I design gardens that feel like they have always been there. Naturalistic, wildlife-rich, and generous to look after.

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I came to garden design the long way round. Ten years as an intellectual property lawyer in London taught me a lot about protecting other people's creative work, and eventually that I wanted to do some of my own. I traded the desk for a spade, earning my RHS Certificate in Practical Horticulture at Ryton Organic Gardens, before taking the full leap: a year at Hampton Court Palace on the KLC Diploma in Garden Design, graduating with Distinction and two of the year's seven awards.

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Eight years at Ann-Marie Powell Gardens followed, working on private residences of every scale, spa hotel gardens, and commissions for the RHS at Chelsea and Wisley. In July 2026 I founded Mary Guinness Garden and Landscape Design, my own studio in Hampshire.

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What the studio stands for

• Naturalistic planting that supports wildlife and looks alive in every season.

• Sustainability on every plot: reclaimed materials, composting, and rainwater harvesting as standard.

• No artificial turf. Ever.

• Gardens that earn their keep year-round, not just for one perfect week in June.

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I design private gardens from 100 square metres to several acres, and love the projects where architecture, interiors, and landscape get to speak to each other properly.

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If that sounds like the garden you have been quietly imagining, I would love to hear from you.