FAQs

Q1. What first made you fall in love with garden design?

I’ve owned three houses in my life, and at every one of them, the garden was what truly captured my attention — if I’m honest, the house itself always came second.
Our current family home was built twenty years ago on what was simply a field — a blank canvas. Over the years I’ve planted more than 500 trees, created pathways, established vegetable patches, and grown a wildflower meadow. But what I’m proudest of is allowing native plants and wildlife to flourish naturally, without ever relying on pesticides or herbicides.
That, really, is what made me fall in love with garden design: the discovery that if you give nature a chance and work with the landscape rather than against it, you can create beautiful green spaces that feel like they belong — spaces that sit naturally within their surroundings, rather than being imposed on them.

Q2. Why did you decide to set up Great Green Spaces?

A friend encouraged me to do a Garden Design course with her at a local college in 2024. I had always loved designing outdoor spaces but didn’t know if I was any good at it. At the end of the course my design was chosen to be developed into an actual garden. The owner of the garden who provided a cash prize to the winner was very complementary about my design and how it stood out in terms of meeting the design brief.
This gave me the confidence and belief in myself that garden design was something I could succeed in.

Q3. What do you enjoy most about designing gardens?
Meeting clients and inspiring them to love their outdoor space. By creating a design that meets the needs of the client, and their family is a great sense of achievement. I always provide a detailed mood board along with the design to help clients understand what the design will look like once developed.

Q4. After more than 25 years working with outdoor spaces, what have you learned that most homeowners don’t realise?
All outdoor spaces have the potential to be ‘great’.
It can be sad to find a neglected garden that no one loves, but it is exciting work with clients to create a vision for a space that can be loved and enjoyed again.

Most Common FAQs

Q5. Do I really need a garden designer?

No-one really needs a garden designer, like no-one really needs an architect. But would you develop your house without an architect? The result might be a habitable house or an accessible garden, but does it work, is it beautiful, does it make you feel great to come home and be in it? If the answer is no, then yes, you need a garden designer.
With the right garden designer, you should walk into your garden and love the space and how it makes you feel. I never want to leave my garden!

Q6. What are the biggest misconceptions people have about what a garden designer does?

A lot of people think we are gardeners, that we cut hedges, mow lawns and plant plants.
A garden designer is the architect that designs the garden. The design then goes to a Landscaper to develop, like a house design goes to a builder to build. A garden designer may be involved in overseeing the build to make sure the vision is fulfilled, but this is an optional service for each client.

Q7. How would you explain the difference between a garden designer, a landscaper and a gardener in simple language?

A garden designer is the person who designs all the elements of the garden, like an architect designs a house. Just like when you built a house and the architect provides plans, a garden designer also provides plan.
A Garden Design Package should include lots of plans  –
– Concept Plan – a colourful bird’s eye view of the garden design from above
– Hard Landscaping Plan & Schedule – details of the built structures like patios & walls
– Planting Plan & Schedule – details of the location, size and quantity of plants & recognition of existing plants (some may stay, some may be removed).
– Measurement Plan – this shows all the measurements needed to build the garden
– Lighting Plan & Schedule – this includes the location and specification for lighting within the garden.
A landscaper is like the builder of the house. A landscaper will take the Garden Design Plan and use this to build and create then garden on the ground.
The gardener is the person who maintains the garden once it is built. A common misconception is that a gardener than design gardens. Some might but generally gardeners do not have this expertise.

Common Mistakes

Q8. What are the biggest mistakes homeowners make when they try to redesign their garden themselves?

The biggest mistake homeowners make is to go to the garden centre or nursery and pick lots of individual plants that they like the look of. This is often in summer months when the plants are in bloom and look their best.
Problems with doing this include –
– Random planting doesn’t lead to good garden design – an overall planting plan created as part of the garden design avoids random planting.
– Each plant requires certain growing conditions to allow it to thrive for example light, shelter, soil type. When selecting plants, it is essential to consider where it will be planted. The right plant in the right place is key.
– Unless buying a larger plant like a specimen tree or shrub, plants should be bought in multiples – I advise 3 or 5 or 7. A mass of the same plant has much more impact than 1 plant on its own.
– Homeowners should consider colour, plant size including both height and spread and how the plants will look throughout the year. A plant that looks brilliant in summer may be bare or disappear underground in winter.

Q9. What mistakes usually end up costing people the most money?

A lack of planning can be the biggest mistake and going ahead with individual elements of the garden without a clear overview or vision. This may not cost the most money (as people may not chose to fix it) but certainly can lead to a poor design and a garden that doesn’t work.

The Value of Design

Q10. What happens during your design process that surprises clients?

What often surprises clients is the questions that come up once we start to discuss what they would like from their garden. Clients will say ‘I never thought of that’. I think it can be difficult to clients to think strategically about a space they know well and not get caught up in small details.

Q11. Why do you spend so much time listening before you begin designing?

Because a design is only as good as the problem it’s solving — and I can’t solve a problem I don’t fully understand yet. Listening upfront lets me get past the surface-level brief and into what the client needs, which isn’t always the same as what they initially ask for.
It also helps me catch unrealistic expectations early, before they become costly problems later. If a timeline, budget, or vision doesn’t quite line up with reality, that’s a much easier conversation to have on day one than after weeks of work.
Beyond that, listening builds trust. Clients open up more about their real priorities, constraints, and concerns when they feel heard, and that honesty gives me far better information to design with. The result is fewer revisions, fewer surprises, and a final product that fits — because it was built on a clear, shared understanding from the start.

