I trained in garden design at the Pickard School of Garden Design in Edinburgh and gained their diploma in 2004.
To complement this I studied horticultural theory with the Institute of Horticultural & Rural Studies and passed their RHS diploma preparation course. For 3 years I worked hands-on as a volunteer gardener for half a day a week at Crathes Castle Garden <link> which helped my plant knowledge enormously. I’m a member of the RHS which is an excellent source of advice and news.
In case I think I’m getting good at plant names, the magazine of the Hardy Plant Society soon puts me in my place.
In my previous career I gained a degree in Computer Science and worked as a software engineer for 17 years which taught me to think ideas through in the design stage. Now I use my computer skills to organise information and draw. Although I enjoy hand sketching, learning CAD came relatively easy to me and is such a powerful tool.
I’ve always had a very visual mind with a strong sense of colour, layout and proportion so when I was ready for a new challenge making the leap to garden design felt like coming home.
