Jane Houghton Garden Design Studio

05/04/2026

Early season planting has a softness to it — low, close to the ground, almost incidental.

But this is where the structure begins.
Layers forming, spaces quietly defining themselves, the garden starting to hold.

Nothing feels urgent yet. And that’s exactly the point.






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09/06/2024

You see them at every Chelsea, but this year the orange coloured Geums have run wild and really caught the imagination of gardeners and designers alike.

Here's why they are such a useful plant…

Geums are known for their tolerance to different climatic conditions and soil types. They can withstand frosts and dry weather without significant damage. This resilience makes them suitable for a variety of garden environments and for the (now normal) wet winters and dry summers we appear to be stuck with.

Another advantage of geums is their adaptability to different soil pH levels. They can grow well in both acidic and alkaline soil, making them versatile plants for various types of gardens. So to a gardener who is unsure of what soil they have and what will grow a Geum is a fairly safe bet to plant.

They are a useful cut flower adding pops of colour to any arrangement.

Height is about 60cm (with the leaves forming a mound of about 30-40 cm and the flowers stalks rising up from them). Spread about 45cm

To ensure continuous blooming and maintain the plant's health, it is essential to deadhead geums after flowering. This involves removing the spent flowers to encourage new growth and prevent self-seeding.

During late autumn or winter, it is recommended to cut Geums back to ground level. This practice helps tidy up the plant and prepares it for new growth in the following season.

To keep Geums young and rejuvenated, dividing them every three years in the spring is advisable. Dividing the plant involves separating the roots and replanting them in different areas or pots. This process helps prevent overcrowding, promotes healthy growth, and revitalises the plant.

The variety shown is Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’. Apricot orange in colour its flowers are held on top of long stalks (not unlike the common buttercup), and they catch the slightest breeze sending them bobbing up and down. They look a bit like they are dancing, it is kind of lovely. As they flower late May through August, it is a delightfully long dance.

27/05/2024

So its time to say to your client 'Lets talk about plants'
Seems a simple stage in the garden process? Not at all!
A lot of thought goes into the planting design stage, and it is personally something I pride myself in and have built this studio around providing excellence in planting design.
Fisrt things first, I suggest appropriate styles that will enhance your enjoyment of the space, and explain what that style brings to the table why it is right for your home.
This choice is selected for how feels in the context of where it will be planted and for, how it will enhance the design, and 'look right'.
I ascertain realistic efforts from the client as to how much time and skill they are able to invest in caring for the ongoing upkeep of the plants.

SO back in the studio, armed with this info and all the site and soil specifics I start designing.
1st I sketch out the spatial dynamics of the borders, considering views into and out of the garden, placing where height is needed, where to put feature plants, general areas for texture, movement, scent etc etc.

then colour schemes and seasonal highlights

Now I can start assigning plants to fit these requirements.

This is all before we turn to any given plants suitability to grow in the existing site conditions.

Then we look at the availability, how easy is it to get hold of the plants you want? Can I get the exact plant, in the size and quantities or do I need to look at alternatives? Are they going to be quality plants?

If we are looking at getting specimen items, how big are they? Can they physically get the tree into the actual garden? Does the contractor need special machinery? Is this going to blow the budget?

So you see, even before a single plant is purchased, a great deal of knowledge, research and communication follows on from the 'Lets talk about the plants' conversation.

24/05/2024

Trying out something that may be of interest to you if you are considering having your garden designed.

I thought it might be useful to chart a design journey from consultation to completion.

This project is interesting and has broken ground this week, its also going to be a quick turnaround. So hopefully perfect!

So the process goes as follows

Initial consultation to meet and hear about your design aspirations, what you love about the space, what you don't. We look around and see the potential, talk budgets, and the various services offered.

Agree a design brief, a framework to design within.
Then we survey, undertake site analysis, present mood boards and concept design all leading to a master plan, then on to construction and planting design.

So if you are looking to bring out the potential of your garden, and want a creative design to suit your home and lifestyle I look forward to hearing from you.

25/04/2024

We lost the heart of our studio this week. My beautiful lovely boy.

21/04/2024

29/02/2024

Perhaps the perfect embodiment of the indoor-outdoor lifestyle. A remarkable collaboration between clients, architect and designers.
My task was to blend design and nature, translating my clients vision into the tropical urban courtyard.

The brief was simple. Lush, full tropical planting. Palette of green with gentle touches of white, pulled from the interior colour. A textural palette of plants evoke the tropics of Australia whilst being mostly suited to this shady yet harsher environment of Chester.

The decking is bespoke white oak, smooth with a slight bevel and a shadow gap between the runs. Polished concrete slabs, carry the flooring from inside to out.

Planting is a mixture of evergreens and deciduous plants that ensure the space, although small, the space changes through the seasons.

Garden installed by

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Photo credits Pat Corcoran

08/01/2024

2023 brought amazing clients, great projects and treasured experiences. So come on 2024, let's see what you've got!

09/10/2023

Apologies, these are the best picture from the office managers birthday celebrations. Old he may well be (14 today), but he is still fast enough to know when the camera is about to click and move right at the last second.

Happy birthday my tricksy friend

12/07/2023

Sanguisorbia tanna
Peucedanum verticillare
Veronicastrum
Digitalis ferruginea
Verbena bonariensis
Kniphofia *possibly 'Tawny King'

joewainwrightphotography's photography class
The beautiful herbaceous borders at Abbeywood Gardens, , photographed this week.