Q12. How important is understanding how someone lives?
Understanding client requirements is crucial to good garden design.
At the start of the design process, every good garden designer will work through a detailed client questionnaire asking detailed lifestyle questions. What do you do in your garden, how much time to you have for maintenance, how do you want to feel in your garden, do you entertain, have family, pets etc. This must be an open and honest conversation and can raise questions that clients may not have thought about. Some clients want beautiful colourful gardens but don’t have the time to maintain them! It is about being realistic and designing a space that is individual to the client’s needs.

Sustainability

Q13. Why is biodiversity so important to you personally?

I see biodiversity as central to a philosophy of stewardship: we are each a custodian of a piece of land for a relatively short time, entrusted with caring for it before passing it on to the next generation. I don’t feel a genuine sense of ownership over the land I live in, rather, I feel privileged to have the opportunity to look after it. Part of that responsibility is encouraging as diverse a range of plants and wildlife as possible to share the space, so that it can thrive as fully and healthily as it’s capable of.
Watching the biodiversity of a space develop and increase over time has given me a real sense of achievement, and it’s something I’m committed to replicating across other green spaces through thoughtful, considered garden design.

Q14. How do you naturally incorporate sustainability into your designs?

There are five key ways I try to naturally weave sustainability into my garden design, and most clients respond well to some of these options for both aesthetical and ethical reasons.
Top priority for me is using native and near-native planting within a garden design. Species like hawthorn, holly, rowan, hazel, and hardy fuchsia are native hedgerow mixes that are already adapted to Northern Ireland’s mild, wet climate and support local pollinators and birds far more effectively than non-native ornamentals. Native hedging (rather than fencing) also provides habitat corridors and windbreaks, which matters given how exposed many N. Ireland gardens are.
Flowers like Foxglove, Astrantia, Geranium (hardy cranesbill varieties), Astilbe, Rudbeckia Echinacea & Aquilegia (Granny’s bonnet) are good options to provide colour, and the good news is that many of these will readily spread throughout the garden.
Secondly, I encourage clients to adopt an organic, chemical-free approach to pest and weed management. Avoiding synthetic pesticides and herbicides protects soil microbiology, pollinators, and the wider food chain. In practice, this might mean companion planting to naturally deter pests, encouraging predator species like ladybirds, frogs, and birds through habitat features (log piles, ponds, bird boxes), using mulches to suppress weeds rather than herbicide, and accepting a slightly higher tolerance for imperfection in foliage. It’s a principle that also reassures clients with children or pets.
Thirdly, I encourage use of local, low-carbon materials. Sourcing stone, timber, and aggregates locally e.g. Mourne granite, local sandstone, or reclaimed materials cuts transport emissions and often suits the vernacular character of N. Ireland gardens better than imported alternatives.
Fourthly, I encourage reduced lawn in favour of diverse planting. Replacing large expanses of mown lawn with wildflower meadow areas, mixed perennial borders, or low-maintenance ground cover reduces mowing and supports biodiversity. It creates living spaces!
Finally, I consider water management. With high rainfall in Northern Ireland there are lots of ways to reduce runoff, pressure on drainage systems and flooding concerns. Where possible I include eco solutions including permeable paving such as gravel or permeable block paving allowing water to soak into the ground & water butts connected to downpipes. This is an easy way to collect rainwater for use within the garden particularly with our drier summers.

Future Thinking

Q15. What trends are you seeing in garden design?

The main trends I see and hear about through my work revolve around sustainability.
In the context of garden design this includes working with nature, not against it. There are definite moves to use native plants that support pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects and the inclusion of structured rewilding, letting areas grow more naturally.
In terms of aesthetics function is often as important as beauty. Gardens are increasingly divided into purposeful zones, using planting to shape botanical “rooms” for reading, dining, or play. Garden rooms for home working are also popular.
In terms of how people use spaces, there is a definite increase in the number of garden hot hubs, saunas and outdoor pools (if you have the space).
I also think layered textures, and abundant planting is replacing minimalist restrain.
Growing your own has seen a big surge in recent years. From patio containers of herbs to vegetable plots, raised beds and fruit cages.
Smart technology is increasing with many outdoor spaces now incorporating technology such as remote-controlled outdoor lighting and robotic lawnmowers.
27 Are clients becoming more interested in wildlife and sustainability?
As my business is relatively new, I can’t speak to a trend over time — but based on what I’ve seen so far, I would say clients have a definite awareness of wildlife and sustainability.
Garden designers are well placed to build on this and show clients how their garden can have a genuine, positive impact locally — even when it’s not the reason, they first came looking for a designer. Even the smallest green space can enhance biodiversity, and part of my job is helping clients see that potential and build it into the design.

Q16. If someone is still unsure whether they need a garden designer, what would you say to them?
Think about the last time you tried to tackle a big design decision alone — did it save you time and money, or did it end up costing more in the long run through mistakes, mismatched materials, or having to redo something entirely?
A garden is a significant investment, not just financially but in the time, it takes to establish and mature. A good designer doesn’t just make things look nice — they think ahead about drainage, orientation, how the space will be used day to day, and how everything will look and function in five or ten years, not just when it’s first planted. That kind of forward planning is hard to do on your own without experience and getting it wrong can be an expensive lesson.
I’d also say it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Even a single consultation can be valuable — it might confirm that your instincts are right, or it might reveal something you hadn’t considered that changes your whole approach. Either way, you come away with more clarity and confidence than you started with.
Ultimately, if you’re unsure, that uncertainty is usually worth listening to. It’s often a sign that there’s more to the project than meets the eye — and that’s exactly where a designer earns their value.