Emma Holland
I am a garden designer based in Bristol and the Cotswolds, and I also work in London and across the UK.
I believe that gardens should be beautiful, immersive, emotive spaces, designed to meet the needs of those who use them and bursting with a life of their own.
I create contemporary, carefully considered, environmentally sensitive spaces, where nature meets meticulous design and comfortable outdoor living.
My designs respond to a client’s individual needs and preferences and to the context of their home. While each design is completely bespoke, there are commonalities: all have clear geometry, prioritise planting that promotes biodiversity, and use a restrained palette of beautifully textured, natural materials, which complement the character of the site.
My approach to every project is the same. I start by understanding the client’s aspirations for the space, their functional requirements and tastes, then consider the look and feel of the property, existing features and materials within the site and the landscape beyond.
A successful garden design connects effortlessly to the client’s home and sits comfortably in the context that surrounds it.
Biography:
Emma grew up in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and some of her fondest childhood memories are of exploring the fields, streams and hedgerows of the surrounding Cotswolds countryside. A love of the natural world and an appreciation of beauty in nature was formed during those early years.
Emma left her first career in advertising to retrain at the London College of Garden Design and graduated with Distinction.
After graduating, Emma joined multi-award-winning design studio, Artisan Landscapes, where she worked directly with clients as the sole designer on her projects.
She left to establish her own design studio, Emma Holland Gardens, and designs pretty city courtyards, large rural schemes and everything in between.
Instagram: @emmahollandgardens
LinkedIn: @emmahollanduk
This garden was designed to maximise the amount of usable space in this compact city garden, with generous areas of planting ensuring that the garden would feel soft and immersive overall.
It is a south-facing garden and the simple design allows furniture to be moved into sunny or shady positions at different times of the day.
Reclaimed clay paver strip details have been used to complement the red brick boundary walls and create textural interest.
A small water bowl and planting that is attractive to wildlife will help bring this space to life and ensure that it becomes a sanctuary for all.
This steeply sloped Cotswolds garden has two distinct areas; the ‘courtyard’, for outdoor cooking and dining and the sloped ‘upper garden’, designed to maximise key views out towards the landscape.
Generous steps cut through areas of deep planting and lead to a large relaxed seating and fire-pit area, then lead upwards again to a bench seat, orientated at 90 degrees, towards a lovely field of sheep.
Natural paving and walling materials complement the local Cotswolds palette. And two three-part oak pergola structures provide shade and a sense of shelter and enclosure over both seating areas.
This barn conversion presented a ‘blank canvas’ from a design perspective and the site had to be divided into separate garden zones: 1) A driveway and space for parking cars, 2) A front approach/entrance, 3) A private entertaining space adjacent to the main living room and kitchen, leading onto the large lawn beyond.
Limestone walls, pleached and multi-stemmed trees create separation between the different areas of the garden. Four fruitless mulberry trees provide shade over the relaxed seating area in the entertaining courtyard, which also accommodates an outdoor kitchen and large dining table. Additional low stone walls are placed within areas of generous planting providing further seating for larger parties. A water bowl set within pretty gravel planting provides an ambient soundtrack and additional focal point.
