Carey Garden Design Studio

It’s National Dog Day so we thought it was about time we introduced Bibi! She welcomes every visitor to the studio with her signature squeals and insists on some fuss, before soon settling down for a snooze under the desk. And who can resist those puppy dog eyes?!

Dogs are very much part of the family and often play a part within our designs; ensuring site security, advice on non-toxic planting and space to play.

Do your dogs have any particular needs? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!

byFollowing on from last week's posts about the local businesses we love - we have consolidated all of this information into a blog post. Link in bio with links to all of those featured.

Thanks (and hello!) to all those who have followed us recently. If you would like to learn more about who we are and what we do, why not visit our website where you will find new videos and updates on some the projects we are working on.

www.careygardendesign.co.uk
niobe

To wrap up our feature Locals we Love for our final day we would like to introduce Teucer Wilson, artisan sculptor working locally, across the UK and overseas.

Teucer, who set up his own Norfolk Studio over 20 years ago, explains “I design sculptures and lettering, I make unique site-specific pieces in stone, metal and glass. My approach is that of a sculptor, and my aim is to work closely with my clients to make something that exceeds their expectations and stretches me creatively.”

He has a collection of work reaching as far as Westminster Abbey, Kew Gardens, Norwich Cathedral and many churches around the UK, including public art pieces and private collections.

If you’re interested to find out more about commissions and how to work with Teucer check out how to contact him below.
www.teucerwilson.co.uk
email: [email protected]
(DMs welcome)

Day 4 and we’re back on the baked goods and coffee theme! Another Local we Love is Cross Street Union, Holt - Coffee. Buns. Wine. Sounds just up our street!

Within the Cross Street family, established in 2019, Sophie from Cross Street Bakery offers Markets and Pop-Ups as well as daily bakes in Holt town centre. Seasonal and delicious pastries and treats which perfectly complement your coffee. Pop in and taste for yourselves (we do!)

Open Monday to Saturday 8-2
Follow for updates and irresistible pics of coffee, or if buns are your thing!

It’s Day 3 of our Locals we Love feature, and today we would love to introduce Niobe, a small business content Writer and Marketer based in Norwich, Norfolk.

Niobe, founder of ‘By Niobe’, is a freelance copy and content writer who works with small, value-driven businesses, helping them to communicate their story.

As well as being an SEO content writer for small businesses, Niobe is passionate about nature, sustainability, and the environment (and she's obsessed with finding the best independent coffee shops!)

Please go and give Niobe a follow we have SO benefited from all the work that Niobe has done for us - can’t recommend highly enough!

www.byniobe.com - Helping people- & planet- friendly businesses shine online

Continuing our feature week on ‘Locals we Love’, celebrating local businesses alongside the Holt Festival, we would love to shine a light on the brilliant business The Feel Good Space, Holt. ‘Your one stop shop for all things health, fitness and wellness’

Owners, Luke and Hannah who have been in the industry for over a decade, are on a mission to inspire a community to improve their mental & physical wellbeing by living active lifestyles.

Offering Run Club, Yoga Classes, Semi Private PT and even a coffee machine; what’s not to love!

Drop ins, packages and trials available, get in touch to find out more about getting started!

As we celebrate Holt Festival this week we wanted to give a shout out to some of our favourite local businesses. So here we go… Day 1: Star Plain, Holt - Cheese and Deli store with a Café and Wine Bar (one of our favourite places to grab a coffee!)

Self confessed cheese obsessive and owner, Tom Brady explains 'We serve seasonal dishes from ingredients we sell in the deli, with a focus on preservative free, natural, handmade products from artisan producers both local and further afield. We’re well known for our cheese selection, curated provisions, natural wines, toasties and daily Climpson and Sons Coffee.'

Tom is very proud of the business he has built from scratch so give Star Plain a follow!
(DMs welcome)
or drop an email to [email protected] to say hi!

Thank you Tom for featuring on our Holt Festival ‘Locals we Love’; we'll be back for a coffee soon!
www.starplain.com

Beautiful Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot) settling into her new home. A rhizomatous perennial with fleshy underground stems that weep a blood-red sap when cut (hence the name!). As the leaves unfurl in spring, it bears white-petalled flowers with yellow anthers.

