Garden Designer - Bob Tridgett
Gardening has a long and connected history in this country for many centuries. Gardens have been the source of food, remedies for common ailments, cut flowers to brighten up homes and generally places to enjoy. Green spaces and gardens as part of our own homes, or as places to visit, have become very important in
improving our mental and physical health. Whether you have inherited a garden from someone else when you have moved home or are starting with a blank canvas, designing a garden can be a daunting task. Novice gardeners, and even those who are more experienced, often find it difficult to decide on suitable plants for different areas and conditions, or how to make the best of the space that they have. This is where a garden designer proves to be very useful.
improving our mental and physical health. Whether you have inherited a garden from someone else when you have moved home or are starting with a blank canvas, designing a garden can be a daunting task. Novice gardeners, and even those who are more experienced, often find it difficult to decide on suitable plants for different areas and conditions, or how to make the best of the space that they have. This is where a garden designer proves to be very useful.
Bob Tridgett lives and gardens near Rowley. How he began in the garden design profession is an interesting story in itself. He was working in the pharmaceutical industry when, in the early to mid 2000's, the BBC Gardener of the Year competition was broadcast. Bob mentioned, “I could do better that that”, (how many of us have thought that about similar programmes?), so he was persuaded to apply and he was proved right when he won the title in 2007. This led to the realisation that he must have been good at it so he decided to change his career. Bob's own garden illustrates how plants can be integrated in the existing landscape. Parts of it are along the sides of a stream and he has turned the area into a very natural looking woodland even though some of the plants are not native to the UK. He has also transformed other areas into grassland, rockeries and scree gardens.
He is also very interested in making his garden as wildlife friendly as possible with his planting and to give winter interest with structural, evergreen shrubs and trees. One very noticeable and important feature are plants that produce perfume and scents in the garden. Even though our photographer visited in mid February on an
overcast day, the Daphne and Sarcococus shrubs were producing the most lovely perfumes.
Bob gets design commissions from all over the country, he had just had two from London when we visited, and although he obviously has to follow the clients wishes, he always tries to incorporate his ideas into the final design. He also does not use computer programs for the design work but does it all by hand on his drawing board
in the studio. I'm sure the clients will use these design sheets as work of art in their homes too.
Examples of Bob's designs can be seen on his website - www.gardensanctuaries.co.uk
He is also very interested in making his garden as wildlife friendly as possible with his planting and to give winter interest with structural, evergreen shrubs and trees. One very noticeable and important feature are plants that produce perfume and scents in the garden. Even though our photographer visited in mid February on an
overcast day, the Daphne and Sarcococus shrubs were producing the most lovely perfumes.
Bob gets design commissions from all over the country, he had just had two from London when we visited, and although he obviously has to follow the clients wishes, he always tries to incorporate his ideas into the final design. He also does not use computer programs for the design work but does it all by hand on his drawing board
in the studio. I'm sure the clients will use these design sheets as work of art in their homes too.
Examples of Bob's designs can be seen on his website - www.gardensanctuaries.co.uk