Happy New Year

Friends of

Garden Design School

Welcome to our latest edition of Friends of Garden Design School; a regular newsletter keeping you up to date with all our exciting news and events.

A Very Happy New Year

to all our graduates, students and friends

Moira and Robin want to wish everyone a very successful

and busy 2013

New Year's Resolutions

Andrew Morris completed his course in July 2012. Here are his reflections on his first six months after graduation.....

I wrote precisely 17 new year's resolutions for 2012. It was meant to be the big year: 'graduate from garden design school, become wealthy garden designer and ditch all other jobs.' Resolution number 9.

By June I was focused on one thing and one thing only, get through project 4 and complete the 100 plant ID sheets in 72 hours!! 16 resolutions had fallen by the wayside. Suddenly only resolution 9 mattered!

Reality perhaps never lives up to the dream. June past. Offers to design A-list celebrity gardens in London did not flood in. The rain came instead. People kept saying to me 'bet you can't cut many lawns in this weather' to which I screamed silently 'I'm a designer not a gardener!' I want to commit to garden design and earning money is a cold reality. I also need to shed the belief that garden design is my add-on career, something I do to amuse myself, a skill which I benevolently allow others to benefit from.

Time moves on. 2013 is just around the corner and I am pleased to say I have 4 really exciting and different design jobs all signed up.

A suburban garden in Golders Green; a terraced house in Penge; a yummy mummy club in Chiswick which includes a 2000 sq ft roof terrace and the transformation of a derelict car park which needs to become a garden for children (I'm currently getting in touch with my inner child) and finally a new house in my street.

As I approach the New Year with refueled optimism I have only 2 audacious resolutions:

1. Become a confident Garden Designer

2. Charge more!!!

Here's to 2013.

A Once Only Opportunity

Why not join us for an inspirational day to understand marketing, promotion and building business opportunities in the garden design industry.

Due to slightly lower than usual class numbers, we are offering the chance for our graduates of Garden Design School to join us, and Gordon Croy on this motivational day. There are just a few places at both Painshill and Bristol so if you would like to participate, please contact Justine as soon as possible to reserve a place at enquiries@gardendesignschool.co.uk

Painshill Park, Surrey - Tuesday 11 June 2013

Bristol Botanic Garden - Thursday 13 June 2013

Both days run from 9.30 to 4.30 and the cost for each is £100 incl VAT.

Before becoming a very busy and successful garden designer with Accent Garden Designs, Gordon worked across a wide range of service industries as a company director and entrepreneur. He helped launch many diverse commercial operations with leading names such as Gary Rhodes and Gordon Ramsay; the Ministry of Defence and what is now Virgin Media. He has helped a variety of organisations to understand their clients better and to establish the processes to build successful businesses. He has applied macro solutions to micro situations to achieve excellent results.

This is a unique opportunity to learn from his wide experience to improve your business; marketing and selling skills.

Book now and make this your Number One New Year's Resolution!

Lastly, Many Congratulations to Theresa Bertz

Who recently won the APLD Student Silver Award 2012. This national award was given to Theresa who graduated from Garden Design School USA in 2011.

This interesting site presented a number of challenges: A property with stone and brick facades, a swimming pool needing total restoration, open areas of lawn and to fit in with the wooded landscape beyond. Both formal and informal areas have been incorporated to create a garden for all seasons, with a generous new pool house and outdoor kitchen. The pool gardens are planted with summer-blooming perennials and trees. Paths from the pool lead to woodland walking trails, a south side terrace and to a stone-columned pergola. Woodland walking trails pass beneath mature trees alongside a stream and over to the "natural" pond where large boulders provide another place to sit and play. Around the house, formal gardens take advantage of views from within the house. The front courtyard gardens welcome guests with a calm lawn area and a "hidden" courtyard filled with potted plantings. On the south side of the house, a generous terrace has plenty of room for dining. Hedges hide the "secret" formal parterres to the west of the house where a wall fountain trickles into a cistern. Brick pathways around boxwood parterres surrounded with brick walls have benches among the romantic scents of roses and lavenders. The next level up leads to a custom-constructed stone bench with thyme planted among the stones where the garden wanderer can sit and enjoy lovely views back onto the formal parterres.

APLD is the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, a professional body in

the USA representing landscape designers. www.apld.org

About Garden Design School

Garden Design School is the country's leading independent provider of garden design vocational training courses. Our flagship, one-year garden design diploma is widely acknowledged as having set the industry standard in today's garden design diploma courses. We concentrate on all the essential skills that will allow you to confidently embark on a professional career in garden design, or to extend your existing knowledge and experience. Visit our website here to find out more.

Something you would like to share?

Do you have a story you'd like us to feature in the next edition of Friends of Garden Design School? It may be an award win you'd like to share, or perhaps an insight into your latest project. Please email us at enquiries@gardendesignschool.co.uk and we'll see what we can do.

Tell us what you think

Have you found this newsletter interesting? Is there a topic you'd like to hear about next time? Whatever your thoughts we'd love to hear them. Get in touch and let us know.

Founded by Robin Templar Williams FSGD, APLD (USA), M-BALI and Moira Farnham MSGD, M-BALI