GARDEN DESIGN
Throughout consultancy, planning and design, our team listen to customers and help them realise the full potential of their garden. We focus on using structural elements and space to highlight the strengths in every landscape.
Garden Design
The Nicholsons Design Studio has been designing beautiful gardens for 20 years. Founded by Managing Director, Liz Nicholson, the design team have produced award winning gardens, celebrating the hidden potential in every landscape. Above all, we like to fulfil and exceed our clients’ expectations; we listen carefully to what you hope to achieve and use our experience to produce a unique and bespoke design.
We are best known for work with manor houses, country estates, heritage properties and Oxford town houses for private clients.
The cost of landscaping a garden varies hugely depending on the size of the space and the complexity of the design. As a general guideline, we recommend budgeting a minimum of 10% of your property value for a complete garden construction, with a further 1% put aside for design and survey fees.
Your budget will be discussed from the outset of your enquiry to ensure your design creates a garden that is achievable.
Our company ambition is clear – to work towards Net Zero, offering Plants, Forestry and Landscapes with a core focus on plant health and sustainability.
Our clients tell us that we are fun, professional, caring, responsible, and we are proud that we deliver confident and inspirational garden designs and landscaping.
MERGER WITH LOCKHART GARRATT
We are delighted to be able to offer enhanced garden & landscape design services, as a result of our merger with Lockhart Garratt. To view the additional services that now fall under the Nicholsons Lockhart Garratt offering, please visit our new website through the button below.

Garden Design Portfolio
Our portfolio demonstrates the creativity of our Garden Designers. Here are some examples of the finished gardens. Find inspiration for your garden and get in touch.
Our portfolio includes:
- Country estates
- City gardens
- Rural retreats
Garden Design Process
At Nicholsons, we follow a clear process for all of our Garden Designs, ensuring the utmost quality in our work and focusing on attention to detail.
Our process includes:
- Initial Consultation
- Design Proposal
- Site Survey
- Concept Plan
- Planting Plan
- Lighting and Services Plan
- Detail Plans, Setting Out Drawings etc.
“The design process was personally managed by Liz Nicholson who we found to be creative, straight-talking, a good listener, pragmatic, and balanced in her challenge of our pre-conceived ideas. The visuals that were produced were of a high standard and greatly assisted us in envisaging the end-product. The agreed design was effective in addressing the primary objectives that we had set out before the start of the project.”
“Please pass our thanks on to all of your colleagues who oversaw and implemented Jon’s excellent vision with such great care and attention; every single person we’ve met wearing the ‘Nicholsons Polo’ has been unbelievably polite, professional and generous.
The business you’ve built is truly impressive in every way, it really should be used as an example of excellence for MBA graduates to study.”
“From the start – brilliant throughout. Minimal disruption and you took the time to look after our property. You have done a great job and we are looking forward to the coming months to see the impact on the garden. We hope to continue working with you, an absolute pleasure to deal with”
“I just arrived home this morning and just wanted to say WOW!!, lots going on but what an amazing surprise and transformation, it is looking fabulous fabulous fabulous. Thank you thank you thank you!!”
Can we design or build your garden?
Nicholsons specialise in whole garden projects and would like to hear from you if you have a medium to large garden requiring design or construction. Start your process by filling out the form below, or give us a call on 01869 340342
Nicholsons is accredited by the following official organisations:
Approved contractors of the Safe-contractor scheme, Nicholsons are also accredited with CHAS and Arboricultural Association. The Company recently won an award as Cherwell Established Business of the Year 2019, as well as Oxfordshire Large Business of the Year awards 2019.