Biography
Maeve Polkinhorn
Landscape & garden designer
From my studio in North West Essex, near Cambridge, I design gardens and landscapes for a range of clients locally – and in the neighbouring counties.
My artistic style of planting is underpinned by training in design and horticulture, and is rooted in a deep respect for nature and place.
In my own garden, in North West Essex.
Helping to sow a meadow in Cambridge for artist Ruth Ewan’s Another Time project. Photograph by Christa Holka.
A Grounded, sustainable and creative approach to gardens
I am a qualified garden designer and graduated with distinction from the Inchbald School of Design, London, in 2021.
My approach to garden and landscape design is led by sustainable method and respect for place. Within this, I use plants to provide colour, texture and structure in a painterly way (my first degree, 20 years ago, was in Fine Art). My aim is to create restful and engaging outdoor spaces, which are tailored to the individual client’s needs.
Currently, I’m working with clients on projects from small city gardens to large, rural landscapes. I love the collaborative nature of garden design alongside the combination of theory, design and practical work.
CV | AT A GLANCE
2021- | Garden and landscape designer
I founded my own design studio where I offer a range of services to varied clients.
2021 | Diploma in Garden Design
Distinction
Inchbald School of Design
2018- | Gardener
I have worked as a professional gardener in gardens large and small, and continue to work hands-on in the gardens of some of my clients.
2018 | The RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture
Writtle University College at Fellows Garden, Kings College, University of Cambridge
2016 | WRAG Scheme (Work and Retrain As a Gardener Scheme)
WRAG Scheme
Placement at private estate, Cambridgeshire
I am a pre-registered member of the Society of Garden Designers.
A practical designer
Although the focus of my work is now garden design, the hands-on element of gardening is important to me.
My studies in garden design at Inchbald followed several years of practical training and work as a gardener.
At a seven-acre estate, just outside Cambridge, I learned a huge amount working on placement with the Head Gardener; at the beautiful Fellows’ Garden of King’s College, Cambridge, I studied Practical Horticulture with the Royal Horticultural Society.
Prior qualifying as a designer, I also worked as a professional gardener for clients in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire. I still garden for various clients and find that this practice informs and enriches my design work.
From the art world to garden design
I have always been passionate about plants and gardens, but my first career was spent in galleries: I was a curator of contemporary art for seventeen rewarding years.
Initially working in the curatorial team at Tate Modern, I later moved out of London with my young family and became an independent curator. I was lucky to work on ambitious commissions and programmes for clients including the Contemporary Art Society, the University of Cambridge and Kettles Yard.
In the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern during Olafur Eliasson’s The Weather Project (the first project I worked on at Tate).
Away from work, I channelled my horticultural and design interests into my allotment and my own garden; I opened my cottage garden to the public through the National Garden Scheme.
Eventually, my love of gardens took over. In 2016 I shifted my career from curating to gardening.
My background in visual art influences my aesthetic approach to gardens and landscape, and I enjoy using my skills as a draftswoman. The professional experience gained working with large institutions has also been invaluable, especially when it comes to contractor liaison and project management.
Sometimes, my two spheres of interest have collided: while running an artist’s residency programme for the University of Cambridge, I assisted Ruth Ewan with her Another Time meadow.
I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with artists and galleries on projects outside and this strand of my practice—and the attention to detail required—is reflected in all the projects I undertake.
Arrange a Consultation
Get in touch to discuss your ideas and vision for your garden.