Designing my own gardens

16th October 2023

I do love a project! We have moved house several times over the years where we have gutted & redesigned the house & the garden too. It’s fun to design it all but I also really like to put my stamp on a place. Everyone has their own distinctive taste & style & I’m no exception. I thought I’d show you a few of my own gardens I’ve designed & built over the years… Henley on Thames We bought a townhouse right in the centre of Henley as we wanted to be able to walk everywhere & enjoy all that …

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 …

What a range of projects!

11th October 2019

Normally I show you drawings & plans of gardens I’m working on or work in progress or beautiful images of completed gardens. This time I’m showing you the before shots of these projects I currently have on my books. There’s a manor house in Warwickshire, a couple of farms with many acres, a new build Georgian style mansion, a Cotswold cottage, an uber modern glass house near Henley on Thames, our barn & a plot in Bristol where the existing house is to be torn down. Here are some … What is fascinating about my job is the variety …

A sneak preview

15th April 2014

A sneak preview SO busy I’ve been chasing my tail of late… I’ve been to see a lovely new job in Norfolk, been tree buying in Nottingham, picked up five new schemes & finished three so apologies for radio silence! I got a lovely photo of an almost complete scheme on the outskirts of Henley on Thames this week so I’ll tell you a bit about it then when it’s finally done I’ll upload some smart photo’s of this really lovely scheme. I actually designed this a couple of years ago but my clients put it to tender then …

Using water in the landscape

31st March 2014

Using water in the landscape I love to see water in the landscape – whether it be a lake or a small bowl with a single water lily. This cover photo was taken in Bangkok by a very smart shopping centre. It’s such fun & very stylish which works very well in a public space such as this. It would cool you down in the Thai heat too if you felt the need! I’ve used water in many of the gardens I’ve created as they form fantastic focal points or provide sound to soothe or smother, depending on what might …

Wondering about willow

6th March 2014

Wondering about willow I do love willow. I love it as a tree – particularly the contorted type, but also in its full glory beside a lake. I love it as cut twigs in a vase & I love what creative people can do with it – just look at the top two pictures today. Aren’t they amazing? By artist Emma Stothard. Today’s post about willow came about as we are creating a new parterre here in our own garden. It’s a series of formal squares with a tree in the centre of each (I’ll post photos of it throughout …

Planning for Summer

6th February 2014

Planning for Summer I am so lucky in that we have not been flooded unlike so many since Christmas. The wind & rain are utterly atrocious!! I mostly work from my studio rather than on site like all the team at the moment, who will certainly be suffering. They are felling trees, laying hedges, creating knot gardens & trying to plant. I am shuddering at the sight & sound of it against my windows & not looking forward to horizontal rain later when I’m off for a site visit. I have four gardens currently being constructed which is exciting, particularly …

Amazing what you hear on Womans Hour

4th February 2014

Amazing what you hear on Womans Hour I always listen to radio 4. It has been my informative friend for over 20 years. I remember many years ago sitting at a dinner party beside a scientist who was studying the ability of an unborn baby to repair itself if damaged. She was most impressed I was able to talk a little about this with her & wondered how I knew. I told I’d heard all about it on Womans hour! Anyway – this morning was about a forthcoming exhibition at The Garden Museum in London. I heard “embroidery of the …

21 today!

28th January 2014

21 today! My main contractor as you will know if you’ve been following my posts is Rob Jones & his very capable team at The Garden Design Company Ltd. 2 I’ve worked with Rob & his team for several years & it has been a complete joy. Rob always works closely with the designer which is not always the case with contractors. He actually reads my notes & we collaborate throughout the process. This ensures each garden is built as planned & will look fabulous. The attention to detail is excellent always, he knows all the best suppliers & the …

Busy Day Last Friday

24th January 2014

Last week I was madly busy preparing for a Friday presentation to my client in Oxford. It’s a contemporary scheme with a south facing front garden where she & her family would like to sit & chill out whilst screened from the world. She wanted a Mediterranean feel & a storage space for bikes & bins. I had to disguise the fact that there was a drive. The rear north facing garden had to incorporate another relaxing area, dining area, lawn, office & a play area with a tree house for the children. How lovely! Here are some sketches & …

Chelsea Award Winning Garden Design