Testimonials

“We live in a terraced house in central Cambridge with a long, quite narrow garden. The garden was extremely ‘basic’ before Anna redesigned it for us – a patio, a lawn, a border and an old outbuilding. Anna worked with us to establish what we wanted – something low-maintenance (we aren’t keen gardeners!), somewhere that would have nice places to sit, and somewhere that would afford shade at different times of the day.”

“We are absolutely delighted with the result. Our garden is transformed. The planting is interesting, there are three lovely seating areas, which means that we can have sun or shade at different times of the day, and and we now have a bespoke, purpose build shed and covered bike-parking area.”

“Anna was a pleasure to work with. She listened carefully to make sure that she understood what we were looking for, produced great plans, was responsive when we made suggestions on the initial design, and oversaw the landscaping and planting very effectively. The whole process went very smoothly indeed, and we absolutely love our new garden. Thank you Anna!”

“Anna has transformed our life, my garden is now an oasis of calm, groundworkers fab and plant selection beautiful, due to a busy work life I asked Anna to choose and position everything however she wanted, the result is sheer perfection. Cannot wait for round 2 in the Autumn. Cheers Anna – one happy bunny”
– Gill Smith

“Dear Anna,
Just a quick line to thank you so much for an extraordinarily wonderful garden. When it was at its worst, I could not envisage anything like this happening and my only problem now is that I have to keep going out there to do little things. This is a first in many years! I have been diligent and am watering everything each night as it looks as we are in for a few days dry spell. We have even managed to get Brenda outside and she has done a full lap of the estate.We are both so grateful to you for what you have done.
Kind regards,”
– Bryan (Chelmsford)

“Dear Anna,
Many thanks for all your hard work. When we moved into the house the grounds had been left as a blank canvas with empty beds, large amounts of turf and a few old fruit trees, sadly neglected. It has been transformed into a lovely orchard and garden. As we are such novice gardeners it was a relief to have your help and guidance, and to be able to leave everything in your capable hands from the design stage, right through to arranging the hard landscaping, choosing the right plants for the soil and site and the planting.
The whole design has been thoughtful and sympathetic to the local area, as well as reflecting what we wanted. The plants you have chosen are delightful, with interest throughout the year, not just to look at but to smell and touch as well. We are looking forward to watching it grow and develop, and can’t wait for the fine weather to begin so we can get out and enjoy it.”
– Tess Forster

“Anna’s job is to make gardens feel better”.
– Maisie, aged 2 and half

“Anna is a very pleasant and approachable person to work with. As a garden designer she is very informed and excitingly for us, always abreast with what is current and interested in the garden world. Thus we have, for example, been able to enjoy the lovely violet blue of a certain hardy Geranium right through into October in the Mediterranean border Anna designed for us, and expect to be as pleased by further transformations that we have asked her to make in the garden. Anna is professional, creative and clearly loves her work. As we do.”

“Anna’s work was superb. She listened to what we wanted, and responded with a creative design that worked with our limited space and finite budget. Her subcontractors worked well, and finished on time. A fantastic garden designer.”
– Cressi Downing

“Anna has helped me enormously with her expert knowledge of plants and gardens, and her creative flair for design. Working within an existing garden layout, she identified plants that would suit my minimalist approach to gardening, and helped to fill gaps with spring colour, whilst giving advice on better care of existing shrubs and perennials. Anna combines her skills with a friendly and approachable manner, and I recommend her highly.”
– Suzanne McBride

“Anna matches perceptive awareness of client-needs with a comprehensive knowledge of plants and materials: synergy and insights essential to effective garden-design. Her detailed understanding of plant habits and habitats speeds the planning and discussion phases; her IT-skills and business-sense consolidate the execution stages. Creativity and sensitivity flourish around Anna. Senses of structure and perspective are inbuilt; she can apply colour and texture in planting as if with a paint-brush! She has the gift to be able to release that creativity in others. Sustainability in working pratices is matched by sincerity in relationships; it was is pleasure to work for and with Anna McArthur and to be in the environs of her work.”
– Angela Brown

“Dear Anna
Thank you for making my garden such a fun and relaxing experience. I love it and have received so many compliments….I can’t wait to see it in spring. Have a wonderful warm winter.”
– Liz

“Anna first started working with us 10 years ago and has designed and tweaked our garden several times. She has always listened to what we have wanted, made helpful suggestions and the results have been great. Our garden is a beautiful space that we enjoy spending time in. She is a pleasure to work with.”

“I just thought I’d show you how splendid our garden is looking (video attached). All credit to you! Thank you – it makes us very happy!”

“Anna, I just wanted to.let you know how much we’ve been enjoying our garden during lockdown. It’s only very small, but with the patio, the swing seat in the sun, and the raised beds and climbers adding height, it really does feel like an oasis. When we were staying in, being able to sit out was amazing, and now that we can socialise a little more, having coffee with a friend across the table feels like a treat. Thank you again for your design work.”

“Dear Anna,
We have loved our garden so much ever since you redesigned it for us, but this year it is even more special as a peaceful retreat from everything that’s going on!
Thank you for your skill!”