Introduction
Book In For My One Hour Garden Advice Session — Only £100
One hour. No jargon. Just good, honest garden help.
Struggling with a garden that feels overwhelming, underwhelming, or just a bit “meh”? Whether it’s a new build blank slate, a tired old patch, or a jungle you’ve inherited — I can help you see it with fresh eyes.
In this one-hour visit, we’ll walk and talk through your garden. You’ll get practical, straight-talking advice on what to keep, what to change, what to plant, and how to make it work for your life, your time, and your budget.
There are no written reports, sketches, or fluff — just real, tailored guidance from an experienced, RHS-qualified designer who knows gardens and loves people.
This session is for you if:
- You’ve just moved and don’t know where to start
- You want to attract more wildlife but don’t want chaos
- You need a family-friendly garden with room to grow
- You’re planning to future-proof your garden and reduce the maintenance
- You’re on a budget but want to avoid costly mistakes.
What people say
Charlotte made me see my garden in a completely new light — and helped me fall back in love with it.
More useful in one hour than months of Googling.
Knowledgeable, kind, and utterly no-nonsense. A breath of fresh air!
How it works
- £100 flat fee *
- One hour on site (Wiltshire and nearby areas)
- No follow-up notes — just you, me, and your garden
- Many clients go on to book full design packages, but there’s no pressure at all
Ready to get unstuck?
- Book your session here
- Or email me at info@capabilitycharlotte.com
* Travel expenses may apply, see terms and conditions for details.
Are you looking for someone to help you create the low maintenance, wildlife-friendly garden of your dreams?
This year would you like to spend more time in your garden without worrying about how it looks?
Do you basically know what you want but are struggling to visualise it?
Well, you've come to the right place, I can help you. With over two decades of experience as a hands-on gardener, garden designer and horticultural adviser for a huge variety of gardens in Wiltshire, Hampshire, Bath and Bristol, you can rest assured that I know what I'm doing.
In these troubled times those of us lucky enough to have an outside space realise what an oasis of calm it can be.
Being in gardens and outside places can vastly improve both our mental and physical health, that's a scientific fact, but if your garden isn't working for you it can just feel like a burden. It doesn't have to be like that, I believe gardens should work for you not you for them.
How much will it cost?
"It all depends" is always the answer. A good rule of thumb is to think how much you'd be willing to spend on a kitchen and that's a good starting point. Gardens aren't cheap, but I have experience of working with the tightest of budgets. A well-designed garden is a great investment, it can vastly improve both your quality of life and the value of your home.
About Me
I’m Capable by name and by nature - my passion for art, design and wildlife is my calling and what drives me. The joy and excitement I see in my clients’ faces when I present my designs is what lifts my soul. I feel very lucky to have a job that makes people’s lives that little bit better.
I’m also highly qualified - I’m an RHS Master of Horticulture with a National Diploma in Horticulture, but I see my two decades of hands-on gardening in Wiltshire and Bath, as well as my 10 years of experience in customer service-based jobs and as a fashion stylist, as my real qualifications.
Charlotte Howard MHort (RHS), ND Hort.
Charlotte at work
I’ve spent many years refining my skills, constantly learning and updating my knowledge. I like to keep up with the trends and am always learning new skills and techniques to give the best possible service to my clients.
I come from a bohemian family of artists, designers, architects and historians and believe my background gives me a unique edge. I'm also practical, funny, friendly and down to earth. My clients feel at ease with me, and say I have an uncanny knack of drawing out of people what they want.
I’ll take time to get to know you and the other people who will use the garden. Many of my clients have said they discovered an unknown passion for gardening once they finally had a garden that works for them.
“Charlotte transformed our awful front garden from being an embarrassment ... to a lush aromatic haven for bees. She also managed to make it easy for two non-gardeners to maintain it whilst giving lots of supportive advice. She is incredibly hard-working with a clear design vision. If we ever have a back garden, we will be employing her to design it.”
Diluki — Bath
I have been told many times that my beautiful, hand-drawn designs are a work of art, and many clients have framed them. They are natural, simple and elegant, always with a twist of quirkiness to reflect your own personal style.
I prefer to create real gardens, working with the contours of the space. I use soft curves to create a flow that leads you gently around your garden to a moment of joy or surprise, a secret nook to sit and read, or a hidden mirror that deceives you into thinking the garden goes further. I believe gardens should bring out your inner child.
I prefer to draw by hand
Some of my Gardens
I can design for any area, in any style and for any budget. I draw exclusively by hand and am able to call on my extensive knowledge of classical art, garden history and modern garden trends as inspiration. Below are some examples of my work.
