Planting and materials
Planting - Materials - Natural Cycles
I love plants; their textures and colours, their fragrance and names, their fundamental role in nature, their usefulness and their sheer diversity. Plants are exuberant and unpredictable and unlike other areas of design, working with plants requires taking the long view. As a sculptor, I also enjoy the quality of specific materials: wood, stone, metal, glass, clay, and the dialogue that can occur between hard landscaping and plants over time.
Local plants and materials tell stories about the place we find ourselves in: its climate, its soil, its history and its culture. This sense of 'local distinctiveness' informs my work. It is not a straight jacket but I aim always to design in relation to the locality, using materials in an innovative way but planting with an awareness of what already thrives there, and how my work will fit into the wider ecosystem.
To this end, I aim to source building materials locally and try to avoid those that have a high environmental impact. Wherever possible I work with nature's cycles rather than battling against them. I believe this leads to a healthy and more easily maintainable and durable space, and one that is good to be in, wherever you stand in the food chain!
