ERNEST
& EDWARD
Garden Design
The Designer
Ady is the Garden Designer within Ernest and Edward. Whilst undertaking his degree in Landscape Design and Plant Sciences, he began working for the NHS as a groundsman and Landscape Designer. It meant he was also involved in installing his designs in hospital and community settings across Norfolk.
His involvement with the NHS began to take a different route and he ended up undertaking additional training to be a Public Health worker and subsequently a Psychotherapist.
In 2019 Ady started working part-time for the NHS so that he could begin establishing a Garden Design business. In 2021 he also gained employment working for Ushaw Historic House, Gardens and Chapels as their Garden and Grounds Volunteer Co-ordinator, but this position has since expanded and he is leading on not only developments within the Ornamental gardens, but the entire estate including new woodland schemes, development of walks and schemes to enhance biodiversity.
After 30 years with the NHS, Ady was able to leave as Ernest and Edrward Garden Design had become an established and successful business.
Ady believes that his understanding of health issues affecting the public are extremely useful when coming to design people's gardens. His work as a therapist means that he has experience of working with a wide range of people where he has to try and understand their needs. He is keen that ultimately the garden ends up a usable and delightful space for clients and therefore it needs to take into account how clients can interact with their garden, which may be affected by health issues, age, interest or ability. He is also keen that the garden ultimately reflects the owners with a hint of designer thrown in!
The Philosophy
People may think that it is crazy spending money on a Garden Designer but some people really struggle to conceptualise space and how to create a garden that is usable for them. They may not understand which plants may or may not be suitable, or which plants are needed to create certain effects. It can often be the case that people plough ahead and create something which they are not entirely satisfied with, where they end up spending more than they needed to, where they miss layout issues, forget key needs or where they put in plants that will take over everything else or die because the conditions are not correct.
Using a garden designer helps you to understand what it is you want for your garden. Ady can highlight issues that you may never have thought about before, including on ensuring the space ends up usable and stunning. He can harmonise between the differing demands of couples (he was a relationship therapist too!) which can often be difficult when you undertake the design yourself and he can look how to make the most efficient use of your resources.
There is the age-old adage that a good accountant should cost you nothing in the long term because of how they enable you to manage your money; well the same can be said for garden designers.