Expect a bombardment of pics as we head over the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show today. A chance to meet up with friends, old and new - whilst taking in some of the inspiration on offer from those exhibiting, growing and showcase amazing talent.

Hello July! Welcome, please bring us some dry weather.

Yes, this photo is typically 'May'. And that is because it was taken in May. I would post a photo from June, but they are mostly pictures of muddy boots and dirty knees.

We love a garden with levels (especially complicated ones!). Always makes for an interesting view and the chance to see your plants from another perspective.

This garden was planted in the autumn of 2023. Its already bursting with life and colour. We have used simple textures to create flow amongst structure. The garden is set out on a grid - with the plants being allowed to 'break the rules'. This has created a contemporary, yet 'classic' feel to the garden.

Expertly executed by

Since posting this to a story a few days ago, we've had lots of people asking what this 'fluffy one' is called, others have called it 'silvery mound' or 'furry blob'

Well... it's Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana', and its perfect for this sort of thing. Gently embracing the land around it, we wanted something to replicate the smooth glacial boulders in this design, to catch the water and glisten.

Here is a little blog post, re-jigged from a recent article we wrote for House & Garden Magazine. We'v decided to publish to our website as it's really something we advocate for in much of our work. Society is (at times) waking up to the age old saying that "less is more" and occasionally someone comes up with a trendy way of rebadging this for us - but we wholeheartedly support this approach in design. Yes there might be a time and a place for maximalism, but when faced with a challenging plot, and huge client wish-list, and a seemingly unending scope of possibilities - we think that embracing the limitations of a garden can be a really good starting point.

Have a read and let us know what you think! (link in bio, or go to our website)

https://careygardendesign.co.uk/blog/knowyourlimits

This beautiful restoration garden was completed last year (images from early 2024) and we are now working on Phase 2 for the remaining spaces, due to start the build in September 2024. The house is gorgeous both inside and out, and we worked hard to reimagine the complex levels and spaces around the house to capture the best vistas and sweet spots. Looking forward to coming back next year to get some pro-photos with once everything has matured.

Absolutely thrilled to win the Rising Star award - sponsored by , receiving the award at this evening, and thank you to for this lovely photo!

Site visit today to check on the gorgeous planting at The Gallery Cafe garden in Bethnal Green. Everything is filling out and doing amazingly- to think these were all planted last year (during a drought…. And after Chelsea Flower Show 2023)

Generously funded by .giving.back , the garden was relocated to .margarets.house and we are now involved in the wider development of the garden at the Gallery Cafe.

Here's a sneak preview of the overall design for The Gallery Cafe at .margarets.house in .

In this garden, you will see the original garden from Chelsea Flower Show, generously funded by .giving.back and constructed by . The original planting supplied by and , alongside materials from and , and sculpture by and

In addition, the newly developed seating area and planting has been designed to allow access to all while enjoying a coffee and a spot of lunch in this exciting, creative space in London. This venue is also host to many events and community initiatives - we are so pleased to be involved in the transformation.

Are you renovating or planning a house build?

Don't leave your garden to an afterthought. Getting a garden designer on board at the early stages almost guarantees you will end up with a much more cohesive space. This project in North Norfolk was a 1970's bungalow when we first came to visit. The design for the house and the garden have evolved together.

As garden designers, our job is to make sure the outside spaces perform at their best in relation to the house and the needs of the client. Thanks to some collaborative interventions from us, this property will have level thresholds, framed vistas from within, and clever use of planting and lighting to bring the garden and house together into one unified vision. All of these decisions were ironed out before aspects of the build process begun.

After all, you wouldn't cook the eggs before mixing them into the cake mix... would you?

The Gallery Cafe at .margarets.house is undergoing a transformation. We have designed an inclusive and wheelchair accessible space which allows for visitors to the cafe to enjoy all areas (including a visit to the .giving.back funded Gold Medal Winning, Best in Show Chelsea Show Garden, now in it's final home and one year on is looking very happy!).

