It is generally conceded that design is an artform, a means of expression and a channel in which to tell a story or share a message. But what exactly is a designer and how are they defined?
Take a builder for example – are they known as designers? When they are building websites, yes, and very elegant designers too! Is a football manager considered a creative person? When they understand the symbiosis of their team and the harmony of their skills, then yes, sometimes even football can be poetic.
Which brings us to John Sudul. John is a student at the Academy of Garden Design, and he is a free-lance design engineer. While gardens and designing technical products may seem like incompatible bedfellows, it is the mind behind the design that is the common denominator. Whether its metal or dirt, land or machine, it is the design mind that will bring it to life.
John Sudul believes in contributing to the world in a meaningful way. He wants to create something that matters, something that can enhance lives. Technical products are everyday conveniences that have made life incalculably easier over time. And garden design is where space is created to make people feel at ease, tranquil and connected with nature. Technology can benefit nature in many ways, and both can live in harmony with each other. So, you don’t have to dig too deep to see that John’s move to garden design was indeed, by design.
Since he was a child, John has had a healthy curiosity with the outside. For those lucky enough to have had the joy of loving grandparents, there is an undeniable nostalgia to those memories. John recalls helping grandad in the garden and painting and drawing.
“I have always enjoyed being in wild natural places. I was a maintenance gardener when I graduated from university but ended up pursuing a career in product design and development.”
So, it seems it was a lot more than nostalgia, John had planted the proverbial seed before he even knew what would grow. It was later “when my wife and I bought our first house, I realized I loved being in the garden, constructing, planning, nurturing plants and a veg patch. It was then when I started taking an interest in garden design.”
And creative people often want to be in the thick of it, deep inside the process of seeing an idea, or perhaps a plant, come to life. John loves to create tangible, physical things that have meaning and purpose. He recognized that combining his passion for design and his horticultural knowledge was a no-brainer. And he literally gets to get his “hands dirty every now and again”.
This also applies to people. John likes to be among it, in the thick of it, so to speak.
“I chose the academy because of the flexibility of their courses that fitted with my life commitments. The options to have live online tuition in groups once a week also attracted me, as I didn’t want to feel too isolated and it was great getting to know other people doing the same course. A friend recommended the BAGD postgrad diploma course to me because it had a good balance of landscaping and garden-focused design.”
And John certainly is a natural born designer. His design skills from designing technical products are surprisingly transferable to the garden. Many of the same aesthetic principles and processes apply, it’s a matter of considering a living growing transient element, and a larger scale. As he progresses though his studies, he is embracing the opportunity to play around and explore new ideas. Perhaps it’s his years of experience in a professional design field that has made it clear that this is the prime time to experiment.
“I think it’s the perfect time to fully explore ideas and broaden skill sets.”
But it’s one thing feeling brave in the safety of the learning environment, it’s another to grow in confidence and start to present yourself as a professional. John is reveling in his expanding plant and design repertoire and finds it rewarding and encouraging to learn this about himself.
“The most rewarding experience from this course, is that I have realized my knowledge on plants, landscaping and garden design is much deeper. When I discuss gardens with friends and start to put pen to paper the process now feels natural and instinctive.“
Spending time under the great blue canopy that we call a sky, it not only therapeutic, but it is quite literally good for your health. John is connected to the outdoors and reads his own instincts and needs. If he finds time has passed without being in the fresh air, it impacts how he feels. He is acutely aware of his relationship with the earth and says that if he has “not been outside in nature for a day it certainly brings my mood down, it’s just something that has to be part of my life daily”.
And now that John is contributing to the natural world, he is also finding his green battery is being recharged in a refreshing, inspiring new way.
“When I first bought some seeds, planted and nurtured them, and ate the first vegetables we grew in our garden, it was surprisingly rewarding. I had done this as a child, but I never really appreciated it then. Working in gardens makes me feel connected to the earth, it feels natural, like this is what I should be doing. “
But, like anything that is rewarding, it takes work and sacrifice, even John confesses to “hating weeding”.
John is now experiencing what many design students find happening to them. He is now seeing the world like a garden designer. So much so that he must physically stop himself from gazing at car park paving or at all of the flora or fauna he comes across in his daily routine. This may seem like a distraction, but it is in fact a transformation. Like a butterfly metamorphosing, John has found his garden design eyes.
He has already completed two private garden commissions and has set up his own Design Company, so now it’s time to spread those wings and see where this tree-lined road can take him. And judging by John’s buzzing design mind, the sky is indeed the limit.
Are you ready to explore your own Creative Future?
Whether you’re looking to change careers, develop your creative skills, or turn a passion for design into something more, the Academy’s Garden Design courses are designed to help you build practical, industry-ready skills from home with personalised tutor feedback and flexible online learning.
Explore now and discover where your creativity could take you.