The Process
The process will start with an initial £100, one hour consultation in your garden. This is a great way to get to know each other and the space and to sketch out some very rough ideas. From this meeting, I can put together a quote for my garden design services. Once my quote is agreed, I will book a day to survey with my assistant. From the survey I will create a 'base plan'. This is the basic shape of your garden including the elements to be kept.
Sample base plan
My survey assistant
The Garden Design Meeting
Through my unique approach that I have spent years refining, you and I will sit together, and over a period of two hours, with my gentle guidance, we will design your garden together. I see myself as just the facilitator, I will sketch out your ideas onto the page in front of your eyes.
The Design
My design for a walled flower garden for an organic florist in Essex
Once I am sure you are satisfied with the sketch I will go home and create a beautiful, hand-drawn design for you. This process will take 1-2 weeks. I don’t use CAD or flashy 3D walk throughs, I think they are expensive, sterile and give you, the client an unrealistic expectation. Instead, in my design presentation, I will 'walk' you through the garden through imaginative description. Each design comes with a presentation pack, packed with inspirational ideas, photos, mood boards, plant lists, useful information and links to websites so you and your landscaper will know exactly what your garden will look like.
The Build
Once you have signed off your bespoke design, I will help you to find a landscaper to build the garden. Through the years, I have built up a large portfolio of useful contacts and will be able to recommend excellent, reliable landscapers and craftspeople, all with the same ethos of sustainability and attention to detail as me. The landscapers that I work with always take great care to accurately bring what you and I have created together from paper into real life. The gardens will always be marked out before any digging is done to help clients visualise the completed garden and to make sure that they are happy with how the space works. I am always on hand during the build for advice and site visits.
One of my builds in progress
From paper...
...to plot!
I can help you order and place the plants
Planting
Softscaping is key to my gardens, I try to keep hard landscaping to the minimum. This will save you money as well as being more sustainable. Plants should be queen of the garden!
After the build, for a small extra fee, I will come back to your home and help you choose the plants with whatever budget you have left. I use fantastic trade nurseries (listed at the end of the website) to get you the best quality plants at the best possible prices.
I will get you quotes and organise delivery and place the plants. Leaving you to plant them yourself under my guidance, or if that is not possible, I will find you a professional gardener to do it.
“Charlotte has been absolutely fantastic from the moment she stepped foot in our garden. We would like to thank her so much for her help and inspiration which will turn our garden into something much more enjoyable and will allow our daughter to feel like she owns part of it too.”
Keeley — Atworth
All that is left to do now is sit back, relax and enjoy your beautiful outside space, made just for you!
Your garden can now be a perfect place to relax with your favourite tipple!
Garden Talks
I am avaliable for fun, engaging and informative talks throughout the UK. * I am listed as a speaker with the Hardy Plant Society and am a regular speaker on the Garden Club circuit and have been invited to be a guest speaker on The Landscape Show.
Fees: £150 per talk, plus 45p per mile travel from Wiltshire. Online talks also available — please enquire for details.
Available talks:
- My Life as a Garden Designer — A funny, light-hearted talk about my eccentric path to becoming a garden designer from muddy beginnings to mentoring clients across the South West.
- Garden Design for Dummies — My five simple, no-nonsense steps to designing a garden that actually works for your life. No Latin, no lofty design speak, just practical advice and clear ideas.
- Houseplants and How Not to Kill Them — Whether you're a serial plant murderer or just want to up your indoor plant game, this talk covers the key to long-living, healthy houseplants.
- Green With Envy — Are Green Walls all They’re Cracked Up to Be? — Living walls are trendy, but do they live up to the hype? I’ll explore the pros and cons, and what to consider before you go vertical.
- Don’t Put Your Garden to Bed — A winter garden can still be full of life. Learn how to keep your garden interesting (and friendly to wildlife) through the colder months.
* Travel expenses may apply, see terms and conditions for details.
“Charlotte was a very entertaining speaker. She told us about her varied careers before she trained as a garden designer and then took us through her basic principles of garden design. She demonstrated her work with photos of a ‘new build’ garden that she has recently designed and built. It was quite inspiring.”
Cricklad Gardening Club
I also regularly run a five week live online course called How to Design Your Garden — With Special Guests
Additional terms and conditions for lectures can be found here.
“...It was an entertaining and informative talk, Charlotte effortlessly engaged with our group and shared her fascinating journey about how she’s got to where she is with Capability Charlotte ... We cannot recommend Charlotte enough and are so grateful to her for tailoring such a beautiful event for our group, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive! We look forward to welcoming her back!”
