Emily Joy has recently expanded her Beverley-based business
(Image: Emily Joy Garden Design)
A young garden designer has expanded her Beverley-based business having built an online following. Emily Joy, 30, started her design and landscaping company in 2023.
Since then, she’s racked up more than 58,000 followers on Instagram, where she gives practical advice to homeowners and green fingered novices. The former fitness instructor, specialises in providing bespoke designs as well as soft landscaping, planting plans and advice.
Having turned to the specialism during lockdown and transformed her own East Yorkshire garden, Emily has grown the business to a team of five working for clients across the region and beyond. Her social media channels have become known for behind-the-scenes project updates and honest reflections on running a garden design studio.
She said: “There’s no airs and graces with us. Clients often say they feel like they already know me before we even get started, and I think that comes from being very open and genuine online. We’re focused on collaboration and understanding that every project is completely different – whether it’s a full garden transformation or helping someone refresh their planting.”
She added: “A friend asked me to help with theirs, then another – and it just grew from there. I remember finishing our fifth project on the same street and thinking, ‘this is the best testimonial we could have’.”
Emily launched the business in 2023 after retraining and working hands-on in landscaping and gardening. She has since delivered a range of projects including big, wrap-around gardens for prestigious homes along with courtyards, front gardens and biodiverse planting schemes for developers.
“It’s been an incredibly exciting year already,” Emily added. “Every project is so different, and that’s a huge part of what keeps it exciting for the team. We were in Northallerton on Monday, Skirlaugh on Wednesday and Sunderland on Friday!”
She added: People often think garden design is just drawings or pretty visuals, but there’s a very physical side to how we operate. We’re out in gardens, digging, planting, building and helping maintain spaces too. We genuinely love being onsite and helping projects come to life.”
Emily Joy Garden Design, which is accredited by the Association of Professional Landscapers and is a member of TrustMark and the Horticultural Trades Association, has recently expanded with the recruitment of designer Anaïs Manin, who brings planting expertise and technical knowledge to the business. Emily said: “I’ve known Anaïs for a while and really admire her work. She brings a fresh perspective that complements mine beautifully, and that’s only a positive for our clients.” Meanwhile landscaper Craig Backhouse has also joined the firm’s ranks, bringing more than 20 years’ experience with him.
“There’s so much inspiration out there now, especially with AI and Pinterest-style ideas,” Emily says. “It can be useful as a starting point, but our role is to refine those ideas into something that will actually work for the client, the space and the budget. It’s about choosing materials that are right for the property, plants that will genuinely thrive there, and making sure every penny invested into a garden is spent wisely. There are a lot of moving parts, but we have a tried and tested process.”
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.