Joy then when Luciano smiles in a totally relaxed greeting. Here is a man who has met his demons and come to terms with them in a measured and philosophical way. Chelsea clearly marked a turning point and saw the culmination of nearly 15 years experience in designing beautiful, bold gardens that I suspect will be held up as examples of garden design for many many years. His gardens are not for the faint hearted and perhaps don’t meet everyones idea of what a garden should be.

Here is a man so dedicated to his art that nothing stands in his way in seeking the ultimate in garden design.

Born in Sienna, Ital he studied garden design at Inchbald and was heavily influenced by the scene in London in the early 1990′s. Every single element of his designs has importance and are more than just lines on the drawing paper. His two fascinations are light and food, with his gardens becoming an extension of the kitchen, which he explains, are frequently the main living areas in contemporary London houses. They display a simplicity in form, light and shade, however this simplicity masks a truly in depth knowleedge of the materials and plants that he is working with.

He is keen to point out that his designs are a collaboration between all the people that he works with, from architects and sculptors to specialist furniture makers, plant nurseries and many others. He spends time researching the elements that will help make his designs work on many levels, not only during the day but also at night where discreet lighting gives his gardens a whole new dimension.

This business of collaboration and working together is important and we encourage members of The Garden Network to do just exactly that, and to maintain their integrity in solving the garden design problems that face them. This can be quite a challenge, but as Luciano explained – many of his gardens take up to 4 years to create and he now has a time awareness that means he can choose who he works with and for. I guess when you reach these heights that becomes important but it is very clear from the outset that he very much intended to be the very best he could be.

It was great to meet Luciano and learn from him. I can certainly see ways in which he can influence the work that I undertake for my clients so really glad I made the effort to attend his garden design masterclass.

Luciano Giubbilei website - take a look at more of his stunning work. 

ps: This was one of a series of Garden Design Masterclasses held at the Oxford College of Garden Design

An excerpt from the full article :

First impressions of the garden are clearly crucial when trying to sell or let a property.

Over half – 55% – of prospective home buyers rated the state of the garden as important as the inside of the house.

The top turn-off for buyers is junk such as old fridges, mattresses and toys littering the garden – cited by 71%.

Other off-putting gardening gripes are dog mess, cited by 63%, overflowing rubbish bins (54%), plants intruding into the walls of the house (53%) and dilapidated sheds (52%) or decking (50%).

Sellers should also take care to avoid too many weeds (47%), uneven or grubby patios (46%), overgrown lawns (42%) and untrimmed trees (41%).

Privacy is the main thing home buyers look for in a garden – cited by 61%. After that, a patio (54%) and lawn (50%) top their wish lists.

But millions of homeowners are failing to tend their gardens regularly and 45% do not grow any plants or flowers.

As a garden designer seeing results of research like this is quite alarming. Creating a great garden that meets the needs of the owners is one of the challenges we face every day. I am frequently asked by people for a ‘low maintenance garden’ and while ‘no maintenance’ isn’t really an option you can certainly design gardens that will look great without too much knowledge or experience.

A recent project transformed a very dull rectangle that was both high maintenance and un-attractive

in to a usable space that not only added value to the property but also added value to the owners and their pleasure in being able to use the garden

Getting a garden designer to help you with this transformation will help you maximise the value of the space and will ensure that you don’t end up with costly mistakes.

So don’t lose out with your property, the garden is such an important part of it and with a little help you can be really proud of it. We’ll take you through the process and ensure that all your requirements are met, not only offering advice on suitable plants but also on layouts that will maximise your benefit – frequently coming up with ideas that wouldn’t be considered either by yourself or by simply employing the services of a landscaper.

What are you waiting for get out there and enjoy your own personal outdoor world!

This week I attended the first Hard Landscaping Show, at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and while my first impressions of Coventry aren’t exactly glowing it turned in to quite a day. It started at the HQ of NFU Mutual on the outskirts of Stratford on Avon. I was generously accommodated in the Farmhouse – my fellow B&B ‘ers were none other than the main board of Directors preparing for a board meeting that morning – it made for an interesting breakfast! NFU Mutual sponsor the Garden Network which I have been running for just on a year now.

As owner of the Garden Network I make an effort whenever I can to get out and meet members. It’s fantastic to put faces to names. These are people that only exist in a sort of parallel universe normally – today I was going to meet them for real.

