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As some of you will know, I made the decision
last August, following a talk given to the Surrey Garden Design
Group by Duncan Heather, to go back to College – again! We
are now one year on, the course at the Oxford College of Garden
Design is over (bar the mountain of work that I still have to plough
through) and it is time to look back and assess. Was it worth the
huge investment of time and money, not to mention the enormous input
of energy required, the constant juggling, the late nights, and
the knock-on effects on my family?
Why on earth did I decide to take this on anyway?
The workload proved to be enormous alongside my continuing work
for existing clients and all the other demands on my time.
I had finished my first course, at the English Gardening
School, back in 1989 but, despite doing a lot of work and enjoying
the course immensely, I soon realised once I started to work that
I did not have all the tools I needed. I was very dependent on
a good contractor. I have worked largely part time since then,
fitting my business in and around my children, and have done my
best to fill the yawning gaps in my knowledge by reading, attending
courses and picking up information wherever and whenever I can.
At the rate I was going, it would have taken me a lifetime to
acquire those tools. So, when I heard Duncan’s talk last
year, I decided to try and short-circuit this process by returning
to College – but I had no idea of what I was letting myself
in for!
Many people advised me against it and could not
understand why I felt the need to go back to College again when
I had plenty of work and was making good gardens. But I knew that
I needed to fill those gaps – construction, specifications,
contracts, drainage etc. – if I was to build a reputation
as a successful garden designer. |
The course was a complete
revelation to me. On a very basic level, I realised how much I have
missed the company of others at work. It was a real treat to be
able to share ideas and concepts and to have an insight into how
other people tackle the same problems – mind expanding stuff.
Duncan was also amazingly generous with his input and information.
It is all too easy to fall into routines and habits that seem to
work without questioning what you are doing and why. We can learn
huge amounts from each other and need to keep pushing ourselves
and moving forward – I had become stuck in a rut.
I digress.
One year on, I am now confident that
those gaps I had recognised are plugged. I am able to produce detailed
and comprehensive setting out plans complete with drainage information,
supported by specifications, construction drawings, contour plans
etc, and everything else a contractor might need to know from me.
All those things that I was so cautious about producing before are
now second nature – well almost! My planting designs have
moved on too, and, most importantly, I have no hesitation in charging
a proper fee for the complete and competent job I can now do.
However, I have gained much more than
that. I was taken right back to basics – rather reluctantly
at times – but my designs are now built on firm foundations
that I understand and can manipulate – I am no longer relying
just on instinct. This reassessment and rebuilding has helped me
to crystallise my thoughts and to find my own way forward. Before,
I had faced each new garden with excitement, but also with a certain
amount of angst and trepidation. The blank sheet of paper on the
drawing board was, at times, quite daunting. Would I be able to
produce the goods? Now I feel so much more confident and excited
by the whole design process. For me, garden design is no longer
an isolated endeavour but part of the whole movement of art and
architecture – we are inextricably linked.
Taking this time out has been truly
invaluable for me – I feel reinvigorated, much more confident
and excited about getting back to designing challenging gardens
for real people. Regrets?……….. None at all.
Alison Brett |
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