Having our work transform peoples lives is a happy part of the work of a garden designer, or course we hope it’s for the better as people find outside spaces they can enjoy, entertain, play and relax in, be active in, see and support the wildlife habitats that grow up around their freshly planted gardens….
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Planning & the noxious weed
Getting involved with garden projects where there is an aspect of planning involved can be a time consuming but usually an interesting aspect of being a Garden Designer. I spend a good number of hours trawling through the ‘not so intuitive’ Planning Portal, set up by government to make the process far more transparent. One…
Continue ReadingWhat do YOU do when you’re not designing?
It’s a common question from friends and family and the answer is, “well quite a lot actually!”. Every small business has to balance marketing, self promotion and business management, some have employee relations to do and as a designer there is also the keeping up with the trends, legislation and competition element. Finding suppliers, new…
Continue ReadingCottesbrooke Plant Fair
Eeeek I have been a bit lax, some might say busy, I would say a bit caught up in the moment with exhausted patches in between. Ok Doing too much again! A really rather exciting few weeks to be fair and some new experiences and faces too boot. Almost all good too with only one…
Continue ReadingHomeowner Contract (domestic JCLI)
The SGD launched two new template contracts for domestic garden works at the recent autumn conference. The first a consultancy agreement for homeowners to appoint their garden designer and the second a construction and planting contract between client and contractor. Designed to be used together they have been agreed by forums (JCLI) representing both designers…
Continue ReadingSGD autumn conference
Society of Garden Designers Autumn Conference – What are gardens for? For those that could not attend you missed a goodie! Annoying as that is to hear sometimes it’s just the impulse one needs to get to it next time. I missed Christopher Bradley Hole in March and kicked myself for being slow off the…
Continue ReadingA Cotswold Day with Dan Pearson & Mary Keen
It was all a bit last minute to be honest and the inner cynic faffed about whether I should afford this day in the Gloucestershire countryside, wandering round the country garden of writer and designer Mary Keen along with Dan Pearson, probably just some very tolerant professionals making money for a good cause but not…
Continue ReadingSketching. Is it over rated in Garden Design
I came across this site – http://www.urbansketchers.org/ which champions and displays some incredible sketch works from 100 keen contributors in 30 countries of the world. It says “.. Some are architects and illustrators, others are graphic designers, web developers, painters or educators, all sharing the same passion for drawing on location.” – after purchasing next years diary from…
Continue ReadingUncovering Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire.
The gardens at Wimpole Hall are of great note and yet it’s pedigree seemingly not well noticed. I have been visiting the estate and gardens for several years now and in several seasons each year, blithely enjoying the walks, the vegetable gardens, the orchards and bees, the herbaceous borders, the book store, the plants store,…
Continue ReadingRabbit Fencing and other materials
This has been a slightly less hectic week than last week. Only slightly though. Monday saw me out in the inclement weather most of the day, fielding inappropriate footware, a tape measure, writing materials and a smile, in the freezing drizzle. Fur lined Rigger boots here I come! The satisfying thing is to find oneself…
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