This garden had a dilapidated rockery and a poorly maintained, uneven lawn with the overall garden having no clear form or structure.

The new design divided the garden into distinct areas with a slate patio, screened children's play area and new lawn with mowing strips for easy maintenance. The use of ornamental grasses adds movement and interest to the garden.

This front garden was uninspiring with an old rectangular driveway bordered by flat expanses of poor quality lawn

A new natural granite edged driveway is set off beautifully with new borders of agapanthus, miscanthus, pittosporum and feather grasses which will mature to provide a degree of screening from the public road. The lawn has been reshaped to provide added interest.

This rear garden lacked form and was dominated by the existing wooden fence panels.

Rustic Devon hazel hurdles help to divide the space into rooms with the Himalayan birch providing height and interest. Star jasmine will grow up to cover the fence in time. Calming colour scheme of blues and whites.

This derelict shed and uneven, broken concrete path with its rusting manhole visually separated the two parts of this neglected garden preventing easy flow or access between them. The lawn area and planting beds were in a poor state.

A new set of curved steps, framed by Italian cypress trees, allows seamless access between all areas of the garden. Levels were adjusted to create neater and more useable lawn and patio areas. Devon slate walls add a rustic touch to this contemporary Mediterranean-style garden.

This uncared for garden was dominated by an old shed, hazardous concrete paths and old wooden-roll edging. Beyond the shed, an unsightly domestic oil tank presided over the upper lawn area. A faint stepping stone path led through the neglected, sloping lawn past overgrown borders.

New curved limestone steps provide easy access to all areas and a new stepping stone path leads down through the newly levelled lawn to an oak seating area with views of the sea (out of picture). Contemporary screening with star jasmine hides the oil tank. A new sunny seating area, surrounded by the scent of Mediterranean planting, makes a perfect spot for breakfast coffees.

An under-sized, rectangular patio was disconnected from the rest of the garden which was sloping and difficult to mow and maintain. The lower retaining wall and rear path was tired and in need of repair.

A new, spacious semi-circular patio with crisp rendered walls leads up via a wide set of feature, light grey porcelain steps up to a soft gravel seating area – perfect for outdoor coffees in the morning sunshine. Re-rendered lower walls contrast perfectly with the rustic detail of the new curved Yennadon stone upper wall which supports additional planting beds and an upper sunny seating area.

This sloping lawn had no clear form with a randomly positioned, oddly shaped and unloved pond being the main feature. The low rustic wall and slope made mowing and weeding difficult for the elderly owners.

Stunning light grey porcelain steps, framed by standard olive trees, seamlessly link all areas of the garden together (the two patio areas and the lawns). The lawns are level with edging strips making mowing easy. Defined planting beds with bark chippings keep garden maintenance to a minimum.

New build house on a large, sloping plot (c. 1,000m2) lacking any definition with a ‘garden’ consisting of bare, muddy topsoil.

New driveway sweeps up through new lawn area with a sun terrace constructed behind a new U-shaped retaining wall. A newly planted Amelanchier tree will add height and interest throughout the year. Low maintenance planting through beach pebbles creates a relaxed, coastal vibe.

The bare sloping ground in front of this new build lacks definition and a poorly sited raised drain manhole presents design challenges.

A stunning grey porcelain-paved sun terrace provides ample space for sun loungers and alfresco dining with wonderful views across the Kingsbridge estuary. A raised border with Mediterranean planting provides privacy, wind protection and hides the raised manhole.

A steeply sloping grass bank, which was difficult to mow, made access to the front door challenging. Despite the lovely sea views, the area outside the front door was too small to use or enjoy.

The lawn area was levelled and a grand, 1.5m wide staircase introduced to provide easy access up to the front door and a beautiful sandstone paved sun terrace. The sun terrace, flanked by standard bay trees, is perfect for outdoor dining around a large dining table and for evening drinks in a casual seating area allowing wonderful sunset views to be enjoyed.

The 3-tiered garden of this new build house in Dartmouth had uneven, sloping turf, a dominant black retaining wall, poorly positioned, narrow concrete steps and a wonky picket fence which made the garden seem smaller and disjointed.

Re-positioning the steps allows the garden to flow much more naturally, providing room for a spacious dining patio, level lawns and an upper patio with casual seating for evening entertaining/relaxation. Low maintenance, calming Mediterranean planting, set into soft grey pebbles, compliments the light grey porcelain paving perfectly.

The upper tier of this new build garden was dominated by an ugly feather-board fence. The poor quality, uneven lawn and the lack of planting made it particularly uninspiring.

Reached by a contemporary stepping stone path, a new light grey porcelain patio with a modern anthracite pergola offers casual seating for a quiet read or evening drinks protected from sun and rain. The sun-deck area provides space for sun-loungers. The new pittosporum hedge will grow up in time to cover the fence, providing greater privacy and a wonderful, luscious, green backdrop to the garden.

A rotting wooden fence and rapidly spreading bamboo formed the backdrop to this fairly featureless garden with a sloping, poorly-drained, soggy lawn.