Designing Life Outdoors: Gardens with Purpose and Passion

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.In this episode, Roz sits down with award-winning garden designer and author Polly Wilkinson to explore the art and heart behind meaningful garden design. With years of experience and a beautifully honest approach, Polly shares how she transitioned into the world of garden design, how her background in marketing shaped her business, and why flexibility has been key to her career success.The conversation weaves through Polly’s thoughts on designing gardens that blend beauty with practicality—spaces that work for families, evolve with lifestyles, and invite people to connect with nature. Polly also talks about the relationship between interior and exterior design, her experiences showcasing at the Chelsea Flower Show, and the joy of creating gardens with real purpose—including her upcoming project designing a therapeutic space for spinal injury patients.If you’re curious about garden design, career pivots, sustainable living, or designing a life that works for you, this episode will leave you feeling inspired and grounded.What You'll Learn in This Episode:🌿 How Polly transitioned into garden design and built an award-winning career 🌼 The role of marketing in growing a creative business 🌳 Balancing beauty and functionality in family-friendly gardens 🌾 The parallels between interior and garden design 🪴 Insights from exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show 🌻 Why sustainability and eco-conscious design matter now more than ever 🧑‍🦽 Designing with empathy: Polly’s project for spinal injury patients 🏡 Childhood dreams, career changes, and lessons in adaptability 📚 Behind the scenes of her book, How to Design Your Garden 🌸 Why women’s voices are vital in the future of horticultureMake the most of your garden by visiting bramblecrest.com and use the code FIELDGATE at checkout. See website for full details.Find out more about Polly and her work here: https://studiopollyanna.co.uk/ First Tunnels, leaders in domestic and commercial product tunnels.  https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newslettersThe Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclubLots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers   Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming  - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection