Tom Stuart-Smith: the landscape designer who reconciles the wild and the designed

In garden design, there is a tendency to choose a side: the wild and natural, or the structured and architectural. Tom Stuart-Smith has spent his career demonstrating that you do not have to choose. This British landscape designer, one of the most awarded of his generation, has made this reconciliation his signature. Here is who he is, and why his approach has so much to teach us.

From zoologist to landscape designer

Tom Stuart-Smith was born in 1960 and grew up in Hertfordshire, on the family estate of Serge Hill where his family has lived for four generations. His path to gardening is not obvious: he first studied zoology at the University of Cambridge, before turning, in 1982, to landscape architecture at the University of Manchester.

As is often the case with great landscape designers, the detour enriches — Benech came from law, Olmsted from journalism, and Stuart-Smith retains a naturalist's perspective on life from his zoology background. After working alongside landscape designers Hal Moggridge and Elizabeth Banks, he founded his own studio, the Tom Stuart-Smith Studio, in 1998.

Naturalism and modernity: his signature

If one had to summarise his work in a formula, it would be the one his studio claims: combining naturalism and modernity. Generous, romantic, almost wild plantings — but held by constructed forms, clean lines, a true structure. For him, the lush meadow and the trimmed wall do not oppose each other: they enhance each other.

His laboratory is his own garden. Since 1986, he has transformed a dilapidated barn and its fields at Serge Hill into his home and what will become The Barn Garden — an experimental garden that he has cultivated and evolved for decades.

Stuart-Smith is also close to the naturalistic perennials movement: he counts the Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf among his influences and friends, and the two men have worked on the same site, the Trentham estate. This kinship illuminates his relationship with plants — chosen for their life and longevity, not just for their flowering.

An award-winning and recognised body of work

Tom Stuart-Smith's recognition is not a matter of opinion: it is measurable. His studio has designed nine gardens for the Chelsea Flower Show in London — nine gold medals, including three times the supreme distinction of 'Best in Show'.. Few landscape designers in the world can say the same.

His work far exceeds competition gardens. He is notably responsible for the famous walled garden of Broughton Grange, in Oxfordshire; developments at the Trentham estate; the garden of Mount St John, in Yorkshire; a garden created at Windsor for the Queen's golden jubilee; or further south, the Secret Garden of Marrakech. In 2023, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to landscape architecture.

What his approach inspires in us

The lesson from Tom Stuart-Smith is valuable because it dissolves a false dilemma. One often believes they must choose: either a "natural" garden, a bit wild, or a "designed" garden, a bit rigid. He shows the third way — the only truly satisfying one: a free and generous planting, within a clear structure.

It is all the more relevant for us that Stuart-Smith works under a British climate, very similar to ours: his plants, his way of doing things are directly transposable to Belgium. At Umilys, it is exactly this balance that we seek in the residential gardens we design in Brabant Wallon and Brussels — the generosity of the plants, but always supported by a framework that holds everything together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Tom Stuart-Smith?

Tom Stuart-Smith, born in 1960, is a British landscape architect and garden designer, one of the most recognised of his generation. Trained in zoology and then in landscape architecture, he has been leading the Tom Stuart-Smith Studio since 1998 and was appointed OBE in 2023.

What is Tom Stuart-Smith's signature?

His work reconciles naturalism and modernity: rich, romantic, and almost wild plantings, held by a constructed structure and clear lines. The wild and the designed, together.

What are the most well-known gardens of Tom Stuart-Smith?

His studio has won nine gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show (including three 'Best in Show'). Among his major achievements: the walled garden of Broughton Grange, developments at Trentham, the garden of Mount St John, a garden in Windsor for the Queen's golden jubilee, and the Secret Garden of Marrakech.

Is his approach suitable for the Belgian climate?

Yes. Tom Stuart-Smith works under a British oceanic climate, very similar to the Belgian climate — his plant choices and his way of composing are directly relevant for a garden in Brabant Wallon or Brussels.

In summary

Tom Stuart-Smith has built a career by rejecting a false choice: between the wild garden and the designed garden, he has invented his third way. His work — awarded like few others — reminds us that the generosity of plants and the rigour of composition are not enemies: they are the two sides of a successful garden.