Garden design photos and testimonials

Traditional country gardens

"Over the last few months my garden has been completely redesigned by Jo. The result is amazing.  Achieved with absolute professionalism, from design to completion. It is really beautiful."  (Garden owner)

"I have been thinking of you this year everytime something new springs up or blooms in the garden and I had to email to thank you. 
The alliums are in full bloom now and look stunning. You have such a talent and vision."  (Garden owner)

"Jo effected a wonderful transformation on our garden!
We contacted Jo as the garden of our new-build house posed a real challenge.  A boring rectangular lawn ran very steeply up from the rear patio.  The gradient was such that it was difficult to use a lawn mower at the top part.  This needed to change.
Jo was very easy to work with from the start and at all times was clear about what she was doing and why, offering a clear breakdown of the different services she could provide and the relevant fee for each. She asked detailed questions about our garden preferences and requirements (we have 2 dogs) and carried out a careful inspection of our lawn taking detailed height measurements.  Her “Rural Idyll” design tamed the lawn beautifully with its provision of low interlocking retaining walls, strategically placed flower beds and a circular seating area which catches the afternoon sun until late: a truly creative response to our half-formed (and at times incoherent!) ideas.  
Throughout the budgeting and construction process Jo remained responsive to our thoughts and the minor issues that arose.  We were always kept in the loop on her fees and she maintained an excellent relationship with the works contractor.
Jo’s planting scheme was spot on for our requirements – a colourful, relatively low - maintenance garden.  
Our garden is now a delight rather than a problem and we would definitely recommend this highly talented and professional garden designer." (Garden owner)

Smaller gardens

The first picture below shows this garden before we worked our design magic.  The next photos shows how the design transformed the space.  Our clients loved their garden, completed this year, and said that it made them feel like they were in the Mediterranean.

Contemporary classic gardens

"I would definitely recommend Jo if you want your whole garden re-designing or just a small area of planting to be done. She clearly set out her services offered and pricing at the beginning so you knew what your options were. She wanted to understand what we hoped to use our different garden spaces for and also our likes/dislikes and incorporated these into the designs. The CAD designs were very realistic and easy to understand whilst being detailed enough for the landscaper to follow with technical specifications where required. Jo was a pleasure to work with throughout and her communications were always clear and timely. She would attend any meetings with the landscaper as needed and her input was very useful. We are really pleased with our completed garden and can’t wait to watch it grow and flourish. Jo genuinely wanted to bring our garden dreams to life! Thank you." (M. and J. Duncan)

Side garden

Back garden

"We love the new patio area you designed for us - the planting scheme is fabulous and as you can see, even at this early stage, the colours are amazing and work so well together.  We have lots of lovely wildlife and the whole area has completely transformed our garden.  Thank you!" (Garden owner)

"Thank you Jo for totally redesigning our back garden, we went for the full package and it was worth every penny. It is so much easier to manage and already looks fabulous, we love spending time in the garden and summerhouse admiring the view and listening to the birds!" (J Lewis)

"Thanks again for all you’ve done, we are really happy with the garden" (Garden owner)

“We would definitely recommend Jo if you want your garden re-designing.  She was professional from start to finish, understanding our requirements and envisaged how to transform a building site into a beautiful garden that is wildlife friendly whilst at the same time has different spaces for us to enjoy.  The whole area has been totally transformed and has been admired by everyone who has seen it.  Thank you Jo!”

Family gardens

​"Thank you so much once again for all your efforts. We are absolutely delighted with the end result as are the grandchildren - they certainly love their 'secret corner'! " (Garden owners)

Front gardens

I wanted to say thank you so much for all your work with the garden. It changes it’s look at different times of the day so we keep just sitting outside and looking at it!!

We are so pleased!

(Gemma & Paul)

"The transformation of the garden has been amazing. John and I are delighted with the end results, you have ticked all the boxes on our wish list." (J Phillips)

Winter

Summer

New build gardens

"I have been absolutely thrilled with Jo’s work. Her creativity has transformed my new-build garden and provided me with everything I wanted from outdoor space. I was so impressed how Jo was able to take into account everything I hoped to have in a garden and develop plans that enhanced the space. Jo has a great eye for plants, and was really helpful and approachable throughout the design and planting process." (B. Holden)

"We moved to a new build in Wetherby at the end of last year from out of area. We did not know where to start with the garden or who to contact as  I generally like to follow personal recommendations. I was fortunate to be given a card for Jo from the sales office. I thought that at least it would be a starting point. The garden was waterlogged and totally unusable. 

From the first meeting with Jo I knew that it was the right decision. She took her time to establish what exactly we wanted from the garden and what our likes and dislikes were in terms of style etc. She came up with an excellent design and helped us find a contractor to undertake the work. She offers a range of services and you can choose exactly how much of the work you want her to undertake as the project unfolds. We had the complete design package including planting and are absolutely thrilled. The garden has been completely transformed. I would not hesitate to recommend Jo. She is extremely professional, and is a pleasure to work with." (J. Quinn)

Kitchen gardens

I love designing areas to grow fruit and vegetables.  Just because it is a functional area, that doesn't mean it should be any less beautiful than any other part of your garden!

"I had got to know Jo when I asked her to speak on garden design to a local garden club we are involved with. When we sold our house and downsized to a bungalow, still on a big plot, Jo was the obvious choice to help with what was a garden from scratch, following remodelling of the property. After several meetings Jo found out what I wanted, low maintenance, no grass, timber raised beds for a fruit and vegetable garden; a separate garden for herbaceous plants and shrubs, with gravel paths.  Jo suggested stone raised beds for alpines and for my hardy cyclamen, with no planting to hide our long distance views in the winter. We discussed Jo’s initial design, which we kept to, with minor changes to the planting plans and plant lists, before agreeing the final design. Jo found us some excellent local contractors to carry out the hard landscaping.

Jo put substance and practicality to my original ideas and we are delighted with the results. Jo is a garden designer who is not afraid to get her hands dirty and is highly recommended.

I look forward to helping Jo plant the rear garden in early November." (Garden owner)

​​Copyright, Jo Manfredi-Hamer, 2025