Defence Gardens Scheme
The Defence Gardens Scheme harnesses the restorative power of nature to support the recovery and resilience of the Armed Forces community. The scheme had outgrown its old brand identity and needed to communicate its incredible mission-led work and attract new donors. We Mean This worked closely with them to revitalise both brand and website, in celebration of their mission.
PROJECT
Brand Identity
Website
The brief
Through structured horticultural therapy, specialist training, and partnerships across health, environment, and heritage sectors, DGS helps the Armed Forces community find wellbeing, connection, and renewed purpose. Yet their existing identity and website were letting the side down. To secure sustainable funding in support of their continued expansion, DGS needed a distinctive identity to help drive brand awareness for two audiences. We had to ensure that, in targeting the commissioners and grant funders, we didn't alienate the practitioners and veterans themselves.
The cannon wheel and poppies in the old logo were liked and carried a certain amount of equity yet felt outdated. How could we hero these brand elements in a new marque that also communicated the robustness, inclusiveness and relevance of the scheme today?
The solution
The new visual identity was designed to feel contemporary, grounded and full of life, balancing structure with a sense of natural growth. At the centre of the identity, the existing wheel and poppy emblem was reimagined into a cleaner, more modern icon that retains the recognisable heritage of the organisation while giving it greater clarity and flexibility at scale. The colour palette draws from deep, earthy, natural tones, reflecting the physical connection to gardening and the outdoors, while carefully placed brighter accents inject warmth, optimism and energy throughout the brand. Expanding from the poppy motif within the logo, organic brand shapes blossom across layouts to create a visual language that feels evolving and alive.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
“At the Defence Gardens Scheme, everything is rooted in purpose — helping veterans and their families find healing and resilience through nature, and it was vital our website reflected that mission. We Mean This took the time to truly understand who we are, and the result reflects our approach — calm, grounded and human, but with real confidence and presence. The visual identity, the imagery, the way the story flows — it works. We've already had wonderful feedback from our community and partners, and we couldn't be more proud of what we've created together."
– Sally Coulthard MBE, Defence Gardens Scheme, CEO