From Chef’s table to Garden beds
From the culinary delights of Yotam Ottolenghi to the natural wonder of Garden Design, Esme Howarth may at first glance seem to have made a huge career pivot, but as far as she is concerned, it was a natural progression.
Before moving on to Garden Design, Esme was a recipe developer and chef for the renowned Ottolenghi. She thrived in this role but as anyone who works in hospitality knows, it is very difficult to balance the raising of two young children with the long hours a kitchen demands.
Although Esme still does a “bit of recipe development for a local restaurant”, she previously believed she would eventually return to the culinary world on a more permanent basis. But it was the time spent with her two little boys out planting and growing food and seeds that showed her a new kind of contentment. As Esme’s passion for outdoor life grew, soon she saw a new horizon for her future career.
The first step was to educate herself and to find a way to do so without causing too much disruption in her personal life. The British Academy of Garden Design offers online learning that is both affordable and fully accredited. And so, Esme enrolled in the Professional Diploma course.
“It was my first online course. There was a lot about garden history, which was unexpected but very useful.”
Inner child released
At first Esme found it challenging to fit her studies around her boys but once they were both at school, she was able to dive in! Studying at home has great benefits but the Academy is also aware of the value of a student community. Esme says she wishes she had accessed the community more when she started out as she soon learned that it was a truly useful amenity.
And it was no accident that she chose the garden to spend time with her children. Esme grew up in her family garden with the outdoors being a major source of childhood joy.
“My parents are keen gardeners and have a beautiful woodland garden. I grew up helping them mulch, rake leaves, plant bulbs, and spending almost all of my childhood outside, enjoying it. I think at a certain age you return to your roots.”
And perhaps this is where she makes the connection between a career in food and a career outdoors.
“Cooking and creating recipes are very similar to creating planting plans. This is what I really love. Plants are like ingredients. The recipe method and how you cook is similar to the science behind soil structure, aspect, and customers tastes.”
But the design aspect of her studies has also inspired Esme to channel her creative talents. She is “more comfortable with ‘planting design’ and the actual planting. But the process of creating a design that your customer loves is deeply satisfying”.
Going into business
“Creating a garden for your client that they will love for many years and seeing how it changes. I’m still only a year into starting my business, but it’s lovely to visit and maintain some of my first garden design jobs. ‘I love planting day the most!’”
And it’s not just bringing joy to her clients that makes her happy. It is well known among horticulturalists and designers alike that spending time outdoors with nature is a tried and tested contributor to a healthy mind.
“All physical work outside is good for health. But a day gardening is the best. Exhausting but fulfilling, especially when everyone gets stuck in. I’m spending a lot of time in front of a screen, but it’s very seasonal. I’m hoping most of March and April will be outside.”
Esme has set up her own Garden design business and has every intention of building upon it as her own experiences evolve and grow.
“I would love to work on as many different projects as possible. Native planting for wildlife, Mediterranean for more drought conscious gardening and lots of experimenting. Filling a wildflower area with successional bulbs for example. Once you have started, and you start making different contacts, different jobs come your way. I don’t have a grand plan, but hopefully the grand plan will find me. I just want to keep doing what I love.”
