About Sarah
Sarah Plested is an award‑winning garden designer and horticulturist whose work is rooted in a lifelong passion for plants and the vital role they play in our natural environment. Her career has been shaped by a deep curiosity about how people interact with plants - how they influence our wellbeing, enrich our daily lives and connect us to the landscapes around us.
A respected member of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) and the Chartered Institute of Horticulture (CIoH), Sarah brings recognised expertise to every project. Her designs have earned multiple APL Awards, reflecting her commitment to excellence in both horticulture and garden design. She has also created show gardens for BBC Gardeners’ World Live on behalf of the APL, showcasing her refined design approach on a national stage.
With experience spanning private gardens, workplace environments and community spaces, Sarah combines horticultural knowledge with an intuitive understanding of how outdoor spaces function. She creates gardens that are not only beautiful, but meaningful - spaces that support biodiversity, enhance wellbeing and strengthen the relationship between people and place.
Alongside her design practice, Sarah lectures in Horticulture and Garden Design, sharing her expertise with the next generation of designers and championing a deeper appreciation of plants within the wider community.
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Why the name: Bramley Apple Garden Design?
Sarah grew up in Southwell, Nottinghamshire - the birthplace of the original Bramley’s Seedling apple tree. The first tree grew from pips planted in a little girl’s garden in 1809, and when the cottage was later bought by local butcher Matthew Bramley, he allowed nurseryman Henry Merryweather to take cuttings and begin selling the apples. Sarah’s family lived opposite Merryweather’s nursery, and her parents planted a Bramley’s Seedling in their own garden.
When Sarah married, her sister gifted her a young Bramley tree, which she planted in her first garden in Bramley, Hampshire. With such deep personal and historical ties to the Bramley apple, naming her design practice was never in question - it felt like the perfect reflection of her roots, her story and her connection to place.
Sarah's garden design story
Gardening began as a hobby for Sarah, and in 2010 she formalised that passion by studying for the RHS Certificate in Horticulture while building a base of maintenance clients. This hands‑on experience gave her a strong practical foundation and a deep understanding of plants - knowledge that continues to shape her planting design today.
Design became a natural next step. After completing her Diploma in Garden Design at KLC School of Design, her portfolio grew quickly, reflecting her blend of horticultural expertise and artistic sensibility.
Creativity has always been central to Sarah’s life. Before entering horticulture, she worked as a professional ballet dancer, and she has long been involved in the arts, studying Fine Art at A‑level and painting in her spare time. This artistic background informs her approach to garden design, bringing a strong sense of movement, composition and storytelling to her work.
Today, Sarah works across the industry - designing gardens for clients, collaborating on show gardens, writing for retail and industry media, and speaking to gardening groups - always driven by a desire to help people connect more deeply with the natural world.
What our client had to say...
"What a great service Sarah provided me with. She provided a variety of options and was happy and patient in her discussions with me. The detail and direction on the drawings were great to follow."
- James Selwood
