The Garden Studio

The Garden Studio designs outdoor spaces that suit the Mediterranean climate. It is a Malta-based practice specialising in gardens, terraces and rooftops for homes and commercial properties, and it follows a design formula that draws on the natural forms, textures and colours of the landscape. The aim is to give each space a story and turn it into something you can enjoy with all your senses.

The studio is listed in our directory of garden centres and garden services in Malta. It suits owners of villas, farmhouses, townhouses and apartment terraces who want a plan rather than a trolley of plants.

The landscape architect behind the studio

The studio is led by Suzie Samut Tagliaferro, who holds a BA in Landscape Architecture and Design from Kingston University in London, completed in 2014. She worked alongside local designers and architects while building her knowledge of Mediterranean planting, then set up a studio devoted to gardens and outdoor spaces.

Suzie leads the whole process from the first site visit through to the finished garden. Her projects range from small backyards to large gardens, and she draws on the island's low scrubland and garrigue when choosing plants that cope with Malta's hot, dry summers. Our Malta weather guide gives a sense of the conditions a garden has to survive.

How a project works

Every project begins with a visit to your site, where the team discusses how you want to use the space and then issues a quote for the right service. Design is split into phases. Phase A is the concept design, Phase B is the detailed design documentation, and Phase C covers procurement, when quotes are gathered from several suppliers for plants and materials to match your budget.

Once the design is confirmed, a bill of quantities sets out estimated costs for supply and labour. Drawings cover planting, hard landscaping, outdoor architectural elements, lighting, furniture and decoration. Hard landscaping means the lasting parts such as masonry, timber and tiling, while soft landscaping covers living material like plants, lawn and mulch.

Project management is part of the full design package. The studio can also oversee the build if you buy your own plants and use your own gardener, provided the design is theirs. Not every client needs the full service, and one-off consultations are offered too.

Projects in Malta and Gozo

The portfolio mixes residential and commercial work. Titles include a sunken garden in Gozo that frames a view of the Ta' Pinu church, a shaded townhouse garden, a city terrace, a rooftop design, an alleyway garden, a barn house, a palazzo courtyard and a hotel landscape. Our guide to Gozo shows the island these gardens sit in.

Many of the commissions are on roofs and terraces in town centres, where space is tight and views matter. If you are looking at property near the capital, Valletta or in the Three Cities, a designed terrace can make a compact home feel larger. For public garden inspiration, visit the Upper Barrakka Gardens.

Consultations and getting started

If you only want ideas, the studio offers plant and design consultations charged hourly. A visit usually lasts one to one and a half hours and ends with suggestions for improving the space and a list of suitable plants. A line drawing of the space helps, and if you have none the team can measure and sketch one on site.

For architects and developers, the studio produces detailed drawings and documentation for urban, residential and commercial exteriors. Buyers moving to the islands will find background in our Malta relocation guide. To ask about your own garden, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to The Garden Studio. For general reading, see about Malta.