''Gardens should be places for people to be in, not just to look at''
As a garden designer, my approach to garden design is stylish, innovative and practical, creating unique and timeless garden designs reflecting each client’s vision and lifestyle.
Based in Co. Antrim, I offer a comprehensive design and consultancy service for gardens throughout Northern Ireland. See range of services offered.
Any size of project is possible, the choice is yours:
- A consultation about your garden and its potential.
- A design for just part of your garden.
- A plan for the whole site.
Please ring, write or email for a friendly and informal discussion of your own requirements.
Qualifications:
- Higher National Certificate (HNC with Distinction) in Garden Design from North Down and Ards Institute of Further and Higher Education.
- Certificate (with Distinction) in Horticulture from Queens University.
Awards:
- ‘Garden Design Student of the Year’ award.
- I was heavily involved in the design and build of the Gold medal winning NDAI exhibition garden at the 2006 Garden Show Ireland, in the King’s Hall, Belfast. The judges included Bunny Guinness, Dermot O’Neill, John Cushnie and Cherrie McIlwaine.
Whether designing for a large country garden or an intimate courtyard, I offer a stylish solution sympathetic to its location, from traditional to modern and contemporary. The focus is on structure, shape and proportions to achieve a functional and aesthetically pleasing design with logical progression and movement throughout the garden. My designs offer simplicity and elegance, characterised by their strong and confident layout, complemented by natural materials with exquisite planting. With a passion for plants and a wide plant knowledge, I am able to suggest more unusual varieties where they would be suitable, bringing the garden to life with their colour, scent, texture, form and year-round impact.
I am a member of Carrickfergus Garden Society, Ballyrobert Cottage Gardening Club and the Irish Garden Plant Society, which assists in the conservation of garden plants, especially those raised in Ireland. Also I have Friend membership of the Garden and Landscape Designers Association.
You will find me friendly, professional and reliable. I set out to create a beautiful garden with a heart and soul, a place where people want to be.
Examples of Styles of Gardens
Wildlife Garden
With the constant erosion of native wildlife habitats, gardens increasingly provide a valuable source of food and shelter for a wide range of creatures.
Low Maintenance Garden
This is a garden which requires only a minimum amount of regular care and attention to keep it looking good.
Formal Garden
These gardens are characterized by their strong degree of symmetry and geometric shapes, such a circles, squares and rectangles, as well as straight lines.
Coastal Garden
These gardens may be exposed to salt-laden prevailing winds. However, near the sea, the water reduces the incidence of frost, therefore more ‘tender’, choice plants can be grown if a sheltered spot can be found for them.
Garden for the Disabled
Many gardens are often inaccessible, uninviting places to those with limited mobility, maybe there are steps instead of a ramp or the path is not wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. With care taken in the design, these gardens can be transformed so that anyone can have enjoyment from them.
Front Garden
Many front gardens are open to public view, both from passing strangers and from visitors to your home. They also may require car parking space or a driveway to a garage. With careful planning, it is possible to turn these areas into positive features that will add to the attraction of the garden.
Woodland Garden
Trees may be underplanted with a range of shrubs, perennials and bulbs, giving colour and interest to the area.
Country Garden
It is important to capture the mood of the location in which the garden sits, not only with plantings but in the hard landscaping and design layout as well.
Family Garden
A garden to suit all the family requires thoughtful planning, especially when the needs of the individual family members are diverse. These needs may themselves change with time, particularly as children grow up, therefore the design needs to be reasonably flexible in order to take this into account. |
