Zoe Kilbride Garden Design

Zoe Kilbride Garden Design Garden designer based near Bishop’s Stortford, working across Hertfordshire and Essex. Offering garden design, planting design and on-site consultations.

Garden designer in Hertfordshire & Essex creating calm, structured outdoor spaces

▫️Award winning Garden Designer
▫️Transforming outside spaces
▫️Plants woman 🌱
▫️Herts | Essex I design thoughtful outdoor spaces that bring structure, balance and calm to gardens that don’t quite feel right.

Receiving feedback like this always means a lot. 🌿This project started as a typical new-build garden and evolved into a ...
17/06/2026

Receiving feedback like this always means a lot. 🌿

This project started as a typical new-build garden and evolved into a space designed for relaxing, entertaining and everyday family life.

One of the things I enjoy most about garden design is helping clients see the potential in a space and creating a garden that feels like a natural extension of their home.

Thank you for such a lovely review. It was a real pleasure working with you both. Clients like you make what I do so rewarding. Enjoy your pocket of paradise! ☺️🌱

A huge thank you also to HardCraft Landscaping for bringing the design to life.

One of my favourite climbers is just starting to flower. 🌿This is Hydrangea seemannii, an evergreen climbing hydrangea.T...
17/06/2026

One of my favourite climbers is just starting to flower. 🌿

This is Hydrangea seemannii, an evergreen climbing hydrangea.

The delicate white lacecap flowers are beginning to open now, but it’s the glossy evergreen foliage that makes it such a valuable plant. Even in the depths of winter, it continues to provide colour, texture and screening when many other climbers have lost their leaves.

Another reason I love it is its versatility. It will happily grow in full sun, partial shade or even a shady spot, making it a great option for walls and fences where other climbers can struggle.

It’s not the quickest plant to establish, but once settled it becomes a wonderful feature for walls, fences and other vertical spaces.

Definitely a plant worth being patient with.

The garden is often the last thing people think about when planning an extension.There are builders to manage, plans to ...
16/06/2026

The garden is often the last thing people think about when planning an extension.

There are builders to manage, plans to approve, budgets to juggle and countless decisions to make along the way.

But by the time the extension is finished, many homeowners find themselves looking out at a garden that no longer quite fits the house.

Sometimes the lawn has been used for access. Sometimes planting has been damaged during the build. Sometimes the layout that worked before the extension no longer makes sense.

If you’re still planning an extension, it’s often worth considering the garden at the same time. It can help create a more cohesive result and avoid unnecessary disruption later on.

And if the extension is already complete, don’t worry. A few thoughtful changes can often make a huge difference to how the garden looks, feels and functions.

I’ve written a new blog exploring both scenarios and sharing some of the things homeowners often overlook when improving their homes. You can read it by clicking the link below:

https://www.zoekilbride.com/post/garden-design-after-an-extension

14/06/2026

One of my favourite plants in my own garden is Santolina ‘Lemon Fizz’.

It’s a compact evergreen with bright, lemon-scented foliage that releases its fragrance when brushed past on a warm day. In summer, it produces cheerful yellow button flowers that seem to float above the foliage.

I love it because it looks good for most of the year, copes brilliantly with dry conditions and brings a lovely splash of colour and texture to the garden without demanding much attention.

It’s perfect for sunny, well-drained spots and works beautifully in gravel gardens, along pathways, as low hedging or in containers.

A small plant, but a very good one. 🌿💛

12/06/2026

Oscar the pup has a new garden... and he seems pretty pleased with it. 🐾

This family garden in Bishop’s Stortford started as a typical new-build blank canvas. The brief was to create a space that felt softer, greener and more connected to nature, while still working hard for everyday family life.

There’s plenty of lawn for Oscar’s zoomies, space for children to play, areas for entertaining friends, and comfortable spots to sit and enjoy long summer evenings surrounded by planting.

Screening trees help create privacy, while layered planting will gradually soften the hard landscaping and bring the whole garden together as it matures.

