CHS June Meeting & Flower Show: The Value of Conceptual Design

Neil, drawing from his deep wealth of knowledge as a landscape architect for the past 45 years brings to the forefront the importance of ‘conceptual design’ in planning a garden or even a planting bed. Neil’s studies at Auchincruive – an agricultural college in western Scotland based on a private estate designed by Gertrude Jekyll, celebrated garden designer of the late 1800’s created an important impression to his own designs to this day.

Neil’s career has seen the design and build of hundreds of gardens in southern Ontario and farther afield. Some of his more notable gardens include The Arthur Meighan Garden at the Stratford Festival Theatre, The Max Tanenbaum Garden at Princess Margaret Hospital and The Vertical Crevice Garden at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, to name a few. During his long history of designing and building gardens he has seen the conceptual design is frequently passed over. Neil states ‘this is the moment that opportunities are embraced or lost, where too many garden designs fall flat’.

With examples of side-by-side garden designs from his work and that of another firm he will showcase the differences in design and how the overall quality of the work can affect the outcome. Neil feels the design process is equally as important when making a flower bed, a raised vegetable garden, a pond, a rockery or a grove of trees. We invite you to take the opportunity to learn from Neil about the value of conceptual design and how to apply it to your own gardens.

CHS Members are encouraged to enter in the June Flower Show. All entries to be placed from 6:30 – 7pm. Judging to follow.

Doors Open 6:30pm Guests are always welcome to attend.