On planting (and getting it right without overthinking it)
If spring is honest, planting is where it shows up first.
You can have the best layout in the world, beautiful materials, clean lines… but if the planting isn’t right, the whole thing feels slightly unresolved. Like a room that’s been furnished but never quite finished. And to be fair, it’s the bit most people find hardest.
Too many choices. Too much conflicting advice. And a tendency to leave it until last, when time, energy and budget are all running a bit thin.
We see it all the time:
Borders that are fine… but flat.
Spaces that look good for a few weeks, then drift.
Gardens that are 80% there, but never quite tip into something that feels properly satisfying.
That gap is exactly why we set up The Planting Team. Not as a separate brand for the sake of it, but as a more straightforward way for people to access good planting without needing to go through a full design process every time. At the centre of that is something we call Border Refresh.
It’s intentionally simple.
You send us a few photos, rough sizes, a bit about your soil, and an idea of budget. We do the thinking, pull it together properly, and then turn up with everything needed to sort it in one go. No long lead times. No overcomplication. Just a well-judged planting scheme, installed properly.
It works particularly well for gardens that are:
- Nearly there, but lacking impact
- Tired or a bit one-dimensional
- Newly built and needing softening
- Or simply not giving you much back
Because often, it’s not a complete rethink that’s needed. It’s a series of better decisions, made with a bit of confidence.
Good planting isn’t about having more in it. It’s about knowing what to leave out, and what to repeat.
Alongside Border Refresh, The Planting Team also handles plant supply, full planting for new gardens, and ongoing aftercare. But the thinking behind all of it is the same. Planting should feel enjoyable. Creative, even, not like something you’ve got to get through at the end. If you’ve found yourself looking at your borders recently and thinking “something’s missing here”… you’re probably right. And the good news is, it’s usually fixable faster than you think.
