PAST EVENTS

SGD REGISTERED MEMBERS - DESIGNER TALKS SEPTEMBER 16th 2011

Our award-winning designer members Dan Pearson, Andy Sturgeon, Cleve West, Tom Hoblyn, Charles Rutherfoord and John Wyer will be taking part in talks across London this summer.

Find out more click here

TALKS & DESIGN CONSULTATIONS at RHS Shows 2011 

The SGD provided Show visitors with talks & a unique opportunity to meet and talk to a wide range of experienced, professional garden designers from all over the UK with a programme of activities at each show.

Find out more here:

Wednesday May 11th - 11.15am - Charles Rutherfoord: How to find and work with a professional Garden Designer
This talk explored how to find a designer that is right for you; how to establish your requirements and prepare a brief for a designer; and how to get the best out of your designer with practical advice on timings, budgets and working with suppliers and contractors.

For further information click here

Friday 13th May - 11.15am - John Wyer: Right Garden, Right Place
Drawing on past projects as diverse as a four-acre plot in the Cotswolds where local materials and craftsmanship were employed to great effect, to the parched landscape of the US Rockies where drought-tolerant planting was used to create a dramatic, but highly practical garden, John will explain how good design should give equal weighting to the site, the idea and the client brief.

For further information click here

Saturday 14th May - 11.15am - Tom Hoblyn: How to translate design ideas from show gardens into your own garden
Drawing on his experience of designing innovative show gardens Tom will explain how to turn inspiration from visiting show gardens into great planting and design ideas for your own garden. The talk will be illustrated with examples of his garden designs at the flower shows at RHS Hampton Court and RHS Chelsea in the last 6 years, covering water features, planting and hard landscaping

For further informtion click here

June 21st – Dan Pearson: A Garden for a Thousand Years
Hear celebrated landscape designer and Observer columnist, Dan Pearson, discussed his work for the Millennium Forest project in Japan and his belief in ecological and sustainable design principles.

This event that marked the 30th anniversary of the Society of Garden Designers (SGD), of which Dan is a member.

For further information click here

LONDON FILM SCREENING OF TWICE UPON A GARDEN – JUNE 7TH

An exclusive London screening of the award-winning documentary film Twice Upon A Garden, charting the making of the gardens at the Métis International Garden Festival took place on at the Curzon Soho in London this June.

Great garden design creates gardens with synergy – designs that deliver more than the sum of their constitute parts. Style and Substance aimed to define and explore that moment of creative fusion when inspiration combines with functionality to deliver stand out gardens.

The speakers were Ian Kitson FSGD, Christopher Bradley-Hole, Juan Grimm, Arnaud Maurières and Eric Ossart, and the day was chaired by John Wyer MSGD.

Please click here to read their profiles.

Also Juan Grim has kindly given us a transcript of his speech, and we have created a PDF for you to download here

DESIGNER DEVELOPMENT DAYS

Dream Designer Evenings: Acres Wild with Debbie Roberts & Ian Smith, Surrey 4th October 2011

Planting for northern climates - "Cool Plants for Cool Places" - SAC, Edinburgh. Make the most of the climate and ecology of Scotland with the naturally occurring habitats of plants from five experts from around the country.

Advanced Surveying - 23rd & 24th March 2011, Writtle College, Essex A 2-day course for a more advanced form of surveying where an Optical Level and Staff are used as a theodolite to measure angles and horizontal distances - this method of surveying, called Stadia Hair Tacheometry, is usually accurate to about 5-10 cms and uses the same instrument is used to obtain levels.

Surveying Development Days: Surveying Skills - a series of workshops presented by Ian Humby, some classroom based and some hands-on, covering revision of the basics to addvanced skills training.

Surveying With Confidence with Ian Humby 10th November '09, Exeter; 18th September '10 Surrey; Surveying Sloping Gardens 21st October 09 & 6th October '11 Surrey. 19th Apr '12  Liverpool

Levelling with Confidence - 2nd February '11, Leeds. 20th April '12 Liverpool

Vectorworks Landmark - The Beginner, 13th & 20th November 2010 Plumpton College, East Sussex Two intensive half-days on and Introduction to Vectorworks Landmark. This course is aimed at beginners to CAD based garden design who would like to find out if they are suitable for further on-going training.

