Rufus Rawley

After a Degree in Latin and Spanish from Manchester University, Rufus went on to study Horticulture (RHS General Certificate), Garden Design (City and Guilds), Planting Design (OCN) and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) at Capel Manor College, a recognised centre of Vocational Excellence in Horticulture, Landscaping and Garden Design, whose patron is The Duchess of Devonshire.

Stylistically Rufus favours a garden of strong ‘Green Architecture’ softened by timeless classic associations such as Lavender and Roses interspersed with mixes of reliable perennial planting that will thrive with minimal care.  Hard landscaping, where possible he believes, should be kept simple, clean and unobtrusive:  “The ‘Outdoor Room’ urban garden concept which we were all besotted with until recently has been superseded by ideals such as sustainability and biodiversity.  ‘Slow-gardening’ and ‘Nature nurture’ are very saleable concepts these days.  The ‘Ground-Force’ phenomenon, however helpful it might have been in bringing gardening into the spotlight, is definitely on the wane.  Nowadays I find clients are almost as likely to ask for a Wildlife, Kitchen or Permaculture garden as a sleek, low-maintenance space for entertaining friends.”

Living Colour is responding to these new demands by creating a trial Kitchen garden at their headquarters:  “We have been gardening sustainably (employing ecological planting techniques, composting organic waste etc) for some years as well as taking care to choose the right plants for designs to specifically encourage birds, bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects into the garden.  Now we are more interested than ever in going beyond the simple provision of herbs within a design and are looking to mix fruit, vegetables and salads into ornamental schemes.  Fortunately ‘Edibles’ lend themselves very well to being grown in containers, so the rural idyll of ‘growing your own’ need not be confined to country gardens but can extend to urban roof gardens and even window boxes.”

Rufus lives in Battersea, London with his wife Natalia and their son Tarka.