Tom Simpson is a garden and landscape designer working mainly for private clients in the residential sector. Originally from Dorset, Tom specialises in well constructed gardens and is inspired by his travels around the world. Here we discuss everything from Tom’s dream project through to dealing with the impact of climate change…
I won three gold medals at the RHS Hampton Court Flower show; last time I exhibited I won all four awards including Best in Show, Best Construction, People’s Choice Award and a Gold Medal for a garden sponsored by Cancer Research UK…”
Tom Simpson
C&B: “Tom, you’re clearly very accomplished – what was it that initially prompted you to decide on gardening as a career?”
TS: “I think it predominantly comes from a love of the outdoors and nature. Growing up in rural Dorset I spent my childhood stepping out the back gate of our garden and roaming the woods and fields that surrounded our house. I get my love of gardening from my mother, and I have many happy memories spending hours with her in the garden. I realised Garden Design was a career in my early twenties when I did some work for a friend’s parents, helping them establish a garden in the grounds of a historic country house they had recently purchased. They were designers themselves and it was from them I got my first insight into what it takes to create a garden…”
C&B: “What’s the typical profile of the clients you attract?”
TS: “Our clients come from all walks of life, but they tend to be individuals with the financial means to instruct large scale design projects…”
C&B: “How would you describe your style of garden – or is there no particular style?”
TS: “I’m particularly interested in well-structured designs with simplicity in geometry, often emphasising strong lines softened with soulful, abundant planting. I love the interplay of contrasts, be it rough and smooth or hard and soft, and believe in a restraint in palettes, materials and detail. I’d say my designs are contemporary, but with a strong respect for things of the past. Above all, I aim to create gardens with atmosphere, that have a sense of permeance and belonging, that are at one with their setting…”
C&B: “What do the various members of your design team do to support your company?”
TS: “I run a small, close-knit team of designers from my studio in London; our projects are spread out across the country so I spend much of my time traveling from site to site. It helps having a highly motivated and skilled team to help with the design work and drawings…”
C&B: “Who or what inspires your work, and how does that aspect affect the end result?”
TS: “I take inspiration from many things, whether it be other gardens, architecture or design. If something is well designed, I think there’s a lesson that you can take from it that helps shape the way you work and improve the spaces you create. I’m, of course, heavily inspired by the natural world and the vernacular of the landscape that surrounds a particular scheme. The existing architecture and natural environment of a project forms a large part of the inspiration for my work as its very important to me to create spaces that sit comfortably into their surroundings. Ultimately, I want to create gardens that motivate people’s to connect with nature and promote positive stewardship of the land…”
We’ve projects across the country from as far west as Cornwall to as north as Cheshire; our main areas are the Cotswolds, home counties and London. We’ve also recently taken on a commission in Ireland…”
Tom Simpson
C&B: “What type of plants, trees and flowers do you use most often and why?”
TS: “Each scheme calls for a different palette of plants, but I do have my favourites. I like to use deciduous trees that have blossom in the spring and autumn colour in their foliage. I’m keen on evergreen structure in a planting scheme, so I use a lot of clipped Taxus bacatta domes and Prunus lusitanica for a looser form. These I like to interplant with soft billowing grasses and colourful flowering perennials; I have a mild obsession for ferns and have quite the collection in my own garden…”
In this country we’re spoilt for quality gardens, so for me – as an English designer mostly working on gardens in this country – the English garden is hard to beat. Wherever I go on holiday, I always try to visit at least one garden and have seen some incredible places recently in the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy and more recently on a trip to Marrakech. My dream though is to visit Japan and see the gardens there. It could be the number one place in terms of outside influence on the way we design our gardens in this country…”
Tom Simpson
C&B: “What’s the biggest challenge you have relating to your work?”
TS: “I think the biggest challenge we’re all facing across the industry is how to garden in the face of climate change. If I’m specifying a planting scheme today, I need to be sure that the plants I am choosing are going to survive in more unpredictable weather, with hotter summers and wetter winters…”
C&B: “What would be a dream project for you?”
TS: “An old historic house with acres of land, a walled garden and a client looking to do something interesting and different…”
CONTACT: http://www.tomsimpsondesign.com