Also, home to an ancient Mulberry tree of significance... if you're into that sort of thing (...we are!)

Some little vistas from the project in Cley that we have just completed. This was nearly 2 years in the making, and is just the beginning of what will be a really lovely space. Lots to consider, area of outstanding natural beauty, dark skies policy, listed buildings, levels (that's an understatement!) ...and boulders!

But it has emerged from the rubble and soil, to become a peaceful and beautiful garden that unifies the complex space. The planting in this design is already beginning to look stunning - but we think it will be breathtaking in a year's time.

EXCITING NEWS!

This month sees the start of a new project in London where we have designed an inclusive garden for The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green. You may remember we relocated the .giving.back funded Garden from Chelsea last year, to this very spot!

Well, we are so excited to announce that we're back at St. Margarets House to develop the remaining space around the cafe and make this an inclusive and accessible space for all. Over the past year we have worked closely with .margarets.house to produce a design and plan for this unique and creative space in . Part of the challenge was to make the garden accessible for those with mobility issues, whilst also maintaining the integrity and heritage of the site. We are excited to be working with who are an incredible gardening social enterprise, doing amazing work in and around East London.

More updates to follow!

🌴

As we reach the "one year on" mark, we have been reflecting on our secret recipe for a successful show garden. This is on our blog - and is released today (link in bio). Have a read, and see how keeping things local, working with friends and holding everything lightly was the ethos we took.

There are lots of Norfolk mentions in this article, but there are so many others who contributed to the project. Having been warned to 'never start a list' as I'm bound to forget someone crucial... here are some of those (not all necessarily local but equally integral to the success of the garden) .giving.back .gardens Gary Maydom ...and many many others!

Sometimes, when we go to visit a potential project - we discover little corners of the world that are quietly waiting for a little bit of vision and creativity to enhance what's already there. This beautiful garden in has so many existing features that we are itching to unify through our unique process of design. Its not always about starting again, often it can be a case of seeing what's already working and bringing a sense of clarity to a space.

Lovely article in the this month - looking back at the garden from last year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Exciting (and related) news to follow, but so nice to see all the Norfolk connections in one place.

(I should say, having been warned to never start a list when thanking people- that there are SO many more people who’s involvement in this project was so incredibly valuable… so if you’re reading the article thinking “where’s my mention?!” I filled a side of A4 with names but went way over my word count 😂…. Thank you too!)

….especially .giving.back who funded the garden and it’s relocation!…. And who built it, and for the amazing butterflies…. And I’m going to stop listing again!)

This has been a week of conversations! We started the week by visiting past projects to check on progress. We also met new clients (hello!) and spent time on-site where current projects are well underway. Its very exciting to be working on so many different spaces. Almost every day this week we have found ourselves moving from completed gardens, into untouched gardens... and then standing and looking at what can only be described as a mud bath (you know who you are!). The exciting thing is that we know each of these spaces will bring lasting joy to each of our clients and we cannot WAIT to share some of the final photos later this year.

Nestled in this uniquely wild and diverse corner of North Norfolk, Holt is a beautiful town and is host to range of interesting and diverse properties. We are so excited to see this project begin - where we have designed a peaceful and tranquil wilderness garden, for this double fronted detached home on the outskirts of town.

We will be introducing a cracked earth till that gently leads to a drystone bowl. Interspersed with coastal gravel planting and a host of multi stem trees, the garden offers a place for reflection- and even the chance to dip one’s feet!

"...the garden is a pallet of rich deep affection. Curated by colour and shape, the inviting and warm neutral tones celebrate young life with punches of colour. Fragility and stability hang together in harmony whilst the journey to sanctuary becomes increasingly restricted."

“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I”. With a trinity of architectural trees, surrounding a reflective space, this design aims to set ones mind on community.

A simple path meanders to a clearing, drawing the traveller to seek ‘rest on the rock’. This secluded space offers seating for two - or a place to visit alone, with a perceived invitation for an unseen visitor to join the conversation.