A birds eye view!

2nd May 2024

I had a busy day yesterday with several meetings. The third one was to present the next phase of a very large scheme in the Chilterns – see Pip’s Place in my portfolio. I arrived & all was looking lovely as the garden was coming back to life after a horrible Winter… I arrived to hear a real racket but couldn’t see anything so went to meet Ginni via the back door. Look at what I saw! A bright blue helicopter had landed on the back lawn. Doesn’t it look good with all the camassias! It transpired her gastro pub …

Good news & bad

30th April 2024

It’s been a difficult couple of weeks. I have good news & bad. Good stuff… blossom is out! these were taken in our garden… isn’t it beautiful? We were in France for a few weeks over Easter. I have a pretty tiny studio over there but it’s lovely – with a super view of our wildflower paddock at the rear of our house & this beautiful fabric on the wall & curtain by Zardi & Zardi which I absolutely love. I got lots of work done. Here are a few of my sketches. We’d not been there at Easter before. …

My garden design drawings & illustrations

31st January 2024

I got a call today from a lady asking if I sell my drawings. What do you mean? I asked. “Your drawings are gorgeous & those of us who can’t draw would love them framed on our walls!” . “Oh!” I said – “no I don’t; I illustrate my client’s schemes as part of my design process & actually they often do often frame them but apart from that I’ve never thought about it”. “Well you should!” she said. It’s funny as I’ve had a couple of people message me via Instagram asking if I sell my drawings & I …

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

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 …

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 …

OK studio – grow up!

27th April 2023

My studio in France is tiny. I’ve never minded as it has been fantastic having one here at all! I made it fun & used a tropical print for one wall which I’ve enjoyed looking at for 7 years now. We’ve been doing up our lovely French house with brocante finds since we signed the ownership papers. I really wanted authentic old French furniture & mirrors & a shabby chic kind of vibe – no Ikea for me thanks. As you can see above it’s a beautiful old house built of local tuffeau stone. It was originally built for the …

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 …

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 …

Would you like a studio tour?

26th July 2022

I work from home here in the Cotswolds & have been lucky enough to build my own studio ( correction! I actually used professional builders!!). We live in a barn conversion & my studio building was originally a Cotswold stone animal shelter when this was all part of the main farm back in the 1800s. It was converted to a double garage 20 years ago but that meant cars had to drive through our courtyard to get there. That was stupid, so we reconfigured it all & connected it via a link extension to the house. We now park cars …

Chelsea Award Winning Garden Design