Studio Hummingbird -Designing Gardens to Inspire

Studio Hummingbird -Designing Gardens to Inspire Studio Hummingbird offers garden and landscape design at affordable prices www.studiohummingbird.com

*Creating Gardens for Pollen and Allergy Sufferers* Hay fever season is well and truly here.I can certainly relate to it...
04/06/2026

*Creating Gardens for Pollen and Allergy Sufferers*

Hay fever season is well and truly here.

I can certainly relate to it at the moment because my husband is one of the many people affected.

What should be a simple walk through the garden can quickly become a stream of sneezes, itchy eyes, and the constant search for tissues.

It’s a reminder that while many of us look forward to this time of year, not everyone experiences it in quite the same way.

The garden is looking its best. Borders are filling out, plants are thriving, and there’s a real sense of abundance everywhere you look. Yet for allergy sufferers, the season that draws us outdoors can sometimes make being outside feel uncomfortable.

It raises an interesting question: can a garden be designed with allergy sufferers in mind?

The answer is yes.

Not all plants contribute equally to allergy problems.

Wind-pollinated plants, particularly many grasses, release large amounts of pollen into the air.

In contrast, insect-pollinated plants rely on bees and other pollinators to carry pollen, meaning far less is floating around for us to breathe in.

If you're creating a more allergy-friendly garden, consider:

✦ Reducing large areas of flowering grass where possible

✦ Choosing insect-pollinated plants such as roses, salvias, lavender, and many cottage garden favourites

✦ Including hedging, which can help trap airborne particles and create a natural buffer

✦ Keeping lawns well maintained during peak growing periods

✦ Increasing planting diversity rather than relying heavily on one species

What's particularly encouraging is that many of these choices also support sustainable garden design.

Diverse planting schemes encourage biodiversity, support pollinators, and create healthier, more resilient gardens overall.

A garden should support wellbeing in every sense of the word. It should be somewhere that helps you feel better, not somewhere you're rushing back indoors from.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, have you found any plants, design choices, or garden tricks that help make this time of year more enjoyable?

Let me know in the comments👇🏻

Plant Spotlight of the Week: Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker).Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) is one of those plants that knows how t...
03/06/2026

Plant Spotlight of the Week: Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker).

Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) is one of those plants that knows how to make an entrance.

Its tall flower spikes rise above the surrounding planting like glowing torches, bringing warmth, height, and movement to the garden at a time when many other plants begin to fade into the background.

Yet despite its bold appearance, I’ve always felt there’s something surprisingly architectural about Kniphofia. It provides structure without feeling rigid, and drama without becoming overwhelming. The flowers seem to hover above the foliage, catching the light and drawing the eye through a border.

I particularly like using it where a garden needs a vertical accent or a sense of rhythm. It pairs beautifully with ornamental grasses and softer perennials, where the contrast between strong flower spikes and flowing planting creates a natural balance.

Beyond its visual appeal, Kniphofia is also a valuable plant for pollinators, attracting bees and other beneficial insects throughout its flowering season.

Once established, it’s remarkably resilient and asks for very little in return, making it a wonderful choice for gardeners who want impact without constant maintenance.

I often think it’s a reminder that a garden can be bold and elegant at the same time.

Would you find a place for Kniphofia in your garden, or do you prefer softer, more understated planting?

Let me know in the comments👇🏻

When we first stood in this garden together, it was a quiet, empty space, full of potential but not quite sure what it w...
02/06/2026

When we first stood in this garden together, it was a quiet, empty space, full of potential but not quite sure what it wanted to be. There’s something rather lovely about that moment, when a garden is still just a possibility and you get to dream a little.

What it became is a place to truly live. An outdoor living room gathered around a fire pit, where the evenings now linger and good conversation comes easily. A gentle path winds down to the garden office, turning the morning commute into a few peaceful moments among the planting. And because life is busy enough already, every plant was chosen to look beautiful through the seasons while asking very little in return.

My favourite part is the sun deck, positioned to catch the last of the evening light. It’s exactly where you’d want to be with a glass of something at the end of the day, work finished, the garden glowing, nowhere else to be.

It has been such a joy to see this space come to life and to know it now brings comfort and calm to the people who call it home. With heartfelt thanks to the wonderful team at , whose landscaping brought the design beautifully to life.

If you’ve a garden that’s waiting to become something more, I’d love to hear about it. Sometimes a simple conversation is all it takes to see what’s possible.

As summer approaches, gardens begin revealing whether they’ve truly been considered or simply filled By this point in t...
29/05/2026

As summer approaches, gardens begin revealing whether they’ve truly been considered or simply filled

By this point in the season, the spring excitement has settled. Plants are growing quickly, sunlight becomes stronger, and suddenly the garden starts asking more from the space around it.

Too much paving begins to feel harsh.

Poor planting choices struggle in the heat.
Seating areas nobody thought carefully about remain unused.

And gardens that looked “fine” in spring can begin feeling exposed, disconnected, or difficult to manage.

A garden that works well in summer rarely happens by accident.

It comes from thinking beyond individual plants and considering how the entire space functions together where shade falls in the afternoon, how people move through the garden, where the eye naturally rests, which plants will continue performing well through warmer months, and how the space will actually be lived in day to day.

This is also the time of year when sustainable decisions matter most.

