Hero photo — a lush, finished garden at golden hour (wide, landscape)
Garden design & landscaping

Terra
Preta

good earth, patient hands

Gardens that feel like home.

We design, build and look after gardens you'll want to live in — not just look at.

Scroll to step through
Terra preta · dark earth

Terra preta is the rich, living soil that made the Amazon bloom. Every garden we make begins the same way — with good earth, a little patience, and our hands in the dirt.

We're a small team based in Basingstoke, working across Hampshire, Surrey and London. We take on a handful of gardens a year so each one gets the care it deserves.

From the first cup of tea at your kitchen table to the last plant in the ground, you'll deal with the same people the whole way through.

Then, if you like, we'll keep coming back — regular maintenance at a standard £30 an hour, so the garden grows up with you.

What we do

Everything a garden needs, under one roof.

All services →
Regular maintenance
£30per hour

The usual work of keeping a garden well, at a standard rate. Weekly, fortnightly or as you need us.

  • All weeding
  • Bed tidying and clearance
  • Lawn mowing and edging
  • Leaf clearance
  • Compost management
  • Moving pots and garden furniture
  • Deadheading and removing dead branches
  • Watering
Higher-skill work

Quoted, or priced at a higher rate depending on the labour involved. Invoices break down material costs where relevant — and we always work in line with you.

Plans you can picture yourself in.
01
01

Pruning

Formative, restorative and routine pruning for shrubs, hedges and trees. Done with the plant's health in mind, not just the tidy-up. Starting at £34.50 per hour.

From £34.50ph · Shrubs · Hedges · TreesExplore →
02

Chainsaw reduction & felling

Crown reductions, removals and felling of trees that have outgrown their place. Quoted per job, with everything cleared away afterwards.

Quoted · Reduction · Felling · ClearanceExplore →
03

Garden design & planting schemes

We start at your kitchen table, not a drawing board. A proper plan for how you'll use the space, then planting schemes chosen for your soil, light and the seasons.

Quoted · Concept · Planting planExplore →
04

Lawn renewal & care

Professional lawn care: scarification, aeration and fertilisation programmes, plus full renewal where a lawn has given up. Proper groundwork so it looks good in year five, not just week one.

Quoted · Scarification · Aeration · FertilisationExplore →
05

Drainage & trenching

Drainage solutions for soggy lawns, waterlogged beds and standing water — trenching, soakaways and channels that quietly do their job.

Quoted · Soakaways · Channels · TrenchingExplore →
06

Jetwashing

Jetwashing in any capacity — stone, brick, timber, render. Moss, algae and years of grime gone in an afternoon.

Quoted · Patios · Decking · PathsExplore →
07

Watering systems & irrigation

Drip lines, sprinklers and timers designed around your planting — so the garden survives a heatwave and a fortnight away.

Quoted · Drip · Sprinklers · TimersExplore →
08

Weed & pest control

Chemical application to weeds and pests by a licensed operator — approved for industrial-grade herbicide, insecticide and fungicide use. Used sparingly, and only where it's the right answer.

Quoted · Licensed · Herbicide · Insecticide · FungicideExplore →
09

Hard landscaping

The bones of a garden: fencing, decking, patios, walls, raised beds and digger work. Honest materials, built to last, with material costs broken down on the invoice.

Quoted · Fencing · Decking · Patios · Walls · Digger workExplore →
10

Indoor planting & bio walls

Planting and ongoing care for houseplants, offices and interiors, plus living walls and vertical planting for tight spaces and blank façades, with irrigation designed in from the start. The right plants for the light you've got, kept looking their best.

Quoted · Homes · Offices · Living walls · IrrigationExplore →
11

Flower bouquets & installations

Residential and commercial flower bouquets and installations — from a weekly arrangement to a full display for a launch or a wedding.

Quoted · Residential · Commercial · EventsExplore →
12

Training wire systems

We install tensioned wire frameworks to support climbing and wall-trained plants. Using stainless-steel or galvanised wires, we create neat, adjustable structures that encourage healthy growth and a structured appearance for your plants.

Quoted · Stainless steel · Galvanised · ClimbersExplore →
13

Assisted gardening

Work alongside us in the garden, with tools and expert guidance provided. Ideal if you enjoy gardening but want support with heavier or more technical tasks, or wish to build confidence in your own skills.

Hourly · Tools provided · Expert guidanceExplore →
Before & after

One back garden, from bare soil to lawn.

