Practical gardening advice, seasonal tips and expert guides from the Flourish Landscaping team.
We share what we have learned from gardening across Kingston, Surbiton, Richmond and the wider Surrey area. Advice on planting decisions, seasonal jobs, problem-solving and the small choices that make the difference between a garden that struggles and one that thrives, all written by horticulturalists who work in real gardens every week.
Browse our wider garden advice hub for pillar guides on garden orientation, garden styles and awkward garden types, or use the Flourish Sun Planner to match plants to the aspect they will actually thrive in.
Most disappointing shade plantings are not failures of plant choice but failures of shade assessment. The difference between partial shade beneath deciduous trees and deep shade against a north-facing wall is larger than the difference between partial shade and full sun.
Gardening is good, and does good What the RHS State of Gardening Report 2025 means for UK gardens. Gardening is often described as a hobby, but the Royal Horticultural Society’s first ever State of Gardening Report 2025 confirms something much bigger. For the first time, the true scale and impact of gardening across the UK…
Garden centres How to get the best out of your local garden centre visits. If you enjoy gardening, whether that means planting out borders, refreshing containers or just browsing for something new, a good garden centre is one of the most useful resources you have. Here in South West London and Surrey, we are well…
Garden pests and diseases A practical UK guide to the pests and diseases that actually affect gardens in our area, and the plants that resist them. Almost every garden in Kingston, Surbiton, Esher and Coombe will see some pest or disease pressure across the year. The aim is not to eliminate it, which is neither…
Echinacea A tough, reliable perennial that looks great and supports pollinators. Discover the best Echinacea for Kingston, Surbiton, Esher and Coombe gardens, which cultivars actually last, how to improve heavy London Clay, and why spring planting makes all the difference. Echinacea is not a shy plant. When it is happy, it stands tall, holds its…
Small gardens Big ideas for making the most of a small garden. In London and its suburbs, gardens are precious spaces. They may be getting smaller, but ambitions for them are not. A modern garden needs to be a dining room, a lounge, a playground and a tranquil escape, all within a compact footprint. The…
Growing annual climbers from seed A grower’s guide to the most rewarding tender climbers for UK gardens, graded by difficulty. Annual climbers are the extroverts of the garden. Loud, fast, occasionally unruly, and utterly joyful. They take a bare fence or pergola and turn it into something theatrical within weeks. No long-term commitment, no digging…
Garden costs in Kingston, Surbiton, Esher and Coombe What really affects the cost of landscaping a garden. One of the most common questions we are asked by homeowners in Kingston, Surbiton, Esher and Coombe is simply, “How much does a garden cost?” It is a fair question, and the honest answer is that it depends…
Garden law Seven common myths about garden law — and what the rules actually say. Think you know garden law? Some of the most widely believed ‘rules’ about fences, trees and planning permission are wrong, and getting them wrong can be expensive. Can you really cut down any tree in your garden? Do you automatically…
Drought-tolerant gardens Plants and design principles for a garden that thrives through dry UK summers without standing over it with a hose. UK summers are getting hotter and drier. The 2022 and 2025 seasons both delivered extended drought across the south-east, and Met Office projections point firmly in the same direction. For 2026 the Royal…
Garden irrigation systems A practical design and installation guide for UK gardens, from simple drip lines to smart, weather-aware controllers. A garden irrigation system is no longer a luxury reserved for large country estates. UK summers are getting hotter and drier, hosepipe bans are increasingly common across the south-east, and the cost of a single…
Garden privacy Smart ways to screen your garden without blocking out light. Garden privacy is the single most-requested brief we receive across the Kingston, Surbiton, Richmond and Coombe area. Densely built Edwardian and Victorian streets, neighbouring loft conversions, and the slow creep of overlooking first-floor extensions have made the question urgent. The honest answer is…
Water features Is a water feature right for your garden, and what are your options? A water feature does more for a garden than almost any other intervention. It brings sound, movement, reflection and wildlife into a space that would otherwise be still. The sound of running water masks traffic noise, the surface of a…
Boost kerb appeal Simple changes that make your home look better from the street. The front garden is the first thing visitors, neighbours and prospective buyers see, and it sets the tone for the whole house. A well-designed front in a Kingston, Surbiton or Esher street raises the perceived value of a property significantly. This…
Victorian front gardens How to modernise a Victorian front garden without losing its character. Victorian and Edwardian front gardens in Kingston, Surbiton and Hampton were never meant to be decorative extras. They were carefully composed entrance spaces that set the tone for the house before you reached the door. Their defining feature was the path:…
Managing a flooded garden What causes garden flooding and what you can do about it. Waterlogging is one of the most common problems in Kingston, Surbiton and the surrounding Thames floodplain. London clay holds water like a sealed bowl; the increasing intensity of UK winter rainfall makes it worse; and many gardens have been quietly…
Weeding guide Simple, effective ways to keep weeds under control for good. Gardens across Kingston, Surbiton, Richmond, Twickenham and Esher are wonderful places to live and grow plants. They are also wonderful places for weeds, thanks to our damp Thames-side microclimate, rich clay soil and an enthusiastic local seed bank that predates most of the…
Roses for London gardens: best varieties for clay soil, front gardens and walls The varieties we trust on heavy clay and through real Surrey summers, with practical planting and pruning advice. Roses have a reputation for being temperamental. In reality, the right variety in the right place is one of the most generous, long-lived plants…
Spring bulbs for Kingston and Surbiton gardens A homeowner’s guide to five months of colour, from January snowdrops to May alliums. The first burst of colour after a long winter is one of the genuine pleasures of UK gardening. With the right succession of bulbs planted once in autumn, a garden can carry colour from…
Refreshing your borders: a naturalistic planting approach A contemporary planting approach for Kingston and Surbiton gardens that delivers structure, colour and wildlife value all year round. Homeowners across Kingston, Surbiton and the wider Surrey area often come to us with the same picture: borders gradually taken over by vigorous plants — Buddleja davidii, cherry laurel,…
End of content
End of content
Based in Kingston and Surbiton, we work within a five–mile radius — covering a focused patch of South West London and North Surrey.
Explore practical advice, planting guides and design ideas from our team.
