Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle, founders of House of Hackney
Reading this book, which originally came out in 2017, has made us see the natural world around us in a whole new light. Backed up by groundbreaking scientific research, it explores the connections and familial networks of trees and forests, which communicate and have tribes and kin – just like us.
First published in 1973, this revolutionary book is essential business reading. EF Schumacher confronts the unattainable idea of infinite growth on a finite planet and the pressing need for communities, rather than large corporations. It was particularly pertinent for us as we were founding and developing our own company, but it is real food for thought for anyone interested in how the economic system impacts the way in which we live.
This is a wonderful anthology of meditative essays by Willow Defebaugh, editor of Atmos, a non-profit biannual magazine and digital platform that explores all things climate and culture. Willow’s poetic writing perfectly captures the beauty of nature with its thought-provoking messaging and is accompanied by incredible immersive photography. Amid the climate emergency we are facing, she offers a sense of hope, optimism and resilience.
Described as ‘A hymn of love to the world’, this profound book by the indigenous American botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer (originally published in 2013) is exactly that. It is full of ancient wisdom that we desperately need to bring to the modern Western world.
Written by the environmentalist, activist and former Jain monk known for his 1960s walk for world peace – from India to Moscow, Paris, London and Washington, DC – this teaches us about falling in love with the natural world to reestablish our connection to the earth and to ourselves, and shows why that is so important today.
Drawing from cultural wisdom and that of the natural world, Flourish proposes and explores a set of radical regenerative design principles. Sarah (an urbanist and strategist) and Michael (an architect) make a compelling argument for the fundamental importance of designing and building to restore balance and ensure a positive future for younger generations.
Tom Massey, garden designer
Nigel’s designs inspire such joy. His successional layered planting is grounded in nature’s principles and in practical constraints, yet there is a strong emotive connection with an audience. His work shows how nature-led design can also be fun, artful and uplifting. Sustainable need not mean serious.
Thomas and Claudia are passionate about bringing nature back into urban landscapes. They use ecosystem models and plant behaviours to inform palettes and groupings that will knit together into designed plant communities. Their work encourages us all to keep learning and challenging what is possible.
Trees are powerful engines of biodiversity and climate-change mitigation. Designers bear huge responsibility when creating arboreal landscapes for future generations to enjoy, so we must choose wisely. This guide is one of many tools that help to ensure our studio’s choice is diverse, forward thinking and climate adapted.
Edible plants are often overlooked or segregated in garden design. Forest gardening is an insightful way to reframe them and appreciate their structural and aesthetic qualities. Martin is an authority on agroforestry in the UK, so this is a valuable resource to broaden the mind on growing edibles in a more integrated way instead of confining them to the vegetable garden.
Our studio is passionate about making radically responsible choices in our hard-landscaping materials. Taking up Kate and Caroline’s mantra of ‘Today’s waste, tomorrow’s raw material’, we’ve created cement-free terrazzo from construction waste and a brownfield RHS Chelsea show garden from building rubble. And we’re looking at new natural and biodegradable options like mycelium structures.
I have included my own book as I learnt so much writing it. It represents the fruits of many months of research, studying how we can make our environments withstand the effects of climate change. I hope others can benefit from what I discovered.
