WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY!

Ours is a tale of three gardens. And it is the happiest tale I can tell.

Garden number one is when we bought our house a couple of years ago. We inherited a very normal garden, large lawn, couple of flower beds, about half an acre max. Nothing wrong with it at all, but it lacked a little interest. After a year, we decided to change - we needed structural work too on a new soak away and patio, so it helped push us into making a decision. We searched the internet and found Sarah, liking what we had seen in her portfolio.

This is where garden number two comes in, which was special. Sarah advertises as ‘specialising in contemporary garden design’. We did not know what a ‘contemporary design’ was but were intrigued. She came over, chatted incredibly extensively through with us what our first thoughts were, what ‘kind’ of garden we wanted, and offered some very wise considerations, especially as we had come from a small London terraced garden. And then a couple of weeks later the designs came through. I can honestly say, my first reaction was one of apprehension, it was so very different. But what attracted us was that it was also bold, interesting and beautiful. It was also not without some serious construction challenges, but that was never a bother to her and the team.

After several consultations on the phone, online and in person, and a few modest changes from our first thoughts (which Sarah had incorporated but we changed our minds), we settled on a final plan. There was no dictatorial design process, Sarah worked to our brief, massively enhanced it with her fantastic knowledge of planting and vision and was amazing integrating the changes we made. It was so easy, friendly and efficient.

The details on the design and planting plans were over and above anything I would have thought. It was essentially architectural in its accuracy and attention. Every single plant mapped out, every path measured to the inch.

We set a budget, and everything was worked to that. No hidden charges, no surprises – and that budget-commitment stayed right through the entire process.

Then it comes to garden number three. This is where it gets even more special. Before a spade went in the ground, we had two meetings with the senior chaps at Leaf & Stone (Harry & Simon). There was no nonsense and flim-flam. It was honest, and simple. The team we had were incredible (special mention to Lewis, Tom and Dan, and Pitas on electrics as well) and over a couple of months we were actually sad to see them go. Sarah has picked a great partnership here. We had to do virtually nothing, Sarah project-managed the whole revamp with the team to a level that we did not have to make one chase-up phone call, no complaint email. Not one.

Sarah would come over and chat with us and then the team, directing affairs with them. In all my years I don’t think I have seen a collaboration work so seamlessly for the client. It was frankly a joy to see Sarah and Harry’s team work together. And the extra special thing was they both would make suggestions to improve as the new garden evolved – we would generally agree, and the craftsmanship is excellent.

This garden now is something that we cannot praise and love enough. It is beautiful. It all works, aesthetically and functionally. Everywhere we look we have a different landscape, we have different planting that is so suitable, when walking around the garden it is so tactile; we have grasses, roses, veronicas and plants I cannot even remember the name of but are beautiful. Every border is different, each works. It is, frankly, untrammelled joy.

If you work with Sarah you will get a huge amount of dedication, thoughtfulness and (for us, much necessary, hand-holding) and you can have a sense of reliability and security that I have not ever experienced

If you’re even thinking about, take the plunge and find out what is possible.

"Sarah was asked to design a low maintenance garden which involved the removal of 9 overgrown leylandii trees & a lawn thrashed by children over many years. She listened to our requests & came up with many ideas of her own, which we could never have imagined. Her team of landscape gardeners (Leaf & Stone) were amazing, going above & beyond expectations. Sarah project managed the job through to completion & even provided a maintenance schedule for the plants & trees in our garden. She is a lady with integrity & clearly loves her job. Thank you, again, Sarah."

"We worked with Sarah Link Landscape and Garden Design to design our new garden and provide all the plants that we required.

Throughout the whole process from initial consultation through to the laying out of the beds Sarah and her team brought a high level of knowledge and enthusiasm to the project.

Sarah was a pleasure to work with and her extensive experience and professionalism made the final outcome way exceed the expectations that we had for the garden project.

We are so pleased with our new garden....thanks Sarah!" 

"Sarah's design of a friend's garden led me to choose her to work as she had carefully considered not only the hard landscaping but also the vertical surfaces, boundaries and planting. She produced an attractive, classic contemporary linear design for us with a pond as a major feature and using a range of hard landscaping materials, porcelain and composite decking interspersed with attractively planted beds with focal points for the more contemporary rear of our home. She designed traditional stone paving and a rose parterre for the front garden using hedging to screen off more utilitarian areas.  Sarah provided thorough, detailed plans for all hard landscaping and planting including drainage, irrigation and lighting specifications so realistic quotes could be sought from landscaping companies. She was responsive and helpful throughout the process."

"The overwhelm of bamboo and diseased boxus planted 6 years earlier by a previous garden designer made clear what we didn't want in our courtyard garden.   Sarah tuned into our style and desire for an impactful, easy to maintain courtyard entertaining space.   Understanding the space and light restrictions, she introduced creative ideas including raised flower beds, corten steel artwork and integrated benches which really have a wow factor.  She works to a highly professional standard as a designer and horticulturalist and is generous with her time and attention to detail.    She managed the selection of an excellent team of garden landscapers (Leaf and Stone), working hand-in-hand with them to achieve her vision."

"Sarah designed and project managed our rear garden. She incorporated our ideas and improved on them to give a design we really liked. She organised the quotes from landscapers to do the work, for our choice, and then oversaw the build and planting. She liaised with the water feature artist to give a seamless service. Her prices were clear from the start, with no added extras. We would have no reservations in recommending Sarah as a garden designer and project manager."

"We are absolutely thrilled with our garden that Sarah designed for us, which brings us continual joy and relaxation. Her creativity and attention to detail have transformed our outdoor space into a beautiful garden we love to spend time in. We couldn’t be happier with the results and highly recommend her services to anyone looking for a designer who is both professional and creative and a pleasure to work with."