My Garden

I was born and grew up in Siena where my family still live. I came to England 15 years ago to study garden design and I have been designing gardens for the last 12 years. Last year I was offered the opportunity by Champagne Laurent-Perrier to design their garden for the Chelsea Flower Show in 2009... Read more..

I think we are pretty much in control of everything and I am travelling to Verona in Italy next week to check on the production of the stone. I’m using an unfilled Travertine which is a calcareous stone, and for those who are not familiar with this type of stone, it’s a stone with a beautiful character... Read more..

It seemed like a good idea at the time … a phrase I find myself using with increasing regularity since taking on the task of designing three show gardens for Quilted Velvet. Chelsea alone would be a challenge but to take on Hampton Court and Tatton Park is bordering on the insane. That said, after exhibiting... Read more..

This week I paid a visit to Crocus, with Catherine MacDonald - my project manager for the Chelsea garden, to inpsect the Carpinus Boxhead trees and hedging plants, and to take a look at the growth of the perennials plants I’ve selected. The trees were set out in a lines reminiscent of their arrangement... Read more..

If you see humanity as a broad spectrum, with malevolent monsters (can’t think of any off hand!) at one extreme and saint like figures at the other, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Sir Bob spring to mind, then what we deal with every day are the many shades of grey in between. You don’t expect to be... Read more..

Next week I will be travelling back to Verona. The Travertine blocks, for the water features, have been cut and I will be choosing their best face into which the bronze outlets will be cut. Also the brown sandstone pieces for the interior of the water features are currently in production so I will get... Read more..

I visited Verona with Andrew Ewing & Catherine on Friday. We arrived at the stone supplier's yard and there was two large solid travertine blocks - waiting for us, what a sight. The natural pits and holes in the surface were amazing and the blocks were like art features themselves. We chose the... Read more..

I have long held the view that a great deal can be told about people and organisations by examining their lavatorial arrangements. This is not a view I have arrived at hastily or without a great deal of research! For example, the lavatories at my secondary school were totally in keeping with my overall... Read more..

There are some things in life that only those who have actually experienced them can truly comprehend. Amongst these I would imagine looking at the Earth from space, being the Queen, and becoming a mother, ouch! One that I don’t have to imagine is designing a garden for Chelsea. If you add to this that... Read more..

Last week we had a meeting at Crocus with Mark Fane and with the rest of the Crocus construction team including Graham Hoyle who will be building the Laurent-Perrier Garden. Its getting to close to Chelsea now and the meeting went over a lot of the more intricate details such as the travertine clad feature... Read more..