Bespoke garden design.
How I work…
I listen to your requirements for your garden. I consider the site: levels, available sunlight, architecture, current flora and fauna, and soil type. Many of the projects I work on involve a new house or extension, where the relationship between new architecture and any existing garden needs to be reconsidered — knitting together old and new, or proposing a total site renovation. Other times, the design will be about changes to an existing garden that's no longer working for you.
After the initial meeting, I will draft a letter that reflects my understanding of your requirements, presents my design fees and work stages. Once you've approved the initial design phase, we can progress in phases that suit your budget and timeline. Without a garden masterplan, it's common for homeowners to tackle parts of the garden individually, only to find later that earlier work needs undoing. Working to a masterplan from the outset avoids that wasted effort, even if the build itself happens in stages. Establishing the garden design before a building or extension is complete is more effective than waiting until after it's finished.I can also help identify and coordinate the right contractor(s) for your project.
Why you might choose to employ me…
I'm a problem-solving designer who creates a framework for your garden to grow and evolve over time. I value getting the balance right between space for nature and space for how the garden will be used. Good planting design is both site-appropriate and reflective of your tastes and maintenance requirements. I don't have a fixed planting style — naturalistic or formal. The right approach comes from reading the site itself: its light, setting, architecture, and character, alongside what you want from the space.
How you will experience the proposed designs..
Plan views matter, but what really defines a garden is the experience of moving through it, and the views into and out of it. Relying on plans alone leads to two problems: designs that look interesting on paper but are needlessly complicated in reality, and changes in levels not well resolved. I work from 3D models throughout my process, giving me a "digital twin" of your garden to test different ideas. What I present to you are perspective sketches of how the garden spaces will look and feel from where you'll really stand, sit, and move through your new garden.