Drag the handle
Before — June 2024, stripped and levelled
After — October 2025, same doorway
Before After
Photo — hands planting, close up, warm light
Our story

I left a corporate career in 2018 to do the work I was born to do.

Since then: training under Europe's leading hosta nurseries, A‑list clients, prestigious flower shows. But what drives it is simpler — giving people back their gardens.

A garden should grow with your family, support your wellbeing, and stay accessible no matter what life brings. Every project starts with one question: how can this space serve you best?

Read our story →
Kind words

From the people who live in them.

Kind words from our clients, coming soon.

Good questions

Things people usually ask us.

Regular maintenance is a standard £30 an hour. Higher-skill work is either quoted or priced at a higher rate depending on the labour involved — pruning starts at £34.50 an hour. Invoices break down material costs where relevant, and we always work in line with you.

Design usually takes 4–8 weeks. Builds run from a fortnight to a few months depending on size. Planting waits for the right season — spring and autumn, mostly.

We're based in Basingstoke and work across Hampshire, Surrey and London. If you're a little further and the project is right, ask — we've travelled for good ones.

Absolutely. Plenty of people have the bones of a garden and just want it to come alive. We love those jobs.

If you'd like us to. Most of our clients keep us on for seasonal or monthly visits, so the garden grows into the plan rather than away from it.

Let's talk gardens

Got a patch of earth and a vague idea? Perfect.

Start a conversation →
Services

From the first sketch to the last Sunday mow.

Regular maintenance at a standard rate, and twelve kinds of higher-skill work — quoted, or priced by the labour involved. One team, one conversation, start to finish.

Scroll to read →
Standard rate

Regular maintenance

£30per hour

The usual work of keeping a garden well — weekly, fortnightly or as you need us. Everything listed here is covered at the standard rate.

  • All weeding
  • Bed tidying and clearance
  • Lawn mowing and edging
  • Leaf clearance
  • Compost management
  • Moving pots and garden furniture
  • Deadheading and removing dead branches
  • Watering
Pruning — Shrubs, hedges and trees — shaped at the right time of year. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
01Higher-skill work

Pruning

Shrubs, hedges and trees — shaped at the right time of year.

Formative, restorative and routine pruning for shrubs, hedges and trees. Done with the plant's health in mind, not just the tidy-up. Starting at £34.50 per hour.

From £34.50ph · Shrubs · Hedges · Trees
Ask about this →
Chainsaw reduction & felling — The big jobs, done safely. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
02Higher-skill work

Chainsaw reduction & felling

The big jobs, done safely.

Crown reductions, removals and felling of trees that have outgrown their place. Quoted per job, with everything cleared away afterwards.

Quoted · Reduction · Felling · Clearance
Ask about this →
Garden design & planting schemes — Plans you can picture yourself in. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
03Higher-skill work

Garden design & planting schemes

Plans you can picture yourself in.

We start at your kitchen table, not a drawing board. A proper plan for how you'll use the space, then planting schemes chosen for your soil, light and the seasons.

Quoted · Concept · Planting plan
Ask about this →
Lawn renewal & care — Scarify, aerate, feed — a lawn that lasts. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
04Higher-skill work

Lawn renewal & care

Scarify, aerate, feed — a lawn that lasts.

Professional lawn care: scarification, aeration and fertilisation programmes, plus full renewal where a lawn has given up. Proper groundwork so it looks good in year five, not just week one.

Quoted · Scarification · Aeration · Fertilisation
Ask about this →
Drainage & trenching — Dry feet, healthy roots. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
05Higher-skill work

Drainage & trenching

Dry feet, healthy roots.

Drainage solutions for soggy lawns, waterlogged beds and standing water — trenching, soakaways and channels that quietly do their job.

Quoted · Soakaways · Channels · Trenching
Ask about this →
Jetwashing — Patios, decks and paths, brought back. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
06Higher-skill work

Jetwashing

Patios, decks and paths, brought back.

Jetwashing in any capacity — stone, brick, timber, render. Moss, algae and years of grime gone in an afternoon.

Quoted · Patios · Decking · Paths
Ask about this →
Watering systems & irrigation — Water where it's needed, when it's needed. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
07Higher-skill work

Watering systems & irrigation

Water where it's needed, when it's needed.

Drip lines, sprinklers and timers designed around your planting — so the garden survives a heatwave and a fortnight away.

Quoted · Drip · Sprinklers · Timers
Ask about this →
Weed & pest control — Licensed, targeted, effective. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
08Higher-skill work

Weed & pest control

Licensed, targeted, effective.

