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Kate Mason

@kmgardendesign

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1572

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Garden Designer
RHS Malvern-silver gilt & people choice 2025! 💜
BBC gardeners world live Double platinum award
🌺🏝️🌱 specialising in tropical 🪴

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

I didn’t just wake up one day and call myself a garden designer.
I trained. I failed. I grafted. I showed up when no one was watching.
And I kept going — even when it would’ve been easier to quit.

Every project, every award, every muddy boot in this reel tells one story:
I care deeply. And I don’t do “average”.

If you’re looking for someone who will treat your garden like it actually matters — I’m your person.

If I’ve ever worked with you, learned with you, or helped shape your space, given you advice, or played a small part in your garden life..
drop a word or two below that sums up your experience 💜

And if you’re new here — welcome. You’re in the right place.

LOVE TO ALL THE BEANS WHO HAVE HELPED ME ALONG THE WAY 💜🪴

#garden #gardeningismytherapy #gardendesigner #mentalhealthadvocate #gardeningformentalhealth by @kmgardendesign

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8 months ago

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a year ago

That’s it folks it’s finished, make sure you check out the finished product this afternoon!

In the mean time huge thanks to all of my team and the ground crew @3countiesshows, @alchemygardens_malvern . And @markcpritchard.

I have said this a million times this wouldn’t have happened without my incredible team! This has been one hell of an experience and I have loved every single second. Spending time with my favourite beans of all time, making new friends, laughing, crying, stressing, finding the badger or not as it were! I love each and every person who’s help me build my dream no matter if you were physically here on build or if you dropped me a like or a comment of support…. You are the roots on my raised bed….the foundations to my dream!

No matter what happens this afternoon with judging…I have already won!

I LOVE YOU BEANS 💜💜💜💜

Stay tuned for medals and show open tomorrow. taken in Three Counties by @kmgardendesign

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a year ago

JUST IN TIME! 🥶🌿

The begonias are officially tucked up in the greenhouse — just in time, because we’re forecast to hit 4°C tonight and begonias are NOT fans of the cold!

They might all be begonias, but there are actually several different types, and they don’t all want exactly the same treatment over winter 👇🏼

🌿 Cane begonias – think Begonia maculata and other tall, bamboo-stemmed types. Keep them frost-free, in good light and reduce watering over winter.

🍃 Rex & rhizomatous begonias – the fabulous foliage ones! These are usually grown more for their leaves than their flowers. Keep them warm, protected and much drier over winter — cold + soggy compost is a recipe for disaster.

🌸 Tuberous begonias – the big, blowsy flowering types often grown in pots and hanging baskets. These can die back completely. Lift/store the tubers somewhere cool, dry and frost-free, ready to start them back into growth next spring.

🌺 Fibrous/wax begonias – the classic little bedding begonias. We often treat them as annuals in the UK, but they’re actually tender perennials and can be overwintered somewhere warm and frost-free.

My biggest winter begonia tips:
✨ Keep them frost-free
💧 Cut right back on watering as growth slows
🌬️ Give them good airflow
🪴 Don’t leave the roots sitting wet and cold
👀 Check regularly for rot AND sneaky greenhouse pests!

Basically, knowing which type of begonia you have tells you an awful lot about how to get it through winter.

So… do you grow begonias? 👇🏼
Are yours bedding plants, houseplants, big tuberous ones, Rexes, cane begonias… or are you like me and have ended up collecting the bloody lot? 😂🌿

#Begonias #Begonia #OverwinteringPlants #OverwinteringBegonias #GreenhouseGardening by @kmgardendesign

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17 hours ago

SECOND LAYER OF HELL COMPLETE. 🫧🔥

The greenhouse is officially bubble wrapped for another year and THANK THE HEAVENS because I am DONE. 😂🙌🏻

Two layers of bubble wrap, approximately 47 fallen clips, several swear words and the last remaining shred of my patience later… we are finally ready.

Now it’s time for the fun bit — THE PLANTS! 🌿🙌🏻

Time to start moving everyone into their winter home before the temperatures properly drop. Operation Overwinter Everything is GO.

#GreenhouseGardening #OverwinteringPlants #BubbleWrapGreenhouse #GardenLife #TropicalPlants by @kmgardendesign

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a day ago

If you want to experience pure, unadulterated joy, I highly recommend bubble wrapping a greenhouse…

Because EVERYTHING ELSE IN YOUR LIFE WILL FEEL JOYFUL IN COMPARISON. 🙃🤣

Every. Bloody. Year.

Put the bubble wrap up.
Put the pegs in.
Pegs fall out.
Put them back in.
Different pegs fall out.
Question every decision that led you to this moment. 🫠

And this is only LAYER ONE. 😭 I’ve still got another layer to add over the top, but by the time I’d finished this bit I’d completely lost the will to live, so that is a problem for another day. 😂

Unfortunately, with overnight temperatures heading down to around 7°C, some of my more tender plants need to come in, so the greenhouse has to be ready whether I like it or not.

