Kate Gould On Her 2022 Award-Winning Chelsea Flower Garden ‘Out Of The Shadows’
Contributions From KATE GOULD
Kate Gould is an award-winning Garden Designer who has built her company, Kate Gould Gardens, over a period of more than 20 years. Kate has won 5 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medals, including an unprecedented 3 medals for the same garden at the 2022 show. She is a member of the Society of Garden Designers and the British Association of Landscape Industries.
RHS Gold-Medalist Kate Gould has established herself as one of the leading Garden Designers in the UK.
She and her team won multiple awards for the Chelsea Flower Show garden Kate designed in 2022 (named ‘Out of the Shadows’) including ‘Best Sanctuary Garden’ and ‘Best Construction’.
Her design business, which began as a one-woman show over 20 years ago, has now grown into a large team, which Kate herself describes as ‘tight-knit’ and ‘highly skilled’.
I spoke with her to learn how she built a career as a Garden Designer and discovered more about her passion for gardening.
How Did You First Get Into Gardening?
“My mum gardened as well as both of my grandmothers, so I was always encouraged to be outside,” shares Kate.
“My first horticultural memory is of this little trough my mother had that was filled with godetia. There were some weeds in there too, so one day, when I was around 3 years old, she showed me how to weed them out.
“I ended up weeding all the godetias out and left the actual weeds – I don’t know what that says about me!”
What Led You To A Career In Garden Design?
“Nothing was planned. I left school and I worked for a company that was growing very quickly; we were even doing the filing in the men’s toilets!
“Because of this, I wanted to do something to relax in the evenings, so I went looking for a class. I ended up on a Garden Design course with the most amazing tutor who I am still friends with today 25 years later.
“I really struck gold with her. If I had someone else teaching me, I might not be doing what I’m doing now.”
Do You Have A Process For Designing Gardens?
“Fundamentally, you’ve got to listen, as every client has different needs,” says Kate.
“Whether they come to you because they like your style or they want something that’s unique to them, you have to listen to understand what will be best for their space.”
Do You Have A Favourite Memory Of A Garden You’ve Designed?
“The ones that stick in my memory are usually private client gardens because it is so much more about the individuals and doing something unique for them.
“Having said that, the gardens that are truly anchored in my mind are the Show Gardens at the likes of Chelsea.
“This is because the whole process is compressed into such a tiny amount of time and you are there all day every day working with your team. You never have that experience in a real garden, as you are not there every day.”
“It’s also how we build teamwork because if you can work through that together, you can work through anything.”
How Did Your 2022 Award-Winning Chelsea Flower Garden ‘Out Of The Shadows’ Come About?
“It was about our reaction to the pandemic and what our clients wanted, which was somewhere to be safe, exercise and relax,” she explains.
“The climate is changing and it was our adaption of that too. We wanted to show that you can grow more interesting plants, which is ironic now because we then had the coldest winter in about 10 years afterwards!”
Do You Have Any Standout Career Moments?
“Last year at Chelsea was pretty special, as we won three awards for one garden.
“However, the standout moments for me are when everyone is in the office. It’s absolute carnage and so much fun – I always end up locked in a cupboard!
“Those are the moments that make what I do special because it’s about the people, not the gardens.”
What Does Gardening Mean To You?
“I’m happiest when I’m gardening and I think that tells you a lot,” Kate shares.
“Gardening for myself is what gives me the most amount of joy, as I have the freedom to move things around and try new things out that I wouldn’t necessarily try out on a client straight away.”
“Every day’s a school day with gardening.”
Do You Have Anything In The Pipeline You’d Like To Share?
“We’re constantly rolling new projects out, it’s ridiculous,” she laughs.
“We’re photographing things all over the country at the moment. There’s a lot going on.”
Do You Have Any Advice For Aspiring Garden Designers?
“My advice would be to not run before you can walk.
“Don’t think that a garden at Chelsea or Hampton Court is your springboard to success. Your springboard is capitalising on your clients, making them happy and getting referrals from them to build your business.
“When you know how to build a garden, you can attempt a showground, but you need to understand the basics first. Learn your craft really well and then try to show it to everyone.
“Don’t show them what you can do when you know nothing.”
