Small family garden redesign – Berrylands
A careful redesign for a 1930s Berrylands property — selective shrub thinning, a larger Indian sandstone patio, a reshaped lawn and a low-maintenance boundary planting palette, designed and planted in-house by Flourish Landscaping.
Where we began
This Berrylands garden had evolved unevenly over the years rather than fallen into neglect. Planting beds had crept outwards, mature shrubs had merged into one another and the proportions had quietly slipped, leaving a garden with plenty of established greenery but little sense of order — and a patio that had become too small for how the family wanted to use it.
Client brief
The owners wanted a redesign that made the garden feel more open, practical and enjoyable, but without stripping out the maturity and character that had taken years to build. The brief was to edit and rebalance, not to start again.
Description of works
Led by Craig Davis BSc (Hons) Horticulture, the work began with restoring balance and clarity. Rather than clearing the borders, established shrubs were selectively thinned, shaped and, where it helped, repositioned — a horticultural approach that keeps decades of growth working for the garden instead of against it. It is the sort of judgement that comes from thirty years and three generations of planting and soft landscaping experience.
The lawn was reshaped for cleaner edges and better flow between zones, and the boundary planting was rebuilt as a calm, low-maintenance palette — evergreen structure for a year-round backbone, ornamental grasses for light and movement, and dependable groundcover to soften the edges and keep weeds down. The patio was enlarged to suit modern family use.
Construction details
Selective clearance and re-levelling established cleaner lines across the plot. The larger Indian sandstone patio was laid on a reinforced sub-base using calibrated stone — consistent in thickness for a stable, long-lasting finish — and lawn areas were improved with enriched topsoil for healthy, even growth. As APL- and TrustMark-accredited landscapers, every stage was finished to the same standard.
Results
The completed garden now feels lighter, more spacious and far more usable, while keeping the established charm that made it worth saving. The enlarged patio gives a comfortable spot to sit out and entertain, the reshaped lawn performs well, and the rebalanced borders look intentional in every season. It is the kind of result that sits behind our 5.0 rating across 51 Google reviews.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
The garden had evolved unevenly rather than fallen into neglect: beds had crept outwards, mature shrubs had merged and the proportions had quietly slipped. The brief was to edit and rebalance, not start again, so established shrubs were selectively thinned, shaped and where helpful repositioned, keeping decades of growth working for the garden.
The lawn was reshaped for cleaner edges and better flow between zones, and the patio was enlarged in Indian sandstone to suit modern family use. Boundary planting was rebuilt as a calm, low-maintenance palette of evergreen structure, ornamental grasses for movement and dependable groundcover to soften edges and keep weeds down.
The larger Indian sandstone patio was laid on a reinforced sub-base using calibrated stone, consistent in thickness for a stable, long-lasting finish, with lawn areas improved using enriched topsoil. As APL- and TrustMark-accredited landscapers we would gladly edit and rebalance your mature garden too, keeping its established charm while making it more usable.
