We meet a garden designer who helps people to create their dream outdoor spaces

Jo started her business after a career change which saw her leave her desk job to pursue her gardening dream.

“It started just over 10 years ago when I was working for West Midlands Police and was craving being outside more and doing something different before it was too late. I’ve always enjoyed gardens and gardening, I come from a line of great gardeners and so I started the RHS course in Horticulture on Saturdays at Birmingham Botanical Gardens which was practical and theoretical, including plant identification and learning latin names.

“I thoroughly enjoyed that so I then took the plunge, left the police, and started an actual gardening round alongside design. I’ve always loved drawing, being creative, and I’m a problem solver so I knew designing on paper would overtake the actual gardening which it has because I'm so busy with the designing.”

Based in Kinver, Jo Hobbs Garden Design offers a range of services for people looking to transform their outdoor space.

“Myself and my wife Lindsey are co-directors of the business after she had to stop being a Driving Instructor when COVID happened, and I got very busy. Everyone was forced to stay at home and wanted a better garden to enjoy while they couldn't go on holiday.

“Primarily, I design domestic gardens that people want to be in. This is pre-build, so we don’t do the actual hard landscaping. I provide the drawings and visuals so homeowners can really see and experience what the garden could be and then I communicate that to landscapers so that they can build it. So I would say I have many hats as a designer; I act as an adviser, hand holder, collaborator and problem solver.

“Our specific products are Complete Garden Design for larger scale gardens, for smaller spaces, Garden Design Lite is an all online service. I design just planting plans for borders and we can also source plants from suppliers,” says Jo.

At the centre of every design is the client and how they want to use their garden. “I try to understand what is motivating them to change their garden, not just the stuff they think they want in it,” explains Jo, who was a landscaper on the BBC makeover show 'Garden Rescue' with Charlie Dimmock and brothers Harry and David Rich in 2018 and 2019.

“Some of the first questions are not about plants or patios but finding out how long they intend to stay in the house, how much they want to spend and how they like to dry their washing. It is then about feasibility - can this be done?

“I don’t want to take people’s money for a design that can’t be built or doesn’t work for people. The design is just the starting point to enable the clients to have the best garden they can for them and their circumstances at the end of it and that's important to me.

“Much of my job is about educating, advising, managing expectations and offering different solutions to make sure clients can make informed decisions. Then it’s about the fun stuff of layout, plants, trees, water features etc,” she adds.

Some of her favourite garden designs have included a recent project where the client “wanted a dramatic change from a fairly traditional circle of lawn and borders to something modern and without grass”. “They also wanted a rill, which is a narrow channel of water at ground level that circulates in a constant shallow stream.

“So I designed a modern space to match the inside of the house. There was a lot of black metal, straight edges, the rill, with two small waterfalls. There was still a lot of planting, which was important to the clients. They trusted me to design something they could never have thought of themselves,” says Jo, whose favourite plants include hellebores, hostas, epimedium, astrantia and hydrangeas.

“Often my favourite design journeys are the ones with the clients I get on best with who also love gardens and plants and understand the value a well designed garden can give,” she adds.

Jo describes her own garden as being a work in progress. “It’s very multi-functional; we have a dog so the garden must have lawn and at the moment we have an agility course set up for him. We also like to grow vegetables and other edibles so the sunniest part of the garden is dedicated to that.We are also surrounded by houses so privacy is important, we have planted small trees within the garden to create some screening. And part of the garden I want to turn into a Japanese style space so that’s on the plan at some point,” she explains.

When asked what she enjoys most about being a garden designer, Jo says: “I enjoy playing a part in enabling people to have a better life because I do believe that if you breathe new life into a garden, it breathes new life into you.

“I get a huge kick from seeing a garden I have imagined in my head come to life on the ground. Also, every garden and client is different with different problems and challenges to solve, so it’s never boring. I want everyone to have a lovely garden! I see too many missed opportunities for better designs, for example social media is full of landscapers work that I wish I’d got my design hands on earlier.”

For more information, visit www.johobbsgardendesign.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 07773 853857.