We also sourced the pergola and outdoor sofa set to create a welcoming space for relaxing and entertaining. The final finishing touch will be the lighting, which is due to be installed next week.

The garden was beautifully built by the team at Hard Craft Landscaping with paving supplied by London Stone.
Pergola and sofa set supplied by White Stores.

Watch to see the transformation from blank canvas to family garden. 🌿

The full project is over on the website.

A garden in Ongar that we planted a couple of years ago. 🌿This was a particularly interesting project as the garden was ...
11/06/2026

A garden in Ongar that we planted a couple of years ago. 🌿

This was a particularly interesting project as the garden was a complete blank canvas following an extension, allowing the planting to play a leading role in bringing the space to life.

The brief was to create a sensory garden filled with movement, texture, fragrance and seasonal interest, while still being practical and easy to maintain.

Winding paths lead through generous planting beds, ornamental grasses soften the edges, and a water feature provides a gentle focal point and soothing sound.

One of the things I love most about this garden is how different areas reveal themselves as you move through the space. There are moments of structure, moments of softness, and always something new to notice.

Swipe through to see the transformation.

🌿 Zoe

03/06/2026

A fence. A patio. A patch of soil.

That’s how many new-build gardens begin.

The brief for this garden was simple: create somewhere to sit, slow down and enjoy being outside, surrounded by plants rather than lawn.

Now there are different places to pause, a sheltered outdoor snug, trees for privacy and layers of planting that will only become more beautiful as the garden matures.

The porcelain paving and clay pavers supplied by London Stone provide the perfect backdrop to the planting and help connect the different areas of the garden.

A reminder that the best gardens aren’t always the biggest. They’re the ones that make you want to spend time in them.

Designed by: Zoe Kilbride Garden Design
Built by: F T Landscapes
Paving & clay pavers: London Stone

🌿

A client just sent me this photo of the gravel garden we planted last year, and I had to share it.Just one growing seaso...
02/06/2026

A client just sent me this photo of the gravel garden we planted last year, and I had to share it.

Just one growing season has made such a difference. The grasses have filled out, creeping thyme is softening the path edges, and the planting is beginning to knit together exactly as intended.

Gravel gardens can look quite open at first, but that’s part of the process. The magic happens as plants settle in, creating a natural tapestry of colour, texture and movement.

Inspired by Beth Chatto’s gravel garden principles, right plant, right place, this garden is designed for dry conditions and low maintenance.

A lovely reminder that good gardens only get better with time.

And yes, there was a cat supervising proceedings.

Designed by
Built by





01/06/2026

This is Absolutely Fabulous, a rose that has been growing in my own garden for several years.

It was named Rose of the Year in 2010, and it’s easy to see why. The flowers emerge a rich buttery yellow before gradually softening to creamy white as they age, so you often get several different shades on the plant at the same time.

It’s beautifully fragrant, flowers repeatedly throughout the summer, and has a lovely upright habit. Unlike some roses that can become a bit sprawling as the season goes on, this one tends to hold itself well and doesn’t flop all over the place.

🌹

“Do I need a garden designer or a landscaper?”The answer is... it depends.Some projects need a full garden design before...
27/05/2026

“Do I need a garden designer or a landscaper?”

The answer is... it depends.

Some projects need a full garden design before construction begins. Others simply need a good landscaper and a clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve.

What’s often overlooked is that the best landscapers don’t just build exactly what’s in front of them. They ask questions.

Is the patio large enough for the furniture?

Will people be able to move around comfortably?

Are the planting beds actually big enough for the plants to thrive?

These small details can make a huge difference to how a garden feels and functions once it’s finished.

I’ve written a journal post exploring the topic in more detail, but here’s a simple overview to help you decide what level of support might be right for your project.

Here is the link:

https://www.zoekilbride.com/post/not-sure-where-to-start-garden-designer-landscaper-or-both

Address

Bishops Stortford

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+447903925681

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