There were three members present that I was particularly keen to meet for the first time, as well as catching up with a few others that I had met previously. The first meeting was with ‘fenlandphil‘ – who was a real gentleman and clearly passionate about his company making ironwork for gardens. Despite 23 or more years in business he still seemed as keen as mustard to find new ways to promote his business both on and offline – if you need obelisks and garden seats this is the place to go!

My next meeting was with Kerry Jackson. Wow – what a surprise! My expectation was completely shredded! Sometimes we pigeon hole people for reasons that I am not entirely sure. Here was a man so driven and enthusiastic for his work, and it was stunning. He has developed a very strong identity and has won a number of awards for his work – including one at the show. I have arranged to meet up with Kerry again at the Malvern Spring Show to look at the show gardens together – I am really looking forward to that as I anticipate we will challenge each others thinking in a really positive way. I’m also looking forward to seeing some of his gardens ‘in real life’ when I get a chance.

The third person was again quite a surprise. Claudia de Yong is well known for her water gardens – not least when she triumphed at Hampton Court, winning a Gold Medal and  the Tudor Rose in 2006 for her garden hotsprings. When you meet what might be described as garden design royalty, it is difficult to know what to expect. My fears were totally unfounded and we chatted for several hours about garden design, encounters with others and how we ran our businesses. The rapport that developed was interesting and demonstrates the benefit of networking. Although we might technically be regarded as competitors, we actually started looking for ways that we could enhance each others businesses through collaboration.

All of the people that I met will be beneficial in helping me develop my ideas and further extending my knowledge and personal network. So much for gardening being lonely then! By seeking out others you can enrich your experience and gain knowledge that will help you get even greater enjoyment out your garden and your life! So who’s up for meeting at Malvern?

Gardens can be designed to meet the exacting needs of their owners and this makes the possibilities really exciting – when looking at before and after photos you start to get the picture!

Here is a garden completed last year.

Much better use of space:-

More inspiring, lower maintenance and adding value to the property

Invest in your garden and change your life for the better – you know it makes sense!

This however pales into complete insignificance when the people who get most excited about the garden is the the people whose garden it is! when their friends and family also get excited about it then that is a huge bonus too.

I have recently been working on a project which started as a complete ‘bomb site’. You could barely see the garden for stone, rubble and general mess.

The Before Shot

Working on a project like this you develop a great relationship with the owners and watch their delight as things progress. They are doing much of the work themselves but call upon me as required to help with plants and other advice. My latest visit showed some dramatic developments and wildly enthusiastic owners!

Great progress!

For many of us, a conservatory is high up on our ‘wish list’ – a room to be used all year round, a bridge between the house and garden, a calm and tranquil space that lets us shelter from the elements but allows us to enjoy (almost) being outside.

The thought of being able to linger over the Sunday papers ‘in the garden’ without putting on an extra layer or jumping up to retrieve the business section from the rose bushes, is very appealing but in reality how often does this happen?

A great number of conservatories become an overspill from the main residence. I have seen many used as playrooms with an array of brightly coloured plastic scattered across every surface, storerooms with the windows blocked out to prevent items from fading, games rooms where the snooker table is so large you have to squeeze around the edge of the conservatory, laundry rooms with washing hanging from the cross beams and ‘pet’ rooms, with dog kennels, aviaries and multi-story hamster cages, all far removed from the original idea of a conservatory, in the traditional sense.

It is often quicker, cheaper and less messy to add on a conservatory than build an extension and in some cases you don’t even need planning permission.

However, if you are considering an addition to your home and wanting to add value as well as space, bear in mind how the room will be used. Possibly you do need extra storage for the kid’s toys or an area to contain your dogs but if the space is off the main sitting or dining room, a conservatory may not be the best solution!

A conservatory that becomes an aspirational improvement to a home and by that, I mean one that really enhances a property; possibly enlarging the kitchen or providing an additional sitting or dining room, a room that can have many guises but fuses with the rest of the house, always adds to the value and saleability of a home but a glass ‘box’ that simply exists to store extra clutter will never be anything more than an eyesore!

By Helen Silver www.propertystylingcompany.co.uk

M: 07789 488446 T: 01225 330088

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