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Anna Ribo Gardens

Garden design and advice with roots in plants
Plant talks and sketching classes

 

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Planting  design

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Garden advice and restoration

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Nature sketching workshops and hand drawing for garden designers

Planting talks 
Sketching classes

Services
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How it works:

 

Rather than having a set way of working, I work with clients to find a model suitable to them and their garden. It all starts with a visit where we discuss your ideas, dreams and concerns and start to make a realistic plan forwards. 

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This could include:

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  • Planting plans

  • Advising on the restoration and development of gardens

  • Plant based garden revamps and restorations

  • Working as a 'roaming heard gardener' as part of a garden development

  • Being a sounding board to your idea

  • Planting advice to professionals

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In scale, my projects vary from courtyards to country estates. We could create planting plans for an area of a garden, tackle a particular issue or do a full restoration and planting of a garden.  Some projects are one offs, some gardens develop over several years as time and budget allows. I also offer regular visits to  clients who wish to undertake part of the planning themselves but feel they benefit from a fresh pair of eyes and advice on garden tasks and planting design. 

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Through creative planting, we can create areas with different views to enjoy your evening tipple, distinct areas each with their own atmosphere, make your garden sit comfortably in the landscape and find something for you to enjoy through the year.

 

My work is plant based. It is good to be surrounded by plants. We have lived with and depended on plants for much longer than we have depended on offices and commuting. Plants can entice you into your garden to experience and enjoy the change of seasons. They provide stimuli in the form of scent and colour and the tactile sensation of rubbing a leaf, letting one's hand flow over wildflowers and picking a berry or a flower.​ 

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For updates on courses and talks, please see the 'talks and classes' tab and follow me on Instagram @annaribogardens 

About

 

I divide my time between creating planting plans, advising on garden projects and teaching planting and sketching.

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Current projects include advising on the restoration of a Tudor walled garden, teaching planting and sketching at the Society of Garden Designers, planting small town garden to country homes and teaching thoughtful nature sketching workshops.

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For five years, I was head gardener at Long Barn, Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson’s first English garden.


 My interest in horticulture started as a child when I grew up in the parklands of a neglected Danish Renaissance castle (sadly not mine) amongst the ‘ghosts’ of topiary, Victorian glasshouses and magnificent borders with the old gardener (and his antique tractor) as a grumpy, knowledgeable friend.
 

I studied Fine Arts in Denmark, sharpening my sense of colour, shapes and instinct for making planting work visually. After living in London I re-found my roots and  was lucky enough to be offered to retrain  under the WRAGS scheme on a beautiful, private Sussex estate. I am Royal Horticultural Society qualified at Hever Castle and have studied the Arts and Crafts of gardening at Great Dixter.

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Most importantly, I have created gardens for more than a decade and thoroughly enjoy teasing out exactly what my clients want from their garden and finding a creative way of realising it. It gives me much joy that most come back to continue developing their gardens with me.

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Through talks to garden societies and sketching workshops, I very much enjoy sharing my knowledge of plants, gardening, sketching techniques and the natural world.

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