Portfolio

Green roof garden

Reclaimed, recycled and bespoke - this is a garden that revels in attention to detail! The finishing touch is the stunning collection of plants which pull it together.

Low maintenance garden

A very simple design - a crescent shaped granite sett path flanked with carpeting and specimen plants. Less predictable surely than the lawn and thin borders it replaced.

Seaside garden

Dream job. Transforming a shady overgrown garden (plastic greenhouse & lumpy conifer) into a fresh and breezy seasidy sun trap.

The challenge was to redesign this Japanese garden, complete with koi carp pond, and split bamboo fence, into a flexible family space for the new owners. Without being overtly Japanese. And minus fish.

Modern barn garden

The client's clever design complimented perfectly their Essex barn conversion. But when it came to planting, their confidence ran out. See what we came up with...

50s garden

Checkered brick work and a sprinkling of conical concrete - that's how we made the 1950's style garden!

A cottage garden

This property looked more like a field with some plants in it than a garden nestling round a house. So - we embarked on what became a large project. It included an intimate flower garden, a nuttery, turning circle and vegetable patch.

City roof garden

Stark modernist architecture, but a client with a fondness for cottage gardens. The resulting garden had to please both owner and the environment it sat in.

The town garden

The back of this large house looked a bit like the staff entrance of a hotel. It needed walls to divide the terrace into parking and dining areas, planting to soften the steps and the facade and large steps to lead into the garden.

Village garden

A new house had been built within an old garden wall, but it wasn't making the most of the plot. It had sad roses and a wonky that path didn't allow the resident toddlers to cycle around their house.

The productive garden

Big changes on a small budget were required. The front garden the dominated by an ugly fence, the back by a domineering bank.

Plants or cars?

Although cars and gardens are not a natural mix, it's sometimes necessary to park off - street and that means the plants have to go. Or does it?

Old house, new garden

There were many attractive aspects to this property - elaborately carved gable barge boards and old brick walls topped with saddle stone coping. An ideal canvas on which to create a garden.

Classic courtyard

Set in the center of a medieval market town, this uninspiring, modern back yard was begging to feel connected to its historic neighbours.

The recycled garden

The brief: to create a pretty garden that would appeal to potential tenants, but not be too difficult to look after. But first, several tons of builders spoil had to go...

Garden plans

Click here to see some samples of how we present our work...

Helen Riches Garden Design and Writing, Saffron Walden