For those of us lucky enough to have some outdoor space, however great or small, our appreciation for it has certainly grown over recent times. Many have discovered a new-found love of gardening and for making more of outside areas for socialising – something Sylvia Newman has been passionate about for most of her life.
After training at Writtle College – the oldest and probably best-known land-based college in the UK – Sylvia set up her company Sylvia Newman Garden Design and has been creating stunning gardens ever since. Ten years ago, her son Ed joined the team (currently numbering 15) and with this second generation bringing fresh ideas such as CGI for visualising designs, this local family business has literally grown and flourished.
Having a dedicated team of employees, rather than relying solely on outside contractors, is just one of the aspects that sets the company apart from many others. Sylvia and Ed have found this gives a much more fluid nature to the whole process of design, build and maintenance, and importantly means that, with the back-up of head office, small changes can be more easily incorporated – which often happens when designing gardens.
Another, and very wonderful, difference Sylvia and Ed have created, are the gardens at the company’s headquarters at Green End Farm in Longstanton. It can sometimes be hard for clients to visualise or even know what they want their finished garden to look like, but here they can actually walk around beautiful show gardens – both contemporary and traditional, see established herbaceous borders in bloom, enjoy the tranquillity of ponds and water features and choose specific pieces of garden furniture and hard-landscaping. It’s also a small farm with rare-breed sheep, chickens, doves and bees, which as well as complementing the gorgeous show gardens, gives more than a hint at Sylvia’s down-to-earth and genuine love of the land.
Sylvia Newman Garden Design
Green End Farm
Over Road, Longstanton
Cambridge
CB24 3DW
Tel: 01954 583239
www.sngardendesign.co.uk
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