Design Heights Ltd

Carole is extremely knowledgeable, hand draws all her designs and is qualified as a garden designer rather than being a general landscaper. This means she also offers planting plans which can be a great option as more budget friendly. Also talked us though irrigation options and additional drainage for a friend's garden which gets flooded in the winter.

We commissioned Carole to help transform our back garden from an uninspiring square lawn to a lush haven for wildlife and a place of adventure for our daughter. She did not disappoint and we are so happy with our new garden! She listened to us and our brief, understood what we wanted and then transformed it all with her creative flourish into something much better than we'd ever have been able to come up with ourselves. We were also very pleased with how much she managed to conserve and re-use, avoiding unnecessary cost and waste.The process took a while but the planting was finally done at the end of last year and this spring has just been pure joy watching the different plants come to life.We're going to commission her to do our front garden as well in the near future, and would happily recommend her to anyone looking to get more out of their outside spaces.

Short version: Carole did a super job for us in the last few months. She is engaging, creative and easy to work with. My highest recommendation is that I would use her expertise again in the future in a heartbeat.Long Version: We engaged Carole pre-lockdown after searching online locally. We recognised that we simply would not be able to do our own design that would have impact, hence why we got a designer. It was clear instantly from a site meeting in Feb she understood what we wanted, summarising well. We were happy enough to instruct her to do a design almost immediately. We wanted something to soften our mid-terrace long narrow garden, it’s a common problem and we hated the squareness of it. Then lockdown hit and the world changed.At this point we decided we didn’t want to risk investing in a full landscaping and would do a lot of it DIY / stages. Nevertheless we wanted the design. We engaged Carole to do a revised plan, and she took on board our compromises, adapting the plan and we got a great new design and detailed planting, which was where we chose to spend the money we had. Whilst we got on with a lot of lifting turf, fence painting and general clean up during lockdown, she ordered a substantial amount of plants, dealing with the nursery and securing a delivery date using her contacts. She was with us helping for a day this week when the 120-ish plants arrived, checking the state of them, organising, sorting. Her experience was invaluable at this point.Then we all got stuck in for the remainder of the day carrying, digging and planting. Carole was sharing her knowledge and tips for future care throughout. The result is fantastic, achieving the brief. We did it within our revised budget - including Carole’s fees - which were sensible. We simply could not have done this without her expertise in the process. It may be in the next few years if we move we could adapt the plans or reuse them to some extent. It has transformed the view of the garden and we couldn’t be happier. Thanks so much Carole!

Last year we engaged Carole to transform our weed-infested, featureless garden into a bird-friendly space that we can enjoy. The process was very thorough. After the initial consultation, Carole took us through a detailed design brief; covering what we wanted in the garden and, more importantly, how we wanted to use it. The whole process was very collaborative. Carole listened carefully to our opinions and wishes and compromises were made, where necessary.She recommended and worked with a landscaper to implement the plan, during the wettest Autumn possible. It was a cold, wet, muddy and seemingly endless time. But eventually it all came together.We also contracted Carole to provide a planting plan, which took into account the few plants and shrubs we wanted to keep. She naturally considered the garden’s aspect and soil type, (clay soil, full shade, dappled shade and full sun), and our requirements for year-round interest and a very natural look. She expertly chose the most appropriate plants and I take my hat off to her and her team who dug into thick clay to plant out the garden.Now we have a truly gorgeous garden. The patio envelopes the rear of the house, an old concrete shed base has been cloaked by an unusually-shaped deck and pergola, the uneven rear fence has disappeared behind a modern slatted facade, and a palisade hides the raised vegetables beds. The old patio bricks have been recycled into new paths and our various sculptures and new water feature are highlighted in the gravel areas.We are delighted with the end result. I can’t stop looking at it! Every day, rain or shine, I look at the garden from my windows, or take a walk around it to see how it’s doing. I love it! it was a big investment but very well worth it as it will give us years of pleasure.Amanda & Ken

Carole, top plantswoman, triumphs again!We asked Carole to turn the front yard of our Victorian terrace just off the Old Kent Road from a dumping ground (Southwark Council wheelie bins, pizza boxes and anything else that blew through) into a functional space with planting to lighten the heart and gladden the soul and she's done just that. Racing against time to catch the end of the planting season, the yard was cleared and planted up just before the Winter set-in. We now can't wait for Spring to admire the planting design as it matures.

We are thrilled with our new garden. It’s incredible to think it has only been planted for three months it looks well established and as it if has been here for years. Working with Carole has been a pleasure throughout. Our garden is small, on two levels, and is north-facing, so it’s not the easiest plot. But Carole has made the most of every square inch. This is partly down to her re-positioning of the steps and the clever inclusion of a built-in bench. Carole has also ensured year-round interest in the plants and we’re really looking forward to the rest of the year and seeing the garden develop.We highly recommend Design Heights and Carole if you want a beautiful and functional garden.

Last year, Carole designed our dream courtyard garden. She helped us choose appropriate plants for our super sunny and super shady sites and came up with really eye catching designs for beds, borders and planters based on our love of Hebridean island plants (transported to south London). She relocated some of our old plants (who knew 'right plant, right place' mattered so very much??) - which have now flowered for their first time - and added height, depth and breadth as well as a funky colour scheme.This year, we are thrilled that she has agreed to do another much bigger project with us - an acre of rather windy, exposed coastal garden incorporating hedges, wildflower meadow, cottage and veg garden. We cannot wait for her to get started.

My rather bleak looking fully paved patio garden has now been transformed into a proper garden with a neat path down the middle and planting areas on each side with lots of interesting plants that I'm looking forward to seeing develop!