Large garden redesign – Cobham
Restoring light to a heavily shaded Cobham plot — Leylandii removal, structural hedging, layered border planting and a 500m² central lawn, designed and planted in-house by Flourish Landscaping.
A garden in deep shade
This Cobham garden was defined by what it could not do. Towering Leylandii (Cuprocyparis leylandii) lined the boundaries, casting the whole plot into deep shade, drawing moisture and nutrients from the soil and leaving little chance for anything else to grow. It was a large garden that felt closed-in, dark and unusable.
Client brief
Working closely with both the developer and the owner, we planned the work around property access and the wider build programme. The goal was simple to state and demanding to deliver: bring light back to the garden and make it a place worth being in.
Design approach
Led by Craig Davis BSc (Hons) Horticulture, the turning point was removing the oppressive screening and letting light flood back into the site. Rather than rushing to replant, we gave the ground time and proper preparation first — because reclaiming a garden from mature conifers is as much about restoring the soil as it is about what goes back on top.
Construction details
The conifers were systematically removed and the stumps ground out, before the ground was rotavated and conditioned to undo years of dry, depleted soil beneath the Leylandii. In their place we established well-behaved structural hedging for green screening that can actually be managed, layered border planting for depth and seasonal interest, and a 500m² central lawn as the calm, open heart of the garden. As APL- and TrustMark-accredited landscapers, every stage was held to the same standard.
Results
What was once dark and closed now feels open and breathable. Light levels improved dramatically, the new planting is establishing well, and the lawn gives the family a generous, usable space at the centre of the plot. A garden that worked against its owners now works for them — the kind of result that sits behind our 5.0 rating across 51 Google reviews.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
The plot was lined with towering Leylandii (Cuprocyparis leylandii) that cast the whole garden into deep shade and drew moisture and nutrients from the soil, leaving it dark, closed-in and unusable. We removed the conifers, ground out the stumps and let light flood back, transforming a closed-in space into one that finally felt open and breathable.
Reclaiming a garden from mature conifers is as much about the soil as the planting. After removal we rotavated and conditioned the ground to undo years of dry, depleted soil beneath the Leylandii, giving it proper preparation before replanting. Only then did we establish structural hedging, layered borders and the central lawn on healthy, restored ground.
Absolutely. Led by Craig Davis BSc (Hons) Horticulture, we replaced oppressive screening with well-behaved structural hedging, layered border planting for seasonal depth and a generous 500m² central lawn. As APL- and TrustMark-accredited landscapers we hold every stage to the same standard, and we would gladly bring the same approach to your plot.
