Robert Parkin
Natures Way
Gardener and Designer
Nature and Sustainable Landscapes
Consultation and Creation
Practical Help and Advice
"Some people may argue, but I think you have to be a gardener before you can be a landscape designer"
The majority of my working life has been in horticulture, working first for five years as an apprentice until finally, after some time becoming a Head Gardener on two large estates.
I hope that you will find my background, career and work interesting, I hope too that the information and the images will illustrate just a little of the work that I have done.
"Why I became a gardener, and chose horticulture as my life is as important as what I have done with that career to date."
I work to a high standard, one that I try to maintain in all that I do. I have worked on garden landscapes measured in many acres and just a few square meters, Some have been grade 1 listed properties, with a garden history reaching back to the Tudor period.
"My horticultural career has always run side by side with a passion for nature and wildlife, and my work as a nature artist. All compliment each other and to my design work I am able to bring the eye of an artist."
I created the early designs and ideas for the London Wetland Centre with Sir Peter Scott. Worked with English Nature and the Countryside Commission, together with the R.S.P.B. And created what was then the first wetland landscape in the UK, dedicated to ecological teaching in Herefordshire. I have had the privilege to work on a number of nature and wildlife related projects in the UK.
"Whatever help you may be looking for, whether it be practical, hands on, design, consultation or advice, do contact me for more details."
[References, endorsements, awards, qualifications and CV details are available upon request.]
Contact details can be found below.
Gardener ‘First and Last’. And the way I work.
I first became fascinated by plants when I was 12 or 13. I invaded and took charge of my Dad’s garden, his pride and joy, but he seemed not to mind, and became re-invigorated with the garden as the landscape changed. It became a way that we could share things, and I was to learn a lot about gardening from him.
Horticultural college combined with a traditional horticultural apprenticeship of 5 years followed.
From pot washing in January (frozen stiff) to soil sterilising in July, (sweating buckets) to propagation and so much more. Nowadays; and sadly, much has been lost or forgotten by new methods and ideas, some of which I have to say are a vast improvement on those of old. It was the kind of training that the great estate head gardeners went through. I was even put to work digging graves in the local cemetery to see if I had the stamina to keep up, I did.
I would not have missed it for the world. I was able to learn from people who had spent a lifetime working to discover things themselves. One gardener in his 80's and still working told me something I have never forgotten, "gardeners never retire, they just keel over", and its true.
It showed me one thing, I have never forgotten it. Everything I learned and all I know comes from an unbroken line of knowledge going back centuries.
That is why I’m a gardener, and why I spend time working in a garden or in gardens and the landscape, it's in the blood.
The evolution of a garden is apparent on a daily basis to those who love it or who work in it. This is not achieved only by design, but good design is paramount. It is often not achieved by intent from a plan or design, it just happens, and often for the best. It happens most when people who work in the garden doing the everyday work needed to manage and maintain an intensive landscape bring about change. Any landscape that is managed as a garden or for people access has to be one of compromise. One where we try to work with nature and persuade nature to work on our side.
Only by watching, being very patient and by being prepared to allow for the odd setback or problem can you learn how to garden well.
"By gentle means"
Only by gentle means can you attract nature to share that landscape, and share the work of evolving a landscape with you. And nature is so vital to the good gardener.
Any formal or semi – formal landscape will
challenge you to a race, one where the landscape is forever trying to win and return to nature, or in other words back to the wild.
It may seem a good idea to let a garden do that if you want nature - its not, and never is. My job and that of any gardener is to balance the needs for good management
and maintenance with the need to care for a natural landscape, or what appears to be a natural landscape, and let nature work with you, not against you. As a gardener who has worked alongside wildlife for so many years, my job is to allow for that by gentle, thoughtful, clever, persistent and as far as possible non – invasive care. Combine that with good planting, observation, listening, knowledge, planning and love for what I do.
Landscape Design
A knowledge of plants and how plants behave, how they grow, where they grow, and just how they evolve over time is essential to a good gardener, and everything revolves around that.
