Lee Burkhill is a Garden Designer and TV Presenter who is better known online by his online community as The Garden Ninja .
Having pivot away from his calling in IT nine years ago , Lee has now been part of the BBC ’s Garden Rescue team for over four old age .
In this audience , I explore the cause behind Lee ’s change of career , his advance to garden design and his relationship with the online horticulture community – all in his own words .
How Did Your Career In Garden Design Begin?
“ I ’ve always been a hobbyist nurseryman , even as a small kid , ” partake in Lee .
“ My granddad was an allotment gardener who grew his own vegand had a rose garden , so I always used to help him .
“ horticulture was an amazing hobby that take me away from work and the strain of life history . Even as a teen , I used to garden in secret because it was n’t cool . I used to get boss around at school day and gardening was the one shoes I could go to and just tack off .
“ Around 8 or 9 years ago , I was in a really stressful job and my husband secern me that I need to find something that I was more passionate about . I had a effort for body of work and to help citizenry , but I was n’t meeting it in IT .
“ tenacious story short , I signed up for a design course of action at RHS Harlow Carr and thought , ‘ I ’ll just see what happens ’ . It was like a snowball consequence after that !
“ In 2016 , I get ahead a design competition feed by the BBC and the RHS , where I had to create a Feel Good Garden . From there , my career took off .
“ It was a beautiful , glad chance event , where all the things I used to love to do as a hobby became the garden design business concern and the YouTube channel . ”
Do You Have A Specific Process For Designing?
“ My process is always works - establish , ” he explains .
“ The layout andhard landscaping is crucial , but for me , plants hail first .
“ I imagine about what is depart to suit the aspect and soil and start there . I then go about laying out the functions and textile that complement the plants .
“ Some gardeners set about with the hard landscaping , but I begin with the plants and then ferment my way back so that everything compliments nature , rather than throwing nature at a plan . ”
What Are You Inspired By?
“ I get a portion of brainchild from travelling . I go around a lot in my motorhome during the wintertime and visit as many garden and off - the - beaten - track towns and villages as I can , because you’re able to get deposit in your own theme and limit yourself by doing what you ’ve always done .
“ Travelling and run across all of these different influences really inspires me .
“ For example , I travel down to Grenada in Spain and check tile , which made me think of mosaics . I ’d never used those before and after that , a heap of my designs go to have patterns in them .
“ I then drive to Benmore in Scotland and inflict their Botanical Gardens where I found evergreen Chilean plants that can make out with our British mood , which I have now begin to utilize in design where appropriate .
“ I never stop looking – there is always something else out there ! ”
Do You Have A Favourite Memory Of A Garden You’ve Designed?
“ My favourite memories are always of those client that are so booked that you know when you give them with the garden , they are go to get stuck in , ” Lee shares .
“ There ’s been a couple of clients over the preceding few years that still send me pictures of their garden and you could just see their acquirement developing .
“ A lot of people do n’t substantiate that a garden is always evolving and change and you have to do something to it – it ’s not end after the aim is done .
“ Because of this , the client that get involved and begin to really understand the flora associations and why they ’re there stay with me and are the best to wreak with .
“ When I leave , it always feels my employment there is done ! ”
Where Did The Garden Ninja Come From?
“ The Garden Ninja has become a trade name in its own right field . I get think about what to call the Garden Design clientele after I modify .
“ I thought that it would be strange to name my business after myself and I want Garden Ninja to become a community and find part of something outside of me .
“ It was born out of this idea to work masses together and to keep it accessible and approachable .
“ One of my very first client said that when I came into her garden , it was like this Garden Ninja come along and sorted it all out for her . I screw that , so I decided that would be my name !
“ I care to think that the residential district I ’ve curated feel part of something , whether they are a complete founding father or an expert . I can make a living out of design , but the core of the clientele has to be about helping multitude along the way . ”
What Does A Typical Working Day In The Life Look Like For You?
The typical day for the Garden Ninja is a admixture of design and admin , ” he explain
“ My creativity is usually at its upright in the morn , so I do any purpose work then . All of my conception are manus draw and then watercolour , which I always do first matter in the day .
“ I then move onto anything forcible , like planting job or YouTube video , after lunch . I call this the ‘ doing ’ part of my day ! All of the admin go on at the end of the day when my creative rivers have run dry and I ’m tired .
“ Having aver that , no two daylight of the same . Some are very design - heavy , whilst others are more planting - ground . There ’s also the TV work now and I also sometimes drop a line for magazines .
“ It ’s a real mix between the creativeness , the doing and the administration . Over the retiring few class , I ’ve been able to make for out how and when to dissever up these jobs to fit me . ”
What’s Next For You?
“ I ’m doing a raft of node lectures and public speaking at the moment which is all about acquire the great unwashed into purpose .
“ I ’m also doing the Interflora World Cup in September , which is different for me because it ’s floristry [ and ] not garden , but the two earth do blend together quite well .
“ What ’s truly next for me is spread my Garden Ninja message through talking by fetch out of the screen and in front of tangible citizenry . ”
Do You Have Any Advice For Fledgling Garden Designers?
“ You need to really understand your plants , so if you are a stark novice , sign up to a father design course , as this will help you learn about plants as well as pattern , ” Lee advises .
“ you may just give it a go , but you will struggle without screw your plants . You do n’t have to depart your job to do this , you do n’t have to go to university , you do n’t have to take out a second mortgage – just find a course of action that fits with your circumstances .
“ You will meet hoi polloi with a exchangeable mindset , start to build up your striking and it will set you off with a model . Courses are invaluable and really help to get the wheels move .
“ Like I say , really focus on the plants , as they are what make the garden . If you do n’t understand landscaping , you may find a landscape architect to [ complete ] that part of the project , but plants are always with the designer . ”
