Jo Thompson

Jo Thompson has won four RHS Chelsea Golds, five Silver Gilts and the People's Choice award at Chatsworth. She sits on the RHS Gardens Committee, advises at RHS Rosemoor and judges RHS Shows, and tutors at the London College of Garden Design. She is a Fellow of the Landscape Institute and the author of The New Romantic Garden and The Gardener's Palette.

A distinguished British garden designer and plantswoman

Course

The Fundamentals of Garden Design

Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your garden design skills, Jo's step-by-step approach will guide you through creating a garden that reflects your style and serves your needs. You'll learn core principles, from assessing your space to selecting materials and plants for year-round interest. Jo’s case studies, including designs for a classic London garden and a Sussex pub, will help you tackle projects early in your design journey with ease. With practical tips and expert advice, you’ll be ready to transform your outdoor space.

22 Lessons

Included with membership

Lesson plan — 22 lessons

01 Introduction

01 Meet Jo
02 Philosophy and approach
03 Sources of inspiration

02 Getting started

04 Building a brief
05 An example brief: The Cheese

03 First principles

06 Some design fundamentals
07 Understanding your borders
08 Perennial borders - the basics
09 Annual borders - the basics
10 Part 1 - Laying out your garden
11 Part 2 - Laying out your garden
12 Understanding materials
13 Sequencing your planting design

04 Case study - A London garden

14 Designing a London garden
15 Part 1 - A London garden walkthrough
16 Part 2 - A London garden walkthrough

05 Case study - A multifunctioning garden

17 Introducing a multifunctioning garden
18 Layout, flow and materials
19 The planting plan
20 Succession and structure
21 Walking through the planting

06 Farwell

22 Thank you and farewell

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“I have subscribed to access all the courses so have watched one on interior design and this one with Butter Wakefield who specialises in small garden design. She has a lovely personality and comes across as being a ve...”

Louise Brown Apr 10, 2026

“I love CreateAcademy. I came in for the gardening and floristry courses, but am also watching an interior design one at present. And the photography course is an absolute must, best I've ever done.”

Wellesley Apr 1, 2026

“What a great investment, I have learned such a lot from the first three courses. My evenings have gone from not being able to find anything that captured my imagination on TV to learning and expanding my knowledge on ...”

sojojo Mar 30, 2026

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