A new Cotswold garden design

25th January 2024

A belated happy new year to you! I had a lovely break with family but that already seems like a distant memory. I’ve lots of really interesting projects on my books at present & am ploughing my way through my project queue. This new garden design is near Bath. It’s a Cotswold farmhouse on a sloping site so is a tad tricky. I do love to play around with levels though so the before & after will be great. I will keep you posted as it progresses. Here are some of my garden plans & illustrations… A couple of my …

The List Featured Designer

24th October 2023

I just heard that I’m a featured designer on The List by the prestigious magazine House & Garden. That’s good news isn’t it? If you don’t know House & Garden magazine publish a list of their favourite designers for interiors & gardens, fabrics & furniture. You are asked to join so that was nice but to be a featured designer is nicer still! Thank you House & Garden! Here I am – https://thelist.houseandgarden.com/england/service/joanne-alderson-design Madly busy at the moment so more news & updates soon Until then A bientot

Apologies for my absence!

17th July 2023

How time flies as they say – apologies for my absence from my blog but I’ve been pretty snowed under (again!) Firstly – very sad news as we lost Dillon, our beautiful 16 year old Maine Coon cat a week before we came out to France. He featured in my last blog actually – I showed a photo of him sprawled as usual all over my desk & keyboard. He hadn’t been well & thankfully we were both with him when he unexpectedly died. Such a gorgeous boy & a happy adventurer too as we always brought him to France …

Designing a new topiary garden

31st March 2023

You might recognise this garden if you know my work…this is part of the Secret Garden at Pip’s Place. Have a look here – https://www.joannealderson.com/portfolio/large-gardens-estates/pips-place/. We bought the big taxus topiary beehives in Belgium a few years ago as part of phase 1 & now we are going to add to them. Ginni asked to meet up to discuss this garden & pondered making some changes. She told me how expensive it was to maintain with mowing etc & sadly all the Ilex crenata edging (supposedly the wonder plant replacement for buxus) had died! My immediate thought was to create …

The evolution of one particular garden design

27th October 2022

This is the story of how the garden design process for one reason or another can be a little protracted but we always get there in the end. This is about the evolution of one particular garden design. The entrance at Pip’s Place in the Chilterns. I first met Ginni during the summer of 2018 & took the photo below of her then recently completed house. You can see photos of Pip’s Place in my portfolio that show how it has developed in 3 phases so far. I liked Ginni immediately & really loved this fabulous project! It was pretty …

October news – my life in garden design

18th October 2022

It’s been so incredibly busy lately I hadn’t noticed I’d not posted anything since July. Autumn is now here & the leaves are turning so he’s an update on what has been going on in my world. Lots of new clients which is just wonderful! I always have a queue of work but people also find me when wanting a garden design or are often recommended by existing clients which is so flattering & kind & keeps it all going. I now have new garden design schemes in Bath, Brighton, Marlow & Henley on Thames so I’ll continue to be …

Knot gardens, parterres, topiary & me

25th May 2022

I have always loved a topiary garden. As far back as I can remember I have loved all the architectural & quirky clipped shapes talented gardeners have fashioned from their imaginations. Have you seen the topiary at Levels Hall? isn’t it fabulous! … I now love to design my own knot gardens & parterres or add a selection of quirky topiary pieces to compliment a building or add amazing character to a garden. Above is one of my drawings for the front of a Georgian mansion in Buckinghamshire. The existing driveway is huge & the building really impressive but slightly …

April news

28th April 2022

It’s been a busy month as usual but I thought you might be interested to read what I’ve been up to so here’s my April news. I designed several schemes from my French studio throughout February & March & this month I have been presenting them. Wednesday’s presentation was for Jane, a client I have worked with for many years & this is the fifth garden I have designed for her & her husband. It’s so incredibly flattering to be asked to do this – I am very aware of my good fortune. I recommended Tom Gresford who is a …

A prestigious project in Bath

26th January 2022

I have been asked to design the garden of this fabulous Grade 1 listed townhouse in Bath. It is a classic Georgian terrace built of Bath stone right in the heart of the city. Such a elegant property & the interior is being designed by Melanie of MW Interiors so that will be equally elegant too – I have seen the drawings & it will be fabulous!! UNFORTUNATELY this is what I have to play with! I certainly have my work cut out! My plan however is to make the back just as beautiful as the front so watch this …

On site today in Buckinghamshire

25th June 2020

Well lockdown has eased so I am back on site & visiting clients – both old & new. It’s been relatively easy thankfully as we can stay outside; that said I got soaked to the skin last Thursday & Friday as it lashed down – yuk! Today I was in Buckinghamshire visiting Pip’s Place – a large garden design & build project of several acres where phase 2 has just got underway. It’s a lovely project up in the Chilterns – so – it’s cold & blustery in winter & today in mid June we absolutely roasted in 31 degree …

Chelsea Award Winning Garden Design