Meet your team.
Rob Hardy & Co was formed in 2016. As the business has grown, Rob has brought together a trusted team of talented garden designers, horticulturalists, surveyors and project managers in Yorkshire.
We believe that by working together we make the most of our strengths to deliver beautiful gardens for you, our clients. The team also collaborates with several other experts in their field to deliver your perfect garden.
Rob Hardy
— Director and Garden Designer
With over 20 years of professional experience in garden design, horticulture and project management, Rob brings a confident, creative approach to every project. His background in Fine Art, combined with formal training in horticulture at Askham Bryan and a Garden Design degree from the Northern School of Garden Design, gives him a distinctive design perspective grounded in both artistry and plant knowledge.
Rob’s award-winning gardens are known for their balance of colour, form and structure—spaces that are not only visually striking but also practical and inviting. He is particularly skilled at creating flexible, liveable outdoor environments that respond beautifully to both setting and client.
Now based in Harrogate, Rob is a pre-registered member of the Society of Garden Designers and a winner of an RHS Gold Medal and Best in Show—recognition of the depth of his design skill and attention to detail
Tim Gray
— Garden Designer
Tim graduated from the Yorkshire School of Garden Design and brings a thoughtful, imaginative approach to every project he undertakes. Fascinated by the intrinsic romance of gardens and their power to evoke memory and emotion, Tim is particularly interested in the stories outdoor spaces can tell—and how they connect with both their architectural setting and the wider landscape.
With a background in law and hospitality, Tim combines analytical thinking with a natural sensitivity to people and place. He’s skilled at drawing out the unique character of a site while also responding to the personalities and aspirations of those who will use it. This dual focus enables him to create gardens that feel not only beautifully composed but also deeply personal.
Clients appreciate Tim’s attentive, collaborative manner and his ability to translate ideas into spaces that are both expressive and enduring. Whether reimagining a town garden or shaping a more expansive landscape, he approaches every brief with creativity, care, and a clear sense of purpose.
Hala Khalifa
— Landscape Architect
Hala is a highly experienced landscape architect with a calm, thoughtful approach and a strong track record of delivering large, design-led projects. Before joining our team, she worked as a Senior Landscape Architect with the internationally renowned Sites International where she contributed to major masterplans and detailed landscape designs across the Middle East.
With her warm and collaborative manner, Hala is skilled at guiding projects from concept to delivery, balancing creative ambition with the practical demands of complex sites. Her experience of working closely with architects, planners and engineers means she brings clarity and coordination to even the most challenging briefs.
Clients value Hala’s clear design thinking, her attention to detail, and the calm confidence she brings to every stage of a project. She is passionate about creating landscapes that feel rooted in their setting—spaces that are not only functional and elegant, but also enriching to experience.
Fran Dalziel
— Garden Designer
Inspired by her rural upbringing and love of design, Fran creates distinctive outdoor spaces that feel like a natural extension of the home. Her approach is thoughtful and collaborative, with a focus on gardens that are both beautiful and deeply personal.
Fran trained at the Yorkshire School of Garden Design, where she developed a strong eye for composition, texture and seasonal planting. She’s particularly drawn to gardens that balance structure with softness, using planting and materials to shape atmosphere and enhance everyday life.
Warm, professional and detail-oriented, Fran brings genuine enthusiasm to every project—whether it’s a compact courtyard or a larger rural landscape.
Susan Bone
— Landscape architect
Susan is a highly creative and accomplished landscape architect with over 25 years of experience designing beautiful, functional outdoor spaces. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of how landscapes are used and enjoyed, and she brings a calm, considered approach to every project she undertakes.
Known for her ability to translate complex ideas into elegant, practical solutions, Susan excels at creating gardens and landscapes that feel both refined and inviting. Her designs often strike a perfect balance between structure and softness, seamlessly blending architecture with planting to enhance the character and flow of each space.
Over the course of her career, Susan has worked on a wide range of projects—from private gardens and public spaces to large-scale developments—bringing a strong design sensibility and a keen eye for detail to every brief. She’s particularly skilled at working with existing site features to create timeless landscapes that sit comfortably in their setting.
Jack Taylor
— Visualisations and animations
Jack initially trained as a product designer but now focusses all of his time on producing stunning project visuals and bringing our garden designs to life with three dimensional images, virtual reality and walkthrough animations.
As a qualified designer, Jack is also involved in key design decisions too and is instrumental in the design process, working with the team to create stunning garden designs.
Liz Broadbent
— Horticulturalist
Liz is a professional horticulturist with over 20 years experience. She holds a Higher National Diploma in Conservation and Environmental Studies, and Level 3 Diploma with the Royal Horticultural Society
Liz is a member of The Gardeners Guild and the Chartered Institute of Horticulture.
‘The details are not the details. They make the design.’
— Charles Eames, Designer
Our design philosophy.
Our design philosophy is simple: create beautiful gardens that perfectly suit their location and the people who live in them. We want your garden to extend your home, add value to your property and be a desirable place to spend time. We want it to make you happy!
Great garden design is more than making your outdoor living space look amazing. It is the thought that goes into shaping the way we use the space, the features and furniture that we place in it. It is only when you begin to use the garden that you will experience all the subtle touches, the things visible and invisible, that make a great design really shine. We believe in really looking at those finer details that make all the difference.
Quality is of utmost importance to us. We believe in using the best materials, ethically sourced, that will stand the test of time.
Whether that is the finest hard landscaping materials or quality plants sourced from the finest nurseries in Europe, we will help you to source the best materials that your budget will allow.
