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GARDEN DESIGNER, VICTORIA SPROUT LTD
Uplifting, feel good garden design, UK
Quals: LCGD & RHS

24/10/2026

A visit to Sierra de la Pila Regional Park, in Murcia, offered a beautiful reminder that the character of a place is rooted in far more than its views.

Here, pale limestone and dolomite emerge through a rugged, semi-arid landscape, with Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) punctuating the slopes. Beneath them, drought-adapted species such as Macrochloa tenacissima, Thymus vulgaris (known locally as tomillo común) and Salvia rosmarinus are characteristic of the Mediterranean scrubland, each adapted to the scarcity of water and the intensity of the summer sun.

What particularly interested me was the relationship between this natural landscape and the human interventions within it. The dry-stone walls, rough-hewn steps and simple stone picnic tables feel entirely at home in their setting - constructed from materials that echo the geology beneath our feet, while working with the existing trees and topography.

There is a quiet intelligence in this kind of place-making. Rather than imposing something entirely new, it draws on what is already there: local materials, natural contours, shade and shelter.

A reminder that good design, whether in a wild landscape or a domestic garden, begins with understanding the place.

12/10/2026

A small garden has to work really hard. Wouldn’t it be easier to pave the whole thing and forget about planting altogether?

Perhaps. But my goodness, what a soulless space that would be.

I first visited this garden in March. By mid-September, it had been built and planted, with five key layers of planting working together to make every square meter count.

The first is a border separating the pre-existing encaustic tiling and new upper terrace. Low and textural, it’ll be full of movement and interest.

Then, the tree. A carefully positioned multi-stem specimen brings height and draws the eye upwards. As you move through the house, it becomes one of the first things you see, rather than the neighbouring properties.

Next, an underplanted bench. Soon to run the width of the garden, a bespoke bench will sit along the new brick planter. Beneath it, shade-loving evergreens and herbs will bring year-round interest and release their scent as you brush past.

The new brick planter itself provides another opportunity for layered, textural planting. Positioned to be enjoyed from inside the house, these plants will create depth, height and interest throughout the seasons.

And finally, the climbers. Scented varieties will scramble over the fences, softening the boundaries and adding another dimension to this small but hardworking space.

A small garden doesn’t necessarily need more hard landscaping. It needs thoughtful design, with every element earning its place.

Greenscape Gardens
Form Plants Ltd

24/09/2026

September in our studio garden, with a new addition

21/09/2026

There’s a Japanese philosophy that I’m very fond of - wabi-sabi - ‘a celebration of the imperfect’. In this front garden, planted in April, we embraced the existing crazy-paving and added a new path of pavers, leaving a deliberate abstract negative space between them, planted with Soleirolia soleirolii and Viola labradorica ambig. Just a few months on, they’re knitting together, creating an evergreen carpet of low texture and interest and blurring the boundaries between old and new.

17/09/2026

This week I had my final in-person training session with Hampshire & IoW Wildlife Trust The Forest School Association for my Level 2 qualification and it has left me wanting to continue to explore something I’ve become increasingly interested in: the role of outdoor play in children’s development, wellbeing and connection with nature.

Spending time learning in the woods was a useful reminder that outdoor environments don’t need to be elaborate to be rich with possibility.

A few logs, a shelter, natural materials, space to move, make, imagine and take a few manageable risks… the environment itself becomes part of the experience.

I’m interested in learning more about how experiences like these can support children’s confidence, creativity, independence and relationship with the natural world.

And, naturally, I’m curious about what this means for garden design.

How can we create outdoor spaces that aren’t simply for children, but genuinely invite them to explore, experiment and make their own discoveries?

This feels like the beginning of an exciting area of learning for me, and one I’d love to share more of here.

04/09/2026

Anemone… the flowering kind.

‘Anemone’ comes from the Ancient Greek word anemos, which means ‘wind’.

I include them for adding movement to the garden at this time of year. They gently nod in the wind, attracting butterflies, bees and hoverflies.

🌱 Photos taken at one of our garden design projects in Horsell, Woking

🌱 Video from my garden and for those who struggle to pronounce it - I added a voiceover in my most newsreader-esque voice

03/09/2026

I’ve lived in Woking for years, but I’m still discovering new ways to enjoy the landscape on my doorstep.

I recently joined a guided walk on Horsell Common to learn more about the work that goes into protecting and restoring our heathland - a landscape that can look wonderfully effortless, but is actually carefully managed and surprisingly fragile and is a vital habitat for ground nesting birds.

It’s a useful reminder that some of the most compelling landscapes aren’t overly designed. They have a sense of place, a rhythm and a relationship with what surrounds them.

And that’s something I’m interested in bringing into gardens too… not recreating natural landscape in miniature, but paying close attention to the landscape a garden belongs to - and allowing that to influence the way it feels.

There’s a lot to learn from the places we walk through every day.

03/08/2026

A huge thanks to Arabella for this feature in the Aug/Sep issue of Society of Garden + Landscape Designers Garden Design Journal. The article focuses on my border at this years Royal Windsor Flower Show, where I won first place in the Garden Makers competition. We chatted about the border and the benefits of nature play in general, and considerations when designing spaces to ignite imagination, creativity and fun.

Royal Windsor Flower Show
thank you for creating a wonderful event - it was a pleasure to be a small part of it. And I’ve never received such an enormous trophy in my life 🏆

Wholesale trees, plants and shrubs - key sponsor. Thank you for the beautiful plants and Michael Buck for your help and insight

Allgreen - thank you for the gravel and stone

Darran Jaques thanks for your mentorship

And to some friends who helped me along the way Maria Krichallo Garden Design London phillipa_kirby Kate Hyslop 🫶🏼

Julie Skelton | Garden Photographer for photos to treasure and Jason Ingram for capturing my delight at receiving the trophy

LCGD London College of Garden Design Andrew Wilson for everything

30/07/2026

True story

A butterfly landed on my lunch plate today when I was sat at the table, nestled amongst the plants.

It’s no surprise really as the garden is alive with flutters and buzzing - the butterflies and bees attracted by the open flowers of the dahlias and nectar rich verbena. The caterpillars have fed on my nasturtiums (there’s enough to go round) and the grasses beckon them. Every time I walk along a path, they all appear. It’s quite magical.

16/07/2026

Get it?

SPROUT (verb): To start to grow.

And growth comes in many forms… connections, understanding, interests and passions to name a few. A well designed garden isn’t simply focused on growing plants, it’s everything else too 🌱.

Address

Woking

Website

http://www.victoriasprout.com/

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