Jane Farley - Garden designer based in Farnham, Surrey

BC (before children) – being the eldest grandchild to a farmer, I was always destined to be the earthy type! My earliest memories were pulling carrots from the veggie patch and dunking them in the water butt...the smell of earth, the crispness of a frosty morning, and watching shapes in a garden dance in the sunlight, was an inbuilt reflex from an early age. Those early inspirations stayed with me until adult hood. Only then did I unlock a box and let my creativity emerge. I spent 10 years as a 'trolley dolly' with Lufthansa – unbeknown to me, this inspired my sense of the world we live in and gave me an insight to many wild and wonderful landscapes.

AC (après children) I taught at The Goslings Nursery School for a while and became 'head gardener' – the tiniest garden but with a clever design and innovation we created a beautiful patch for the children to enjoy and even won the 'Godalming In Bloom' competition. We also became host to the birth of 9 ducklings in the herb bowl in the garden!
Finally at 40 my love for the land and my eye for design needed to grow and by simply admitting that I was a 'frustrated Blue Peter presenter', I took the plunge and went back to college to study garden design and became enthralled!

Having a passion and then discovering it, was like opening a treasure chest and discovering the 'booty' - hence Poison Ivy Design was born. Over a decade later I am still enthusing about playing with outdoor spaces; these spaces reflect my client's personalities and I am able to turn dreams into a reality.
I guess I am a slight 'non-conformist' but only in the fact that I like to think outside the box. I see things from a slightly different perspective to the norm and believe that creativity, innovativeness and attention to detail should reflect in one's work. Everything has a specific place! I have strong ecological values and am passionate to impart my knowledge about how imperative it is to respect our natural world; that said with a keen artistic eye and the ability to push boundaries with shape, texture, form and colour is an advantage and as a garden designer. I believe I can fine-tune my services, just for you.