About Janine

Garden designer Janine Joyce standing beside a rocky stream in France

I am a qualified garden designer based in East Hertfordshire, working across Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and North London. Inspired by natural landscapes, I specialise in thoughtful, naturalistic planting design, creating beautiful, biodiverse gardens with resilience at their heart.

Qualifications

I qualified as a Garden Designer at Capel Manor College, Enfield in 2019 and have recently completed the Level 3 Certificate in Plants and Planting Design to gain specialist planting design skills. I am a member of the Society for Garden Designers and Landscapers. Based in East Hertfordshire, I also work in Suffolk, Cambridge and North London.

Rocky moorland landscape with woodland in North Yorkshire, inspiring naturalistic garden design.

Inspired by natural landscapes

Having grown up in North Yorkshire, I still return often and spend much time being swept up in the rugged vastness of the Moors. Inspired by the resilience of the plants, the majestic rocks and boulders, the craftsmanship of dry-stone walls and the swathes of heather, I have never ceased to feel awe and respect for this familiar landscape.

Living and working in East Hertfordshire, I now take inspiration from the native hedgerows, fields of wildflowers, ancient woodland and wildlife reserves around which I walk with my dog. I also work in Suffolk with its evocative coastal landscapes, reflecting a particular interest of mine in creating dry gardens with drought-tolerant planting. A member of the Plant Library at the Serge Hill Project, I am regularly observing with interest their evolving dry sand garden and keep informed of the latest thinking in the field, attending inspiring events such as the Beth Chatto Symposium.

Natural wildflower meadow in Suffolk with a mixture of flowering plants and seedheads.
Exposed sandy cliffs and layered coastal rock formations on the Suffolk coast.
Pink wildflower blooming among coastal greenery in Suffolk
Pink wildflower blooming among coastal greenery in Suffolk

Art meets Nature

My background career in teaching began as a Drama and English teacher in a secondary school. I believe that this practical experience of staging plays and being passionate about writing, designing and directing led to a natural transition later to designing gardens which evoke atmosphere and create a special experience for those people using it.

Moss-covered stone cairn surrounded by lush woodland vegetation under a clear blue sky

France

In more recent years, I have been teaching French to younger children, having studied French and Drama at University, and now have plans to spend much more time in France learning about plants that could be used in the UK as our temperatures rise. I am particularly interested in the evolving use of Mediterranean planting whilst mindful of our increasingly wet winters and use of aggregates to help these plants thrive.

Cultural Understanding

I have worked extensively as a teacher with speakers of other languages and from different cultures, and would be interested in drawing on clients’ own experiences and traditions and weaving them into the essence of a garden design.

Janine Joyce sits on a rustic bench overlooking a forested valley and distant mountains in Mallorja.
Janine Joyce sits on a rustic bench overlooking a forested valley and distant mountains in Mallorja.

Growing Edibles and Young Minds

A foodie and grower of my own vegetables and herbs, I would always encourage incorporating edibles into any design scheme, for both edible and ornamental reasons, as well as the positive impact on soil health and biodiversity. After many years of running school gardening clubs, I believe it is vital that we encourage children to engage with nature and growing their own food at home can incite great enthusiasm!

Productive kitchen garden with raised vegetable beds, gravel paths and companion planting.
Productive kitchen garden with raised vegetable beds, gravel paths and companion planting.
Tall sunflowers blooming in a kitchen garden with tomatoes, marigolds, vegetables, and gravel paths.
Tall sunflowers blooming in a kitchen garden with tomatoes, marigolds, vegetables, and gravel paths.
Seasonal vegetables, including fennel, red onion, carrots, beets, leeks, and squash, grown in Janine's kitchen garden.
Seasonal vegetables, including fennel, red onion, carrots, beets, leeks, and squash, grown in Janine's kitchen garden.

Computer Aided Design Skills

I integrate technology creatively and seamlessly as part of my design process, and produce professionally- presented garden designs and detailed planting plans using a cutting-edge platform called ‘Astersketch’.

Designs and Planting Plans