Get Inspired! Our Guide to the best Planting Style Resources
How do you start a vision for your garden? Most people think to ask ‘What do I want in my garden?’. This is not a great place to start.
Your first questions should always be; ‘What do I want to do in my garden?’ and ‘How do I want to feel in my garden’. The first question is easy for most; but the latter a little tricky. Relaxed? Energised?
But how will you know what relaxes or energises you if you don’t know anything about your tastes and psychological wiring. Innate psychological wiring responses to planting styles are a whole other post. Super interesting but for the individual largely irrelevant. The best place for you to start is by exposing yourself to different styles. How do you feel when you look at airy atmospheric grasses? How do you feel when you look at the formality, tidiness and structure of a modern scheme? Does monotone colour planting make you relaxed? Does that feel good? How does yellow make you feel?
The more you look - the more you will know; and its quite a quick process to identify your likes and dislikes. So read below for a quick guide to some of our favourite resources for discovering and researching planting styles. Whether you’re planning a full garden refresh or just want to explore new ideas, these are our go-to places for inspiration and some style-exposure.
Browse the Best
A brilliant resource by Shoot Gardening allows you to browse past Chelsea Flower Show Gardens, many complete with detailed plant lists. It’s an incredible way to expose yourself to a variety of styles, explore real-world planting combinations and see how top designers bring texture, colour and structure together.
Garden Gallery
Renowned garden photographer Marianne Majerus has created one of the most comprehensive visual archives of gardens anywhere in the world - over 130,000 beautifully referenced images.
Her website is a treasure trove for anyone wanting to study style and planting harmony. You can search by plant name to see how its combined with other plants, or browse her Galleries section to explore gardens by theme, setting or design style. Perfect for seeing the same plant in different contexts, and discovering what really works together.
Visit: www.marianne-majerus.com
The Joy of Print
There’s something timeless about a quiet morning, a cup of coffee, and a good garden magazine. Print remains one of the most inspiring and relaxing ways to explore ideas.
Our favourite reads to for browsing planting styles include:
Gardens Illustrated – refined design and planting inspiration.
The English Garden – beautifully photographed traditional and contemporary gardens.
House & Garden – a blend of interiors, lifestyle and outdoor inspiration.
Gardeners’ World Magazine – practical, down-to-earth advice for gardeners of every level.
Social Media Inspiration
Instagram remains one of the most active and creative spaces for the garden community. Start by following the print publications above - their posts showcase a variety of designers and styles. As you interact with your favourites, the algorithm will begin to suggest similar designers and gardens, helping you naturally refine your sense of style.
To explore a wide range of professional work, follow the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) - a great way to find UK-based professionals and real-world projects.
Other great platforms include:
Pinterest – endless planting photography and garden moodboards. Perfect for collecting ideas, though do watch out for AI-generated images if you’re using them as real-life planting references. This is best for initial inspiration and exploring gut reaction to styles; rather than detail planning.
Houzz – an unexpected but excellent resource for relatable, domestic-scale garden transformations. You can filter by size, style and location, or browse the Stories and Photos sections for inspiring articles and real gardens.
And of course you should follow us too!
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Once you’ve gathered your inspiration, we can turn your ideas into a planting plan that suits your garden, lifestyle and level of experience. Explore our Consultation Packages to see how The Plant Nursery can bring your favourite style to life.
Or have you caught the bug and designed your planting yourself? Great Job! We can help here too by sourcing your plants direct from trade.