Expert planting design and plant selection advice from the Flourish Landscaping team.
We share what we have learned from planting gardens across Kingston, Surbiton, Richmond and the wider Surrey area. Practical advice on plant selection, border composition, soil and aspect, and how to put together a scheme that holds its interest through every season, written by horticulturalists with decades of hands-on experience.
For project work, see our planting design and installation service. Before choosing plants, use the Flourish Sun Planner to map sun and shade across your garden, then read our garden orientation guide to understand how aspect shapes what will actually thrive.
Multi-stem trees Structure, beauty and year-round interest in the garden Multi-stem trees are one of the most elegant planting choices you can introduce into a garden. They combine sculptural beauty, seasonal interest, wildlife value and practical design benefits, all without dominating the space. At Flourish Landscaping we use multi-stem trees regularly in planting schemes across…
Refreshing a garden with new planting How to transform a long suburban garden without rebuilding everything Many gardens already have a layout that works reasonably well. The patio sits outside the house, there is a stretch of lawn through the middle, and somewhere towards the end of the garden there is often a shed, trampoline…
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…
Spring planting What to plant in spring for the best summer displays. Spring is the most consequential moment in the gardening year. The choices made between late February and mid-May set the tone for everything that follows. Soil is finally workable, daylight lengthens by several minutes each day, and root growth races ahead of leaf…
Dahlias: late summer garden colour Bold, beautiful flowers that keep going into autumn. If you want your garden in Kingston, Surbiton, or Richmond to stay vibrant right through late summer and autumn, dahlias are the answer. These show-stopping flowers burst into colour just as many other plants begin to fade, keeping your borders, beds, and…
Pleached trees A stylish way to add privacy and structure to your garden. Pleached trees are one of the smartest ways to bring height, structure and privacy into any garden, especially in Surbiton, Kingston and the wider south west London clay belt. They create elegant green panels above a clear trunk, giving you screening without…
Summer flowering plants Plants that will give you colour all summer long. Find out about the best summer flowering plants to add colour and beauty to your garden Summer is a time of vibrant colours and beautiful flowers. In this blog post, we’ll explore the best summer flowering plants for your garden, from classic favourites…
Autumn planting Why autumn is one of the best times of year to plant As the weather cools and the leaves begin to fall, autumn is the perfect time to think ahead to your spring garden. Planting bulbs now ensures a vibrant display of flowers to welcome the new season. Whether you’re looking to fill…
Roses for London gardens: best varieties for clay soil, front gardens and walls Roses have a reputation for being temperamental, but in reality they are some of the most generous, long-lived plants you can grow if you choose the right varieties and plant them properly. At Flourish, we design and plant gardens across Kingston, Surbiton,…
Eco-friendly alternatives to traditional bedding plants Butterfly Traditional bedding plants like petunias and begonias have long been a garden staple, but they often require high water usage, frequent replanting, and chemical fertilisers to thrive. As gardeners shift towards more sustainable practices, there’s growing interest in eco-friendly alternatives that support biodiversity and require less maintenance. Here’s…
Refreshing your borders: a naturalistic planting approach Many homeowners in Kingston and Surbiton come to Flourish Landscaping when their gardens have been slowly taken over by vigorous plants Homeowners in Kingston and Surbiton often turn to Flourish Landscaping when their gardens are overtaken by vigorous plants like butterfly bush, cherry laurel, self-sown sycamore, and green…
Autumn and winter pot planting ideas for every space When the days get shorter and the garden starts to fade, your pots don’t have to. Autumn and winter are the perfect seasons to create calm, beautiful displays that lift your patio, courtyard, or balcony — bringing structure and colour through the coldest months. At Flourish,…
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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.
