Colin Elliott

Founder of the Design and Landscape Centre, Colin has been designing gardens for nearly 30 years. In that time he has tackled everything from the tiniest courtyard to projects extending over many acres, in this country and abroad. More than 1,000 gardens have benefited from his advice, and several have won awards from the Royal Horticultural Society.

A graduate of Pershore College of Horticulture, he went on to teach design as Senior Tutor for the Institute of Garden Design. After years perfecting his craft, Colin became an innovator in the use of computer-aided presentation techniques for garden designers. For several years his design service was a feature of the RHS commercial web site.

These days he devotes much of his attention to creating fine gardens for our clients and still gets a special thrill each time, following the process through from drawing board to finished garden.

Every garden that Colin designs benefits from his years of experience but he is well aware that fashions, and therefore customer demand, change along with other aspects of art, design and culture. Colin keeps in contact with the latest developments by visiting and taking part in gardening shows and trade events across Europe, ensuring that his education and experience is cutting edge. In addition, collaborations with guest designers provide an alternative view of familiar problems.

Colin rejects the idea that he should specialise in one style of type of garden. By undertaking a wide range of commissions, his depth of knowledge has expanded to include the historic and traditional, while enjoying the contemporary and avant-garde when the opportunity arises. In most cases, his designs are neither one nor the other, fusing the best traditional techniques with a flare for the modern.

Design clients also benefit from the daily construction and a planting experience of the company. Drawings can be stylish and exciting, but this is of little interest if the gardens are not also practical to build and to live with. Colin's vast experience in garden building ensures that this is the case and builders and landscapers often seek him out to provide drawings for them to implement.

For the Design and Landscape Centre a standard commission will include a site survey and consultation, outline proposal drawings and a face-to-face client presentation. After approval we go on to complete the outline drawing, provide full planting details and, for our own landscape teams, setting out drawings and project management.

Many of these services are "extras" for other companies working at this level, while less experienced designers are rarely qualified to offer them.