Gardens and Plants

Our small garden was bland and boring and overlooked, since we moved into the house as a new build 20 years ago. Our brief was a Tropical theme with screening from surrounding houses to prevent us feeling so over looked. The finished product certainly fit that brief, and by dispensing with the lawn and carefull placing some decking, a pergola and carefully chosen architectural plants the garden has been transformed.

We contacted Jan and Howard to help us to redesign and landscape our garden. Over the years our needs have changed, and we needed a more accessible garden. From the initial visit, Jan and Howard listened to our needs and looked to understand our situation in a supportive manner. They came back with options for us to review, sharing their thinking and how the designs could work for us. The option we settled on wasn’t anything we had previously considered; it is perfect for our needs and we love it. We contracted Jan and Howard to project manage the landscaping and planting for us. Working with Jack they transformed our garden, incorporating composite decking, patio, paths with an incline to ensure accessibility and building planters. Jan and her team then created the wow factor through the planting, again, designed and planted to meet our needs with colour and limited maintenance. The work is of a high standard with incredible attention to detail ensuring all aspects work well together. We are delighted with the finished result and are using the space much more now it meets our needs. Huge thank you to Jan, Howard and Jack for a wonderful transformation.

During lockdown we decided it was high time to sort out our boggy, clay ridden back garden and lay a new lawn with proper drainage. Once the hard work had been done on the lawn, we needed help to plant herbaceous borders and new trees for the first time so we went online. Jan and Howard came to see us and several hours later (because I talk far too much!), we had a solid idea plan for them to work on. The graphic and software they used was easy to see and understand, and we could visualise the finished article. Jan then came with all the plants and talked me though them & their planting - we spent a lovely afternoon knee deep in soil, happily chatting away as we built up the borders. We have stayed in touch ever since and we are really grateful to both of them for helping our garden to look it’s very best. We would highly recommend them for any project and are looking forward to showing them the maturing over time!!

From start to finish a very professional job, Howard and Jan came and listened to how I used my garden, asked plenty of questions to get a full understanding and then came up with a lovely design to suit my needs in a small garden. I chose to have the team manage the project and got so much more than a project manager as Howard is definitely hands on in ensuring his vision is brought to life and works so well with his landscaper. Then its over to Jan who planned all my plants, helped me plant them teaching me as she went. I would highly recommend this team and my project has changed how I use my garden space.

My garden was a wilderness, but with the help of Jan and Howard it had a complete makeover and is now a joy and has been much appreciated during the pandemic. The custom made raised beds enable me to have home grown vegetables and soft fruit, I’m already planning this years crop. Early last year, prior to lockdown, they returned and renewed by front fencing, which is now secure and a great improvement. I would recommend their services which are friendly , professional and knowledgable on plant choices

In May 2020 I was fortunate enough to have my garden professionally landscaped, Jan and Howard helped with the planning and advice on all aspects. Jan’s plant knowledge is second to none, she helped me choose the right plants & shrubs for my garden, advising on their positioning in regard to shade and sunshine, type of soil etc. I wanted a layered look to my borders, again Jan advised on the best type of plants & shrubs to achieve this. I also wanted to maintain some colour in the garden during the winter months - this is the first time ever that my garden hasn’t looked completely dead! I would highly recommend Jan and Howard - in fact they are also helping my son and his girlfriend with their new garden.

Ours was a small project, to remodel an existing area of our garden alongside a public footpath and we are delighted with the results. We felt in safe hands from the outset, with a quick grasp of the issues to be addressed, followed by practical and attractive ideas for the solution, then efficient and timely delivery. We have no hesitation in highly recommending the skills and service of Gardens and Plants and we would certainly ask Jan and Howard to come back another time.

Jan is our Garden Angel, we have always skirted around over the years never achieving what we’ve really wanted in a garden. We moved into our current home a few years ago and did the patio and decking but the planting was the biggest problem - as always. Happy to invest in plants but absolutely no idea what would work. Jan has been just brilliant, listening to our fears and concerns and helping, advising, encouraging us on what to do to achieve our goals. Jan is a genuinely lovely friendly lady and gave us the confidence to take the plunge and OMG it’s paid off and we have been delighted with the outcome. We still have a bit more to do this year with Jan and Howard’s help but we have a garden that looked beautiful last year and will be even better this year. The plants and colour we currently have are great and have in turn attracted the butterflies and bees tenfold. Jan and Howard really know their stuff! We regularly visit Whipsnade, when Jan said they lived there we knew straight away which house was theirs as the gardens and grounds (and cottage) are beautiful we knew instantly it must be theirs. We have no hesitation in recommending Jan and Howard for their knowledge, design skills and plant expertise. What is nice is that we feel like we have known them for years and they will continue to be our go to garden guru’s. It’s all about the ‘odd’ numbers - right Jan Andrew & Jane Milton Keynes

We were fortunate to meet with Jan and her husband when we were looking to fill the space left by trees that had died. They could not have been more helpful and guided us through the options after asking some pertinent and relevant questions to ascertain our specific needs. We chose the tress that we wanted and they managed the purchase, delivery and installation for us. A lovely couple who we count ourselves lucky to have had dealings with them. Lawrence and Rosina

Howard and Jan provided a great service transforming our property. Jan's knowledge of horticulture and Howard's construction experience are second to none. I cannot praise them enough for their work. They are super friendly and helpful, eager to get the result you want. I have no hesitation in recommending Gardens and Plants for your project.

Howard and Jan produced some wonderful work on our garden. We had some work done previously but it didn't capture what we wanted. That's when we asked Howard and Jan if they could help us create what we had in mind. After consultation, not only did they completely grasp what we thought our garden could look like, but they took it to another level. Their knowledge and experience opened up new possibilities to us. The results were brilliant. We now have a garden that has so many different facets and is constantly evolving throughout the seasons. We are so happy with the results and can highly recommend them. Really good people too!

We're so pleased with our new garden and wish we'd made the changes years ago. Firstly, I really wanted someone who knows about plants and not just someone who does decking, patios and paths. Jan was the third garden designer I'd contacted. We clicked immediately and it has been a pleasure working together. She spent a good hour finding out what we liked and disliked about our garden and what we wanted to achieve. After taking measurements, Jan and Howard sent a couple of design ideas which we discussed over Skype, making a few modifications. We hadn't known how to address the issues we were dealing with but Jan and Howard came up with a great solution. Communication was excellent and Jan made sure everything came within our budget and that we had a logical work plan. When it came to making decisions, Jan always understood the need to choose what was right for us. At one point, we visited a tree nursery and spent a couple of hours considering various options. We're thrilled with our Acer and we'd never have found it in a garden centre. During the course of our garden makeover, I've learnt a lot about plants, planting, soils and aftercare and am looking forward to making further improvements to the rest of the garden with Jan's help and advice.

Jan and Howard are very good at listening and bringing forward ideas that match both the look and feel desired. Its nice to see a real passion and knowledge of the land and plants which is clear in their work as nothing but the highest standard is provided. A Perfect balance of colours, shape and structure makes everything come together and look fabulous. without a doubt I would recommend thier services.

Jan came and helped me with my fairly exposed coastal garden. She listened carefully and took great care in explaining everything. I would have no hesitation to work with Jan again and have recommended her to friends. She is such a friendly person and knows her stuff! Mrs J Lagesse, Portsmouth.