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MHGD is a bespoke outdoor living studio led by Melanie Hick.

Based in London, UK, i create luxury outdoor retreats in large gardens that invite you to connect, entertain, relax and play.

I incorporate high end garden rooms, pergolas, bespoke kitchens and lounging areas.

MHGD designs balance nature and contemporary living, encouraging people out into the garden.

As screens dominate our day, we recognise how important it is to reconnect with natural materials.

The goal is to support you to find out what your ideal retreat is and to make that a reality.

MHGD values include UN race to zero principles and working to UN sustainable development goals.

ABOUT MELANIE

Awarded silver-gilt at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival 2024 for the Climate-Forward Garden in the Get Started Category, Melanie Trained in garden design at Capel Manor in London. Melanie comes from Melbourne, with a background growing up in large gardens and properties in Australia’s garden state.

Her twenty plus year career in the media took her to London, where she worked for major media organisations and ecommerce businesses like MTV and Net-a-Porter.

This brings you a wealth of mature experience managing complex, high value projects across the world.

The studio

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Connection to nature
MHGD brings people together and reconnect you to nature with bespoke urban outdoor retreats. I add biodiversity net gain through natural materials, beautiful planting and clever habitat additions. — Connection to nature

MHGD brings people together and reconnect you to nature with bespoke urban outdoor retreats. I add biodiversity net gain through natural materials, beautiful planting and clever habitat additions.

Unity
MHGD projects include garden rooms, pergolas, outdoor kitchens and multiple socialising areas. I draw people together, out of the house and into the fresh air to gather together in large groups and find small space for quiet conversations, g — Unity

MHGD projects include garden rooms, pergolas, outdoor kitchens and multiple socialising areas. I draw people together, out of the house and into the fresh air to gather together in large groups and find small space for quiet conversations, games and play.

Bespoke
MHGD is a small business focused on our clients. Melanie listens deeply to you and find ways to help you may never have considered. You get give a seamless indoor/outdoor experience. — Bespoke

MHGD is a small business focused on our clients. Melanie listens deeply to you and find ways to help you may never have considered. You get give a seamless indoor/outdoor experience.

Ease
Melanie connects you to vetted landscapers to install your design, plus additional experts if needed, such as architects, planning experts, tree surveyors, biodiversity surveyors and artists. — Ease

Melanie connects you to vetted landscapers to install your design, plus additional experts if needed, such as architects, planning experts, tree surveyors, biodiversity surveyors and artists.

Press

THE TELEGRAPH

How gardening became young, hip and urban
Melanie has long loved growing her own food and is inspired by the gardener behind New York’s High Line, Piet Oudolf – before she got a vegetable patch, she squeezed in raspberries, tomatoes, courgettes and more into the tiny front garden of a Victorian terraced house.
HOUZZ

How to Make Your Lawn More Wildlife-friendly and Sustainable
“The easy way to add more interest and species to your lawn is to inject plugs of endemic wild plants,” Melanie Hick says.
IDEAL HOME

Zen garden ideas to create a calming and tranquil landscape
'A wide range of studies show that meditation can have positive effects for everyone' says Melanie Hick. 'Make sure you create at least a small place to sit and reflect, perhaps surrounded by bamboo, with a view of a water feature.'
HOUZZ

How to lay out a short, wide garden
“I managed to fit a patio and over-sized pergola with swings [pictured] into a short, wide garden, because a pergola takes up no space and swings are merely an additional seating option, not a space-stealer,” Melanie says.
THE TIMES

How to give your front door a spring makeover
“Updating your front door is a quick and easy way to increase kerb appeal and put a smile on your face when you come home,” agrees the garden designer Melanie Hick. “Easy wins include jet-washing dirty paths and brickwork, then replacing unsuitable plants. Any old door can have an instant update with exterior wood paint from Mylands.”
COUNTRY LIVING

By Jayne Dowle published: 23 June 2024
One of the stars of the ‘Climate-Forward Garden’ is the Eucalyptus Mount Bogong, specifically chosen as a perfect example of a small eucalyptus to grow in UK gardens.
PROLANDSCAPER

16 Highlights of RHS Hampton Court press day by Nina Mason 02 Jul 24
There’s a range of ideas on display for gardens that are both beautiful and sustainable, from Australian designer Melanie Hick’s The Climate-Forward Garden – which encourages people to think about climate decisions in the planning stage rather than retrospectively.