Non Morris Shares How You Can Incorporate The Latest Trends In Your Garden

---

Non Morris, a Writer and Landscape Designer, is distinguished for her innovative planting designs – placing her at the forefront of some of the UK’s most iconic gardens.

Non has worked on a range of public and private gardens in the south of England, most notably on the main gardens at the South London Gallery and the garden at St Mary the Boltons in Kensington and Chelsea.

In this interview with Mollie Brown, Non shares her earliest memories of gardening, what a typical working day looks like and some trends she is adopting in her latest designs.

Please note that the imagery in this article is subject to copywrite from Eva Nemeth.

Can you share with us your earliest memory of gardening?

“When I was five, my parents gave me a small patch of my own to garden,” says Non. 

“I only grew sweet peas, and what a brilliant, scented, colourful way to begin! My father was a busy lawyer, always travelling between London and our home in Wales.

“He barely had any time for gardening but managed to garden whenever he could. He was still excited about the first tulip to open and the first rose to bloom until he died this summer, still working, aged 91.

“I have a fantastic photograph of the 1970s rockery he made in our steeply sloping garden. I love that my love of alpines had its roots in my childhood garden, so much so that I am researching a book on our fascination with these tiny plants which grow in such tough conditions.”

How did your approach to gardening and garden design evolve as you gained more experience in the field?

“The moment I decided to retrain in horticulture and planting design was on the coastal path near Llangranog in West Wales – my husband Nick and I each carrying a newborn baby twin. 

“The pineapple scent of the windblown gorse against a wild blue sky and the warm weight of the baby strapped to me in its stripy carrier were enough for me to know it was time to change from my busy career in film and television.

“I studied at the English Gardening School which involved spending a glorious day each week at the Chelsea Physic Garden. I was completely smitten by the world that was opening up. 

“I began by just about being able to recognise a magnolia tree. It was extraordinary to discover that there are so many different magnolias to choose from. I love the challenge of getting to understand where a plant has come from, how it likes to grow and what it will offer a garden throughout the year.

“I am always looking for gorgeous examples in just the right place. I love the black lily magnolia against faded red brick in the Sissinghurst Garden and how an elegant yellow-flowered magnolia lights up the entrance to Lambeth Palace.”

What does a day in the working life look like for you?

“I divide my time between writing about plants and gardens and designing gardens,” she shares.

“I tend to get very immersed in whatever I am doing, so if it is an exuberant natural-looking front garden for a former chapel in North London, I will be living, breathing and dreaming about a palette of plants until I have made my decisions. 

“I often source plants from a range of specialist nurseries, even for the smallest project, to get exactly the right delicate fern or mauve-flushed form of Solanum. I believe it is this passionate attention to detail and to creating atmosphere through planting that makes the difference. 

“Sometimes I travel to visit gardens to write about and wherever possible I spend time wildflower hunting in the countryside. 

“A perfect day might be catching an early train from London, finding myself in the most exquisite moated garden in North Yorkshire by mid-morning and spending the rest of the day with the Head Gardener finding out why the planting works so well and how the garden has evolved.”

You have written about gardens for many publications. How has this writing experience influenced your approach to garden design?

“I have been incredibly lucky to write about and design gardens,” says Non.

“I am a contributing editor to House and Garden, write regularly for Country Life and have a monthly column in The English Garden. I have also developed a series of conversations with garden makers at the Garden Museum which allow me to spend time analysing the journey of a certain garden in depth.

“Visiting gardens and spending privileged hours with a Head Gardener or the person who has made the garden has transformed my understanding and is a constant source of inspiration.

“Most of all, I have learnt how much passion and hard work goes into garden making. When I am designing a garden, I try to make sure that it will be well looked after and work with some brilliant horticulturally trained gardeners who often look after my projects when they are completed.”

Can you share some of the current trends in garden design and how you are incorporating them into your recent projects?

“Creating an immersive garden space feels right for the way we are thinking about gardens now,” she shares.

“Clients often want to keep some lawn and it may be practical for young children to play on, but I make planted areas as generous as they can possibly be so that even in a small town garden, you can often not tell where the boundaries are and can enjoy being surrounded by green. 

“I will always ensure that there are opportunities for planting close to the house. Wherever possible, I make sure there is space to plant between the pavers too, which is much better for drainage and much better looking.

In a favourite recent garden, I used the tiny leaved baby tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) around cast concrete stepping stones. The baby tears create a wonderful rather Japanese-looking mounding carpet which softens everything.”

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects you are excited about, and what we can expect to see from you in the future?

“I am very excited about my recent Cornish-Japanese landscape design for the Leach Pottery, a small museum in St Ives, Cornwall which is being transformed by Dow Jones architects who designed the Garden Museum in London. 

“The revered potter Bernard Leach spent years in Japan before returning to Cornwall in 1920 and building the first Japanese-style climbing kiln which is still there amongst a cluster of museum buildings stretched out along the narrow River Stenack.

“Designing the planting for the new scheme was a wonderful opportunity to look at a whole new palette of plants that would thrive in this benign climate and to include some Japanese plants, not least a cherry blossom, to reflect the strong connection with Japan. 

“The newly extended museum and gardens are due to open in 2025.”

Having worked as a landscape and planting designer for over ten years, what advice would you give to someone starting out in the field?

“I have worked as a landscape and planting designer for about 15 years after an earlier career in film and television drama,” explains Non. 

“My advice to someone starting out would be [to] get your hands dirty, look at gardens, read as much as you can and get the best training. There are amazing possibilities now for a young gardener.

“If I had my time again, I would apply for the Kew Diploma, which is such a rich, serious place to start and gives you so many opportunities for the rest of your life.  

“The great thing about gardening, of course, is that you never stop learning. I still feel I am just at the beginning.”