“For Riverstone residents, I thought it was important to use plants which are emotive and familiar and yet give the planting a contemporary feel. To achieve this, we have used old favourites including roses and lavenders as well as more modern grasses and perennial plants.”

“The microclimate of London is advantageous to the type of plants that can be grown,” says Andy. “The warmth of the city allows us to grow some quite exciting exotic plants which would not survive outside of it “ he shares. “It also makes it easier to provide interest throughout the year because there are plenty of plants that will actively grow and flower even in the depths of winter. I still make sure the distinct seasons are celebrated through the planting because I believe that contact with the natural world and the environment is vital for people who live in cities.”

“The warming planet also makes shading more important to reduce the local temperatures, and even to cool buildings, so strategically positioning trees is an important aspect of our design,” says Andy. “Gardens are green lungs, and we can combat pollution not only with the volume of planting we use but also the physical barriers that plants can create to separate people from roads.” 

In preparing a garden for the height of summer, “The key thing to do is to grow plants which do not require large volumes of watering,” says Andy. “A mediterranean palette is useful because plants like rosemary and lavender, which are silvery in colour with small leaves, are adapted to reduce water loss through the foliage.”

If a balcony or terrace is the setting of your outdoor oasis, Andy has tips for watering those, too. “Pots sadly need a lot of regular watering but if you have some then you can add water retaining granules.  It is also important to water early in the morning or in the evening to prevent the water from evaporating before it gets down into the soil.”

According to Andy, no matter what space you have there are a few key rules:

1. Year-round interest has to be number one.  Something needs to lift your soul in the depths of winter.
2. Use plants which are all-rounders not one trick ponies.  For example, a shrub could be evergreen and have good flowers and berries.
3. Don’t underestimate scent.  This is even more important in small spaces where the scent of plants linger in the air.

“I have always used Chelsea as a test bed for design ideas, materials and plant palettes,” shares Andy. “Chelsea you get first-hand experience for those elements but you also get immediate feedback from the public – and from critics – so it is a great opportunity to learn how people respond to certain things.”

“I have always endeavoured to design gardens at Chelsea that people want to be in, so they all have an intimacy which directly translates to real gardens. This tends to come from the ratio between built elements and planting.”

Visit our gardens for yourselves. Our team would be delighted to arrange an informal tour of our residence(s) and gardens.