Colin has worked professionally as a gardener and designer for over 30 years. He has always had a strong interest in the practice of his craft wanting both to grow plants to the best of their potential and wanting to build fine gardens.
Two main strands have determined his career. As a one time rock climber and explorer he has always wanted to search new horizons, be they near or far. Before Kew he climbed in the Peak District, the Lakes, Snowdonia. After studying at Kew he collected plants in the European Alps, the Andes and the Himalayas. Learning about the ecology of these places significantly influenced his work as a plantsman and plant designer. How plant design has developed historically and how different trends evolve is part of this curiosity to know how and why.
Secondly it has always been about the medium. Good design is only part of the process. The cathedrals of the Middle Ages were designed by Master Masons who knew their craft. Colin feels that a designer should know the practical skills required. How heavy the stone is, how it splits, how it cuts. How the wood will cut, plane or join. How the metal will curve or shine. His life long interest in sculpture can be seen somewhere in most of his work ( but not necessarily all ) Being a practical person first and a Renaissance man second means that gardens always have to meet the practical needs of the site and client. The elaborate flourishes of creativity are there to embellish and uplift.
Above and beyond these interwoven strands however lies another level where Colin's work functions. Finding a spiritual truth involved a very long journey. With the exceptional support of many friends, my family and especially my wife Christine I have had the freedom to fulfil a calling to be a gardener. The beauty and joy that we as gardeners can make transcends almost any boundary I can think of. I have been humbled and honoured in equal measure to discover the beauty of creation and it is my work to share this in whatever way I am called on.