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KAREN MCCLURE GARDEN DESIGN
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Karen McClure Garden Design was founded by Karen McClure, who has been creating thoughtfully designed gardens for more than a decade. She now leads a talented team from her awardwinning studio in Tunbridge Wells, where each project is carefully developed and brought to life, transforming outdoor spaces across Kent, East Sussex, Surrey and London.
What was the vision behind Karen McClure Garden Design? KMGD’ s founder, Karen McClure, built her design business following the events of her father’ s passing and the birth of her twins- two pivotal moments that spurred her on to live by her father’ s mantra of‘ live for today’. Juggling a family, a career in the city and evening classes to earn her garden design diploma, the business has been built on a foundation of determination and resilience. What began as a passion project has evolved into the award-winning, five-person design team we see today.
How would you describe your style / approach to garden design? KMGD is a process-driven studio focused on design excellence and exceptional client care. Every project is shaped around the lifestyle, architecture and aspirations of the people who live there. Passionate about plants and thoughtful spatial design, we create outdoor spaces that maximise lifestyle, beauty and long-term value. We believe a successful garden should feel like a natural extension of the home, style and client’ s character; a place that is beautiful, practical, immersive and deeply personal to the people using it every day.
Do you generally work on projects of varying sizes? What’ s the biggest space you’ ve ever been tasked with transforming? The team work on a wide range of projects, from roof terraces and courtyard gardens to rural estates and everything in between. Sometimes it’ s the smallest of spaces that involve the most challenging details as every inch needs to work hard! Many of our larger projects evolve in phases, giving us the opportunity to work on the schemes as they develop. We love the longevity of relationships that we have with our clients, and we make a point to visit once a year, as well as always being on hand for advice.
What garden trends have you seen emerging in 2026? With planting, there is an increasing demand for gardens that can tolerate our unpredictable weather that seems to veer from scorching heat to long rainy days! Drought-resistant and wildlife-friendly, naturalistic planting that offers a relaxed rather than rigid aesthetic is widely requested. The UK is now embracing and learning to live life outdoors and outdoor kitchens, structures and entertaining spaces are always at the top of a wish list. Wellness is also a very big trend- saunas and steam rooms, cold water plunge baths and hot tubs- nestled within planting make for spa-like retreats at home.
What’ s the most satisfying thing about your job? Any common challenges you’ ve had to overcome? The famous quote from Audrey Hepburn:‘ To create a garden is to believe in tomorrow’ sums up our ethos when it comes to the outdoor spaces we design. Creating something that’ s truly life-enhancing and joyful is a privilege. We love working with our amazing clients to create their dream spaces, as well as collaborating with professional landscapers, suppliers and artisans to bring the vision from paper to real life. As a close-knit team, we navigate challenges with a‘ can-do’ and solution-driven attitude, but sometimes the biggest challenges are the completely unexpected ones- like discovering a bunker beneath a lawn!
What should our readers consider when it comes to their dream garden design? While designing and landscaping your garden is an upfront investment, it not only enhances the liveable space you have and the quality of your day-to-day life, but it also yields
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