Talking Landscape Design with Fernando Wong

In May, David Harber will return to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London with a trade stand designed by award-winning, Florida-based landscape designer Fernando Wong. Fernando is renowned for his stunning formal and symmetrical landscape designs, and he’s applied this approach to our RHS Chelsea trade stand. The garden features an elegant labyrinth of pathways and perfectly framed views that reveal hidden sculptures, as well as a more relaxed social space with a canopy, outdoor kitchen and seating area.

Read all about our RHS Chelsea Flower Show stand for 2025.

Here, Fernando chats to us about how he started out as a landscape designer and explains why he loves British garden design.

Tell us a bit about how you started out.

I was born in Panama, where I trained in architecture and interior design. After moving to the United States in 2001, I took up landscape design after working on a landscape installation crew where I was being noticed for my sketching abilities on site. In 2005, I co-founded Fernando Wong Outdoor Living Design with my partner, Tim Johnson. Together we grew the business from a small office in our guest bedroom into a global landscape architecture firm with two Florida-based offices: one in Miami Beach and one in Palm Beach.

What role does nature play in your design process?

When I observe nature, I take notice of the natural compositions that work well together – the way the silver trunk of an evergreen tree plays alongside its dark, blue-green foliage or how the yellowing leaves of a deciduous tree create a blanket on the ground. There are so many things we can learn from nature if we choose to observe and notice it.

Tell me about a project you’re particularly proud of.

I am very fond of a project that gave me the opportunity to restore and revitalize the landscape of a historical home designed by my favourite architect, John Volk. The proportions of Volk’s designs create the perfect foundation for a beautiful outdoor space.

What for you are the key considerations when designing a garden?

The most important factors to consider before undertaking any garden design are how the client wants to use the space and the site’s natural conditions, as elements such as the orientation of the house, soil quality, light exposure and topography all help to shape the design. When these considerations are carefully assessed, I find the layout often naturally reveals itself.

What key elements are needed to turn a yard into a living space?

It should feel personal and work as an extension of the home. Look at the floor plan and consider how you want the interior rooms to carry into the exterior. Curate views outside your window and use the existing architectural proportions to craft a journey from one space to another.

What are the hottest landscape trends in the US right now?

In all honesty, formal outdoor spaces with well-defined proportions are what people are getting turned onto again. Most likely because they provide structure and help guide long-term maintenance.

Maintenance generally has become a real concern, and many clients have found wild or naturalistic gardens challenging to sustain due to their ever-evolving nature. Instead, they’re seeking landscapes that are beautiful from day one and are designed to retain their integrity for decades.

Why do you like to use sculpture in your design work. What do you feel it brings to an outdoor space?

I love formality and symmetry. I use linear axes to frame views and at the end of every axis I love to provide something that pulls you in and invites you to explore, and sculpture is one of the best ways to do that.

What do you love about British gardens?

I love the romance and fantasy of a British garden. I love that British gardens craft a view like a landscape painting; rolling hills filled with wildflowers and grasses, a pond in the foreground and a folly in the distance, it’s crafted like a story.

What element of the David Harber RHS Chelsea Flower Show stand excites you most?

I’m excited for people to explore and get up close and personal with all the sculptures, as the garden we’ve created has been designed just for that. At every turn, you’re greeted with a perfectly framed view of another David Harber artwork.

Are there any specific challenges with designing a garden in the UK that you don’t often come across when designing landscapes in Florida?

One of the biggest challenges is trusting that spring will come. In south Florida, we have year-round beauty, but when we were sourcing a lot of the plant material in the UK for the RHS Chelsea trade stand, we could only look at it in its dormant winter state. We needed to trust that come springtime, it will look the way we want it to, and everything will come together.

What is your favourite David Harber sculpture?

There is something particularly special about Torus, which I think captures the refined elegance of David Harber. This perfectly executed, simple gesture aligns so well with my designs.

If you’re attending this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, come and experience Fernando’s design at our stand MA338, just off Main Avenue. Our team will be there to greet you or, you can make an appointment by emailing enquiries@davidharber.com.