Vectorworks Training from Foundations to Client Presentations, 13 Jan to 3 Feb '11, Sparsholt College, Hants.

Andrew Fisher Tomlin FSGD presenting: Building a Business Strategy: 16th November 5.30pm - 8.30pm

& From Paper to Reality: Successful Contractor Partnerships: 17th November 09:30 to 17:00. Wigan ; 21st September 2011 Midlands; 27th September 2011 Exeter; 17th March 2012 Edinburgh.

Creating a business plan that works and show you how to follow through with results so that your business comes out of the recession stronger than ever. Followed by the roles and responsibilities of the designer and contractor in transferring a garden design from paper to reality

Vectorworks Landmark - the Beginner: 13 &20 November 2010 Plumpton College East Sussex Two intensive half-days on and Introduction to Vectorworks Landmark. This course is aimed at beginners to CAD based garden design who would like to find out if they are suitable for further on-going training.

SGD Autumn Conference 9th October 2010 Imperial College - From Concept to Canopy

Trees in time, space and place Our inspirational line-up of speakers presented very different approaches to planting styles and ecologies – from wilder woodland to more ordered private garden spaces. They shared their passion for planting design – playing with mass and scale, planning longer term for conservation and heritage, and generating a dynamic mix of man-made and organic living systems that express the spirit of now and evolve with maturity.

Planting Masterclass. 23rd June 2010 Wigan Investment Centre, Wigan

Jill Billington FSGD is one of the UK’s experts on planting, author or many books and RHS judge. The day started with aesthetics of planting design: how to use plants in the same way an artist uses paints. The afternoon concentrated on ecological aspects of planting, looking at sustainability and working with the site.

Essential Knowledge: to Run a Profitable Garden Design Business. 14th June 2010, Hadlow College, Kent This half-day workshop run by Chris Snook who is Business Development Advisor to the HTA will covered all you need to make your GD buisness a success and keep you on track with topics such as 'Personal preparation and presentation' and 'Financial sanity'.

Essential Knowledge: Sustainable Timer Use & Scope of Works. 15th May 2010, Pulborough, West Sussex. An illustrated workshop on the essential knowledge required to specify timber for use in the Landscape presented by Stephen Young from the Timber Decking Association. Followed by A short dynamic workshop on the essential knowledge required for garden designers to write a Scope of Works document presented by James Steele-Sargeant the MD of Arun Landscapes

New Ways with Planting. 11th May 2010, Romsey, Hampshire.Noel Kingsbury examined what designers can learn from ecological science to improve their planting design. A leading authority on the development of herbaceous plantings with a wild edge Noel showed how to 'read' an unfamiliar plant and predict where it is likelty to thrive, what maintenance it needs, how long it lives and wether it spreads or not.

Planting Design - Concepts & Creation. 5th May 2010, Ealing. Pamela Johnson MSGD and Jill Anderson looked at how planting design has changed over the years and how horticulture underpins all good planting. They then explored the ideas leading to a plant concept, looking at a range of inspirations, the effect of time and seasons and the ways in which the senses are stimulated by plant design.

Splash SGD Spring Conference 17th April 2010, Imperial College, London. Water in the landscape and garden affects the sense of place and our emotional response to it. There are many different ways of using water in the design of landscapes and gardens: as a light reflecting surface, for its sound effects, to bring cooling qualities, as a form of cleansing and as a sustainable part of a design. As an element of garden design, water can have cultural significance as well as its own aesthetic. Water can add a sense of drama or induce a sense of calm and well-being - a truly versatile element.

Specification Writing for Real Life. 25th & 26th March 2010 Southport. 15th & 16th December 2010 Ealing, W London. A two-day intensive workshop with Richard Sneesby course leader of BA (Hons) Garden Desing at Falmouth University. Helping delegates to master the art of writing clear and confident specifications.

Rain Gardens, Green Roofs & Meadows with Nigel Dunnett 2nd December '09, Leeds Dr Nigel Dunnett on how to de-mystify the design of rain gardens, green roofs and meadows.