The jungle demands sacrifices. 🌿😂

Part 2 coming when I’ve emotionally recovered.

#Greenhouse #GreenhouseGardening #OverwinteringPlants #BubbleWrap #TenderPlants by @kmgardendesign

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2 days ago

🍌 BANANA CLASS IS IN SESSION!

After my last banana reel, loads of you said you leave yours outside all winter… so I think we need to clarify something:

Not all bananas are created equal! 👩🏼‍🏫

🍌 Musa basjoo — the tough one. Can stay outside; mulch/protect in colder spots.
🍌 Musa sikkimensis — pretty hardy, but give it some winter protection.
🍌 Ensete ‘Maurelii’ — tender. Keep frost-free!
🍌 Dwarf Cavendish — tropical and definitely NOT staying outside. Frost-free greenhouse/indoors.
🍌 Lasiocarpa — more cold tolerant, but protect from hard frost and winter wet; frost-free is safest.

Basically, KNOW YOUR BANANA before you leave it outside all winter! 😂🍌

As for today’s class… absolute shambles. Guest starring troublemakers @thriftygreenlife , @homegrownwiththehaydons_ @greenfingeredcityboy Detentions pending. 👀 and my angel and star student @jenny_ourfamilyallotment

📚 HOMEWORK: Find out which banana you have and tell me in the comments.

⭐️ Bonus points for photographic evidence! 📸

#BananaPlants #MusaBasjoo #EnseteMaurelii #TropicalGarden by @kmgardendesign

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6 days ago

You probably know me as an award-winning garden designer… 🌿🏆

But there’s a LOT more to me than plants and pretty gardens. 😂

So, in the spirit of getting to know the actual person behind KM Garden Design, here are a few things you might not know about me…

Some might surprise you. Some will probably explain quite a lot. 🤣

I’m a big believer in supporting small businesses, championing other women, breaking a few stereotypes along the way and generally refusing to fit neatly into the box people expect me to.

Life’s far too short to be anyone other than unapologetically yourself. 💜

Now it’s your turn…

👇 Tell me ONE thing I don’t know about YOU.

#GardenDesigner #KMGardenDesign #MeetTheDesigner #WomenInBusiness #WomenInDesign taken in Kate Mason Garden Design by @kmgardendesign

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7 days ago

🍌 This banana is about to get absolutely BUTCHERED… but not yet. 👀

This is Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’, aka the red Abyssinian banana, and despite looking ridiculously tropical, it’s actually pretty easy to grow through summer.

A few quick care tips:
🌿 Give it plenty of sun, warmth and shelter
💦 Keep it well watered and well fed — these things are HUNGRY
🥶 Once temperatures start dropping, it’s time to think about winter protection
❄️ It won’t tolerate a proper UK frost, so mine comes under cover

But here’s the bit that feels VERY wrong…

I’m not keeping this enormous beast growing like this all winter.

It’s about to get absolutely BUTCHERED. 🔪🍌

And when you see how much I cut off, you’re probably going to think I’ve killed it. 😂

Come back for Part 2 — the banana butchering begins.

#Ensete #EnseteMaurelii #RedBanana #BananaPlant #TropicalGarden by @kmgardendesign

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11 days ago

Did I miss anything? 👀🌿

Plant people really do have an excuse ready for EVERY purchase… and somehow every single one sounds completely reasonable at the time. 😂

At this point I’m not even buying plants… I’m rescuing them. Honestly, garden centres are just emotional support shops with trolleys. 🌱💅🏻

#PlantAddict #Plant #HouseplantClub #PlantShopping #GardenHumour by @kmgardendesign

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5 months ago

Thinking about transforming your garden but not sure where to start? 🌿

My Garden Discovery Package is the perfect first step. Whether you need help with planting, garden design, hard landscaping, troubleshooting, propagating, growing from seed, filling gaps in borders, or just want the confidence to get started, we can cover it all.

If you’re local, we can do your discovery session in person. But for most people, an online discovery package is the easiest, most flexible place to start.

Comment DISCOVERY below and I’ll send you all the details. 🌱

#GardenDesign #GardeningTips #PlantingDesign #GardenInspiration #UKGardening by @kmgardendesign

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3 months ago

Thrips. Mealybugs. Aphids. Spider mites.

WHY DO THEY EVEN EXIST?! 😩 They can all get in the bin. 🗑️ Apart from when the ladybirds need something to eat… then I suppose they have ONE purpose. 🐞😂

This poor plant has now been put into isolation in my newly finished polytunnel. I’m treating it with neem oil every few days and keeping it completely separate from everything else.

It has TWO WEEKS to be thrip-free.

If it isn’t… the whole bloody plant is going in the bin because I am NOT risking the rest of my plants for it. 😂

So tell me — what’s your tried and tested solution for thrips? I want to know what actually works for you. And Absolutely NO pesticide’s

And anyone who says neem oil clearly hasn’t read this far. 👀😂

#Thrips #PlantPests #PlantProblems #NeemOil #GardeningUK by @kmgardendesign

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13 days ago