Studio Hummingbird -Designing Gardens to Inspire

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Studio Hummingbird -Designing Gardens to Inspire

Studio Hummingbird offers garden and landscape design at affordable prices www.studiohummingbird.com

17/06/2026

This plant is clinically proven to reduce anxiety. And it asks almost nothing in return.

Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' is the ultimate wellbeing plant. The RHS research in 'Your Wellbeing Garden' dedicates a whole section to lavender's impact on the nervous system — it genuinely reduces cortisol, lowers heart rate, and improves sleep quality.

And it does all this while being drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly, evergreen, and gorgeous.

🌿 DESIGN TIPS:
→ Plant in full sun — the hotter and drier, the more oil it produces (and the more it smells)
→ Use as low hedging along paths — brush against it every time you walk past
→ 'Hidcote' is compact (45cm) with deep purple flowers — perfect for small gardens
→ Never cut into old wood — trim after flowering and again lightly in spring

🌱 COMPANION PLANTS:
→ Rosmarinus officinalis — same conditions, same Mediterranean palette
→ Santolina chamaecyparissus — silver mounds, yellow buttons, textural contrast
→ Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' — classic pink + lavender purple = timeless combination
→ Eryngium bourgatii — spiky blue thistles, same drought love
→ Perovskia 'Blue Spire' — extends the blue/purple season into late summer

Do you have lavender by your front door or in your back garden?

📖 'Your Wellbeing Garden' (RHS, 2020) — Ch. 'The Powerful Impact of Scent'

16/06/2026

A client once told me she hadn't slept properly in two years.

Not because of noise or stress — though there was plenty of that. Because her garden felt wrong. She'd moved into a new-build and the space outside her bedroom window was bare, exposed, overlooked. She never opened the curtains.

We changed three things: we planted a small multi-stem birch for dappled shade and gentle movement. We added Sarcococca along the path beneath the window — its winter scent drifts in when the window is cracked open. And we built a low, soft boundary of ornamental grasses that rustles in the breeze.

Six weeks later she messaged me: 'I sleep with the window open now.'

The RHS book 'Your Wellbeing Garden' by Griffiths, Keightley, Gatti & Allaway explains why this works — scent, sound, and a sense of enclosure all activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The part of you that says: you're safe. You can rest now.

A garden isn't just outside your house. It's part of how you live inside it.

Has your garden ever affected how you sleep?

📖 'Your Wellbeing Garden' (RHS, 2020)

💬 If you'd like to talk about how your garden could work harder for your wellbeing, book a free Discovery Call — link in the first comment.

15/06/2026

A healing garden isn't just about looking beautiful — it's about how it makes you feel.

These are the 5 elements I consider in every wellbeing-focused design:

🌊 Water — the sound alone lowers blood pressure
🌿 Scent — lavender, jasmine, honeysuckle at nose height
🍃 Texture — ferns, lamb's ear, mosses that invite touch
🏡 Shelter — pergolas, hedges, tree canopy for enclosure
💨 Movement — grasses swaying, leaves shimmering, water rippling

You don't need a huge garden to include all five. Even a small courtyard can have a bubbling bowl, a scented climber, and textured planting.

Which element does your garden need most? Tell me in the comments 👇

12/06/2026

'I just need somewhere to sit.'

That's what Susan told me when we first spoke. She'd downsized from a 4-bed detached family home to a 2-bed bungalow after 30 years. The garden was small, north-facing, and overlooked on three sides.

But it wasn't really about a seat. It was about losing the space where she'd raised her children.

What she needed wasn't a bench. She needed a garden that felt like hers again.

We created privacy with multi-level planting that didn't block the light. A scented corner with jasmine and rosemary by the back door. A curved path that made the space feel twice its size. And yes — a beautiful seat, positioned exactly where the afternoon sun hits.

Eight weeks later she sent me a photo. Tea in hand. Cat on lap. 'I sit here every morning. I'd forgotten what this feels like.'

Downsizing doesn't mean downgrading your outdoor life. It means designing it with more intention.

If your new garden doesn't feel like home yet — I'd love to create one.

💬 Book a free Discovery Call: https://studio-hummingbird.moxieapp.com/public/garden-design-discovery-call-30-minutes

10/06/2026

Plant Spotlight of the Week: Salvia nemorosa

Some plants earn their place in a garden through sheer reliability.

Salvia nemorosa is one of them.

From early summer onwards, its upright spires of violet-blue flowers bring colour, structure, and movement to a border. But what I appreciate most about this plant isn't just its appearance, it's the way it quietly connects everything around it.

The vertical flower spikes draw the eye upwards, creating rhythm throughout a planting scheme, while the rich purple tones sit beautifully alongside soft pinks, whites, and silvery foliage.

It's also a favourite with pollinators, attracting bees and other beneficial insects throughout the flowering season.

At a time of year when many people are struggling with hay fever and seasonal allergies, it's worth noting that Salvia nemorosa is primarily insect-pollinated rather than wind-pollinated.

Unlike grasses that release large amounts of airborne pollen, salvias tend to be a more allergy-friendly choice for many gardens.

Like many of the best garden plants, Salvia nemorosa doesn't demand attention.

It simply shows up year after year, bringing colour, structure, wildlife value, and a sense of continuity to the garden.

Sometimes those are the plants that make the biggest difference.

Do you have a favourite plant that never seems to let you down?

Let me know in the comments👇🏻

09/06/2026

When people see a finished garden, it's easy to assume it has always looked that way.

What they don't see are the conversations that came first.

The uncertainty about where to start.

The parts of the garden that weren't working.

