Buckinghamshire Garden Design Ideas

Garden Design Example: Transforming a Productive Kitchen Garden

This project is a great garden design example of how a space can be completely reimagined within just one year. Our client, an enthusiastic grower of fruit and vegetables, wanted a garden that balanced productivity with structure, style, and ease of use.

When we first visited, the garden in Amersham, it was underused and lacked structure. The owner’s dream was clear: he wanted a space designed around his love of growing fruit and vegetables, with plenty of room for raised beds, fruit trees, and practical paths, all while keeping the garden attractive and easy to maintain.

The original garden was underutilised, with no clear layout or defined planting areas. Although it offered good space and sunlight, it needed a strong design to unlock its potential:

Our approach in this garden design example was to introduce structure through carefully planned paths and defined growing zones. Raised beds were installed to maximise growing space and improve soil quality, while allowing easy access for maintenance. A dedicated fruit area was positioned to take advantage of sunlight and provide seasonal variety.

The design combined practicality with aesthetics: clean lines, balanced proportions, and a layout that ensures the garden is both productive and visually pleasing throughout the year.

The greenhouse is the focal point of the whole design. It is a very productive space… packed with various varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers when we visited in July, the owner intends to grow some peach trees in the greenhouse next year. That’s one thing that all gardeners have in common – we’re always planning for the future!

Cut flowers are an important aspect for this wonderful potagers garden, not only can they be used in the home but also add beauty of their own to the vegetable garden and, most importantly, attract pollinators. Growing fruit and vegetables in combination with annual plants to get the biodiversity right in a garden and thus avoid the need for chemicals, is something we feel passionate about. For more information on ‘Companion Planting’ check out my article here on organic approaches to vegetable gardening. 

Within a year, the transformation is striking. The raised beds are thriving with vegetables, the fruit trees are establishing well, and the garden has become a productive and enjoyable space. This project demonstrates how thoughtful design can turn an ordinary plot into a beautiful and functional kitchen garden.

This case study highlights the value of tailored garden design. By aligning the layout with the client’s lifestyle and gardening goals, we created a space that is both practical and inspiring. It stands as a garden design example that shows what is possible when passion, planning, and professional design come together.

It was lovely to visit  and see how much pleasure this beautiful and bountiful garden is giving to the owner -a retirement present to himself. The owner has two regrets, firstly he wishes he’d done it sooner and secondly that he’d chosen a bigger greenhouse!  I think it shows that a fruit and vegetable garden can be very attractive as well as productive.

If this garden design example had given you inspiration for your own garden, we’d love to help with more ideas for how you cloud make some changes. Get in touch here for a friendly chat to see if we can help you too.