Capel Manor College

Former Capel Manor garden design student brings her Chelsea medal winning garden back to college

An artisan ‘Naturally Dry Garden’ is being recreated at Capel Manor College where it will be officially opened this autumn.  The garden, which won a Silver medal at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show and was sponsored by Veolia Water, one of the world’s leading water companies, was designed and built by former Capel Manor garden design student, Vicky Harris.  Vicky wanted to encourage people to use water wisely in a garden that is also beautiful, incorporating drought tolerant plants and ideas for capturing rain water. 

Garden designer Vicky spent many years working as a plant buyer for a couple of leading London garden centres, before coming to Capel Manor to study garden design.  With a long held interest in horticulture, she initially started in the industry as an assistant in the plant area of a London garden centre, teaching herself the botanical names of plants along with their habits and characteristics.  But after a career break to raise a family she needed a more flexible working life and garden design has proved to be a perfect career path.  Vicky said:

“My aspirations include a desire to work with plants as much as possible and to enhance outdoor living spaces for others to enjoy.  I am so pleased that my Chelsea garden will be given a permanent home at Capel Manor, as I found all the show gardens a fabulous learning tool myself, and I am thrilled to think that the garden can live on to be enjoyed by other students and garden visitors.”

Vicky completed her studies in Garden Design in July 2011 and graduated as ‘Best Student’.  She studied for one day a week over several years and needed at least a day a week for private study and coursework.  Perfect for those considering a career in garden design, the courses she studied focused on horticulture, plant knowledge and use, drawing, design and graphics, and included visits to gardens in England and abroad, as well as the opportunity to take part in extra workshops and talks.  During her course Vicky completed a few private projects, one being a large family garden in North London and another being a smaller Mediterranean style terrace garden.  She said: 

“Capel Manor has been a fantastic place to study, not only as it is situated within acres of superb gardens but also for the high quality of teaching by very supportive and enthusiastic tutors.  It is one thing to fulfil the guidelines and brief of a coursework project but it is another to complete a project for an actual paying client.  After my three years at Capel Manor I found that I had achieved a standard that gave me the confidence to set up my own small garden design company. And even after graduating, they have continued to support me by forwarding any work opportunities that arose, one of which was the introduction to Veolia Water who sponsored my garden for the Chelsea Flower Show.”

Head of School for Garden Design, April Cameron, said: “People usually become garden designers because they want to be their own boss and enjoy both the creative process and challenge of implementing a design. All are passionate about plants. Being creative is important but garden designers also need to be enterprising, focussed, determined, self motivating and able to work alone.

“Most of our students do explore design as a career but not all. Some work for the RHS and Kew in garden and administrative positions. Good plant knowledge and design skills also see students secure jobs with bodies such as The National Trust or other prominent gardens. Some go on to become garden writers or do degrees in related subjects like landscape architecture.”

Capel Manor is the largest land-based college in Greater London, home to the National Gardening Centre, the Institute of Horticulture and Gardening Which? magazine.  The college centre in Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, has wide-ranging plant collections and specialist design studios, and their students and staff have won awards at RHS shows on a regular basis for the past 16 years.

There is a Level 2 Certificate in Garden Design starting at Capel Manor week beginning 17 September and there are places still available for this year, with subsidised tuition fees being offered.  To find out more or to enrol speak to their Admissions team on 08456 122122 or email enquiries@capel.ac.uk