Bio
"I love plants - they can teach us so much about joy, resilience and positive thinking! I love the spaces you can create with them, how they change every day and how much more we have to learn about them."
I have been working in horticulture for nearly 15 years, and I have enjoyed spending time in gardens for much longer!
When I decided to turn my lifelong passion into a profession, I trained at KLC School of Design (Chelsea) and achieved a Distinction in Planting Design, as well as the Royal Horticultural Society Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture.
Before that, a 20-year corporate career in Public Relations taught me about communication, managing time and money, and keeping a sense of humour at all times!
I started a design company called Muddy Boots Garden Design over 10 years ago with the aim of creating new gardens that are simply designed to be as natural and immersive as possible. Muddy Boots gardens are designed to combine planting with hard landscaping where it’s practically needed, whilst working to minimise the environmental impact of the materials and methods used so that the creation of one environment isn’t to the detriment of another. Muddy Boots continues to work alongside architects and builders to design new spaces – providing landscape concepts, planning application documentation and design drawings, together with specifications for landscapers to guide the build of these new gardens.
A Passion for Plants was created in 2023 to focus more on the plants – providing plant advice and recommendations, sourcing plants through the trade and professional planting. I work with clients, gardeners and landscape teams to create new plantings or enhance existing plantings with colour, texture and form for year-round enjoyment. My ideas focus on using plants to create spaces, atmosphere, screening and views. I work in large or small spaces. Where needed, I can suggest skilled local contractors to prepare the ground as well as helping with planting. I source plants for clients from trade nurseries which offer high quality plants and expert knowledge.
And I am constantly learning… I am registered as a Friend of the Society of Garden Designers (www.sgd.org.uk) which provides access to a network of local and national professionals and Continual Professional Development in the form of practical courses and speaker conferences to debate the latest industry issues and trends. I stay updated on the local environment as a supporter of various local organisations such as the Wildlife Trust (www.bbowt.org.uk) and the Woodland Trust (www.woodlandtrust.org.uk).
I work mainly in and around Beaconsfield, South Buckinghamshire where my family is based.
I like to develop close working relationships with my clients based on transparency, trust and good humour. Most of my work comes from referrals and I am happy to put existing and potential clients in touch with each other to understand how I work.
“Emma is an absolute pleasure to work with - very professional and great at keeping you informed and involved in decisions. Her ideas are considered and transformative - simple and totally in keeping with our converted barn and its rural setting”
“Emma is astonishingly efficient and clear thinking - her ability to understand the brief demonstrates her skill and empathy for different people's needs. Coupled with her extraordinary time management, these qualities make Emma excellent value for money.”