Highlights of the year gone by

It’s the last week of the year. We’ve put down our pens and pencils, powered down the computers and closed the studio doors. It’s the Christmas holidays and we’re at home with our families, enjoying a well-earned break.

With the new year celebrations on the horizon, there’s a temptation to start thinking about the year ahead, to set goals and get excited about what’s to come. But that’s for another day. Right now, it’s time to relax by the fire, to unwind and reflect on the year gone by… to think about how far we’ve come - all the wonderful people that we have worked with, the designs we have prepared, the gardens built and enjoyed by our clients and the places we have visited.

We wanted to share some of those highlights with our readers as a celebration of a great year.

People

The great joy of working as a garden designer is the opportunity to work with some wonderful people; clients and colleagues alike.

First to my team. We couldn’t do what we do without a team that are not just incredibly skilled, but who are also fully committed to our values and objectives. Working alongside them is a real joy. We work hard but the studio is full of laughter, too. In September we welcomed our latest recruit to our team. Tim came, as a graduate, straight from the Yorkshire School of Garden Design and has immediately made his mark. Within a few short months Tim has established himself in the practice, bringing new ideas and further refining our service offering.

Tim at work

The majority of our projects involve architects, consultants and suppliers. Over the last twelve months we’ve had the support of some incredible partners. We’ve worked with some exceptional architects in particular, creating complementary landscapes for the buildings they have designed, helping them to get planning permission and seeing new build properties and those renovated older homes come to life through their creations. You know who you all are, and it’s been a pleasure!

And to our clients. Over the last year we have worked with a great variety of different customers – some are just beginning their journey with us, whilst others, with larger projects, have been working with us for several years. It has been a delight to meet so many lovely people and get to spend time with them in their homes and gardens. We often become friends and it was a particular pleasure to be invited to a Sunday afternoon party to spend time together and, of course, see how their new garden has developed. It was with a sense of great pride to see how the garden has become beautifully established and how our new friends are enjoying their space. To our wonderful clients – thank you for choosing Rob Hardy & Co and please know that we have relished the opportunity to work with you this year.

Places

Living the life of a Garden Designer takes us to wonderful places. Looking back over the last year, my memories are full of those magical places that capture the imagination.

Indeed, it is our place – our new home – that comes immediately to mind. Having been based in the centre of Harrogate, we moved to a larger studio in the grounds of the Harewood Estate in September. It is such an inspiring place. The journey to work through the deer park or the walks we take at lunchtime all help to lift the spirit and inspire our creativity.

Lost in the woods

Equally, many of our projects leave lasting impressions. One particularly memorable site visit was with a client who invited us to work on their second project with them. They had discovered their dream property, covered in ivy, lost in the woods and with a faded grandeur, but a real gem waiting to be discovered. Walking around those grounds I was like a boy again, dreaming of the possibilities of the place.

In May of each year we take our team to visit the Chelsea Flower Show. It’s a place of great inspiration for garden designers as we get to see some of the latest ideas and styles. You cannot fail to be moved by some of the show gardens. The Nurture Landscapes garden, by Sarah Price, was exquisitely beautiful with stunning colours and textures in the dappled shade of the lime trees along Main Avenue.

Visiting public and private gardens, wherever we may be, is a pastime that my family have come to accept. Two gardens that caught my imagination this year were Coleton Fishacre in Devon and Brodick Castle in Arran – separated by several hundred miles, but sharing a similar outlook. Both enjoy captivating sea views and the warming currents of the gulf stream. I could have spent hours at both… and we did.

Projects

And finally to our projects. Living the life of a Garden Designer means dreaming of gardens constantly – imagining spaces, journeys, places to rest, to gather, to entertain. Beyond the working day it means waking in the wee small hours with new ideas or solutions to a tricky problem in a particular garden. Gardens inspire us and we endeavour to ensure that our gardens inspire others, too.

2023 has been full of projects that have been a joy to work with – clients who have been willing to let our creativity loose on their blank canvasses. We have designed gardens for several award-winning homes, created beautiful spaces for entertaining from what were new build mud-baths, and have worked on several historically significant listed properties. They’re all special, but each come with their unique challenges.

 As I sit here, reflecting on the year gone by, it’s with a deep sense of satisfaction. In a few short days we will be back to work and we will do so knowing that we begin 2024 with a great anticipation of what lies ahead. We are really looking forward to sharing this journey with you.

From all at Rob Hardy & Co, we wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.