Chemical application to weeds and pests by a licensed operator — approved for industrial-grade herbicide, insecticide and fungicide use. Used sparingly, and only where it's the right answer.

Quoted · Licensed · Herbicide · Insecticide · Fungicide
Ask about this →
Hard landscaping — Fencing, decking, patios, walls and raised beds. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
09Higher-skill work

Hard landscaping

Fencing, decking, patios, walls and raised beds.

The bones of a garden: fencing, decking, patios, walls, raised beds and digger work. Honest materials, built to last, with material costs broken down on the invoice.

Quoted · Fencing · Decking · Patios · Walls · Digger work
Ask about this →
Indoor planting & bio walls — Green inside, too — from houseplants to living walls. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
10Higher-skill work

Indoor planting & bio walls

Green inside, too — from houseplants to living walls.

Planting and ongoing care for houseplants, offices and interiors, plus living walls and vertical planting for tight spaces and blank façades, with irrigation designed in from the start. The right plants for the light you've got, kept looking their best.

Quoted · Homes · Offices · Living walls · Irrigation
Ask about this →
Flower bouquets & installations — For homes, events and businesses. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
11Higher-skill work

Flower bouquets & installations

For homes, events and businesses.

Residential and commercial flower bouquets and installations — from a weekly arrangement to a full display for a launch or a wedding.

Quoted · Residential · Commercial · Events
Ask about this →
Training wire systems — Neat, adjustable support for climbers. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
12Higher-skill work

Training wire systems

Neat, adjustable support for climbers.

We install tensioned wire frameworks to support climbing and wall-trained plants. Using stainless-steel or galvanised wires, we create neat, adjustable structures that encourage healthy growth and a structured appearance for your plants.

Quoted · Stainless steel · Galvanised · Climbers
Ask about this →
Assisted gardening — Garden alongside us, with tools and guidance provided. Terra Preta Landscapes, Basingstoke
13Higher-skill work

Assisted gardening

Garden alongside us, with tools and guidance provided.

Work alongside us in the garden, with tools and expert guidance provided. Ideal if you enjoy gardening but want support with heavier or more technical tasks, or wish to build confidence in your own skills.

Hourly · Tools provided · Expert guidance
Ask about this →
Straight answers

What it costs.

No packages, no call-out fee. One standard rate for the everyday work, a slightly higher one where the skill demands it, and a written quote for the rest. Materials are always itemised.

Regular maintenance
£30per hour
Pruning & hedges
£34.50per hour
Design, build & tree work
Quotedper job
Site visit
Freeby appointment
Not sure what you need?

That's normal. Most people aren't.

Send a few photos and tell us how you'd like to use the space. We'll come round, walk it with you, and suggest where to start.

Gardens

Gardens we've grown up with.

The gardens we look after year round across Hampshire, Surrey and London: pruned, fed, mown and edged on regular visits, so they keep their shape season after season.

Farmhouse Garden — Regular maintenance, Wall-trained roses, Fruit trees, a garden we look after in Hampshire

Farmhouse Garden

Regular maintenance · Wall-trained roses · Fruit trees

A white farmhouse with a gravel sweep, young fruit trees set into the lawn and climbers on the walls. We keep it in order through the year: the roses pruned and tied in, the tree circles mulched, the gravel raked clean and the lawn edges kept sharp.

Cottage Garden — Regular maintenance, Borders, Lawn, Bulbs, a garden we look after in Hampshire

Cottage Garden

Regular maintenance · Borders · Lawn · Bulbs

A timber-framed cottage whose beds had gone to seed. Now under regular care: lawn edges kept crisp, the borders weeded and fed, the drive raked, and bulbs planted each autumn so spring opens with daffodils.

Family Garden — Regular maintenance, Clipping, Beds, Patio care, a garden we look after in Hampshire

Family Garden

Regular maintenance · Clipping · Beds · Patio care

A family garden front and back, with sleeper walls, gravel beds and a sandstone patio by the outbuilding. We look after it season by season: the evergreens clipped, the beds kept clean, the patio washed down and the fences treated.

Hidden Forest Garden — Pond care, Planting, Pruning, Lighting, a garden we look after in Hampshire

Hidden Forest Garden

Pond care · Planting · Pruning · Lighting

A wildlife pond edged in stone, a granite-sett path, Japanese maples and low lighting, tucked away behind the house. We keep the pond clear, the maples shaped, the planting thinned and fed, and the lighting working through the dark months. The garden we keep coming back to photograph.

