allow you to enjoy the whole process while teaching you about plants, design and light in your garden. Clients often have a long list of requirements and a relatively small space, but somehow I manage to fit everything in without feeling compromised on space.

I am a Garden Designer creating residential gardens throughout London and the South East, since 2005. I like outdoor spaces that look natural and established, where nature has been allowed (within reason) to blur the edges and take back a bit of control. Gardens where wildlife is key, focusing on pollinator friendly plants as well as shelter for creatures. I really like the looser style of grass/prairie-style/flowering gardens mixed with structural evergreen planting, ensuring that you have something nice to look at even in the winter months. I like using natural materials where possible, timber, steel, natural stone paving but recognise that this may not always be practical or affordable and there has to be a balance when designing any garden. I always work to minimise waste onsite, advocate the reuse of existing materials, where possible use materials from sustainable sources, and look to incorporate permeable paving or gravel to aid drainage. I believe that Gardens, and the process of their construction, should be as sustainable as possible.

I love gardening, garden design and the challenges of delighting clients. I work with clients who have some interest in gardening and keen to learn how to look after their new outdoor spaces. I will help you grow your confidence and knowledge in gardening. I enjoy working with trusted partners, drawing on my 16 years’ experience in garden design, problem solving, finding new materials and new ways to do things in order to deliver a distinctive but REAL, practical garden that is perfect for the way you live. I like to focus on how the garden will be used, rather than current trends.

Garden Design is my second career having spent 17 years in technology consultancy and project management, once I had completed my Science Degree in Trinity College Dublin. What started as a passion for horticulture has developed into a successful garden design business, combining my science background, my technology business consulting experience with horticulture and running a small business; focusing on strong relationships with clients, partners, suppliers and landscapers.

My love of horticulture led me to further study for the RHS Diploma at Hadlow College and Garden Design at the English School of Gardening (EGS). As a registered member of the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) and British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), I keep pace with the changes in horticulture and landscaping through seminars, workshops. I also love learning from other professionals.