Drone Garden Photography in London: Documenting Mona’s Award-Winning Garden
Mona Abboud in the newly created extension of her award-winning Muswell Hill garden – October 1, 2025.
We were recently commissioned by the London Gardens Trust to begin a series of drone garden photography projects across the capital. Our first assignment was the remarkable Mona’s Garden in North London, a private space that has been recognised as Best Back Garden by the London Gardens Society and is home to the National Collection of Corokia.
A Unique London Garden
Looking down over the heart of Mona’s Garden in Muswell Hill — the fountain framed by bold foliage and textures that make this space so special.
Created by Mona Abboud, this award-winning garden is internationally recognised for its rare plants, bold design, and focus on texture and contrast. Mona has transformed her space with hundreds of tons of soil, stone and gravel, creating terraces, steps and structural features that frame her plantings.
Unlike many gardens, Mona’s vision is not about big flower displays — it is about foliage, shapes and layers. The planting palette includes Australasian and Mediterranean plants, Restios from South Africa, and unusual exotics. A major recent addition has been a 600 m² extension, converted into a sustainable meadow and woodland area, which gives the garden even greater depth and variety.
A striking aerial view of the dry garden planting in Mona’s Garden. At the centre, a bold spiky yucca radiates like a starburst, surrounded by contrasting foliage in greens, bronzes and silvers. The gravel surface and weathered tree stumps add texture and structure, echoing the Australasian and Mediterranean influences that run throughout Mona Abboud’s planting style. This part of the garden shows her love of unusual exotics and her focus on texture, shape and contrast rather than flowers alone.
Why Use Drones for Garden Photography?
Drone photography is increasingly popular for garden design, landscaping and heritage projects because it offers perspectives and documentation that ground-level cameras cannot achieve.
1. Capture the Full Layout
From above, you see how paths, terraces and borders connect, giving a true sense of the garden’s structure.
Aerial view of the woodland extension in Mona’s Garden, with winding paths and layered planting creating a meadow-like atmosphere beneath the canopy of mature trees.
2. Show Texture and Foliage Contrast
Drone angles highlight layering, contrasts and rhythm across a site — essential in a garden like Mona’s where texture and foliage are the main design elements.
Aerial view of the central fountain in Mona’s Garden, framed by a rich tapestry of contrasting foliage, textures and forms that define her award-winning design.
3. Document Growth Over Time
Aerial images provide a record that can be compared year on year, showing how a garden evolves.
4. Professional Visuals for Clients and Promotion
High-quality drone imagery makes compelling content for garden trusts, designers, and owners who want to showcase their work in publications, websites or tours.
5. Efficient and Non-Intrusive
Drones can capture a garden quickly and without damaging borders or disrupting the site.
The Future of Garden Documentation
Our project with the London Gardens Trust demonstrates how drone photography can support the documentation of important gardens across London. By combining close-up photography with aerial perspectives, it is possible to tell the full story of a garden’s design, planting and evolution.
Mona’s Garden was the perfect starting point for this series: a garden of vision, texture and contrast, and an inspiring example of how drone photography can reveal beauty that is often hidden from view.
If you’d like your garden or landscape professionally documented, whether for personal records, design portfolios, or to showcase for awards and publications, drone photography offers a unique perspective that captures both detail and overall structure. Get in touch to discuss how we can create a visual record of your garden that highlights its texture, design and character.