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Mentoring future garden design talent

The RHS Young Designer competition provides a springboard for the careers of fledgling garden designers and one of the bonuses is that each receives mentoring from a professional 

The competition offers a remarkable platform, teaching would-be designers a raft of essential skills that they’ll need to call upon in their future careers. For the RHS it’s a leap of faith that new designers will manage a garden build to show standard without having a wealth of experience – in terms of commissioned design work – to draw upon. It’s no mean feat to pull off either, since each designer and their team have just three weeks from the moment the plot is handed to them to create a bespoke garden built with the precision and dedication of a master craftsman.

Catherine MacDonald
Mark Gregory
Since 2014, the RHS has enlisted the help of mentors to guide those lucky enough to be selected through the process. Until 2018, RHS Gold medallist Paul Hervey-Brookes, himself the recipient of a mentorship scheme, led the way. In 2019, the baton passed to me, Catherine MacDonald, and Mark Gregory of Landform Consultants, an organisation that has built more than 100 medal-winning Show Gardens and thrilled visitors at RHS Shows with our own brand of garden theatre.

Kristian Reay's The Phytosanctuary Garden, highlighted the threat of Xylella fastidiosa in 2019
Will Williams was the 2018 RHS Young Designer with his garden At One

Sharing skills

In 2015 Tamara Bridge won with The Sunset Garden
A few years later Tamara made her debut at Chelsea with Kate Savill, a 2015 finalist
So how do you prepare young designers for the task ahead? Typically they have one-to-one time with a mentor to review their designs and resolve any potential problems. Trips to nurseries offer opportunities to outline the way plants are sourced and also speak to other designers, RHS judges and the press. Mentors also offer support through the on-site build.

Hugo Bugg, Young Designer 2010, has since designed at Chelsea, with this garden for Royal Bank of Canada in 2016
in 2013 Tony Woods won with his design Escape to the City

What are the key things young designers can learn from the mentoring?

The significance of planning well is key. All elements of the design and build process need to be planned for and thought through. Good design detailing is really important and preparation is everything.
 
What Mark and I hope to impart is that the design is only a small part of the process. We believe the designers need to learn the value of teamwork and collaboration – by working with a contractor, specialists, nurseries and other suppliers, they’ll learn how to pull all these skills together to create a successful show garden.

An ability to keep learning and adapting to changes in horticulture and design practices are important. Environmental challenges are reshaping our ideas of gardens just now.

What do you look for in new talent coming up through the industry?

I’m excited by the energy and enthusiasm RHS Young Designers bring to the industry. I find it fascinating to learn about their design concepts and the stories behind their gardens.

What do you like about the mentoring experience?

Mark Gregory, who is mentoring alongside me, gave me my first chance to design a Show Garden – an opportunity to put my skills and knowledge into practice. My love for this work began there and I’ve since found creating Show Gardens to be addictive.

It’s good to be in a position to be able to help others.

There’s something satisfying about encouraging young designers, using the knowledge I’ve garnered during my career to help others kickstart their own. I enjoy watching them develop, seeing their successes and also sharing my passion for creating show gardens.

How important are schemes like the Young Designer competition?

It’s an excellent opportunity to showcase new and emerging talent and in that respect it’s vital for encouraging young people to find their feet and benefit from insider knowledge to get them started.

Catherine MacDonald created The Hartley Botanic Garden on Main Avenue, Chelsea, in 2016
Image at top of page: Caitlin Mcloughlin was Young Designer 2016
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The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow - nurturing a healthier, happier world, one person and one plant at a time.