Water & Wellbeing Garden

This transformative Surrey garden was designed to turn a previously flat and disconnected landscape into an immersive retreat for a busy family. Across one acre, the garden now moves through productive growing spaces, generous entertaining areas, dramatic naturalistic water gardens and a peaceful woodland-inspired sanctuary, all connected by planting, materials and the restorative presence of water.

The Brief

The clients wanted a garden that would support the wellbeing of their whole family while also creating somewhere they could entertain and spend time together. With four children, as well as cousins and friends living nearby, the garden needed to accommodate lively family gatherings while still providing quieter places to retreat, relax and reconnect with nature.

Water was especially important to the family, along with retaining the beautiful woodland views beyond the garden. Rather than treating the one-acre site as a single large space, I divided it into a series of connected garden rooms, each with its own character and purpose. The experience gradually changes as you move away from the house, from productive and social spaces to increasingly immersive and contemplative areas.

A Garden Designed as a Journey

Closest to the house, a dedicated kitchen garden provides a productive but beautiful space for growing fruit, vegetables and herbs. Set on a raised platform so it does not interrupt views from the main living areas, it includes four corten steel raised beds, a potting shed, sink and rose arch, with a bench creating a peaceful place to pause among the planting.

The existing swimming pool was retained and incorporated into the new scheme rather than replaced. Its terrace was reshaped and extended to improve the relationship between the house, pool and surrounding garden. A large pergola, outdoor kitchen and family entertaining spaces transformed this part of the garden into a much more inviting extension of the home.

From here, the landscape begins to feel increasingly natural.

The Water Garden

At the heart of the project lies a dramatic naturalistic water garden, inspired by the client’s love of water and by its ability to bring movement, sound and a sense of calm into a landscape.

Three waterfalls flow through interconnected ponds, surrounded by approximately 80 tonnes of granite. At the centre sits an island with a Breeze House pavilion, creating an extraordinary place for the family to sit, entertain and feel completely immersed within the garden.

The bespoke Aquascape system was created in collaboration with Shade Water Gardens. Beneath the natural appearance is a carefully engineered circulation and wetland filtration system, designed so the technical elements remain discreet while helping to maintain clear water naturally without chemical treatment.

Large granite boulders give the waterfalls their sense of permanence, while densely layered planting softens the rockwork so the water feels as though it belongs naturally within the surrounding landscape.

The Wellbeing Garden

Beyond the pool house, the atmosphere changes again.

Here the garden becomes quieter, calmer and more contemplative, creating a dedicated wellbeing space beside the family’s yoga room and gym.

A three-metre corten steel moon gate forms a dramatic threshold into the garden, while meandering paths, woodland planting and a contemporary infinity water feature encourage slower movement and reflection. A large corten steel fire pit and seating area creates another place for the family to gather, while retaining views towards the woodland beyond.

The contrast between the two water features was intentional. The central garden uses water dramatically, through sound, movement and cascading waterfalls, while here it becomes stiller and more architectural, reinforcing the sense of calm and mindfulness.

Planting for Four Seasons

Planting was fundamental to the success of the garden.

The site contains very different growing conditions, from sunny and moisture-rich areas around the ponds to deep and dappled shade beneath established woodland trees. The planting therefore followed a simple principle: the right plant in the right place, while maintaining a recognisable planting language throughout the entire garden.

Repeated plants including Hakonechloa, ornamental grasses, Salvia, Siberian Iris, Himalayan birches and purple-leaved Acers help visually connect the different spaces. Texture, movement and structure were considered just as carefully as flower colour so that the garden continues to provide interest throughout all four seasons.

Around the water garden, planting becomes increasingly abundant and naturalistic, softening the scale of the granite and helping the ponds and waterfalls settle into their surroundings. In the woodland wellbeing garden, shade-loving planting creates a softer contrast against the crisp corten steel and contemporary detailing.

Existing mature trees were retained wherever possible, while additional specimen trees were introduced to give the new landscape an immediate sense of maturity and permanence.

Sustainability Through Reuse

Sustainability influenced decisions throughout both the design and construction.

Rather than automatically replacing existing elements, I looked first at what could be retained, reused or given a new purpose. The original swimming pool and much of its porcelain paving were kept and adapted, significantly reducing unnecessary waste and embodied carbon. Excavated soil was redistributed within the site rather than removed, while felled timber was reused to create habitat areas and bug hotels.

Reclaimed pink granite, originally salvaged from a refurbishment of the Four Seasons Hotel in London, was incorporated around terrace areas. Corten steel elements from my ILLUSION 2050 RHS Hampton Court show garden were repurposed within the wellbeing garden, while specimen trees and perennials from previous RHS and BBC Gardeners’ World Live show gardens were given a permanent new home here.

Permeable shingle paths and stepping stones through lawn were also used instead of unnecessary areas of paving, helping the garden remain softer, greener and more connected with the landscape.

Behind the Finished Garden

Although the finished garden feels calm and effortless, its construction was anything but simple.

Work began during an exceptionally wet winter on heavy Surrey clay. Extensive drainage, including French drains, was required to manage surface water, while soil protection zones were established to safeguard retained mature trees and prevent unnecessary compaction.

Access created another major challenge. A narrow passage beside the house measured only 140 cm wide, yet all machinery, landscaping materials and approximately 80 tonnes of granite for the waterfalls had to pass through this restricted route. At the same time, the entire garden had to be completed within a demanding six-month construction programme.

Delivering the project required close coordination between specialist landscapers, water-feature experts, craftspeople and suppliers, and the result is a garden that feels unified rather than constructed in separate parts.

The Finished Garden

Today, the Water & Wellbeing Garden feels completely different from the open, disconnected landscape that existed before.

The large pool house is now anchored naturally within the garden. Water, planting and pathways draw the eye through the landscape, while each space has a clear purpose without feeling separated from the whole. The journey moves naturally from growing and entertaining close to the house, through the immersive waterfalls and ponds, and eventually into the quiet woodland sanctuary beyond.

Most importantly, it is a garden designed to be lived in.

It gives a large family places to gather, cook, swim and entertain, but also provides moments where an individual can sit beside the water, walk beneath the trees or simply enjoy the changing planting and wildlife.