Design Masterclass - Impossible Sloping Sites and Levels with Robin Templar-Williams Saturday 7th November '09, Guildford. Masterclass that analysed live projects using plans and cross-sectional drawings with an emphasis on how to incorporate sloping sites and difficult areas into a harmonious design

Drains & Drainage with Duncan Heather Saturday 24th October 09 Edinburgh It might seem like a ‘dry’ topic but the effect of inadequate drainage on an overall scheme can be potentially devastating. We need to think about the implications from the moment that we start our site analysis right through to the design and the specification writing. This workshop covered the key aspects of drainage in garden design

Water in the Garden Wednesday 10th March 2010 Lutterworth, Leicestershire. 23rd September 09 Hampshire Martin Kelley is an engaging speaker & respected expert on water feature construction. Currently the Managing Director of Fairwater Limited, his company has over 20 years experience in the water garden construction industry. They specialise in the design, construction, renovation and maintenance of water features working closely with a number of today's eminent garden designers and leading landscape architects. Martin’s extensive experience has yielded a vast portfolio; he shared his technical knowledge with us as he discussed the practicalities of how to create a wide range of water features from formal fountains to domestic ponds and even how to approach construction of large informal lakes and streams

Specification Writing for Real Life Monday & Tuesday 14th & 15th September '09 SAC, Edinburgh Clear specifications should be the way we ensure that the garden we have designed (and which has excited the client so much) is implemented as we envisage. Richard Sneesby MA lead this course by the end of which you should have been able to write the necessary specifications for your projects with clarity, understanding and confidence.

Heavenly Gardens in Hellish Places - SGD Autumn Conference Imperial College, London SW7 1LU Saturday 3rd October 2009

Conference Chair: Julie Toll. Speakers: Declan Buckley, Lisa Delplace, Nigel Dunnett, Anthony Paul, John Wyer

Sponsored by: Gaze Burvill and Alitex

The garden is a form of earthly paradise that designers are often called upon to create in the most unpromising and inhospitable of places. Such sites include steep slopes, exposed roofs, windswept coastlines and urban sites plagued by poor soils and pollution, all in an increasingly extreme climate. Difficult sites create the greatest challenge but can instil the greatest creative response.

While paradise is the intent, a designer's first challenge is practical; to make sense of the space, to make it usable and to select plants that will grow and survive long term. In improving the habitat for people and plants, the design solution makes the occupation of such difficult spaces enjoyable and uplifting too.

Nurture, Not Nature - SGD Spring Conference Imperial College London, 28th March 2009

Chair: Hugh Ryan. Speakers: Jinny Blom, Erik Dhont, Ulf Nordfjell, Tim Rees and Roberto Silva

What influences the way you design? An innate design sensibility? Or the culture in which you’ve grown up and developed professionally? Garden design is rooted in our formative experiences including local climate and landscape, cultural uses of space and responses to nature. All the speakers at Nurture, not Nature had unique perspectives formed in their countries of origin. Their designs refered to their cultural heritage while reinterpreting it for each new client and location.

Our speakers explained how their own particular cultural experiences show in their work. They also discussed the challenges of designing in environments less familiar to them. Is meaning lost in translation, or do the cultural layers maintain their richness?

Reviews: thinkinGardens

The New Conceptualist Garden - London Tate Britain, Wednesday 9 July 2008

What is a garden, if not – in designer Andy Cao’s words - a “blending of landscape and art to create a place for dreaming”?

The Society of Garden Designers, in association with Tate Britain, presented The New Conceptualist Garden, a one-day international symposium on Conceptualism – the new genre in international garden and landscape design.

These gardens hold memories and tell stories. They are resonant of meaning – and playful, too - characterised by vibrant colour, and fantastical tricks of scale.

The subject was set into context by critic and author Tim Richardson. The impressive international line-up of speakers included six designers who illustrated and discussed the processes involved in creating their work: Stig Andersson of SLA, Copenhagen, Denmark; Andy Cao of Cao Perrot Studio in Los Angeles, New York and Paris; Claude Cormier, Montreal, Canada; Kate Cullity of Taylor Cullity Lethlean from Adelaide, Australia; Monika Gora, Malmo, Sweden; and Eelco Hooftman of Edinburgh based landscape architects Gross.Max.

See podcast at Gardens Illustrated