Joanne Alderson Design

Jo has the most beautiful ideas, but as importantly took time getting to know us, so that her ideas were tailor made to our personalities/styles etc. She combines stunning design with practically and is a complete joy to work with. We’ve never met anyone quite like her and will be working with her for years to come! Jim and Jo Hytner.

We have worked with Joanne on our new garden for over two years working collaborativly with us she produced a stunning initial design concept and specification and then helped us to find a contractor to impliment it. She has subsequently provided recommendation and advice on suppliers, plants, trees, materials, lighting etc. Joanne has continued to visit site regularly to review progress and provide input as our garden has evolved and at other times has been responsive to requests for input or an opinion by email or phone. I would have no hesitation in recommending Joanne to anyone looking to appoint a garden designer.

I have worked with Jo since 2008 and the experience is amazing. Jo has such excellent vision and never fails to produce really inspiring designs. Often I introduce clients to Jo, or vica versa but because of the long standing relationship and respect we have for each other, the client is guaranteed a superb result. Sometimes I bring my own expertise to the table, for example with the creation of wild flower meadows and Jo is always so willing to share, listen and collaborate As such I have no hesitation in recommending Jo,

Joanne was an absolute delight to work with. Her knowledge was immense so when she sat with us initially to talk about the type of design that we were looking for, she had a lot of input and ideas. We did not really have a firm budget as the idea was to create the design and then implement it over a period of time. Joanne understood what we were looking for and came up with a fantastic plan. This comprised of a scale drawing of the garden and a booklet detailing the planting and specifications for each area. It has taken us a few years to complete the work and we are almost finished - just boring stuff like getting the drive re-done now. The outcome is fantastic and this summer we have enjoyed having friends and family over for BBQ's etc. and have really enjoyed the garden. The compliments have been many. We would strongly recommend Joanne and in fact have done to some friends of ours. She has just completed a design for them which we are yet to see, but it sounds wonderful.

I am often asked by suppliers and customers if I have a favourite garden and its such an easy question to answer "An estate in the Chilterns designed by Jo Alderson.Phillips" is my reply. The garden is an absolute delight to either walk around or just sit and let life pass you by. Jo was very clear in the materials she wanted to use which made sourcing and manufacturing much easier for me, plus she understood timescales which was a bonus. Once you meet Jo you will quickly see how much she loves her job and how important creating the right garden for her client is. Everyone should have a garden designed by Jo; she's a delight to work with.

In 2002 we moved to a new house which was surrounded by 1/3 acre of rough meadow. We had clear ideas about what we wanted of our new garden, but no clue how to integrate or execute them. Jo provided the perfect solution, within budget, using an excellent team who worked hard to complete the job on time. Twelve years later we have a mature garden of 'rooms' that surround the house harmoniously. The beauty of the garden lies in the strong structure that Jo gave to the initial plan and in her visionary planting that has provided us daily pleasure. I cannot recommend Jo highly enough.

We just didn't know what to do with the small, neglected garden of our new house. But Jo did. She listened attentively to our ideas, then made exciting and quite daring suggestions that really stretched our imaginations, and encouraged us to be brave enough to go beyond the ordinary. The result is a stunning riverside garden that regularly stops passers-by in their tracks. Jo's detailed and professional illustrations enabled us to visualise the new garden. Her knowledge of plants has given us a garden full of interest which, with the clever use of different levels and textures, looks much bigger then it is. And she really cares about the gardens she creates. Nine months after the garden was finished, when Jo heard that the Thames had flooded, she contacted us and generously offered her help with any repairs and replanting needed. But inspite of two weeks under water, we didn't lose any plants or suffer any damage. Jo's clever design and planting (flood resilience was part of the brief) gave us a garden that withstood the floods and came back looking even better in it's second year. Jo was an absolute pleasure to work with.