One-to-one advice

You have come to the right place if you feel that your garden “could do better” but you lack the knowledge or practical experience to decide exactly what you do want and how realistic that is.

A Gardening by Design visit can solve problems, supply design ideas, maintenance advice and a realistic plan whether you have a blank canvas, changing needs or a garden of established but unidentified plants.

Click here for consultations onsite and online

Sign-up to my regular Gardening Newsletter for tips, videos & discounts on the Box of Tricks HERE
Wellbeing

What is a garden if not a space to promote wellbeing? From calming moments in a busy day to working out frustrations on weeds, so many of us appreciate the benefits of gardening. And time spent nurturing plants or ‘just looking’ in a green space can support everyone’s mental health.

Combining gardening, teaching and social & therapeutic horticulture, I can help design and deliver gardening projects for wellbeing or give a talk to your group.

Sign-up to my regular Gardening Newsletter for tips, videos & discounts on the Box of Tricks HERE
Make Your Garden Great

Gardening by Design offers a new way to build your knowledge of plants and gardening, gain confidence and make your garden into the great space that you deserve.

I combine my understanding of horticultural science with practical experience to explain to you the Why as well as the How of gardening. You will not be ‘swamped by science’ but you will learn the key principles that turn frustration into success and enable you to go on gardening long after the session is over.

Sign-up to my regular Gardening Newsletter for tips, videos & discounts on the Box of Tricks HERE
The gift that grows

Give a garden as a present! Well not the whole garden but the knowledge and confidence that your friends or family need to make their own garden great. You can pre-buy a Gardening by Design visit or online consultation for anything from one hour upwards. Or buy one of the video tutorials from the ‘Box of Tricks’ for a lucky gardener.

I can send you a printed voucher to pop into your greetings card for any occasion. Birthday, Christmas, Wedding and Anniversary presents are all popular.

Sign-up to my regular Gardening Newsletter for tips, videos & discounts on the Box of Tricks HERE
Direct to your in-box

I send out an email newsletter twice a month so you can receive notice of blog posts, preview video tips, ‘newsletter only’ seasonal articles and the odd offer direct to your in-box.

You will receive the free Seven steps to less effort gardening as a welcome gift when you sign up.

Make yourself a cup of tea and click here to start learning
Learn in a group

Gardening Society, social club, school or simply a group of friends with a gardening query? I offer talks and workshops to suit all ages; explanations, hands-on skills, indoors or outside.

I am on the RHS gardening speakers list and travel across the South East to give talks, as long as there is a cup of tea at the end of the evening. I am often asked back!

Click here for Talks & Teaching information

Sign-up to my regular Gardening Newsletter for tips, videos & discounts on the Box of Tricks HERE
No matter where

Alison is based near Tunbridge Wells in Kent and most Gardening by Design visits cover West Kent and nearby parts of Sussex and Surrey. But fortunately distance is no barrier and advice to clients further afield can be provided through internet and ‘phone using photographs of the garden.

Alison is happy to travel to give talks and has been known to cross the river into Essex and venture into Buckinghamshire too.

Sign-up to my regular Gardening Newsletter for tips, videos & discounts on the Box of Tricks HERE
Online learning

Alison’s ‘Box of Tricks’ has been created for you to add to your gardening knowledge and skills at a time and pace that you decide. With just the same balance of science and practicality as a gardening advice visit, a talk or a classroom session, each topic is self-contained and together they build into a whole online learning course.

Get ready to become a more confident gardener as Alison provides the explanations, ideas and examples; you provide the garden and the tea!

See all the topics and buy online here

Expert Advice

With RHS qualifications and many years gardening experience I can help you to solve problems, advise on improving garden layout, suggest suitable plants and explain how to look after them. Location is no barrier, just take some digital photographs and book an internet consultation.

Wellbeing

Gardening is officially good for mental as well as physical wellbeing, whatever your experience and whatever your age. From an individual making their garden into a place to escape hustle and bustle to an organised garden therapy group for a care home, hospice or mental health support charity. I can help, advise and teach.

Learn online

Learn what you want, when you want with the Gardening by Design 'Box of Tricks'. My most popular talk and teaching topics are now available as video tutorials with explanations, photographs, examples and tea breaks to help you garden with confidence.

About GbD

Gardening by Design was started in 2004 by Alison Marsden to offer a new way to build knowledge of plants and gardening, gain confidence and make your garden into the family space or personal paradise you deserve.

Alison fills the gaps in your horticultural and garden design knowledge so you become a more confident gardener ready to make the most of your garden. No long term commitment – just all the advice and assistance you need an hour at a time. The ‘Box of Tricks’ is a collection of popular topics in video form. Each is structured with key information, examples, summaries and plenty of illustrations and most importantly delivered in bite-sized chunks so that you are never overwhelmed with information.

Based near Tunbridge Wells advice, classes and workshops are delivered across West Kent and into nearby areas of Surrey and Sussex. Support and advice for gardeners further afield is provided through the wonders of technology with consultations by internet, phone and email.

“Stop gardening by accident and start Gardening by Design”

Supporting Kent’s wildlife as a member of Kent Wildlife Trust

What people think of Gardening by Design

Enhancing an established garden

Wow Alison – you have worked hard. What a wonderful synopsis and suggestions. I really appreciate your advice. You offer a wonderful service and I am so glad I asked you to come along.

Colour scheming borders
Wow thank you Alison. Very comprehensive notes and I thoroughly enjoyed our ‘walk and talk’ session. The biggest thing I’ve taken away from our session is the confidence to move around what I already have in the garden.

Talks & Teaching

Thank you for the very interesting talk on ‘What Will Grow In My Garden?’. It was much enjoyed and appreciated by all. We look forward to your next visit.

It was so useful to build confidence before embarking on my new allotment and I now feel well informed and ready to start.

Knowledgeable tutor, information given in an easy to understand manner to a novice

The Box of Tricks

Easy to understand. Really enjoyable.

Helpful to a beginner gardener.