Harry Holding
Growing up in a family of horticulturalists I’ve had my hands in the soil from a young age and developed a deep love and connection with the natural world. After working in Australia and across the UK for other designers, landscape firms and nurseries, in 2015 I set up a design and maintenance company based in London. In 2018 I was awarded a scholarship to study at the prestigious London College of Garden Design, Kew Gardens, graduating with a distinction and the college award for Top Student of the year. I have recently been selected for the ’30 Under 30′ award by Pro Landscaper magazine – 30 ‘rising stars’ within the industry under the age of 30. I’m a Pre-Registered member of the Society of Garden Designers and our work has recently featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs 2021 series.
Biography:
Harry Holding Garden Design: a forward thinking, environmentally conscious design & maintenance company. Based in London, we work across the UK and internationally. (Instagram: harryholdingdesign)
As a studio, we develop strong designs which use local, sustainable materials and innovative planting schemes to create bold, immersive and enchanting spaces. A signature blend of the contemporary with the natural delivers a juxtaposition between built form and naturalistic planting, crafting gardens which inspire and charm.
Working with our clients and listening to their needs, we design gardens to fit their context and surrounding environments. Taking inspiration from local landscape, architecture and plant communities the new schemes are firmly rooted to place. With a strong focus on spatial composition, form, textures and design details, our gardens deliver year round. From the vibrant, colourful height of summer to the cool, crisp depths of winter our clients enjoy their gardens throughout the year and delight in the ever evolving space.
Our designs are inspired by my own observations of plant communities in their natural environments around the world. Seeing how nature perfectly crafts stunning landscapes and plant combinations, I distill this into the designed form through ecological planting schemes and innovative uses of natural materials.
Sustainability and resilience is at the core of what we do, all the way from design concepts to our aftercare practices we aim to minimise our environmental impact and carbon footprint. Sourcing locally, planting to create rich, biodiverse ecosystems and employing organic gardening principles – our gardens are designed to last and enhance the lives of our clients and the natural world.
To see our instagram account (@harryholdingdesign) please click on the link below.
A series of gardens around an innovative property in Fulham Cemetery – the house is soon to be featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs. The garden spaces required a sensitive treatment, a design which would enhance the bold, contemporary architecture whilst paying respect to the original Neo-Gothic building. To sit comfortably within its context a dialogue has been established with the cemetery that lies beyond the boundaries – a wild, 8 acre green space in inner London.
Below are some images from the woodland garden and green roof, freshly planted. The courtyard and front gardens are currently under construction.
Completion: December 2020
A contemporary garden for a family in South London. As the children were growing up, the clients had reclaimed their outdoor space and wanted a garden in which they could entertain and unwind after a busy week at work. A large terrace with statement pots allows for al fresco dining whilst a generous sunset decking delivers a space for evening drinks and nights spent around the fire. Sculptural pebbles bring a unity to the different spaces and act as seats – places to perch and soak up a fresh perspective on the garden. The planting is naturalistic and wildlife friendly, softening the sharp geometry employed in the hard landscaping. A bespoke shed incorporates green walls and a green roof, making it a decorative yet functional feature. The lawn is enjoyed by the resident pooch and strips of wildflowers allow for the transition from grass to perennial planting.
Completion: October 2019
The client’s brief for Long Barn was to create a world in its own right. A wellness retreat with a focus on connection with nature and personal development through yoga, meditation and eco-therapy activities. The retreat is to be entirely off-grid and sustainable at its core, with a contemporary feel. The 22 acre site is nestled into the hills of the Wye Valley and has breath taking views out to the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Guests can take part in a host of different workshops, classes and group activities, immerse themselves in the wild landscape on a number of nature trails, forest bathing paths and stream walks or simply relax with a book, absorbing the serene and tranquil space around them. The permaculture zone creates a secondary hub away from the 200 year old barn, an organic space focused on community, growing and innovation. The hub serves to feed all who dine on the site whilst the forest garden provides foraging treats.
Water is pervasive. Whether it’s enjoying the calm of the ‘flooded courtyard’ reflective pool, swimming in the natural infinity pool, following you down to the lake in the form of a bioswale or stumbling across an awe-inspiring waterfall – it is an omnipresent reminder to be still and calm.
The brief was simple – bold foliage and textural contrasts. Curvaceous borders are filled with tropical and architectural plants intermingled with grasses, ferns and a selection of hard working, flowering perennials. Feature walls allow for a play with light and shadow as the sun moves through the space whilst delivering a spatial divide between the functional and recreational parts of the garden. Order is restored as you get close to the house with large statement pots planted with a simple palette and a raised bed containing a monoculture of agapanthus with a host of Alliums bursting through in late Spring.
A family garden outside of Ascot which is enclosed by woodland. The design takes inspiration from the woodland streams which run alongside the property. A curvaceous, stained timber decking winds through the space and delivers the main landscaped elements – a generous terrace, pathway, seating and a vegetable garden. You journey through different environments as you move through the space – perennial meadow, woodland, a glade opening with grass meadows and a dramatic bog garden. A natural swimming pool, filtered by aquatic plants, is adjoined by an earth shelter which is dug into the land and serves as a pool house / games room. Both create a secondary hub at the bottom of the garden and allow for an immersive experience in nature.
