So what is it that we garden designers do all day?  There are many schools of thought about what we do and often they include something about being outside a lot.  The reality of my life as a garden designer is that I am only “outside” when I am either on site making a planned visit during the construction phase of the project or when I am planting up a garden after the hard landscaping has been finished.

My blog of course keeps you relatively up to date with my existing projects, but my accounts of these don’t always include some of the thought processes and research that goes on behind the scenes. There are other things that take up my time too so I thought you might be interested to learn a bit more about my life as a garden designer from month to month.

Even though we’re almost half way through February already I thought there was really no better place to start than January which, now that I look back at it, had some real highlights…

A range of garden accessories – I am working with English Garden Joinery at the moment to help them to develop a range of furniture and garden accessories.  They have mocked up a few designs and we are now working to develop them further.  I’d love to have a range of furniture for each of the colour seasons so that we have something to offer all tastes and styles.

Focus & Flourish workshop – In January I attended a Focus and Flourish workshop with Fiona Humberstone and Elizabeth Cairns at Flourish Studios, a brilliant day to help me to get focussed on the year ahead.  When you run your own business, it’s really important to take some time out every now and again to reflect and do some planning.

A Day at the Sir Harold Hiller Gardens – You’ll probably remember the blog post I wrote about my visit here and it was the highlight of the month for me because I was able to spend the day with another garden designer (always a good source of design inspiration) and visit a great winter garden on a perfect crisp, clear, winter day.  It’s so important to get out there and visit gardens.  These visits don’t only provide opportunities for blog posts, but they also provide design inspiration and learning opportunities.

Site Visits and Surveys – In January I carried out 2 surveys and also made a site visit to my project in London.  I always pop back and visit projects a couple of months after the planting has been completed so that I can check that everything looks ok and to touch base with the client who often has questions to ask.

SGD Speaker Evening – I coordinate the local Society of Garden Designers’ Esher Cluster Group, a monthly get-together of members of the society where we cover various design topics – a network of garden designers.  We also arrange trips out to gardens and nurseries etc.  In January, Scott Hadley of SH Landscapes came to speak to us about garden electrics.  This was a really brilliant evening that went into detail about fittings and installation…really important stuff to know when designing any of these garden elements.  The cluster group is a great source of information and brilliant for networking with other garden designers who have different levels of experience.  It also helps to keep up with current construction methods and use of materials.

I’m not sure if I’ve told you already, but I am currently working with a client near La Rochelle in France.  As you can imagine I am VERY excited about this project, not only because it’s in France and I get to spend some time there, but also because my client’s plans are big enough to be featured on Grand Designs! Read more

On Friday I met with a local Interior Designer, who I work with quite regularly, to present the concept design idea for the new garage area at their home.  You may remember that I redesigned the couryard area outside their new office a while back.  The hard landscaped elements for the courtyard are finished and we will be ready to plant in the Spring.  Due to the expansion of their business, they will now be moving the office away from their home and this has created an opportunity to create a new garage area. Read more

In this month’s Garden Flowers blog post, which I write with Rona Wheeldon of Flowerona, we’re looking at an evergreen flowering shrub with delicate blooms to brighten up your garden in these winter months…the Camellia sasanqua. Read more

I went to a seminar yesterday and when I mentioned what it is that I do for a living, the lady I was speaking to said “I have a huge garden but I’m just not really interested in gardening!”  This got me thinking about why it is that so many people don’t really maximise the full potential of their gardens. Read more

I went back to visit my project in London on Friday where I redesigned the terrace area as part of an extensive house renovation project.  It was far too dark to take photographs when I planted the garden back in November so I am very pleased to now be able to share the “after” pictures with you. Read more

If you’re a keen gardener I’d expect you to be tuned in to the plants in your garden.  No doubt you’re out there doing something whevener you get the chance, and I’m sure that you love to watch and nuture your plants as they grow, but what about the basic structure of the garden?  Does the thought of planning the layout of the garden ignite the same passion in you? Read more

There are lots of things we can plant in the garden that will provide structure and interest in winter.  Evergreen plants provide the backbone for any planting scheme and in winter they are the only plants with foliage.  Other plants produce berries or flowers that are often scented and coloured brightly, but if you want something that’s really eyecatching there are many species of shrubs and trees that have wonderful stems and bark that really come into their own. Read more

You may remember that the hard landscaping elements were completed for my project in Sutton just before Christmas.  When I first went to see my clients one of the biggest challenges that faced us was the fact that they live in a mid-terrace property and the only access to the garden is through the house.  Of course this is a challenge, and it can impact the build costs, but it certainly doesn’t prevent the possibility of creating a gorgeous garden! Read more

I spent a wonderful day on Friday with a garden designer friend who, like me, wanted to practice her photography in a garden with winter interest.  We chose the Sir Harold Hillier Garden in Romsey primarily for its winter garden but also for its amazing collection of trees.  The weather was on our side too, bright and cold and perfect for bringing the winter stems and tree bark to life. Read more