Designers
Designers
Sue Loader
"I have been a keen gardener since childhood and now have a large garden in the New Forest. We have plenty of room to grow most of our own vegetables and to experiment with new plants and planting styles.
I studied Botany and Zoology at university, and retrained in garden design once my children were less dependant on me. At the end of my City and Guilds course I was awarded a Silver Medal for Excellence, the highest award possible at this level.
I have been designing gardens for seven years, including, in collaboration with the rest of our team, four gold medal-winning gardens for the New Forest Show.
In my spare time I am a passionate garden photographer, using my own garden as an outdoor studio and visiting many other gardens as well. I love to get in really close to capture the exquisite details in flowers and find it totally absorbing to observe them from a "bug’s eye view". It is always a dilemma at weekends…. do I weed the borders or photograph the flowers?
I was delighted to win a prize in the R.H.S. photo competition in 2004 and also in the Gardens Monthly photo competition in 2005."
Amanda Patton
"I'd love to say that my passion for gardens came from a childhood spent growing exotic and wonderful plants, but in fact I was in my twenties before I had an instant - and life-changing - conversion. I was brought up to consider gardening as a chore and when an artist friend said "come and see my garden" I was less than enthusiastic - that is, until she opened her door. I remember the moment clearly, remember being totally overwhelmed by the colour and exuberance, and I remember thinking, I must know how to do this.
My background is as an artist and this has always been the guiding force behind my work. Following an Art College degree in design I worked in illustration for many years (archaeology and gardening - a slightly strange mix but all mud!) and have illustrated over 70 books to date, including most of Alan Titchmarsh's non-fiction titles. I set up my garden design practice at the beginning of 2000 and designed and built a Chelsea garden (in 2002) to reassure myself and prospective clients that I knew what I was doing - I'm hoping to have another garden there within the next few years - Chelsea is addictive!
I would describe my work as simple and understated, inspired by the individuality of the location, the architecture and most importantly my clients. I believe fervently that the quality and design of our environment has a huge effect on our mental well-being, and so am equally excited by the design of the hard landscaping as with the plants. Sympathetic materials with contemporary planting allow a fusion of the old and the new, and, together with the exploitation of natural light an d colour, define the mood and atmosphere of the garden."
Amanda is a Registered Member of the Society of Garden Designers and a Chelsea silver-gilt medal winner.
