A South West Garden Designer

Inspired by nature

Devon and Cornwall Garden Designer Rebecca and her dog.

My approach to designing gardens

I absolutely love garden design. My approach is inspired by the natural environment, particularly the north coast of Cornwall where I grew up.

I work with the natural landscape and ecology of a space, creating wildlife friendly gardens which maximise their surroundings and require relatively little input from you. My approach emphasises sustainability in line with The Society of Garden Designers Environmental Action Plan and Manifesto for Sustainable Landscape and Garden Design.

I favour the new aesthetic, ecological design. My preferred planting style is naturalistic, putting the right plants together in the right places for them to thrive. I have specialist expertise in designing ‘no dig’ kitchen gardens, forest gardens, accessible gardens, therapeutic gardens, and dementia-friendly gardens.

Strong underlying design geometry complements my planting and ensures that your garden will function as you require.

I use the latest computer aided design (CAD) and rendering software to create 3D models and visualisations (I hold Vectorworks Landmark Professional Certification). This ensures your design can be built by a landscape contractor and gives you the opportunity to effectively look at your garden design from any angle, and make changes, before you commit to creating it in reality.

I will always do my utmost to ensure you have the best possible design experience. I believe in attention to detail, being thorough, and taking the time necessary to produce high quality results. I will listen carefully to your ideas and requirements, and work collaboratively with you to meet your needs effectively.

Wildlife-friendly garden designer Rebecca and her dog on the north coast of Cornwall.

My background

I have gardened and designed gardens ever since I can remember. From earliest memories of being given a few packets of flower seeds and carefully planning a sowing design (which inevitably turned into a glorious colourful tangle), to my current home project turning a windswept field near the edge of Bodmin Moor into beautiful, productive, sustainable gardens.

Whilst the natural environment is my first love, garden design is my second career. I have a first class honours degree in Philosophy, an MSc in Experimental Psychology, and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology - trust me, I'm a doctor!

Before graduating with a distinction from my postgraduate Diploma in Residential Landscape Design with the Oxford College of Garden Design, I studied and worked for almost 20 years in academia and for NHS mental health, brain injury, and dementia services specialising in neuropsychology. This experience is invaluable when creating therapeutic, accessible and dementia-friendly gardens.

My decision to change careers was partly prompted by my own health condition, dysferlinopathy, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. This, and my previous career, have contributed to my desire to enable everyone to enjoy and take sanctuary in nature by designing inclusive environments.

Cornish garden designer Rebecca and her dog.

You can see my own garden near the Cornwall/Devon border on Instagram. More a beautiful productive home for lost plants and wildlife than a designed space!