Tiered Garden — Regular maintenance, Clipping, Planting, a garden we look after in Hampshire

Tiered Garden

Regular maintenance · Clipping · Planting

Stone terraces and rendered walls stepping down a corner plot. Regular visits keep the photinia and grasses in shape, the bay clipped at the gate, and every tier weeded and tidy for year-round structure.

Established Garden — Regular maintenance, Fruit trees, Borders, Lawn, a garden we look after in Hampshire

Established Garden

Regular maintenance · Fruit trees · Borders · Lawn

A mature garden with good bones: old apple trees, a curving paved path, trellis boundaries, raised stone beds by the terrace and a painted summerhouse at the far end. We keep it in shape through the year, pruning the fruit trees in winter, the borders weeded and fed, the trellis climbers tied in, and the lawn mown and edged along the path.

Mature Rural Garden — Regular maintenance, Hedges, Gravel beds, Greenhouse, a garden we look after in Hampshire

Mature Rural Garden

Regular maintenance · Hedges · Gravel beds · Greenhouse

A bungalow on a country lane with a long beech hedge along the verge, purple-leaved cherries, sleeper-edged gravel beds round a bird bath, a greenhouse and a decked seating area full of pots. We keep it all in order through the year: the hedge cut clean to the road, the shrubs shaped, the gravel beds weeded and the pots and greenhouse looked after as the seasons turn.

Common Land Backing Garden — Regular maintenance, Hedges, Lawn, Drive, a garden we look after in Hampshire

Common Land Backing Garden

Regular maintenance · Hedges · Lawn · Drive

A big lawn running down to a clipped hedge, with mature trees and open common land beyond it. We look after the whole plot on regular visits: the hedge kept square, the lawn mown and edged, the white raised beds and the border under the birch weeded and refreshed, and the gravel drive raked and kept clear of self-seeders.

Projects

Built from the ground up.

One-off builds and transformations around Basingstoke, Hampshire and Surrey: patios lifted and re-laid, fences rebuilt, lawns renewed, front gardens re-landscaped.

Patio Lay & Fence Build — Patio, Fencing, Gravel, a landscaping project in Hampshire

Patio Lay & Fence Build

Patio · Fencing · Gravel

A bare strip behind a new-build turned into somewhere to sit: a paved patio off the French doors, a slatted timber fence for privacy, and gravel to tie it together.

Reclaiming the Fence Line — Site clearance, Chainsaw work, Fencing, a landscaping project in Hampshire

Reclaiming the Fence Line

Site clearance · Chainsaw work · Fencing

Years of bramble and self-seeded scrub had swallowed the boundary behind a row of houses. Cleared back to open ground, with the fence line uncovered and made good.

Fence Repair and Gravel — Fencing, Jetwashing, Gravel, Sleepers, a landscaping project in Hampshire

Fence Repair and Gravel

Fencing · Jetwashing · Gravel · Sleepers

A slatted fence gone green and a garden that had lost its shape. Panels repaired and cleaned, new sleepers to hold the levels, and a gravel terrace ready for planting.

A Lawn, Renewed — Lawn renewal, Turf, Borders, a landscaping project in Hampshire

A Lawn, Renewed

Lawn renewal · Turf · Borders

A narrow town garden whose lawn had given up. Stripped, levelled and re-turfed, with the borders tidied around it. A year on it stripes up like a bowling green.

Hedges and a New Border — Hedge cutting, Planting, Lawn, a landscaping project in Hampshire

Hedges and a New Border

Hedge cutting · Planting · Lawn

A new fence-line border planted up while the lawn recovered from a dry summer, and the big laurel hedge on the corner cut back to a clean shape before winter.

Front Garden Re-landscape — Front garden redesign, Lawn, Trees, Lighting, a landscaping project in Hampshire

Front Garden Re-landscape

Front garden redesign · Lawn · Trees · Lighting

Slate chippings and a straggly shrub bed replaced with a simple lawn, a pair of standard trees, clipped evergreens and discreet lighting to suit a smart brick frontage.

Patio Complete Lift & Re-lay — Patio, Paving, Sub-base, a landscaping project in Hampshire

Patio Complete Lift & Re-lay

Patio · Paving · Sub-base

An overgrown terrace behind a town house, lifted in full, the sub-base rebuilt and levelled, then re-laid with a circular sandstone feature at its heart. Room for a table, a parasol and the pots.

