Garden design and build Herne Bay, Kent
Design
matters.
Gardens designed and built by one company, from the first drawing to the last plant. For homes across Kent, Essex and London.
soft lines, nothing too harsh, and a restful spot to relax and read.
One vision. One company. One cohesive result.
Daryl Gannon has over 30 years in the industry, in London and now from Herne Bay on the Kent coast. He draws the garden, chooses the stone, timber and plants, and then builds it, so what you agree on paper is what goes in the ground.
Drawn, visualised, built: a garden in Ramsgate
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The drawing. Every slab, gap and tree placed by hand.
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The visual. So the garden can be seen before it's built.
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The garden. Ramsgate, 2023. Built by Daryl, start to finish.
Find each one in all three
Every great garden starts with a plan. This coastal Georgian garden was carefully designed, visualised and then built by me from start to finish.
Whitstable 2025
Quiet details. Strong presence.
The brief
To screen the imposing neighbour's garage, replace the rotting sleeper wall and patio, and make full use of the entire garden.
Pleached hornbeams make a floating screen in front of the garage. The new retaining wall is faced in Verona clay pavers, set on end in a staggered bond and cut to follow the curve, with a slim shadow gap where it meets the porcelain.
Strong, sculptural and tactile, the finished wall nods to brutalist form while retaining the warmth of natural clay.
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1 A concrete-block core
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2 Each paver shaped to the curve
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3 Set on end, fixed and grouted
Ingrave, Essex 2025
Minimal palette, maximum impact.
The brief
All plants were to be evergreen, limited to various shades of green with no additional colour. The only permitted flower colour was white, with rosemary the sole exception.
A generous terrace for entertaining, and a sunken patio with an open fireplace as its focal point. Two Magnolia grandiflora soften the corners.
Find them in the photograph
Tankerton, Whitstable 2025
It shouldn't demand attention. It should simply feel right.
The house has a lounge at one end and a kitchen at the other, so the garden was designed as a view from every angle. At its centre is a reflective pool with a glass walkway over the water.
Raised beds clad in Corten, a floating cedar bench, vertical cedar battens on the boundary and porcelain terrazzo in soft orange, beige and black.
Planting, from Daryl's notes
Tree ferns, layered with Tetrapanax, Schefflera and Fatsia, alongside Nandina, Mahonia and Pittosporum. In the Corten trough, a clean-stem Trachycarpus with Pinus mugo and Metrosideros, underplanted with rosemary and Erigeron.
How it works
Designed with you, then built by the same company.
Whether you're starting with a blank canvas or reworking an existing garden, Daryl guides you through the design process. His own three words for it: inspire, design, create.
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1Inspire
It starts with a conversation about how you want to use the garden. Mood boards bring together materials, furniture and plant colour.
From the first initial meeting, even before quoting, Daryl was providing great advice and recommendations.
Client, 2024 -
2Design
A drawn plan and a visual, so you see the garden before it's built. Seating, storage and features are designed in from the start, not added on.
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3Create
Daryl builds what he designs. Where it makes sense the build is phased: the design stays the same, only the timeline changes.
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4Afterwards
Return visits to see how the planting has settled, and to replace anything the winter has taken.
Daryl has followed up regularly to answer any questions and has visited the garden to make sure the plants have taken well.
Client, 2024
Daryl takes on Complete garden remodels Entertaining spaces New features Planting schemes Design only, for contemporary outdoor spaces
About Daryl
No room for squares.
That was the name of Daryl's small garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 2005. The design came from a Hank Mobley album cover on Blue Note, and it won an RHS Bronze Medal. Circles and curves have run through his gardens ever since.
Before Herne Bay, Daryl worked in London, building courtyards and roof terraces from Old Ford to Old Street. Marrakech, and its gardens hidden behind closed doors, has been a source of ideas for years.
In 2025 he was part of the team behind The Pursuit of Excellence at the BBC Gardeners' World fair at Audley End: six landscape companies and two designers, marking 30 years of the Association of Professional Landscapers. It won a Platinum Award and Best in Show.
- Based in
- Herne Bay, Kent
- In the industry
- Over 30 years
- Working across
- Kent, Essex and London
Reviews
Artistic, creative, hardworking and 100% honest. Daryl has transformed our garden into something truly remarkable and completely unrecognisable.
Daryl turned my sketch on a piece of A4 paper into a reality.
Daryl designed our townhouse garden, although the space was smallish the design impact is incredibly high and we love the space.
The garden lighting was fitted just before Christmas. Even after working all day, Daryl came back in the evening to greatly improve the effect of the lighting.
Tell Daryl about your garden.
The first step is a conversation. Call, email or send a few details here, and Daryl will be in touch to talk it through.
- Phone07799 620081
- Emaildarylgannongardendesign@gmail.com
- Follow the workInstagram Facebook
Based in Herne Bay. Working with homeowners across Kent, Essex, London and further afield.