325: Manoj Malde, RHS Chelsea 2017

Peter Donegan chats with Manoj Malde, Silver Gilt medal winner at RHS Chelsea 2017. This was his first time to design there.It's worth noting maybe, that this interview was recorded before medals were awarded.Thoughts or comments ? @sodshow on twitter or on facebook as The SodshowInspired by the work of architect Luis Barragan, Beneath a Mexican Sky garden was sponsored by Inland Homes Plc.Together Peter and Manoj chat first time everything at Chelsea, finding a sponsor, being bold, the confidence to go there and walk that walk. The garden build, leaving your partner very far away from the garden build, sanity and the right contractor by your side.Manoj Malde was born in Kenya in 1967 and moved to the UK at the age of four. Although he was raised in the UK, he attributes much of his love of colour to his ethnic background and Indian ancestry.As a graduate of the Master’s programme in fashion design at the Royal College of Art, Manoj’s career has taken him to Italy, Germany, New York, Hong Kong and India. He worked in the fashion industry for 18 years, latterly as creative director.Manoj then studied garden design at the English Gardening School and uses much of his fashion experience within his present career as a landscape designer. Although the materials have changed, his thought process still begins with themes, mood boards, colour palettes and textures. Manoj says; “Designing a planting scheme is like creating a sumptuous print on silk. I’ve gone from Crinolines to Camellias; from haute couture to ‘hort’ couture.”Manoj has created gardens for various private clients as well as property developers. He has worked as a consultant on many projects, given presentations to garden societies and also enjoys writing a gardening blog. His ambition is to expand his garden design career into TV, with the aim of inspiring a passion for gardening in the younger generation and those from ethnic backgrounds. He also plans to develop his design work further into public spaces, hotels, spas and more private gardens in the Mediterranean and further afield.With thanks to Tanya and Rosie at Rose Tinted PR.Twitter: @Manoj_Malde Facebook: CoutureGardens web: www.couturegardens.co.uk