GARDEN DESIGN

A garden should both please the senses and satisfy the mind; it can afford opportunities for artistic creativity, physical activity and learning craft skills; provide a place for rest, recreation, play and adventure; a venue for entertaining and hospitality; it's a realm for environmental action; a source of food; and, ultimately, offers us spiritual refreshment.

My approach to garden design is collaborative. I do not seek to impose a personal statement on clients; rather, a design should emerge after discussion. A garden will usually have specific uses and functions in addition to the aesthetic. Its design should be above all uniquely site-specific: local conditions and surroundings should be key considerations.

I deplore the cult of the makeover and instant solutions; conversely, I welcome opportunities for long-term engagement with clients and their properties. I prefer gardens to have a clear structure, informal or formal (or both); and to possess harmony and unity. Ornaments and art works may give added interest to any design.