Where to find her
Hilary-Fay has been gardening in her pyjamas at 5am for as long as she can remember. A hobby that became a dream job; she completed a WRAGS training placement at The Manor, Hemingford Grey in Cambridge and then offered her gardening finesse to Scotland when she moved there. Lucky for us this talented and refreshingly down-to-earth designer is now living in Norfolk again and here to improve gardens for us all – and that even includes the bees! Returning with a storm, she has won the prestigious Silver Gilt Show Garden Award at Sandringham Flower Show and is set to rock up the world of gardening as we know it. Don’t be fooled into thinking she’s out of your league though – what we love the most about her gardening design service is it they really it accessible for all.

What to expect
Refusing to operate within any signature style she specialises in everyday homes and individual requirements. For her it’s all about tuning into the relationship between a garden and its owner, finding out exactly what they want then delivering it to her full ability. The length of time and care Hilary puts in to achieving this goes above and beyond the call of duty (for example, she will even water it daily for you!) and it is this that puts her above the rest. That and her immense knowledge of what will work and why. If you’re unsure and can’t envision your desired goal, no problem again, she cleverly uses various means such as mood boards to come up with your dreams.

What does she offer?

Garden design:
Visiting, discussions, soil tests, aspect direction, measuring and budget planning are all part of the package with after care involving follow up maintenance, watering and care lists. No job is too small; she is just as happy designing a few tubs or a flower bed as she is an entire garden. Linked to Landscape Architecture expert, Warren Challis and various local nurseries, Hilary-Fay can take on complete design overhaul hard landscape projects too.

Bee Garden Design:
She also has an edge to her experience in that she is extremely passionate about the protection of bees and wildlife. Bees in particular are struggling to survive at present due to the effects of pesticides, disease and diminishing suitable habitats. Offering even a tiny ‘bee cafe’ in your garden full of nectar rich plants can make a huge difference to these creatures. This doesn’t mean being limited to a traditional country look to your patch either; there are lots of modern discreet ways to achieve this – small city gardens are actually ideal. Remembering we need bees for pollinating our fruit and vegetable crops, Hilary-Fay’s incredible knowledge in this field can be invaluable in making your garden work for you and nature as a whole.

Happiness guaranteed:
Each project is seen through renewed eyes as Hilary-Fay prides herself on giving that all important personal touch. She comes alive just talking about the idea of sparking something in people to love and care for their own gardens. She was overjoyed when a six year old texted her to say he’d just eaten strawberries for breakfast that he’d grown himself from their vegetable patch. These are the things that inspire Hilary-Fay and her work reflects this almost maternal nurturing of your garden. So whether you’ve an ugly area by the back fence or an empty border under your windowsill, a blank canvas entire lawn or a matchbox city yard, we’ve no doubt that Bee Happy Gardens will do exactly that – turn any project into a haven of perfect bliss: for you, your family and your lifestyle, plus bring a smile or two to those bumble bees as well!

The details:
Hilary-Fay is available to do home visits throughout Norfolk; projects start from as little as £75. Contact her for a friendly chat.