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 Two years ago I moved 100 miles from the middle of London to Wiltshire to start a new life on the retirement of my husband. We moved into a lovely house in a lovely village but I struggled to feel I belonged. I felt as though I was staying in someone else’s home and simply couldn’t put any roots down. 

The garden felt far from my own and any work I did in it felt as though I was working in someone else’s territory. The planting, its design and cohesion made little sense to me and with every month I became more paralysed in making my mark on it. As someone who had loved my garden in London, I couldn’t make sense of my relationship with the space or my ambivalence in relation to it.

Then, early in 2026 I decided to do something radical to redress this situation. I realised the whole thing needed a makeover, and that this might represent something of a shift in my relationship with my new home for me also. 

I contacted various local garden designers and received a lovely response from Becky who arranged to come and visit within the next few weeks to see what she could do. When she arrived she started by walking around my home to see more about “who I was”. She asked about my artwork, the colours of the wall and even my harp. I felt myself relax into this relationship and its opportunities. When we looked at the garden, she asked me to tell her what I felt was wrong with the current set up and what I wanted at the end of any input. She immediately started to share some ideas and I relaxed further. Importantly she asked about my budget. As she left, I knew I had found the right person. But could she do all I hoped for within a limited level of expenditure?

The easy answer is yes but the depth and breath of that achievement only revealed itself some six weeks later when she and her team arrived. They were positive, enthusiastic and can-do. In the course of the four days they spent in our home, I was always included in all key decisions and became increasingly confident to work alongside the crew in its work. 

One thing I loved was the team’s commitment to protect and reuse plants to minimise the additional cost. Almost everything (including sleepers and paving stones) found a new or better home and plants that had been struggling due to poor positioning or lack of attention were given new life and have since thrived. Another surprise for me was the attention to detail of Becky and her team despite a relatively short time to do a lot. Positioning the stones in the new pond, siting new steps in the beds, creating a wooden platform over the water were unhurried activities in spite of a long to-do list. 

Encouragement for my husband and me to take part and learn has completely changed our shared appreciation of the garden and its opportunities. the transformation was almost immediate and I felt my excitement grow with each passing day they were in our garden.

Each day since I have gone into that garden and given thanks for the space, its beauty and the team that made it happen. I am learning to love individual plants, to watch their progress and to plan new developments that enhance the garden further. 

It is a pleasure to be at work out there and I feel my attachment to the place taking root with every small change. It was a week that has changed my experience of moving to Wiltshire, of learning about the potential of gardening to bring connection to a new place and of seeing professionals at work who also offer belief, relationship and enthusiasm in their work. 

Thank you to you all.

Mr & Mrs Richardson June 2026