Bespoke transformation:
Improve the way you live outdoors with award-winning climate-forward garden design
Switch up your garden from lacklustre to life-giving, with a bespoke transformation from Melanie Hick.
Tailor-made, climate-friendly gardens for style-focused homeowners and commercial property owners are my speciality.
I deliver stunning outdoor spaces that enhance biodiversity and increase property value by at least 10% connecting people to nature and each other.
BEFORE & AFTER
HARROW ON THE HILL, LONDON
BEFORE: My client had an unused damp lawn, boring strips of planting along the fences, basic patio that didn’t say “entertain here”, old unglamorous shed. He wanted a space to proudly entertain and retreat from his busy work life.
AFTER: Three new entertaining zones, a new garden room with bar, impressive WWOO kitchen and Vlaze bar, bespoke pergola for a centre of the garden entertaining space, dark skies lighting to improve wildlife prospects.
BEFORE & AFTER
BLACKHEATH PARK, LONDON
BEFORE: My clients, a family with young children have a £250,000 available to invest in their garden, an unused lawn but want to entertain and specifically to have a golf simulator in a garden room. In a conservation zone, they also need support with planning and rules. Plus their levels are complex.
AFTER: The design we have in planning now has a garden room, a large entertaining area, bespoke garden room, resort-style planting and lounging outside groundfloor bedrooms, all-weather paving with permeable areas.
BEFORE & AFTER
SYDENHAM, LONDON
BEFORE: My clients, a young family, had £60,000 to invest in their garden, a small porcelain patio installed by a builder, a muddy lawn with dangerous concrete steps down to a lower level. They needed space to entertain and a way to use the upper and lower patios for adults and children.
AFTER: The owners had their garden built then successfully sold their property for a profit with their agent starting their sales tours in the garden. Hand-built timber pergola, unified paved areas, deep planting, complementary design to match interiors all added up to a successful sale which meant the hard work was already done for the buyer.
BEFORE & AFTER HONOR OAK PARK, LONDON
BEFORE: My clients, a hard-working couple with two children, had dangerous steps from their backdoor to two un-unified levels and an unused muddy lawn. Using their garden was frustrating and unsafe, and their view was blocked.
AFTER: I unified both spaces with wide, generous steps that also made for planting pockets to increase wildlife. They gained a beautiful barbecue patio and the feature steps serve as easy seating for visiting guests. They now work from home on the new terrace and tend the drought-tolerant planting with their children.
MEET MELANIE HICK
HI, I’M MELANIE!
I’m the creative force behind MHGD.
I won a Silver Gilt Medal at Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival for my Climate-Forward garden which showed you how to have a beautiful drought-tolerant garden at home. I was also nominated for the Pro Landscaper Sustainability Award for that garden. I have a passion for creating beautiful, sustainable spaces that connect you to nature to elevate your outdoor space.
With five years of experience running my garden design business and over twenty year as an editor-in-chief, head of content and journalist at MTV, Net-a-Porter, The Huffington Post and more, I bring a unique, stylish approach to outdoor transformation.
Supported by a talented team of 3D graphic designers and a network of trusted sustainability experts, I deliver bespoke garden transformations that are stylish, sustainable, and tailored to your needs.
Investment In Your Bespoke Garden Transformation
DESIGN FEES: The Bespoke Garden Transformation service starts at £5,250.
TYPICAL PROJECT RANGES: Projects shown here are achieved with a build budget of £60,000 to £250,000
FEE SCHEDULE GUIDE: Initial consultation > design > construction oversight fee.
The MHGD Experience:
I guide you to see how your garden can feel like an extension of your home, thoughtfully designed to reflect your style, and enhance your life with 3D rendered images to show you how.
You get a completely bespoke and personal service, where your outdoor space is considered in every detail, from the fragrant planting that greets you as you walk in the door, to the privacy you may need from neighbours.
I hear all your concerns including planning, local authority regulations and budgeting to help you with solutions drawn from my expertise.
Listening to you style and lifestyle priorities inform my design direction and I match them to stylish ways to support the environment.
I will design you a planting palette that thoughtfully attract pollinators and supports their life cycle to bring nature into your space.
You will get a beautiful palette of sustainable materials from paving to seating, garden rooms, saunas and outdoor kitchens.
What’s the Result?
A garden that feels like a sanctuary.
A space where you can sip your morning coffee surrounded by birdsong, host friends on warm summer evenings, and watch nature thrive.
You’ll have a coveted garden that feeds the bees and your soul, with 10% biodiversity net gain.
And beyond the personal joy, your investment pays off. Agents say a well-designed garden can add 10-20% to your property value, creating a sought-after outdoor space that future buyers will love as much as you do.
With expert planning and design, your garden becomes a living asset.
THE PROCESS:
FROM VISION TO REALITY
With MHGD, your garden will be transformed through a clearly structured process with clear communication and everything handled for you:
NO. 1
Briefing Consultation
I take time to listen and understand your vision. This sets the foundation for your garden's transformation.