Minerva WI — Bath
Other Services
The perfect choice for a lower budget
Affordable “No-Frills” Garden Advice Service — In-Person or Online
Looking for expert garden advice without the designer price tag? My No-Frills Garden Advice Service is a one-hour consultation for garden owners or custodians who want honest, practical guidance on a budget.
Whether you’re overwhelmed by a new garden, struggling to make sense of an inherited layout, or just want low-cost help getting started, this is a great option. I’ll walk through your garden with you (or connect via video call), and give you tailored, no-jargon advice on planting, layout, and what to tackle first. You bring a notepad — I’ll bring 20 years of experience.
Cost: £100 per hour.
Location: In-person within 30 miles of my home (travel expenses apply beyond that), or anywhere via online garden consultation at reduced rate of £70 per hour.
Clients often use this as a starting point before taking on a full garden redesign, or simply as a confidence boost to tackle things themselves.
What people are saying:
“Charlotte was super helpful in our garden advice session! Very friendly to chat to, and so many brilliant ideas. I now have lots of notes on plant suggestions and shape ideas specific to our garden. Most importantly, we're motivated to get going on it now with a better idea of which direction to take it in. Would definitely recommend.”
Elizabeth — Beanacre
Garden Consultation Service — Friendly, Practical Garden Mentoring
Are you looking for more in-depth guidance than my No-Frills session, but you’re not ready to commit to a full garden design? This personalised Garden Consultation Service offers the perfect middle ground — a longer, more detailed consultation tailored to you and your garden.
If you’ve recently taken on a new garden and feel overwhelmed by where to start, or if your outdoor space just isn’t working for you anymore, I’ll help you find clarity, confidence, and fresh inspiration.
My advice is grounded in decades of experience, and always tailored to your lifestyle, needs and style — whether you want to create a calm retreat, a family-friendly haven, or a wildlife-rich space that works year-round.
“Wonderfully creative & clever with my small, cottage garden and extremely warm and personable. Charlotte’s extensive knowledge was freely given as she walked with me around my place, understanding what I wanted to change to make this a soothing space for therapy & art clients plus my family and ‘busy’ dog. On further visits, Charlotte was enthusiastic with what I had accomplished from her advice. I have fallen in love with my garden again and can’t wait til Spring to see it all growing & taking shape. THANKYOU!”
Lucy — Winsley
Let me be your garden mentor
What’s included in the Garden Consultation Service:
- 1–2 hour visit (or video call) to walk through your garden and understand how you'd like to use the space.
- Discussion of your style, favourite plants, practical needs, budget, and any challenges
- Advice on layout, planting combinations, wildlife-friendly features, materials, and maintenance
- A detailed written report with all suggestions from our session
- Optional seasonal maintenance plan
- Prices start at £500
This is a brilliant option for people who want expert garden advice without the formality or cost of a full design — and it also makes a thoughtful gift. Sue is still using my advice report for inspiration and advice four years later:
“Charlotte has a wonderful ability to visualise a garden. We struggled for 3+ years with half a garden in tiers of concrete and the other half an overgrown mess, then Charlotte came for a visit. As she walked down the garden she pointed out things we'd never noticed and shared her ideas for every aspect, design, planting, seating, lighting, etc. She followed this up with a detailed written design so we could work our way through the garden one job at a time. In less than a year the 'overgrown mess' has become a garden where you can sit and listen to the waterfall and relax. Thank you Charlotte, it would never have happened without you.”
Sue — Weston-super-Mare
This service isn’t just for private clients. I also advise:
- Landscapers who want reliable, expert plant advice to complement their hard landscaping work
- Estate agents and property developers looking to add long-term value with authentic green space enhancements
- Business owners, schools and organisations wanting to improve outdoor spaces for wellbeing, biodiversity and staff enjoyment
- Anyone trying to avoid tokenistic “greenwashing” and instead create something genuinely beneficial for wildlife and people
I combine ecological awareness with practical experience, helping you make evidence-based, achievable choices that truly benefit your space and its users — human and non-human alike.
Indoor Gardening
Human beings have an innate connection to nature. Studies have shown time and time again that being able to view nature, whether through a window or via indoor plants improves our mental and physical health. Nowadays more than any other, people need nature. Many people don’t have the luxury of a garden or pets, with house plants you can take care of a living thing. I can help you choose the perfect house plants in conjunction with bespoke terrarium maker Terrachic of Bath.
For businesses, indoor plants have been shown to help reduce sickness and boost energy and creativity amongst their workforce. I can show you how a living wall can create impact, clear pollution and save energy in your workspace.
