A Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers and a Designer Member of the British Association of Landscape Industries, James founded The Garden Company in 1991. Recognised by Pro Landscaper in 2022 as one of the Most Influential People in landscaping today, James is on the SGD and BALI adjudication panels for new designer members. He is also on the judging panel for the SGD Awards scheme and Pro Landscaper’s Project Awards.
Of his role, James says: ‘I don’t think a day goes past without me thinking how lucky I am to do what I do. I’m a huge believer in the transformative power of nature on our lives. Knowing that the work we do makes such a positive difference is humbling. Seeing a client’s joy at the end of a project and knowing that that will last for years to come is something I’ll never tire of.’
Garden inspiration: My grandparent’s rambling Cotswold garden and orchard held an intoxicating promise of adventure that inspired my love of nature and gardening. I also love the Alhambra in Andalusia for its grandeur and strikingly contemporary geometry and Sheffield Park Gardens in Sussex for its ambitious sense of scale. In particular, I love the way in which its designer (Capability Brown) so intuitively understood how the gardens would mature long after his lifetime
Favourite plant: Alliums are my favourite because of their delicate, ephemeral nature. I’m also a real fan of the un-showy, subtle beauty of wood anemones