NO. 2
Site Surveys
A detailed survey of your site ensures we have everything needed for precise design.
NO. 3
Concept Design
Using the brief and survey, we create a concept design, including 3D renders, so you can visualise your future garden. After your approval, we move forward with technical plans.
NO. 4
Technical Design
We deliver essential technical drawings for your landscapers to quote from and build with accuracy.
NO. 5
Sourcing
We handpick the best materials, outdoor equipment, and art that bring your garden to life.
NO. 6
Contractor Tender
We manage the tender process, securing up to 3 expert landscapers who are best suited to your unique project.
NO. 7
Build & Oversight
As the build progresses, we oversee your landscapers to ensure precision, quality, and timely completion.
NO. 8
Planting & Finishing
Planting & Finish
We carefully select and place plants, the soft landscaping contractor or landscaper plants, we add the final touches to your new, beautiful outdoor space.
What you get: The MHGD Bespoke Garden Transformation
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You’ll receive one-on-one attention, ensuring your garden reflects your vision and style.
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Beautiful, detailed visualisations of what your garden could become, making it easier to envision the final result.
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Essential drawings and documents needed for your landscapers to build your dream garden with precision.
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Clear and expert advice on how to maximize your budget and plan the timeline, from start to finish.
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We help you navigate the latest biodiversity laws, ensuring your garden contributes to the environment and meets planning requirements.
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Enjoy peace of mind knowing every detail of your garden is taken care of, professionally, beautifully, and sustainably.
TESTIMONIALS
TESTIMONIALS
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“We were delighted with our garden.
Mel listened to the vague hand-waving about what we wanted and produced a design that was surprising, functional, stylish, and we couldn’t think how it could have been improved.”
Michelle and Pete, Honor Oak Park, London.
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She combines a close listening ear with fantastic creative flair.
“The best thing about working with Melanie was that she combines a close listening ear with fantastic creative flair. She took the time to really understand what we wanted, then took it to the next level with thoughtful, knowledgeable suggestions to realise our vision, and then some! She's created a space where we love to spend time as a family, and to entertain friends.”
Rose, Bristol.
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Melanie created a stunning garden
“Melanie is absolutely fantastic, and created a stunning garden for me and my family. She transformed a blank, new-build terrace into a lush garden that is inviting (and low-maintenance) year round. So delighted.”
Tugela, London.
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I can't wait to work with Mel again
“Mel's vision for how her clients want to live in their garden & make the most of it, is inspiring to watch. As an interior designer, I strive for the same outcomes. She gets how incredible a finished project can be when we take the time to come together & plan for how the indoor & outdoor spaces interact. I can't wait to work with Mel again!”
Sarah Eagle Interiors, Sorrento, Australia.
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We've got a beautiful new entertaining space
“We reached out to Melanie to transform our large family garden and make sense of two levels. In response to a long list of desirables she was able to deliver a masterplan that we can build in stages over time. The first stage is now built and we're so happy with the transformation it has made for our family. We've got a beautiful new entertaining space that we're using all the time and has completely changed the way our home and garden connect to each other. Communication was easy and brilliant throughout the project, and Melanie was an absolute pleasure to work with.”
Catherine and James, Sydenham, London.
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She really listened
"Our whole experience with Melanie had been great. She really listened to what we wanted, and created a garden which we are absolutely thrilled with. Each stage was carefully checked with us from the plan to the materials to the plants! "
Anna, Crystal Palace, London.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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We take on projects from £60,000, and have a general guide to what to invest in the exterior of your property here.
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We can start with a call when you send your contact details.
I will assess the complexity of your project and advise when it can be commenced within the studio.
We endeavor to begin as soon as possible if that is what you require.
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The duration of your design can be a matter of months, incorporating time for design and concept, measurement, brief taking and your time for approvals. The duration of a build and tender is down to forces such as landscaper availability (good people are busy) weather and planning conditions in your local authority.
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Yes, I have a network of trusted professional landscapers registered with all relevant professional bodies who will have expertise in building your style of project in your area.
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Following your initial paid briefing consultation, I will prepare you an estimate of what it will cost to design your bespoke dream garden. Then payment is made in clearly communicated project stages.
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Yes, we source garden rooms, golf simulators, ecologists, pergolas, custom outdoor kitchens and unique finds like garden art every day.
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You may depending on where you are, and what you want to achieve. We work with expert planning advisers in your council area and a specialist biodiversity net gain software for small sites.
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Yes, we have experience working remotely and on sites abroad, particularly in Australia.
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yes, we work with established partners to provide all types of surveys required, from biodiversity to bats, trees and topography.
CONTACT
©2024 COPYRIGHT MMXLI Ltd | MMXLI Ltd trading as Melanie Hick Garden Design is a company registered in England (Company No. 12079568) Registered office address 2b Swanfield Street, London, England, E2 7DS. VAT number GB336476579
*Biodiversity net gain based on metrics supplied by external measurement tool and subject to local authority approval. Any property value increase dependent on external party valuations and not guaranteed. No liability will be entered into.