Why employ a Garden Designer?
JJ Gladwin, Head Designer at Black Isle Garden Design, explains:
“Most people know what they want in their garden - they just don’t know how to make it work and look good. A typical remit might include a space for entertaining, a lawn, some borders, a place for cars, one or more garden buildings and a space for domestic necessities. Older gardens may no longer be fit for purpose - we have more vehicles, fewer full-time gardeners, and are less inclined to spend time working in our gardens. Buildings might have been added ad-hoc to our surroundings.
The job of the garden designer is to unify these different elements, integrating the flow of movement from the house to the garden and from one part of the garden to another. Some views are desirable, others not; with a playful approach, a design can obscure, define and enhance. To be successful, it must be practical and as simple as possible. Layers of complexity should only be added if they help to tell the overall story and the scale of the garden should compliment those of the existing buildings and their environment. All hard landscaping ought to be of the highest quality. It is a false economy to stint on paths and walls whose good design and execution will give many years of service and pleasure, as is evident in many venerable old gardens.”
Gardens for relaxation and well-being
“Gardens are natural spaces where we can be endlessly creative and fill with as much life as possible. Planted with care, they will attract all sorts of wildlife – birds, bees and other insects become part of their lexicon. While my aesthetics draw on many traditions, incorporating a rich palette of colours, textures and forms, my planting suggestions are designed to encourage the essential process of pollination and to provide habitat for a wealth of species.
Being outdoors lets us reconnect with another pace of life. Whether we are aware of it or not, contact with plants and soil has a calming effect. The restorative properties of observing nature is well appreciated.”
Where it began
“We lived in rural Northumberland, and it was the 1970s, so it was quiet – but it was quieter still in the walled garden, where many of my early memories are centred. Like most children, I didn’t like working in the garden but I loved being in it. Walking along its paths, I saw that each plant had its own personality, and that the play of different leaf forms, structures, colours and textures made it a magical place.
As an adult, I recognise that a beautiful garden and its intricacies – the interplay of plants, the hum of insects, the songs of birds – has the same power to enthral. I am not alone in this. When my clients experience this same delight, I know that my design brief has been fulfilled.
With fewer opportunities in our daily lives to have any meaningful contact with nature, our gardens are more important than ever before. They are spaces of beauty; our Eden, the sublime garden regained.”
Book a Consultation
We can help you develop a relaxing, natural space that you can enjoy for many years to come.