Why Planting Design?
In Britain we love gardening but it doesn't alway translate into beautiful planting schemes. Much more usual is the hotch potch effect, which can be but often isn't pleasing on the eye.
Planting design is where horticulture meets aesthetic considerations to create beautiful and functional plantings. Good planting gives a space soul in a way that no other material can.
There are of course many different 'styles' of planting design: Architectural, Contemporary, Naturalistic and Traditional Herbaceous and Mixed Borders.
I like to draw on all these styles, using them where they are appropriate, sometimes mixing them up. This is the best way to give you what you need rather that impose a particular style onto your garden.
Increasingly my background in Ecology is coming to the fore and informing what I do in gardens. Sustainable planting design is increasingly in demand, as well as planting that makes a positive contribution to local environments. Whilst I know the limitations of the garden in this respect, careful planting can mimic natural systems to some extent. I believe that being 'Green' is compatible with being beautiful.