Starting her career in theatre design, Georgia Lindsay is a renowned garden designer that's bringing colour to London and beyond! 

Specialising in optical illusions and innovative transformations, her garden designs help clients maximise their time spent in their gardens. We spoke to her about her top gardening tips, helping you grow the garden of your dreams for less.

Thank you for speaking with us! To start off, where do you find your garden design inspiration?

I love to find my inspiration in all sorts of places and not necessarily from gardens. Architecture, art and theatre are all hugely influential to me. I really enjoy finding a spark of an idea in the most unlikely places.

Would you say your designs have a specific style that you like to stick to?

No, I actually pride myself in responding directly to the client’s brief and creating a very personal design, with this in mind every garden is completely unique and tailored to each site. If there was one common thread perhaps I would say I’m not afraid to experiment and love to create a sculptural, bold design.

What has been your favourite design so far and why?

I think my favourite garden is always the one I’m currently working on. I’m very excited about one garden in particular which is in the final stages of the design process. I think if I commissioned a design myself this would the garden. It’s full of interesting transitions and perspective lines and it has a beautiful sculptural fireplace focal point as a backdrop.

What are your go-to colour combinations for summer garden displays?

Each garden I design is like a painting and has its own unique colour palette which is influenced by the location and other materials in the garden. One of the many things I love about my job is every project brings new challenges and is an opportunity to constantly try new combinations of plants. I do love to experiment with vivid pinks and oranges in my own garden though, they light up against the green backdrop.

Where did your love of gardening come from?

I spent the first 10 years of my life in South Africa climbing trees and I’m still deeply connected to the sub-tropical flora and fauna I grew up with. When you play outside all day you can’t help but connect to nature even if it’s subliminal. Years later, I realise there is a cross pollination of planting ideas that emerge from my background, I often find I specify a South African plant sometimes without even realising.

What are your favourite urban garden trends at the moment?

I’m encouraging more and more of my clients to embrace gravel. It’s vital, particularly in urban environments where areas are paved over preventing water from evenly filtering into the ground. Using gravel allows infiltration of rainwater as it would in a natural setting and manages the flow rates from hard surfaces, reducing the impact of flooding on our watercourses.

As global temperatures increase, gravel gardens will be the future of garden design. Not only are they beautiful, but they also create the ideal conditions for drought-tolerant plants allowing excellent drainage, and preventing plants from becoming waterlogged with increasingly erratic weather. There is a huge array of plants that thrive in these conditions – Santolina, Ceanothus, Achillea and Kniphofia are just some of my favourites.

Do you have any space-maximising tricks for those with smaller outdoor spaces?

Small gardens have many advantages. They can be fully immersive spaces, surrounded by beautiful materials that can be appreciated in close proximity. They provide an opportunity to include design features that make a bold impact.

Here are some tips for maximising the space:

Furniture

Consider opting for chairs that are light in texture with an ethereal quality, allowing the light to pass through.

Built-in benches are a great way of optimising every inch of a compact garden. ‘Floating’ benches give a sense of greater space beneath, revealing every part of the footprint of the garden.

Materials

Choose materials that will enhance the depth of the site. By exaggerating these contrasting tones it helps to add an illusion of increased depth. By creating a rhythm it leads your eye around the entire space.

Lighting

Lighting can be used very effectively in compact spaces to give the illusion of greater depth. It adds a sense of mystery and gives a subliminal cue that the parameter is not finite.

Planting

When considering planting for small spaces, think carefully about the containers you might use, fibre glass trough planters have a thin shell and maximise the planting areas. There can be a tendency to include a collection of small pots in compact spaces, but often this makes a garden seem fussy and cluttered. Don’t be afraid of adding statement bold pots and plants to add a sense of scale and drama.

Fragrance can be used more effectively in compact gardens. Roses, Jasmine, and Daphne can all be appreciated in close proximity. Use every surface available and maximise the height by adding a trellis to allow plants to fully surround you. Where space is tight vertical planting will increase the amount of green you can include.

Plant rooftops to ensure all your sight lines are filled with beautiful enriching views. Green roofs also increase biodiversity, attracting vital pollinators into your garden.

8 - What are your tried and tested ways of saving money in the garden?

Do it once and do well! Adding individual items over time can just end up in a mismatched collection of clutter. Plan the whole garden thoroughly and then you won’t be correcting your mistakes which can be very costly.

9 - With your background in theatre design, do you find that your skills there help you with your business today? And if so, how?

I definitely draw on my theatre design experience when designing gardens. I understand how to take my clients through a journey and tell their unique stories just as I used to interpret a text. I love to play with the geometry of a garden by the use of perspective and optical illusions to manipulate the space and bring out the best qualities of the site.

10 - What would you say is a must-have addition to any garden?

Water - I always try to encourage clients to use water in their gardens even if it’s the simplest water bowl. Aside from water’s beautiful reflective qualities, for me, the real power lies in its sound. It’s transformative in any garden but especially in urban environments where we need to mask noise from neighbouring gardens and the hum of the city. The gentle trickling sound of water instantly pulls the focus away from distant sounds and centres you within a garden. A water feature needn’t be anything elaborate; it can be a small trough or container with a basic pump to circulate the water. The bubbling pool will resonate with its soothing qualities and draw you in.

In a world dominated by technology, it’s incredibly grounding to take the time to be present in your garden. The rhythmical, meditative qualities of water enhance your well-being. Water will also help to bring wildlife into your garden, which will further enhance your soundscape.

11 - Do you have any upcoming projects that we should look out for?

I have lots of exciting projects for 2023 both in the UK and the US. I’m looking forward to exploring a new pallet of planting for a project in New Jersey. Every day is a school day when you’re a garden designer and I love discovering new plants I’m not familiar with.

Want to learn more about Georgia Lindsay and stay up to date with her exciting garden designs? You can follow her on Instagram, or you can contact her regarding projects on her website!