Beautifully crafted gardens anchored in timeless design principles

Residential Garden Design in Rutland, Leicestershire, East and Central - the Notswolds

A woman with light skin and brown hair smiling while standing in front of a black wooden door and a glass window with a painted eye design.
Typography of the name 'TJ Kennedy' in large, gray serif font on a black background.

A registered, award-winning Garden Designer passionate about recognising the potential in your garden and working to your budget to design your outdoor space, whether it is a courtyard or a family garden.

Combining design expertise from the prestigious Inchbald School and a background in landscaping construction, our approach is adaptable to give you peace of mind and confidence when working with us.

To find out more about what we can offer your space, speak with TJ at the studio

SPEAK TO THE STUDIO
Text that reads "Inchbald Graduate" on a white background, with a thin brown line above the word "Inchbald School of Design, London".
Logo of The Association of Professional Landscapers
A badge for the RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2024, featuring a tree logo and the phrase 'Silver Medal Winner' repeated in a circle.
Text that reads 'BBC Gardeners' World Live. Gold Medal Show Garden 2023', with small BBC logo above the text.
Word cloud with the words 'GARDEN DESIGN JOURNAL' in smaller brown letters on a black background.
  • Hydrangea annabelle

  • Secluded stone seating under tree

  • Late summer herbaceous planting

  • Evening seating area and firepit

  • Stone wall and water rill

  • Woodland planting

  • Pink walls with herbaceous planting

  • Geranium and Geum

  • Verbascum and stone seating

  • Planting and texture

  • Oak edged planting beds with herbaceous plants

  • Corten steel edging and planting

  • Shrub planting and wild garden

SEE OUR PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS

what we do

  • design

    We design gardens, landscapes and planting. That's what we love.

    It doesn’t matter how small or large your budget is, as designers we work to get the best for it, whether you have a courtyard, a big landscape, or need your soft planting designing.

    Our passion is to create spaces that enrich and enhance the time you spend in them while providing for your needs; spaces that enhance biodiversity, that are a reflection of the local heritage, and those that are enlivened by creative details.

  • consultation

    Planting. Furniture. Lighting. Challenging areas.

    Whatever your need, a consultation enables you to openly share your aspirations for your space and we give you the support you need to bring it to life. This is a collaboration, between us and you, of skills, expertise, passions and ideas.

    Starting from £125 +VAT, we can give you a one-off boost or be by your side for the long haul as you develop your own garden.

  • project delivery

    Monitoring projects gives us the unique opportunity to adapt and refine a design as a collaborative build team, ensuring total peace of mind for our clients.

    Competence to work alongside your chosen contractors to bring your design from paper to reality is a strength of ours that we are particularly proud of.

    We don't underestimate how much trust our clients put in us.

LEARN ABOUT OUR DESIGN PROCESS

currently on our studio drawing boards

  • A detailed landscape gardening plan displayed alongside photographs of the garden's progress, including trees, plants, pathways, a pond, and outdoor seating areas.

    MOAT

    Historic 14th Century Hall House surrounded by a magnificent moat. Working on creating a garden that links with the moat and provides areas for dining and relaxation while exploring the options for a natural swim pond.

  • A collage of various outdoor garden scenes with blooming flowers and trees, alongside an indoor workspace with art supplies, sketches, and drawing tools on a wooden table.

    REDESIGN

    Renovated and extended period property in a Rutland village. Views to open parkland and the river. A full redesign of the current garden, developing the outdoor space from a family garden with wide lawns to one which allows for quieter spots to relax and enjoy the views.

  • Collage of images including landscape photographs of a garden and trees, architectural sketches and plans, artwork, and a mural painting, with some plans and diagrams visible.

    SECLUSION

    Renovated single-storey post-modernist property. Town centre location with big open skies and long views. Seclusion and escapism are central to the client brief with a desire to feel embraced by the new garden.

  • A backyard with a grassy lawn, a stone patio, a partially constructed wooden pergola, a covered outdoor table, and a view of trees and houses in the distance under a cloudy sky.

    NEW GARDEN

    Small development of new build housing on the edge of a local village. Garden is a little exposed to wind and has a unique shape. Soft landscaping and planting design to bring colour and personality, detracting from neighbours and opening the view to the fields beyond.

SEE OUR PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS
FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

Design for biodiversity & sustainable design

Close-up of tall blue and white flowers with a bumblebee on the bottom flower, set against a background of green leaves and sunlight.
A garden bed with various green leafy plants, including pink flowers on thin tall stems, surrounded by a Corten steel border, next to a tiled patio with sunlight and shadows.
A weaved hazel and willow fence with a dark green wooden fence in the background, beside a gravel pathway and some leafy bushes.

As design responds to our deepening understanding of how we are entwined with the natural world, we as a studio are positioning ourselves at the forefront of this movement by adapting our design approach to one that is driven by biodiversity. With sustainability being a given, we trust in our design process as one that holds true for now and for the future, one which sits seamlessly in both its built and natural landscape.

 

  • We have always known that to be truly sustainable we had to ensure that biodiversity of a site was researched, understood and considered in our designs. We have seen over time how this approach has transformed the positive impact that our designs have and as a result we have positioned ourselves at the forefront of what we call Design for Biodiversity.

    Our site analysis work on flora and fauna details what exists and is intrinsic to the space, what should be here, and how we can enhance and improve the balance.

    We apply this approach to any size space.

  • We hear about sustainability but what does that mean in real terms? Our key considerations for any project are:

    Carbon Impact of materials and the build - Where are our materials coming from. How much land disturbance do we intend. How do we utilise our waste products.

    Environmental impact of design process - Appropriate use of time onsite. Competent organisation of projects to maximise our time onsite.

    Transport impact - Machinery usage onsite. Number of deliveries required to site. Number of workers onsite.

    Plant growth impact - Where are our plants coming from and what impact does their growth and transport have on the environment. How have our plants been grown, are they peat-free and pesticide free. What success rate do we expect from our mature trees, shrubs and hedging.

    Local artisans - Can we support our local heritage skills and employment by using artisans and materials that have a rooted history in our area. Can we ensure the survival of key skilled tradespeople. What positive impact can we have on our local community.