My practice
I am a Garden Designer and Landscape Architect with over 35 years’ experience. I provide my Clients with a competent, impartial and independent service. I have received the highest level of education in landscape architecture and am a Registered Member of the Society of Garden Designers – the only professional body for garden designers in the UK. I have worked with three past Presidents of The Landscape Institute. The interests of all I work with are important to me. I gain tremendous satisfaction from creating beautiful landscapes and observing them being enjoyed.
i aim for
Sustainability: I work with long lasting materials and natural processes so that a project improves
as it ages and benefits not just our own but future generations. I seek to minimise water use and dependence on chemicals. I have driven and electric car since 2015. I seek to use local tradespeople and materials in order to reduce travel related greenhouse gases.
Cost efficiency: after detailed design and specification, projects are put out to tender with contractors with a proven track record. This ensures the required quality of work and materials is achieved at competitive prices. Smaller projects are negotiated with contractors with a track record for completing good work at a fair price ;
Sensitivity: to needs and aspirations, to local styles and materials, to scale and proportion,
to aspect, to neighbours, to the environment and to budget.
i provide
An independent service: I have no personal financial interest in any in-house or other professional,
tradesman, artist, craftsman, contractor or supplier.
A personal service: I am a sole trader. I will complete the design. I will delegate specialist
elements of a design e.g. structural engineering, lighting, pool design however I remain a Client’s primary (usually
only) contact throughout a project. I can meet in the evening or at weekends.
A local service: I work on projects within twenty five miles of my home on the eastern edge of
the Cotswolds. My local knowledge enables me to work with the professionals, contractors, suppliers and artisans from this same area who
have the skills, availability and price best suited to the project. Working locally has the additional benefit of reducing my carbon footprint.
Previous experience
François Goffinet Ltd: (1993-97) I was the Landscape Project Manager for the £4 million works to Glympton Estate;
managing engineers, architects, arboriculturalists, ecologists and fisheries experts.
Travers Morgan Consulting: (1989-93) Landscape Architect preparing planting plans and contract documentation and
supervising multiple site-based projects – up to £1 million plus. These included Junctions 8 to 9 of the M40 where Jonathan was responsible for the planting of 400,000 native trees and shrubs.
N. Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council: (1986-89) Advice on planning applications and Tree Preservation Orders.
Design and contract management of school and public open space landscapes.
My qualifications
MA in Landscape Architecture; BSc in Landscape Design and Ecology. I have been professionally trained to the highest level in landscape
and garden design.
Registered Member of the Society of Garden Designers - the only professional body for garden designers in the UK. My designs have
been peer reviewed.
I was a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute for 20 years.
Who i am
I attended Marlborough College and Sheffield University before moving to Oxfordshire where I now live with my wife Amanda and children
Toby and Grace.
I place importance on finding climate-friendly ways of living. My car is powered by electricity from a renewable source. I speak
and write locally on our response to climate change. I achieved personal NetZero in 2020.
I am a committed Christian involved in the local church and community. I seek to apply my faith in all I do.
Endorsements
A huge thank you to both of you for a fantastic job and just to say how thrilled we both are with the project. Courtyard garden, Fulbrook
And the pond is heaving with tadpoles. So all’s well in my beloved secret garden, best decision I ever made was to contact you! I’m forever grateful. Design of wildlife garden and natural pond.
As mentioned before, you have responded extremely well to what we think might have been a bit of a challenging brief. You have stayed true to the vision of interest and reveal whilst providing areas that indulge our functional needs. I can’t tell you how impressed we are. The garden design fits us perfectly. Now our challenge is to make it a reality! It’s been a pleasure working with you. - garden design included areas for entertaining, for children and for growing vegetables
brilliant…two ducks…three different types of wagtail…kingfisher has visited…loads of dragonflies.
But I have been in the garden a lot, whenever it isn't raining, and showing everyone my pride and joy! Just today I came across some of the books I showed you in the beginning. And, looking through them, I found many pictures which you have managed to translate into my scheme. I have got exactly what I asked for, and much much more, and I am very aware that it took a lot of skill and understanding to make it work so well! When you first appeared with a bunch of canes and set them out for the lime avenue, I had no idea what to expect, I was taken completely by surprise! But fortunately I decided to wait and see - and now, when I sit in my office looking down, or open my front door, or arrive in my car, or sit in my seating area, I can see what a brilliant idea it was! - garden design included a realigned drive, formal and wild gardens
It is a wonderful experience for me to see my dream appear in front of me. The more the garden progresses, the more I can see how well you have grasped and interpreted all my wishes, and made them fit in with the house and the surroundings.
‘It was lovely to meet you yesterday, and I think that you had a good insight into my head. Perhaps more than you had bargained for? I very much get the impression that we’re on the same wavelength, I was particularly happy to note your keen eye, your thoroughness, your interest and your acceptance of my eccentricities.’
‘Loved your design. It’s in touch with the house. One of the first designs we’ve done for designers that actually works.’ - comment from landscape contractor working from Jonathan's garden design drawings
'My initial apprehensions quickly disappeared when I saw your pencil drawings. I think you have captured just the right feel for the garden and I look forward to seeing the final plans' - garden design illustrated by artist's impressions
My mum is here at the moment, and she thinks that you are the bees knees! She …. keeps pointing things out to me that she finds wonderful!
Thanks Jonathan much appreciated. Just off to Northumbria. Garden and driveway look superb.
Thank you very much for your blunt pencil proposals and explaining them to us at our last meeting. We appreciate the amount of thought you have put into the draft design and feel you listened to our brief well and followed it closely. You have come up with some brilliant ideas to overcome the problems we have. - following concept drawings for garden design
The features are excellent the balance of the stone sizes look great for the wall heights and the coping stones looks [sic] well balanced, I expected the cope-stones to be thicker than they are, when on plan, it all looks great. - following implementation of a garden design for a walled terrace
The garden is looking quite wonderful and we are delighted
The garden is looking stunning…the wildlife is amazing (the moor hens have gone… a deer in the formal garden… kestrel babies… a hare lives in the garden)…just what I wanted. Thank you again for a great great job.
The tree planting has transformed our garden, we now have shade, secret places and can swim without been [sic] seen, we are thrilled to bits. - design for a large walled town garden. Extensive use of semi-mature trees.
We are absolutely delighted with how the garden is shaping up. The combination of a very well-considered plan and excellent execution are resulting in something rather special that we look forward to enjoying for many years.
...we are delighted with what you did for us. You provided a carefully thought-out and nicely drawn scheme which gave us the vision we needed. Your service was courteous, patient, prompt and delivered when promised.
We are particularly impressed by the proportions of the design. The patio feels large…you have somehow made the rest of a small garden feel much bigger than before.
We found your visit and ensuing discussion really helpful.
With thanks for such a very lovely design. I hope you will come by and see it in its maturity. - garden design