About Me
Whilst working as a gardener I took the Royal Horticultural
Societies general Horticulture Certificate and qualified with distinction.
Subsequently I undertook a two-year garden design course with the Open
College of the Arts and have now started my own small business designing
gardens large and small.
I have worked as a volunteer with the Friends of the Sheffield
Botanical Gardens since 1994. The Gardens gained a £6.7 million Heritage
lottery fund for restoration so this is a very exciting time to be involved
with the Gardens.
In the middle of this period my family and I spent 18 months working in
Santa Monica on the Southern Californian coast. The basics of garden design
(balance, colour, texture) remain the same anywhere, but it was interesting
to have to produce shade from the searing sun, ensure a copious daily
watering via the sprinkler system. It was great to be able to use lots of exotics
like Tree ferns, Papyrus, Bird of Paradise, and of course the many types
of Palm. The element I found most interesting about Californian garden
design was their use of lighting. Lights can create a night-time focus, produce
interesting shadows, graze the textures of wall or floor, or cast reflections
on still water.
Returning to England I love the variation that we can achieve in a well-designed
garden by using the changing seasons to provide a constantly changing
backdrop. I offer detailed garden designs, which can include lighting,
water, and changes in level, garden structures and furnishing.
I offer planting plans and maintenance plans. I can design
the whole garden or just part of it and work hard to ensure that it meets
your needs.
