Planting design · London and the Home Counties
Planting designer in London, Surrey and the Home Counties
Planting design and garden consultations in the South East
Horticulturist and BBC Gardeners' World presenter Jamie Butterworth founded Form Plants in Surrey in 2020 and spends time there every month. He offers planting design, garden visits and planting plans for gardens across London, Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Sussex and Kent, from a town garden border to a country estate, and takes on gardens anywhere in the UK and abroad.
- Based in
- Surrey, at Form Plants
- Garden visit
- Up to 2 hours, from £1,250
- Planting plan
- Drawn by Jamie, from £3,500
- Online consultation
- One hour, £450 inc. VAT
Planting for southern gardens
The right plants for clay, sand and summer heat
Gardens in Surrey and London range from free-draining sandy soils on the heaths to heavy London clay, often with warm, dry summers and plenty of shade from neighbouring trees and buildings. Each of these brings its own wonderful palette of plants.
Jamie chooses plants that thrive in your conditions and puts them together in combinations that look good all year, with resilient, drought-tolerant planting that copes well with a changing climate. For ideas to start with, read his guides to plants for clay soil, drought-tolerant plants and plants for shade.
Ways to work together
Planting advice for every garden
Garden visit
Up to two hours in your garden looking at soil, light and the plants already doing well, followed by a written report and plant list. From £1,250 in Surrey.
Planting plan
A scaled planting plan and full plant schedule for a border or a whole garden, drawn by Jamie, with one round of revisions. From £3,500.
Online consultation
An hour with Jamie on video, with a written summary afterwards. Ideal for London gardens and a good place to start. £450 inc. VAT.
Where Jamie works
Across Surrey, London and the South East
- Surrey, including Guildford, Woking, Weybridge, Cobham, Esher and Farnham
- London, from town gardens to roof terraces and squares
- Berkshire and Hampshire
- Sussex and Kent
- The Cotswolds, Oxfordshire and beyond
Jamie also lives and works in Cumbria and the Lake District, and takes on gardens across the UK and abroad.
Plants from Form Plants
Grown in Surrey, planted in your garden
Every scheme can be supplied by Form Plants, the peat-free nursery Jamie founded in Surrey, so the plants on the plan are the plants that arrive. Jamie also works alongside garden designers across London as the planting specialist, including the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden with Monty Don at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the Gucci Cruise 2025 show at Tate Modern.
Questions
Planting design in London and the Home Counties
- Do you visit gardens in London and the Home Counties?
- Yes. Jamie is in Surrey every month and visits gardens across London, Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Sussex and Kent, and further afield. Garden visits of up to two hours start from £1,250.
- Do you design whole gardens?
- Jamie designs the planting rather than the layout or hard landscaping. For a whole new garden, he works alongside a garden designer or landscaper and takes care of the planting.
- Can you work with my garden designer?
- Yes. Jamie often works with garden designers as the planting specialist, designing the planting and supplying the plants through Form Plants.
- How do I book?
- Send an enquiry with a few photos and a note about your garden, or book an online consultation to start straight away.
Book a garden visit
Tell Jamie about your garden in Surrey or London and he will be in touch about dates.
Make an enquiryStart with the book
What Grows Together is full of the plant combinations Jamie uses, ready to try at home. Signed first editions, £20 with free UK delivery.
Buy a signed copy