About Richard Walters

Based in Norfolk, I specialise in transforming gardens into beautiful and environmentally friendly outdoor spaces. Working closely with Clients, I aim to create lovely gardens that work perfectly within any space, whether large or small. My approach blends artistic hand-drawn concepts with advanced 3D computer imagery, allowing you to walk through your new garden before a single stone is laid.

My journey into garden design is rooted in a lifelong passion for the natural world. Before founding Richard Walters Garden Design in 2016, I spent 20 years as an Environmental Science Manager, leading global teams to map complex marine ecosystems. Today, I apply that same scientific rigor and mapping expertise to your landscape, ensuring that every planting plan is perfectly suited to your soil, climate, and lifestyle.

Richard Walters, Norfolk garden designer at the Vicarage Gardens in Easton Ruston (2016) — Richard Walters, Norfolk garden designer

Raised beds around terrace — Raised beds with Tulips (RW Gardens)

Qualifications

With additional qualifications in RHS level 2 Practical Horticulture and working towards the highly recognised RHS level 3 standard, I have an excellent grounding in horticulture knowledge to back up my design and mapping skills.

In addition to taking on my own garden design commissions, I also worked part time as a specialist garden design professional for a highly recognised garden design company, Timothy Garden Design. I continued to develop my Horticulture skills through contract work at the world famous RHS partner garden, The Vicarage Gardens, in East Ruston, Norfolk setting out planting schemes, arranging displays and general plantcare and maintenance.

I have produced a number of high quality garden designs in Norwich and Norfolk for satisfied Clients and have now achieved pre-registration within the elite Society of Garden Designers.

Previous Career

Although I have always been a keen and knowledgeable gardener, I have a wide ranging work experience from which to draw experience and inspiration. In my previous career spanning nearly 20 years, graduating with a MSc in Environment and Development in 1999, I worked as Environmental Science Manager for a multinational company overseeing a large team of environmental scientists producing ecological maps of the seabed on a worldwide basis.

Richard Walters SCUBA diving in Tobago — Richard Walters diving in Tobago

A hand drawn garden design from 2017 by Richard Walters — Hand drawn garden design

Current Projects

I have performed a large number of interesting and challenging projects in and around Norwich and Norfolk. This includes large-scale Mediterranean and English Cottage gardens, commercial projects including a care home and urban jungle style projects including shady and winter garden aspects.

All the gardens I design are intended to be both aesthetically and ecologically pleasing, with winter interest and year round fragrance.