The areas that felt disconnected, difficult to maintain, or simply never got used.

This garden was no different.

Before the transformation, it had potential, but it wasn't fully supporting the people who lived there. My role wasn't simply to make it look better, but to understand how the space could better serve their everyday life.

How could it feel calmer?

How could it become easier to use?

How could it encourage people to spend more time outside?

That's what good garden design creates.

Not just a visual transformation, but a change in how a garden supports the way you live.

Looking at these before-and-after images, what stands out isn't just the difference in appearance.

It's the difference in how the space feels.

More welcoming.

More purposeful.

More enjoyable to spend time in.

Because the most successful gardens aren't necessarily the largest or most expensive.

They're the ones that feel right for the people who use them.

What would make the biggest difference to how you use your garden?

I'd like to know in the comments 👇🏼

08/06/2026

There’s a difference between being ready to change your garden…and feeling pressured to do something.

Many gardens don’t need immediate action.

They need understanding first.

A Garden Clarity Call at Studio Hummingbird helps you recognise the right timing, the right priorities, and the right scale of change, whether that’s a full redesign or a small, precise adjustment.

Book your clarity call and I’ll help you see the bigger picture before you commit energy, time, or investment.

Because when direction is clear, progress feels calm, not rushed.

Book your Garden Clarity Call:
https://studio-hummingbird.moxieapp.com/public/studio-hummingbird/discovery-call-30-minutes

05/06/2026

Sustainable gardening is often spoken about as though it’s only about helping wildlife.

But increasingly, I think the most interesting conversation is this:

What if a sustainable garden also helps the people living in it feel better?

A garden that supports pollinators, improves biodiversity, reduces excessive watering, and works with natural systems is valuable environmentally.

But it can also become calmer to live with.

Less maintenance.
Less pressure to control everything.
More seasonal rhythm.
More connection to nature.

Professor Alistair Griffiths and Matt Keightley explore this beautifully in *RHS Your Wellbeing Garden*, writing:

“Your garden is your space, and with a little thought and careful planning you can transform it into a wellbeing haven.”

I think that idea is becoming more relevant than ever.

Many people are moving away from seeing gardens as something to constantly manage and perfect. Instead, they’re looking for spaces that feel restorative, support wildlife, soften the pace of daily life, and create a stronger sense of connection to the natural world.

Sometimes sustainability isn't about adding more.

It's about working more closely with what nature was already trying to do.

Do you think gardens should prioritise wellbeing just as much as aesthetics?

Let me know in the comments👇🏻

04/06/2026

*Creating Gardens for Pollen and Allergy Sufferers*

Hay fever season is well and truly here.

I can certainly relate to it at the moment because my husband is one of the many people affected.

What should be a simple walk through the garden can quickly become a stream of sneezes, itchy eyes, and the constant search for tissues.

It’s a reminder that while many of us look forward to this time of year, not everyone experiences it in quite the same way.

The garden is looking its best. Borders are filling out, plants are thriving, and there’s a real sense of abundance everywhere you look. Yet for allergy sufferers, the season that draws us outdoors can sometimes make being outside feel uncomfortable.

It raises an interesting question: can a garden be designed with allergy sufferers in mind?

The answer is yes.

Not all plants contribute equally to allergy problems.

Wind-pollinated plants, particularly many grasses, release large amounts of pollen into the air.

In contrast, insect-pollinated plants rely on bees and other pollinators to carry pollen, meaning far less is floating around for us to breathe in.

If you're creating a more allergy-friendly garden, consider:

✦ Reducing large areas of flowering grass where possible

✦ Choosing insect-pollinated plants such as roses, salvias, lavender, and many cottage garden favourites

✦ Including hedging, which can help trap airborne particles and create a natural buffer

✦ Keeping lawns well maintained during peak growing periods

✦ Increasing planting diversity rather than relying heavily on one species

What's particularly encouraging is that many of these choices also support sustainable garden design.

Diverse planting schemes encourage biodiversity, support pollinators, and create healthier, more resilient gardens overall.

A garden should support wellbeing in every sense of the word. It should be somewhere that helps you feel better, not somewhere you're rushing back indoors from.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, have you found any plants, design choices, or garden tricks that help make this time of year more enjoyable?

Let me know in the comments👇🏻

03/06/2026

Plant Spotlight of the Week: Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker).

Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) is one of those plants that knows how to make an entrance.

Its tall flower spikes rise above the surrounding planting like glowing torches, bringing warmth, height, and movement to the garden at a time when many other plants begin to fade into the background.

Yet despite its bold appearance, I’ve always felt there’s something surprisingly architectural about Kniphofia. It provides structure without feeling rigid, and drama without becoming overwhelming. The flowers seem to hover above the foliage, catching the light and drawing the eye through a border.

I particularly like using it where a garden needs a vertical accent or a sense of rhythm. It pairs beautifully with ornamental grasses and softer perennials, where the contrast between strong flower spikes and flowing planting creates a natural balance.

Beyond its visual appeal, Kniphofia is also a valuable plant for pollinators, attracting bees and other beneficial insects throughout its flowering season.

Once established, it’s remarkably resilient and asks for very little in return, making it a wonderful choice for gardeners who want impact without constant maintenance.

I often think it’s a reminder that a garden can be bold and elegant at the same time.

Would you find a place for Kniphofia in your garden, or do you prefer softer, more understated planting?

Let me know in the comments👇🏻

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Dereham

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Website

http://www.studiohummingbird.com/, https://studio-hummingbird.moxieapp.com/public/studio-hummingbird/discovery-call-30-m

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