1. Mulching helps soil retain moisture and reduces watering
2. Layered planting keeps roots cooler naturally
3. Pollinator-friendly flowers support biodiversity throughout summer
4. Thoughtful hedging offers shelter, shade, and structure
5. Choosing the right plant for the right place reduces maintenance long term

And sometimes, the most valuable thing you can do before summer fully arrives is step back and ask a bigger question:

Does this garden actually support the way we want to live?

Because a beautiful garden isn’t simply one that photographs well in June. It’s one that feels calming to spend time in, easy to care for, and connected to the people living around it.

That’s often where thoughtful garden design makes the greatest difference, not by adding more, but by helping the whole space make sense.

As the warmer months approach, what’s the one thing your garden feels like it’s missing most right now?

Let me know in the comments👇🏻

Plant Spotlight of the Week: Cherry blossom (Prunus)Cherry blossom (Prunus) never feels excessive, even at its fullestFo...
27/05/2026

Plant Spotlight of the Week: Cherry blossom (Prunus)

Cherry blossom (Prunus) never feels excessive, even at its fullest

For a brief moment each spring, the branches become covered in soft white blossom, turning the entire tree into something almost cloud-like.

There’s a lightness to it that changes the atmosphere of a garden completely, not loud or dramatic, but gentle enough to make people pause beneath it.

I often think cherry blossom brings a sense of anticipation into a space. It arrives just as the garden begins waking properly, reminding us how quickly a landscape can shift from stillness into life.

Despite how delicate the flowers appear, ornamental cherries are surprisingly resilient and reliable once established. They work beautifully as focal trees in smaller gardens, where their seasonal display can be fully appreciated, but they’re equally effective softening larger landscapes too.

Design-wise, they’re especially useful for creating movement and softness against harder materials like paving, brick, or rendered walls. And once the blossom fades, many varieties continue giving interest through elegant branching structure and autumn colour later in the year.

I think part of their appeal is that they never feel permanent, and perhaps that’s exactly what makes them so memorable.

Do you have a tree in your garden that completely changes the feeling of the space for a few weeks each year?

I'd like to know in the comments.

Garden decisions can feel heavier than they should.Because the truth is, once something is built, planted, or removed, ...
26/05/2026

Garden decisions can feel heavier than they should.

Because the truth is, once something is built, planted, or removed, it’s not easily undone. So hesitation grows. Ideas stay in your head instead of becoming real.

A Garden Clarity Call with Studio Hummingbird gives you a place to think things through properly before anything becomes permanent.

We look at possibilities, constraints, priorities, and long-term impact, so your decisions feel considered, not reactive.

Book your clarity call and I’ll help you move forward with certainty, knowing the choices you make now will still feel right years from now.

You'll get clarity that lasts longer than the decision itself.

Book your Garden Clarity Call:

https://studiohummingbird.com/contact-studio-hummingbird-west-sussex/

Studiohummingbird

25/05/2026

Before-and-after transformations are powerful in demonstrating the impact of design. But do they influence decision-making across the industry?

Do case studies play a major role in choosing a garden designer?

Yes
No
Maybe (comment below with thoughts!)

g

22/05/2026

There’s something incredibly special about seeing a garden through the lens of a professional photographer. 🌿

Yesterday, Amy and I spent the day capturing two of my beautiful Studio Hummingbird gardens — spaces that started as conversations, sketches, dreams, and many thoughtful decisions along the way.

A garden photoshoot is never just about taking pretty pictures. It’s about capturing atmosphere, light, texture, and the feeling of being in the space. The quiet corners. The movement of grasses in the wind. The way the garden sits so naturally around the home and the people who live there.

Seeing these gardens fully settled into their surroundings is always emotional. Because great gardens are not created overnight — they evolve, soften, grow, and slowly become part of everyday life.

I can’t wait to share more soon. 🌿

Some gardens become more beautiful as summer approaches. Others become more exhausting. Not because the owners don’t car...
22/05/2026

Some gardens become more beautiful as summer approaches. Others become more exhausting.

Not because the owners don’t care enough, but because the space was never truly working to begin with.

As the season changes, everything becomes more noticeable — the areas that feel too exposed to sit in, the planting that constantly needs attention, the awkward layout, the lack of shade, the parts of the garden you quietly avoid rather than enjoy.

Summer has a way of revealing whether a garden supports your life or simply adds more to manage.

That’s why this is such an important time to pause and prepare the space properly.

✦ Feed your borders
Spring growth takes a huge amount of energy from plants. A good organic feed now helps support healthier foliage, stronger flowering, and longer-lasting colour through the warmer months.

✦ Mulch your soil
Mulching helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and improve soil health naturally before hotter weather arrives.

✦ Think about comfort, not just appearance
Where does the sun fall in the evening? Is there anywhere you actually want to sit? Does the garden feel calming or exposed? The best summer gardens are designed for living in, not just looking at.

✦ Support pollinators
Lavender, salvia, verbena, and thyme don’t just add beauty — they bring movement, biodiversity, and life into the garden throughout summer.

✦ Step back and look at the bigger picture
Sometimes the issue isn’t maintenance. It’s that the garden lacks direction altogether.

If the space still feels disconnected no matter what you add, or if you know the garden could be more beautiful and easier to live with, this is often the point where working with a garden designer changes everything.

A well-designed garden doesn’t just improve the space. It changes how you experience home.

What’s one thing your garden needs before summer fully arrives? 👇🏻

Address

Dereham

Telephone

+441903535664

Website

https://studio-hummingbird.moxieapp.com/public/studio-hummingbird/discovery-call-30-m

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