About
MHGD
About Melanie
Melanie Hick brings a distinctive combination of artistry, storytelling, ecological expertise and international project leadership to landscape design practice.
Growing up on extensive properties in Victoria, Australia's garden state, instilled an intuitive understanding of working with landscape at scale - observing how native eucalyptus woodlands, perennial plantings and agricultural land interact across large sites. This formative experience informs her approach to artistic biodiversity design today.
Her RHS Silver-Gilt medal at Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2024 recognised the Climate-Forward Garden, demonstrating expertise in creating resilient, ecologically informed planting schemes for contemporary climate conditions.
Formally trained in garden design at London’s Capel Manor College, Melanie's design education is complemented by two decades managing complex, high-value projects across global markets.
Her career spanning major media organisations and luxury e-commerce businesses—including MTV and Net-a-Porter—developed the strategic thinking and meticulous project execution that now serves clients undertaking multi-year landscape transformations.
Email melanie@melaniehick.com
Call or Whatsapp +447964944692
Melanie Hick Garden Design creates naturalistic landscapes for clients who want life-filled gardens that resonate with the people enjoying them.
Based in London, the practice works across the UK and internationally, serving discerning property owners, developers and architects who value creativity, ecological integrity and refined design.
Within our network we have designers, landscape architects, ecologists, 3D rendered artists and drafting specialists.
Our approach combines biodiversity gain with artistic habitat design, establishing plant communities that make for enriched habitats while connecting with the people who enjoy them.
Each project begins with deep understanding. Understanding you, the site, soil ecology, hydrology, existing vegetation, and microclimate patterns and the culture of your site.
We develop storytelling and connection with every garden.
We are for you if you have a home garden, are developing properties with gardens or if you’re a firm who needs a design partner inside or consulting to your business.
Artistic biodiversity for public and private gardens
Values and standards
Melanie Hick Garden Design operates to the highest environmental standards, working toward UN Race to Zero principles and aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals. We use standards like Elemental, BNG calculators, small site urban greening and London plan guidelines.
An MHGD garden project draws on the following ten principles based in RHS wellbeing garden standards, Melanie’s personal philosophy and resilience.
The 10 guiding MHGD project principles:
Belonging, sense of place, stewardship
Climate resilience for a robust future
Accessible ways in to the garden
Discovery and play to connect with nature and each other
Emotional wellness for rest, grounding and resonance.
Spatial organisation - the pleasing outcome of good design
Cultural meaning with art, storytelling and artefacts
Species-specific habitat to measure our effectiveness
Reclaimed and low carbon materials
Retain high value existing trees and links to history
Working together - landscape industry
MHGD plugs directly into your studio or business to add artistic biodiversity to your landscape and development projects.
We add resonance, artistry and garden design to your BNG, Urban Greening and Green Space Factor projects working with and for you as your remote creative partners.
You get our professionalism and expertise in designing plant communities and habitats, plus our experience in co-design with engaged end users and artists like sculptors and storytellers.
This could look like:
Storytelling, art commissions, creative habitat for belonging and resonance
Planting design that lifts BNG delivery to a resonant standard
Gardens for emotional wellbeing
Creative SUDS and SINCS
Reclaimed, antique and creative material sourcing
Pitching and presenting with you
Working together - garden owners
We engage with clients who want artistic biodiversity for their property, large or small.
Whether your estate requires comprehensive masterplanning, mature grounds need ecological enhancement or urban property needs spatial refinement, we add resonance and a sense of connection through our design approach.
Our process typically spans 12 weeks up to 24 months from initial consultation through to completion, with ongoing adaptive management guidance.
We collaborate closely with estate managers, land stewards and specialist contractors to ensure ecological objectives are achieved alongside design aspirations.
Projects often include:
Comprehensive masterplanning and phased implementation strategies
Meadow establishment using ecologically appropriate seed mixes
Complete garden design
Water management design
Integration of formal garden elements within naturalistic settings
Press
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BBC Radio Wales
Visit the Bat Conservation Trust’s Nocturnal Garden from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 in its relocation site the Clydach Community Gardens this summer.
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The Independent
Expert reveals how to attract bats into your garden – and why they are so important
How to attract bats into your garden.
Next year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show will feature a garden demonstrating how to support bats.
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The Times
Bat-friendly gardens are powerhouse for diversity, charity says
Melanie Hick, whose work will be featured in the next RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, will create a ‘nocturnal garden’ for the Bat Conservation Trust.
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THE TELEGRAPH
How gardening became young, hip and urban
Melanie has long loved growing her own food and is inspired by the gardener behind New York’s High Line, Piet Oudolf – before she got a vegetable patch, she squeezed in raspberries, tomatoes, courgettes and more into the tiny front garden of a Victorian terraced house.
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HOUZZ
How to Make Your Lawn More Wildlife-friendly and Sustainable
“The easy way to add more interest and species to your lawn is to inject plugs of endemic wild plants,” Melanie Hick says.
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IDEAL HOME
Zen garden ideas to create a calming and tranquil landscape
'A wide range of studies show that meditation can have positive effects for everyone' says Melanie Hick. 'Make sure you create at least a small place to sit and reflect, perhaps surrounded by bamboo, with a view of a water feature.'
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HOUZZ
How to lay out a short, wide garden
“I managed to fit a patio and over-sized pergola with swings [pictured] into a short, wide garden, because a pergola takes up no space and swings are merely an additional seating option, not a space-stealer,” Melanie says.
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THE TIMES
How to give your front door a spring makeover
“Updating your front door is a quick and easy way to increase kerb appeal and put a smile on your face when you come home,” agrees the garden designer Melanie Hick. “Easy wins include jet-washing dirty paths and brickwork, then replacing unsuitable plants. Any old door can have an instant update with exterior wood paint from Mylands.”
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COUNTRY LIVING
By Jayne Dowle published: 23 June 2024
One of the stars of the ‘Climate-Forward Garden’ is the Eucalyptus Mount Bogong, specifically chosen as a perfect example of a small eucalyptus to grow in UK gardens.
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PROLANDSCAPER
16 Highlights of RHS Hampton Court press day by Nina Mason 02 Jul 24
There’s a range of ideas on display for gardens that are both beautiful and sustainable, from Australian designer Melanie Hick’s The Climate-Forward Garden – which encourages people to think about climate decisions in the planning stage rather than retrospectively.