Thank you, yes there are a few more pictures of that garden in the contemporary garden slideshow (gallery 3) on this page: http://www.successfulgardendesign.com/ideas/

Paul, also great comments. I’ve thought a lot about what you’ve said. You may well be right that it is only a handful of individuals that are truly capable of creating a great garden. I don’t know, but I want to find out.

This week’s blog post lays down the start of a challenge to see just what is achievable if people have some direction. I certainly don’t ever want to delude people but inspire. I think the types of people that read blogs aren’t average, they are educated and inquisitive and much more capable than a traditional audience.

Time will tell if I’m right or not!

I think you are right that the best way forward is a more involved approach between homeowners and designers. I hope that The Great Garden Challenge will help that come about. http://www.successfulgardendesign.com/produce-a-great-garden/

There was a men’s clothing commercial that said: “An educated consumer is our best consumer.” In a perfect world, home gardeners with vision, would search out professionals for ongoing consultations. People might then look at their gardens as a process, and not just as an end result.

Others, with vision but perhaps limited design ability, have worked with designers to create great gardens, as Anne notes. These partnerships, developing over time, allow the designer to modify the initial design, enable the shared vision to evolve. I believe Dan Pearson and Tom Stuart-Smith work in very much this way, and no-one would question the exceptional quality of the results.

Yet others, with little understanding of good design principles, recognise that their garden could be improved, but rely entirely on the designer’s interpretation of the site to achieve a satisfactory outcome.

These last, to follow a different analogy, are buying a bespoke tweed jacket as a one-off: it fits, and with continued use will develop a character of its own, related to that of the owner.
The visionaries, working with designers, might be said to have an account with their tailor – the frequent return for alterations, further garments, advice and sharing opinions allows for a nearer match between the vision and the outcome, and the clothing is a closer reflection of their needs and personal style than would otherwise be the case.

And finally, there are a few, very few, capable individuals capable of designing and making their own clothes. Their idiosyncratic, possibly eccentric style marks them out as true individuals – their ideas are often trend-setting, and they are quite talented enough to have been couturiers if they had so chosen. These are the makers of Tim Richardson’s iconic gardens, and their existence is no threat to the work of talented designers.

So, I’m with Anne on this one – a campaign for more clients with vision and commitment! Yes please! It would lead to far more good gardens than would deluding people that they can all make a great garden just because they want one.

Thanks Rachel – it’s a nice headline-grabbing headline!

Obviously I have no objection to anyone employing a garden designer but I think it will help client and designer if there is a better overall understanding of design. It’s important, what the client does with their garden when the designer leaves, is coherent and in tune with the design.

I think you are right Ron; lots of people do want to do their own garden but often don’t know where to start. Hopefully the idea I’ve had will work out well for both landscape professionals and homeowners. So, I’m also looking forward to seeing how this plays out!