Benedict Green
BEng (Hons) University of Leeds | Dip (Garden Design) | MSGD
Inspired by the rugged beauty of the Cornish landscape, Benedict Green creates inspiring, sustainable gardens and outdoor spaces for his clients to enjoy.
One of the UK’s most experienced landscape designers, Benedict has worked alongside some of the leading designers and landscapers in London, the Home Counties, and Cornwall. He studied Civil Engineering with Architecture before founding his own landscape design and build company in 2004. An accredited member of the Society of Garden Designers, he has also been awarded a Silver Gilt Medal at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show.
Now based in mid Cornwall, Benedict designs landscapes across the South West, throughout the UK, Europe, and beyond. With a plantsman’s eye and an engineer’s problem-solving approach, he thrives on challenging sites—of which Cornwall has no shortage!
In addition to his design work, Benedict has taught planting design and hard landscaping to diploma and evening classes at Merrist Wood College, sharing his passion for the process of bringing a garden design concept to life.
Guiding you through the construction phase
We understand that building a garden can be a major undertaking, and that seeing a project through from design to completion can feel overwhelming. At Benedict Green Garden Design, we work closely with you throughout the construction process, monitoring contractors to ensure they stay focused on the end goal.
We resolve issues as they arise, coordinates between different trades, and ensures that every detail of the design is faithfully realised. From planting schemes to hard landscaping, we oversee the work to maintain quality, timing, and budget, giving you peace of mind and a beautifully finished garden you can enjoy for years to come.
FAQs
What is your process working with a garden designer?
Firstly, please feel free to give us a call and talk through your project. We approach each project individually and tailor our services to suit. Depending on the size and complexity of the site, we produce drawings from initial concepts through to detailed construction drawings. Once the drawings are complete and you are happy with the design, we can recommend landscape contractors to tender for the build and advise best steps forward. Once construction is underway we can monitor the build to ensure adherence to the plans or inform design decisions as needed. Ultimately, we aim to be the first people you speak to about a outdoor space and last people to leave the completed garden.
Do you construct gardens?
We primarily design spaces on paper and with computer aided design, which we then pass on to landscape contractors to build. That’s not to say we don’t get our hands dirty, setting out plants on site from our detailed landscape plans or measuring up a garden before the design process can begin. We know many contractors and will help you find the right people to build your garden.
At what stage of a project should we employee a landscape designer?
As soon as possible! We love working with architects or developers at the early stages of a new project, idealy before planning permission is sought. Indeed, landscape plans are often a required planning constraint. We also passionately believe that landscape and garden designers have a huge amount to add at the concept stage of a new house or renovation. A garden designer can point out factors that maybe overlooked by more traditional building centric design. For instance, how the house interacts with the land, specific views through the garden or boundary issues, all of which are best determined early in a project before too many consultants have drawn up plans.
How do you measure the existing space?
Normally we would recommend a surveyor to carry out a topographical survey which is produced in a digital format our design software can read. This might not be necessary on a small or simple space, but we can advise on best steps forward once we have seen the site.
Can you help me bring wildlife into my garden?
Absolutely! We at Benedict Green Garden Design are committed to increasing biodiversity in new landscapes. The UKs gardens add up to a huge combined area and could be an essential part of restoring wildlife and helping threatened species by creating wildlife corridors through towns and cities. Even countryside gardens can do their bit in an often denuded landscape of monoculture crops. We encourage a reduction in pesticides and plastic features such as artificial grass. The importance of soil has become more apparent in recent years through our better understanding of carbon sequestration and mycorrhizal fungi, so we minimise soil disturbance as much as possible.