Sue has been working as a Garden Designer since 2008. She is bilingual and qualified in Barcelona with a horticultural and design based diploma and ran her own garden design business there until 2013. She then moved to London and set up there as a garden designer and after 7 gratifying and productive years has just returned to resume working here in Barcelona.
Sue, qualified initially with a Fine Arts Degree in Johannesburg South Africa, and subsequently moved into advertising. She worked as an Art Director in the industry for over 15 years in multinational ad agencies in South Africa, Washington D.C and Barcelona. All her years in advertising further enable her to understand the value and the importance of meeting the brief, and keeping within budget as well as adapting styles and approach to each particular job.
London was the ideal environment to take on many high end projects. It was also a great learning environment, with exposure to the worlds top experts in the field. There were great opportunities for expanding, with participation in an array of courses, & conferences with world leading specialists, and opportunities to work with top professionals. The projects Sue took on were almost exclusively residential, they included smaller projects, roof terraces, but mainly large London gardens.
Sue offers a professional comprehensive service working in conjunction with experienced contractors with extensive industry knowledge and experience. She remains involved throughout the various stages of each project, liasing with the contractors and supervising the execution. She has a finely tuned design sensibility and a keen sense of spacial harmony, which in conjuction with her capacity to work collaboratively with both her contractors and her clients guides her in designing stylish, and practical solutions.
I first receive the client brief, then I generally do a detailled survey of the site, followed by a computer generated survey plan, which forms the basis for the design plans and planting schemes. Where required all the necessary detail is supplied for the contractors/lighting specialists/ irrigators and gardening teams ie with sizes and materials specified.
For the execution I work with reputable garden maintanance and build contractors, with extensive industry knowledge and experience, and bring in outside specialists when needed. I remain involved through all the various stages, and supervise all the design aspects of the execution, I can also provide detailed plant care & monthly care calendars to guide you or your gardeners with the maintenance.
All along I guide the client through the process. Inevitably I adjust my working method to the requirements of the job. Depending on budget I will give a detailled presentation with mood boards to help orientate clients struggling to visualise. I find this to be a valuable means of determing the style of the design.
