They say owners look like their dogs, but can gardens really reflect the homeowner? Joe Swift explains why this is certainly the case.
“Everything you buy, whether it is a car or an item of clothing for example, all comes down to what you feel comfortable with.” TV garden expert Joe Swift is explaining how his Modular Garden team works to a little perplexed Angel. “If you buy a car you know you want a red one, or a certain engine. Why not apply similar rules to the garden?”
The whole point of the conversation stems from talking about Urban Gardens 2005, where Joe will be designing the “Human Nature” show garden. “It will be three different gardens,” Joe informs Angel, “as if we have sliced them down the middle. It is to show visitors how different the garden can be.”
Modular Garden is a company that looks at designing gardens to match the personality of the homeowner. “Say you have three gardens backing on to each other,” continues Joe. “One might belong to a young family, who want a garden that has a contemporary feel. Next door may be a single couple who would like something a little more formal, and then on the side a mature couple may want a space they can relax in. This is what Modular Garden is all about – getting ideas out of people’s heads and stamped on to their garden.
“I am really enjoying it,” he says of Modular Garden, “and the client gets something out of the process too. By talking to them about their garden, we are kind of educating them about design, why we do something a certain way.” Angel asks if this is the way forward for
gardening. “Absolutely,” Joe asserts. “I have no doubt.”
If we are talking about personalities, is north London following a particular trend? “It’s quite different here,” Joe enthuses. “Rather than everybody going for decking, we have got some young clients in their late 20s who want a more traditional look, or a more naturalistic wildlife feel. People are becoming more educated about gardening.”
All that is left to do is introduce the Modular Garden way of working to a wider audience at Urban Gardens. “I am really looking forward to it,” says Joe, clearly excited about the “Human Nature” garden. “I have appeared at the show in previous years, but never designed a garden for it. Although we are going to have to be on the ball – there will be all eyes on us this time round!”
