Interview with Ashleigh Aylett

After graduating in Interior Design, where she was awarded New Designer of the Year, Ashleigh spent five years in London working with brands such as ASOS before transitioning to landscape design.

As a Landscape and Garden Designer, Ashleigh draws on her interiors
background to create spaces that are both refined and deeply personal. She is known for her focus on storytelling, designing intimate gardens that feel
grounded in their setting. Her approach blends relaxed, informal layouts with wild, expressive planting, always guided by a strong sense of place.

Ashleigh’s work quickly gained recognition within the industry after being named one of Pro Landscaper’s “30 Under 30 in 2023.” The following year, she designed her first show garden in collaboration with the Woodland Trust at RHS Tatton, where she was awarded an RHS Gold Medal and named RHS Young Designer of the Year.

In 2025, she achieved her first RHS Chelsea Gold Medal along with Best in
Category for her Blue Mind balcony garden, making her the first designer in RHS history to win Young Designer of the Year and subsequently secure a Best in Category award at Chelsea the very next year.

Read on more to discover some of her personal inspirations, gardening insights and more.

Can you tell us a little more about what sparked your passion for garden
design?

What drew me to gardens in particular is their ever-changing nature. Unlike
interiors, which are largely fixed once complete, a garden is alive; it breathes and shifts with the seasons. The atmosphere of a space can change completely from one morning to the next, and it’s that continual sense of transformation that makes designing gardens so exciting to me.

How has your background influenced your work as a garden designer?

Interior design and garden design share a surprising amount of common ground; both rely on a strong sense of proportion, rhythm and flow, ideas that continue to guide my work outdoors. The difference lies in the materials, now I rely on planting to create spaces and scale. Foliage, grasses and seed heads have replaced fabrics to create softness and detail.

Garden Inspiration

How do you keep your knowledge up to date in such an ever-evolving field?

I find that the most valuable learning happens face to face; through conversations with growers, visiting nurseries and walking through gardens.

There’s so much information available online, but not all of it reflects the realities of working with plants. It’s those conversations that keep my understanding growing and evolving.

Garden Advice

How do you prepare your garden for the changing seasons?

Like many gardeners, I’ve come to see summer, not winter, as the most challenging season. With longer dry spells, I spend far more time preparing for dry spells than cold.

On my sandy soil, mulching is absolutely essential; even plants adapted to drought need time to establish, and a good mulch can make all the difference.

It doesn’t have to be nutrient-rich; gravel and leaf mulch are wonderfully effective at conserving moisture without overfeeding the soil.

What’s your favourite way to bring colour and texture into your
designs?

I’ve always been drawn to texture; it often subtler and more enduring than colour alone. Tree bark, for instance, is one of the most overlooked elements in a garden. In winter, when so much else fades back, bark can bring extraordinary richness and depth at eye level. Heptacodium miconioides is a particular favourite of mine, with its coppery, peeling bark that catches the light beautifully; it’s perfectly suited to smaller gardens.

How do you think structural pieces enhance a winter garden? 

Structural elements are really useful in a winter garden, offering form, interest, and a sense of rhythm when the planting palette is at its quietest. As foliage retreats and colour fades, these features step forward to become the framework of the space. They define the garden’s shape, create moments of focus, and guide the eye through the landscape even on the greyest winter days.