Patio and Fence, Rebuilt — Patio, Fencing, Raised bed, a landscaping project in Hampshire

Patio and Fence, Rebuilt

Patio · Fencing · Raised bed

The old fence and broken paving came out, a proper sub-base went in, and the garden got a new slate-grey patio, fresh panels and a raised bed for vegetables.

Back Garden Clearance — Clearance, Ground preparation, Burning off, a landscaping project in Hampshire

Back Garden Clearance

Clearance · Ground preparation · Burning off

A long, narrow terrace garden that had been left to go: knee-deep grass, brambles, old carpet and a leaning fence panel. Cleared to bare earth in a day, the waste burnt off on site and the ground raked level, ready for whatever comes next.

Hedges, Trees and a Tidy — Hedge cutting, Pruning, Tree work, a landscaping project in Hampshire

Hedges, Trees and a Tidy

Hedge cutting · Pruning · Tree work

A summer job to bring an overgrown plot back under control: hedges cut hard and square, shrubs lifted and shaped, and a standing dead trunk kept as a feature for the wildlife.

Our story

For as long as I can remember, I've felt most at home outdoors.

Nature wasn't just a backdrop to my childhood — it was where I learned, dreamed, and found peace.

Photo — the founder in a garden, candid, wide
2018The leap

“I packed in the career I'd been told to want and took a leap of faith into the work I was born to do.”

That lifelong connection to the natural world eventually led me to a crossroads: stay on a corporate path that no longer fit, or follow a deeper calling. I chose the latter.

From corporate life to creating gardens with purpose

That leap has taken us from training under one of Europe's leading hosta nurseries, competing at prestigious flower shows, to working with multiple A‑list clients. Along the way, we've refined a craft that blends horticultural expertise with thoughtful design and care — but none of that matters as much as what drives it: giving people back their gardens.

We believe a garden should be more than a pretty space. It should be a place that grows with your family, supports your wellbeing, and remains accessible no matter what life brings. Whether that means reimagining a compact plot for a young family, or arranging landscape designs for estates old and new, every project starts with the same question: how can this space serve you best?

The rest you can leave to us — or stay involved as much as you like. We work closely with clients at whatever level they prefer, even holding assisted gardening sessions for those who want to dig, plant and learn alongside our team. We listen carefully to your comments and requirements, and adapt our work accordingly. Your home is your sanctuary, and our job is to make your garden feel the same.

What we do

Gardens that serve the people in them.

All services →
01

Garden redesigns for growing families

Safe, durable, low‑maintenance spaces that evolve with your needs.

02

Accessible gardens and assisted gardening

Level pathways, raised beds, gentle ramps, seating and lighting so you can move confidently — and assisted gardening sessions if you'd like to dig, plant and learn alongside us.

03

Planting plans and horticultural care

Informed by training with top European nurseries and a love of plants that perform through the seasons.

04

Bespoke projects for discerning clients

From private retreats to high‑profile residences, delivered with discretion and precision.

Portrait — founder
Based in Basingstoke

Serving Hampshire, Surrey and London.

Wherever we are, the approach is the same: listen carefully, design thoughtfully, and build gardens that feel like they've always belonged to you.

Hampshire Surrey London
Since 2018Making gardens
Europe's bestHosta nurseries trained
Show gardensFlower-show competitor
Start a conversation →
Say hello

Tell us about your garden.

No plan needed. A few photos and a rough idea of what you'd love to do with the space is plenty to get us started. We'll come round, have a look, and talk it through over a cuppa. Site visits are by appointment only, so drop us a line first.

info@terrapretalandscapes.com 01256 958098 Basingstoke · Hampshire, Surrey & London
Mon – Fri, 8am – 5pm
Site visits by appointment only
What are you dreaming of?

We only use your details to reply to you. Privacy policy.

Privacy policy

How we look after your details.

The short version: we only collect what we need to reply to you and do the work, we never sell it, and you can ask us to delete it at any time.

Terms & conditions

The terms we work to.

Plain-English terms for using this website and for the garden work we do. If anything here is unclear, ask us before we start and we'll put it in writing.

Cookie policy

Cookies? None, actually.

This site doesn't set any cookies, run analytics or carry advertising. Here's what does happen when you visit, so there are no surprises.

Page not found

This path has gone to seed.

The page you were after isn't here any more, or the link took a wrong turn at the compost heap. The garden's still where it always was.