Family garden makeover – Berrylands
A sensible family refresh in Berrylands, Surbiton — a light-grey porcelain patio, a retaining wall with integrated steps, Venetian trellis screening and a refreshed lawn and planting palette, designed and built in-house by Flourish Landscaping.
1. Removing the old decking area
2. New porcelain patio dining area
3. Retaining wall with integrated steps and Venetian trellis
Starting point
This Berrylands garden was perfectly functional but clearly showing its age. The paving had lifted and gone uneven, the lawn was tired and patchy, and an old raised timber deck had become the weak link — dated, slippery in places and starting to fail. It was a garden that still worked, but no longer one the family enjoyed using.
Client brief
The owners were not after a wholesale redesign — they wanted a sensible refresh that made the garden easier and more pleasant to use, with a smarter, lower-maintenance finish and a safer way between its levels.
Key features
- Retaining wall with integrated steps. The failing raised deck was replaced with a robust retaining wall and built-in steps — durable, low-maintenance and safe underfoot.
- High-spec light-grey porcelain patio. A large, sleek porcelain terrace that resists frost and stains and wipes clean.
- Venetian trellis screening. Modern Venetian-style trellis for light, contemporary privacy without a boxed-in feel.
- Rebalanced, low-maintenance planting. Simplified beds with evergreen structure and seasonal highlights for year-round interest with little upkeep.
- Refreshed lawn. Reworked onto properly prepared ground for even, healthy growth.
Design approach
Led by Craig Davis BSc (Hons) Horticulture, the plan focused on clarity and a few well-judged upgrades rather than change for its own sake. The seating area was enlarged in a light-grey, high-spec porcelain that weathers well and wipes clean, and the failing deck made way for a solid retaining wall with integrated steps — a more durable, lower-maintenance answer to the change in level.
Planting was simplified and rebalanced for year-round structure with seasonal highlights, rather than dense, high-upkeep borders — a calmer, low-maintenance palette better suited to a busy household. Venetian trellis was added for light, modern privacy screening that does not block out the sky.
Construction details
Uneven surfaces were lifted and the ground re-levelled to establish clean lines and improved drainage falls. The new porcelain patio was built on a reinforced sub-base with consistent jointing for a neat, durable finish, and the retaining wall was properly founded to hold its line and carry the integrated steps safely. Lawn areas were reworked onto prepared ground for even, healthy growth. As APL- and TrustMark-accredited landscapers, even a refresh is built to the same standard as a full rebuild.
Results
The makeover delivered immediate, practical improvement. The enlarged patio comfortably handles family dining and informal gatherings, the lawn has regained its consistency and colour, and the retaining wall gives safe, good-looking access between levels. A tired garden feels fresh and considered again — the kind of result that sits behind our 5.0 rating across 51 Google reviews.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
They were not after a wholesale redesign but a sensible refresh to make the garden easier and more pleasant to use, with a smarter, lower-maintenance finish and a safer way between its levels. The paving had lifted and gone uneven, the lawn was tired, and an old raised timber deck had become the failing weak link.
The dated, slippery deck made way for a robust retaining wall with built-in steps, a more durable, lower-maintenance answer to the change in level that is safe underfoot. It was properly founded to hold its line and carry the integrated steps safely, giving good-looking access between the garden's levels.
We laid a large light-grey, high-spec porcelain patio that resists frost and stains and wipes clean, added modern Venetian trellis for light privacy screening, and simplified the planting to evergreen structure with seasonal highlights. As APL- and TrustMark-accredited landscapers, even a refresh is built to the same standard as a full rebuild.
