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Landscape architect specialising in the landscape and garden design of rural properties and businesses.
From a life of varied professions that have revolved around plants, people, places and history, I bring together a unique blend of a love of plants, nature, history, design, creativity, photography and science. I combine my landscape and garden design skills and an eye for aesthetics with logical reasoning to create pleasing places that withstand robust, practical use. My hands on knowledge and deep understanding of managing a large garden, rural business, estates, farming and communities, means that I can relate to the opportunities, constraints and sensitivities of clients living and working in this area. Plus, I have a genuine desire to leave the place a better place for wildlife and nature not just the client and users and to encourage others to want to do the same.
I am a rural estate owner-manager with 17 years experience of a 900 acre estate, four acre garden including walled garden, residential rental portfolio, historic buildings, and woodland and conservation; a landscape architect with seven years experience of planning and designing for public realm, residential development, hospital and school builds; a natural products biochemist of seven years experience; and, a life-long farmers daughter.
I’ve always had an interest in plants – their historic uses led me into natural product biochemistry; the renovation of Hampton Court led me into landscape architecture. So combined with my fascination with history, I have a particular attraction to historic gardens and enjoy many National Trust sites. One of my ambitions is to work on a historic garden restoration/renovation, or redesign/repurpose, such as at Heligan and RHS Bridgewater.
I am a member of the Landscape Institute.
Design style
Simple design, luxurious planting combining colour, texture, smell, nature and a sense of place. I like neat and ordered with a bit of dishevelment – characterful and not pristine.
Wellbeing
There is a great deal of research that shows that being immersed in nature is hugely beneficial to our health and wellbeing. Access to health and attractive outdoor surroundings is now seen as so important to us that it’s a large part of hospital design and also therapy. My designs incorporate elements to stimulate various senses with the aim of making people feel better or their day just that bit brighter than it was.
Nature and natural networks
Biodiversity is one of the big buzz words in landscape and garden design today and it’s easy to pay lip service to it by planting for the headline species. To truly help wildlife thrive we need to consider the whole food chain, or more accurately food webs and natural networks. Rather than a top down approach – concentrating on what we can see – I have a bottom up approach and feed the soil health, fungal networks and insect communities, which in turn feed the plants, birds, reptiles and mammals.
Holistic design
Both my training and experience as a landscape architect and my life as an estate owner has shown me that a site needs to be looked at holistically, considering all aspects including its use, stakeholders, boundaries, neighbours, maintenance – current, past and future. Often a site or project falter in the grey areas between disciplines, trades and remits, and so with my experience as project manager on our estate, I have learnt to bridge this grey zone to ensure best possible results.
Reuse, repurpose, recycle
Over the years I’ve developed an appreciation of the old and the new and I relish the opportunity to combine the two by repurposing materials and objects to create unusual and eye-catching talking pieces. Almost any sort of reclaimed materials can inspire a design and even bring an element of humour to a space. I see reusing and repurposing in a design as a continuation of what generations have done before us – many buildings, gardens and structures sport the scars of a change in layout or use
Sustainability
Good, conscientious landscape design not only reduces the impact that a project has on the environment through its materials and careful consideration of the carbon footprint, but it can also enhance the environment by managing surface run off, reducing flooding, linking wildlife networks and encouraging biodiversity.
For me, sustainability also means longevity and responsibility. A design with these in mind is one that is suitable for location and purpose as well as being maintainable within the capabilities and budget of the client.