MY COMMITMENT

I was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and have lived in Oxfordshire for the past 20 years and always enjoy the gardens and properties on which I work. I carry out most of the work myself and rarely use contractors; if the need ever arises I employ only a small number known to me for a long period of time.

I am contacted by people throughout the United Kingdom and abroad who seek my advice concerning the use of traditional building materials.

My academic qualifications consist of a bachelor's degree from Reading and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education which I earned at Oxford Brookes. In addition to these I possess vocational qualifications such as the Royal Horticultural Society's General Certificate and also the Advanced National Certificate in Horticulture (Landscape and Design).

As well as being a certified garden designer I have also received professional training in hedge laying, bricklaying, dry stone walling, and lime mortar re-pointing. I enjoy the sympathetic restoration of period properties and always use the best materials to enhance and preserve a property.

The experience and expertise gained as a landscape gardener are invaluable in the design of gardens and put me in a particularly good position to budget accurately for any design I create as well as predicting realistic time frames for completion.

Why I prefer to design and install gardens myself.

Before I approach my drawing board I have already visualised different possibilities for a garden. Once I set about designing, I use paper and pencil to sketch up ideas and get a feel for the garden: what will grow where, where will be a good place to sit, what will tie in with what. 

By hand drawing a garden I am already working in it by placing the features such as plants, shrubs and trees. This means that when the design is complete I feel as though I have already worked on the site for some time. A hand drawn plan is as individual as a letter written with a fountain pen and I do not use CAD as I believe clicking and dragging can produce generic results.

When designing I choose not to put the hard landscaping features in first and then fit whichever soft landscaping is possible in around it, but prefer to take a more holistic approach allowing all the features to fit together naturally.

Some designers have little landscaping experience and shortfalls in their knowledge could result in the following problems:

·       the construction drawings offered may not be produced with a full understanding of how and why features are built the way they are

·       if there is little knowledge of the machinery needed to implement a feature or complete a task economically, the possibilities presented by using this machinery may be misjudged

·       the number of labour hours and hidden costs in garden installation may be underestimated

Experience and expertise gained as a landscape gardener are invaluable in the design of gardens and provide a particularly good standpoint from which to budget accurately for any design and predict realistic time frames for completion.

I am able to forecast the price of each item, where I can source it, what its availability is likely to be and how long each feature will take to complete. I have a good working relationship with my suppliers and arrange all delivery and collection of materials and plants myself in order to facilitate a well ordered installation. This means I always know what is happening and why, and can relieve the clients of most of the worry or responsiblity as well as advising if a project will take longer than expected. However I do always allow plenty of time for variables such as adverse weather condtions and am realistic about how collecting and delivering materials and machinery affect the amount of time I can actually spend on site. Although I do not overlap projects, I do carry out maintenance work on gardens which I have designed and sometimes it is necessary to carry this out whilst completing another project.

In addition to the above I also grow many plants myself. These are usually the ones which are the most difficult to source and make the biggest impact in a garden.

My philosophy
I understand that a garden takes a long time to mature and believe that for best results neither, the design nor the installation process should be rushed. I work to nature's schedule and the gardens I design are often installed over the horticultural year and not over the weekend. 

I am very aware that although I may be delighted with my ideas for someone's garden, the whole experience will be unsatisfactory for both parties if the client is persuaded to go with an idea when there may be some reservation. If a client really wants a cottage style garden there would be little point in my suggesting a contemporary garden complete with glass, mirrors, and futuristic water features.

I enjoy a challenge - particularly in the area of garden design and find that climate provides me with one of the greater tests. I work around this by installing basic irrigation systems in newly installed gardens in the form of a soaker hose which lies just under the surface of the soil and is connected to an outside tap. This system uses up to 70% less water than a conventional hose which is operated either manually, or through a computerised battery powered timer. 

I am also happy to talk to customers about sustainable drainage systems which enable water to be harvested through patios and driveways; this can be used to irrigate gardens, wash cars, and flush toilets.

I do my very best to ensure that my commitment to clients is reflected in the value for money and professional standard of the work that I carry out. 

I do make a point of stressing that it is possible for anyone to have a garden which they can enjoy all year.