If you are looking to bring greenery into your home or business, I can provide a personalised houseplant ordering and advice service.
“Capability Charlotte did a house plant audit in my home with a thorough consultation and a fun morning's shopping in local nurseries and garden centers. She even spent time with my daughters teaching them about propagating. It surpassed my expectations, especially the fact she spent time educating my girls. Perfect for keeping children occupied while schools are closed”
Michelle — Trowbridge
Plant Styling
Do you have a wedding, funeral or special occasion that needs some original and eco-friendly plant styling? Rather than using cut flowers, why not fill your space with plants in pots which you can then plant in your garden or give to friends as a memory of a special day or poignant moment?
I can work with you to design you a magical space and am happy to collaborate with local florists and the venue to give you a full package.
In this magical winter wedding at Wellington Barn in Calne, I worked with The Derry Hill Florist. Photos by Joseph Kinerman
“I couldn’t recommend Charlotte more highly for any venue decor/design consultancy and delivery! Charlotte designed all of the beautiful venue decor for our December barn wedding. We were looking for a lot of greenery and lovely unique touches, which is why we chose to work with Charlotte rather than a standard florist. Charlotte was very professional and so creative and really brought our vision to life - going the extra mile eg going to a mistletoe auction to buy enough mistletoe to really make an impact at the venue. She also worked with a local florist to design and build our bouquets and button holes. The venue looked absolutely stunning and magical with all of the candles and greenery. We received so many compliments on the day! Very glad we worked with Charlotte :)”
Peppa — London
Project Management
I can also take on large-scale commercial and residential projects, both as a designer and a project manager. My largest scheme to date was with Wadswick Green Retirement Village in Corsham, Wiltshire. Find out more about the project here.
For residential maintenance work I can also put you in contact with my network of highly trained gardeners and landscapers who can assist with everything garden related including one-off blitzes, occasional or regular maintenance, border revamps or complete makeovers.
“Thank you so much for transforming our garden. You’ve made your designs come alive and we can now enjoy our garden. Thank you.”
Natasha — Bradford-on-Avon
My team planting at Wadswick Green
Gift Vouchers
Are you struggling to think of a perfect present for your loved ones? Don't waste money on
things that will become landfill, buy them an experience.
Do you know someone who has a garden but doesn't know what to do with it? Why not buy them some
time with a garden expert. These beautiful gift cards can be used for any occasion.
- Prices start at £100 for an hour of garden advice.
- £500 pays for a full garden consultation with a follow-up written report which will include guidance on maintenance as well as advice on how to make the most of the garden, with pictures and links to helpful websites.
- For a more generous gift, a full garden design starts from only £1,000.
Terms and conditions apply, travel expenses to further afield may be charged.
“Charlotte was with us every step of the way in helping us to do this. From designing the garden and embracing some of the ideas we had like incorporating a pond, seeing the design on paper and guiding us with her expert knowledge in what plants to have as we wanted a wildlife garden. Also in placing the plants in the garden for maximum effect and colour.”
Julie and Martin - Bromham
My Partners
Landscapers
Anthony Dear Landscapes — Hard landscaping and building
Garden Doctor Chris — Creative and biodiverse gardening and landscaping
Viridis Landscapes — Female-run hard landscaping, planting and building team
Paved in Stone Ltd — Award winning hard landscaping, specialists in natural stone paving.
Norbin Landscaping — Providing soft and hard landscaping services throughout Wiltshire.
Plant Suppliers
Arvensis Perennials — Trade-only nursery, for herbaceous perennials, grasses and ferns
Barters Farm Nurseries — Trade nursery with public plant centre. Trees, perennials and grasses, particularly good for shrubs.
Downside Nurseries — Family-run nursery, open to the public 7 days a week
West Kington Nurseries — Trade-only nursery for perennials, grasses and shrubs. See website for public sale days
Kingsdown — Specialists in mature trees and shrubs
Other Professionals
Green Goddess Gardening — Carlie Green, garden maintenance and planting
The Derry Hill Florist — Floral designs and workshops
Victoria Tapper — Business and lifestyle photography
Guy Bellingham — Fine art portrait photographer
Macdonald Technology Consultants — Web and application development. He built this website!
Contact
“Charlotte’s professional and friendly approach transformed our plain new build garden into a multi purpose family garden. Her energy and enthusiasm for gardening was contagious and she showed us how we can enjoy it throughout the year. She turned part of the garden into a kitchen garden with raised beds to allow us to grow produce with the children as well as creating a larger patio area to enjoy eating outside. All within our tight budget! We would highly recommend her! Thank you Charlotte!”
Laura — Bradford-on-Avon
