OCTOBER 2023 - TO PRESENT
Imogen Jenkins Sustainable Horticulture - Freelance Plant Designer
Digital execution of landscape schedules and plant lists for private clients and architects
- Morpholio Trace
- Annotation of architects plans for planning consent
- Consultation on projects from their conception
MARCH 2022 - OCTOBER 2023
The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire - Gardens Supervisor
- Responsible for all planted borders throughout the hotel estate
- Under the guidance of the Estate Manager, I set about updating the planting
- I had the pleasure of training up my two assistants
- We embarked on a programme of remedial pruning and meticulous maintenance throughout the grounds
- We worked with the florist department regularly if outdoor events required
- We endeavoured to create better links with the kitchens and bars, furthering the use of the herbs grown on the premises.
JANUARY 2021 - FEBRUARY 2022
LOCKDOWN
Ercle Designs Ltd, Plymouth - Freelance Plant Designer
Landscape schedule for a planning application. Hand annotated architect's plan
SEPTEMBER 2019 - DECEMBER 2020
The Bay Trust, St Margarets Bay, Kent - Estate Manager
- I was promoted from full time gardener to estate manager in February 2020
- I managed the full time team and organised the hiring of our freelance staff
- We embarked on a complete overhaul of every aspect of the garden, instigated by a management re-shuffle within the charity in April 2019
- To facilitate The Trust's charitable aim of educating children through nature, we focused on the areas of the garden that needed the most urgent attention.
- Carrying out tree surveys and remedial treework, renovating lawns and paths, mending machinery and putting H&S systems in place.
- Embarking on a remedial pruning programme for the whole garden
- Improving composting and waste processing systems
- Harvesting and distributing produce from the kitchen garden internship that was running
- Before leaving, I devised a 2 year plan, based on my own techniques and permaculture principles. I left this with my colleague and helped her follow it remotely.
JANUARY 2019 - AUGUST 2019
Windmill Community Garden, Margate, Kent - Community Gardener
- Assisting with all aspects of the running of the garden's two sites
- Ensuring that organic produce is grown and maintenance was carried out by staff, volunteers and participants alike, while good practice in all areas was adhered to - including safeguarding and health and safety.
- Duties on the bottom site consisted of contributing to the smooth running of Tuesday Volunteer Day, Thursday Cabbage Patch Pre-school Day and Friday Well-being Day - for referrals only.
- Duties on the top site consisted of contributing to the commercial production of organic vegetables for a local weekly bag delivery service and also weekly supply to local restaurants.
- I completed two six week courses during my employment. One on organic food growing and the other on bee-keeping
SEPTEMBER 2008 - AUGUST 2019
Imogen Jenkins Garden Design - Business Owner
- Design and maintenance of private gardens and public spaces
- Hired for my own particular style of implementation - adding new schemes to rejuvenated planting
- My maintenance schedules would focus on remedial pruning of shrubs and trees, encouragement of groundcover and soil health and an open invitation to self seeded wildflowers combined with selective weeding.
- Yew Garth, Grantchester, Cambridgeshire - conserving a Marnie Hall design, private garden
- Outdowns, Deal, Kent - Planting up and maintaining the green spaces of a residential development
- Chequers Cookery School, Deal, Kent - Designing, implementing and maintaining an educational herb garden
- Ivybank, St Margarets, Kent - overhaul of a private garden
- Pax, Kingsdown, Kent - overhaul of a private garden
- The Old Rectory, Nackington, Kent - overhaul of a private garden
- Betteshanger Country Park - overhaul of municipal planting, documentation of plant species across the site for conservation purposes, guided wildflower walks
2017/19
The Wild Kitchen - Ad hoc helper to Lucia Stuart Forager
Helping Lucia with her foraging forays around the Kent Coast
March 2013 - August 2019
The Landmark Garden, Deal, Kent - Community Garden Co-ordinator
- A community garden that promoted gardening with herbs and wildflowers
- Venue for seed swaps, traditional feast days, community fayres, social events, live music
- 2016 Awarded a certificate of appreciation by Deal Town Council and a certificate of excellence by South & South East In Bloom
- 2017 Awarded certificates of excellence, outstanding and thriving by RHS Britain in Bloom, South & South East in Bloom and Deal Town Council
- Opened for the National Garden Scheme (NGS) 2017, 2018, 2019
- 2018 Awarded Kent Wild Life Silver Award and Kent Life Runner Up Community Garden of The Year
SEPTEMBER 2008 - DECEMBER 2012
Margery Thorn Farm, Worcestershire - Designer
Architect Jim Ross
Designing the planting for an architect designed rural residence set in 5 acres. The design included an orchard, tennis court, swimming pool and informal gardens around converted farm buildings. Predominantly herbs and native species used.
SEPTEMBER 2008 - AUGUST 2011
Imogen Jenkins Garden Design, Deal, Kent - Owner
My business began in Deal Conservation Area, specialising in overhauls and re-planting of its courtyard gardens
MARCH 2008 - SEPTEMBER 2008
Kyaninga Lodge, W. Uganda - Designer
Design and implementation of 5 acres to surround a safari lodge. To include orchards, ball courts, formal gardens and a kitchen garden.
APRIL 2005 - DECEMBER 2006
Rod Tootell Landscaping, London - Member of the maintenance and garden installation team
Qualifications
- The English Gardening School, Chelsea (2006/7) Diploma in Garden Design with merit
- RADA, London (1996/7) Diploma in Propsmaking for the theatre with merit
- Exeter College, Devon (1992) 2 A Levels (Art & English)
Employment prior to Gardening
- Freelance stagehand for Film/TV
- Freelance Propsmaker for theatre
- Freelance Interior decorator