"No matter what habitat, be it the flower garden, the produce garden, the wild garden or the fruit garden and so many more. Everything you work toward and plan for begins with that knowledge of plants"
That knowledge too evolves only with time.
To take that. "The kind of gardening that makes your hands dirty." To being involved in everyday care of a garden to new planting and new aspects within the garden, and letting that knowledge inspire within you garden design is also essential to creating a good great and loved garden through good design.
A knowledge of plants and how plants behave, how they grow, where they grow, and just how they evolve over time is essential to a good gardener, and everything revolves around that.
"No matter what habitat, be it the flower garden, the produce garden, the wild garden or the fruit garden and so many more. Everything you work toward and plan for begins with that knowledge of plants"
That knowledge too evolves only with time.
To take that. "The kind of gardening that makes your hands dirty." To being involved in everyday care of a garden to new planting and new aspects within the garden, and letting that knowledge inspire within you garden design is also essential to creating a good great and loved garden through good design.
How I Work
Almost everyday I garden. I suspect that all who have a passion for something do the same. Working still with my hands in the soil is what I love, being close to plants, caring for a garden landscape no matter what that landscape may be. So I continue to do that. Day by day and month by month through the gardening seasons and the gardening year. That is one of the main aspects of my work. Working with garden owner's to maintain a garden, improve an existing garden, or an aspect of it, and bring my knowledge to the continued evolution of the garden. Within that structure is everything from the practical such as pruning to planting. Weeding, to creating new beds. Re-planting and re-developing individual features in the garden. Water gardens, wild gardens, fruit gardens, forest gardening (which I have come to love) sustainable gardens, produce gardens -
wildflower gardens and wildlife gardens. I have worked with extensive glass and frame areas, including stove houses, fern houses and produce production. Every aspect in fact that you would envisage a classic Victorian or period house to have that often required the skill and input from many gardeners of the period.
New Garden Design
Taking all that I have said I bring to new design the knowledge of a Head Gardener, working with the land, and with plants, together with an eye for detail, new features, opportunity, colour and art.
I'm an 'old fashioned' designer. I love to work on paper with pen and with colour. I bring to that a background as a successful artist. A design has to work for the garden and for those who live with and use the garden. The actual design too, should be a work of art, and inspire the creation of a garden to match that.
Practical Projects to Paper and Pen
The images illustrate places I have worked.
They include projects I have worked on that are practical and hands on, as an individual or head gardener. They also illustrate publications and landscape and garden design . They represent my entire career in horticulture.
The images illustrate places I have worked.
They include projects I have worked on that are practical and hands on, as an individual or head gardener. They also illustrate publications and landscape and garden design . They represent my entire career in horticulture.
What I Do
- Practical gardening.
- Garden advice and planning. Large or small.
- Planting plans and advice. Large or small.
- Plant sourcing and purchase.
- Management advice.
- Individual and specialist landscape feature design and creation.
- Landscape and Garden Design. Large or small.
- Continued support.
- Friendly and helpful support in the garden on a part time or full time basis.
I work on a nationwide basis.
Thank you for taking the time to look at my work and details.
Robert Parkin.
20th October 2016.
For more information please contact:
[email protected]
Tel: 01432 351283
mobile: 07397979902
All images copyright Robert Parkin
[email protected]
Tel: 01432 351283
mobile: 07397979902
All images copyright Robert Parkin
"Gardens have never been more important to nature, wildlife and to our own well being. This will only grow as we see the changes yet to come to our landscape. Many years ago when I began creating wildlife and nature gardens we had no idea how important they would become. Now, with being able to combine sustainability with nature and with a lifestyle that is good for us too, we have the opportunity to create beautiful gardens that are nature reserves in there own right, vital to the eco-system and to our own lives. Places for family and places for nature. So many people see nature only on the television screen, when in fact nature is crying out to us to share our life with all those who would find our garden..
Grow good food, see nature close too, share that life and help in a very large part to sustain all that is good from a landscape centuries in the making.."
"That is why I''m a Gardener."