“WE DESIGN INCREDIBLY ATMOSPHERIC AND TRANSPORTING GARDENS, WITH WONDERFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL, CRAFTMANSHIP AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTING, PARTICULAR TO EVERY CLIENT AND GARDEN.”

Arne Maynard

Central to Arne Maynard's work as a garden designer is his ability to identify and draw out the essence of a place, something that gives his gardens a particular quality of harmony and belonging. He has a holistic approach to design and believes that to succeed, a garden must relate and respond to its surrounding landscape, its history and to the buildings within and around its confines, as well as to the needs of its owners. Bold lines and a strong architectural framework are characteristic, and hedges and walls are used to divide the gardens into separate areas and to give year-round presence and a sense of permanence.

To counter-balance the formality of these lines, Arne often creates soft inner plantings of herbaceous flowers and roses that are casual, lush and expansive. Attention to detail, both in the planting and the structure of the garden is paramount, and natural materials, from stone to timber, figure prominently and these are always sourced and selected for highest quality. Arne's designs draw on a wide range of references from architecture to garden history, and from interior design to often long-forgotten traditional crafts and techniques.

Most importantly, Arne is a passionate and experimental gardener. At his home in Monmouthshire he is in the process of designing and landscaping the garden around his beautiful medieval tower house, Allt y bela.

Philosophy

Established in 1986, the garden design practice is now based in Bath, where Arne works with a small, professional team on a wonderful range of commissions from smaller urban gardens to large country estates, in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Arne is involved in every aspect of every project the practice undertakes. He works closely with each client to create a highly individual garden - entirely personal to them, their lifestyle and their home. He views his job as a form of reinterpretation: "I'm there to gather the information from the client and mentally file it and then rewrite it in a way that gives them a garden that's theirs, but that still belongs to the property and the location."

The company provides a range of services - from a one-off consultation, right through to a 'Signature Garden' in which Arne is involved in overseeing every part of the creation of the garden.

Where possible, Arne prefers to see each project through from concept to completion. In doing so he can guarantee the greatest attention to detail at every stage of the process and make certain that each garden completely reflects the client's wishes. The benefit of Arne's experience and contacts with exceptional nurseries, craftspeople and suppliers ensures the highest quality of the finished garden.

The gardens Arne Maynard designs are not intended to be static works of art, but evolving, changing landscapes that continue to be moUlded by their gardeners and owners. They are gardens to be gardened, where the skill of horticulture is celebrated and the ongoing development of individual plants and of the balance of borders create the magic of a live performance, forever dynamic, and constantly compellinG.

Structure

When designing gardens, Arne relies on planted elements to provide year-round structure and interest. He is known for his use of pleached and trained trees and his love of topiary for additional interest and drama. Hard landscaping materials are selected for their local availability and relevance, with existing materials reused or repurposed if possible.

Arne Maynard gardens are intended to be gardened; their maintenance and ongoing development is integral to the way in which Arne approaches their design. He often advises clients on hiring a head gardener if they are unable to maintain the garden themselves, and is happy to provide ongoing support and advice long after the design has come to fruition.

P619 Maperton House Sept 2020 N37 Medium

Planting

Seasonal plant combinations that seamlessly juxtapose formality with informality are signature elements of Arne Maynard designs. His love of old-fashioned roses, herbaceous perennials and a wide range of spring and autumn flowering bulbs are brought together harmoniously to create wonderfully romantic planting schemes for any garden situation.

By observing local conditions, vernacular architecture and plants, Arne builds the beginnings of a design. The library of images and influences he has built up over many years, and which he carries around in his head, are recalled and reimagined for each new design, with plants being added almost constantly as he visits gardens and specialist nurseries at every available opportunity.

Craftsmanship

Arne enjoys seeking out and working with craftspeople who are familiar with traditional techniques and pattern making, but who bring their own flair and dexterity to the work. He will use details such as the coping for a wall, the design of a gate or a garden building to add another dimension and bring to a garden a further layer of interest and complexity.

From the integral crafted elements of a garden - gates, fences, walls, steps, metalwork - to the more incidental and ephemeral additions - pots, seats, benches - each is carefully considered, designed and commissioned. It is often these small details that set a garden apart and which are long-remembered and most loved by owners and visitors alike.

Studio

Arne works with a small, specialist team of designers, landscape architects, plant specialists and gardeners who come together to create magical, atmospheric gardens for clients across the world. Arne divides his time between a home studio at Allt y bela and a working studio in Bath, spending many weeks each year visiting clients, working on site and coordinating works in person.

Both studios also play host to a carefully curated range of events, lectures and exhibitions, which allow Arne and his team to share their love of plants, gardens and design, encouraging creativity and inspiring ambition.

Meet the AMGD Studio team here.

Watch

Read

‘THE GARDENS OF ARNE MAYNARD’
(2015)

Central to designer Arne Maynard's work is his ability to draw out the essence of a place. This talent lends his gardens a particular sense of harmony and belonging.

Also a passionate gardener, this is the first book dedicated to Arne's work and features twelve individual gardens, including the garden around his own home in rural Wales, Allt y bela.

With specially commissioned photography and a very personal text, 'The Gardens of Arne Maynard' offers a unique insight into the working methods of this superbly skilled designer, and is a beautiful and inspirational book for garden lovers everywhere.

Book shop

“ARNE’S WRITING IS ELOQUENT AND UNPRETENTIOUS. IT GETS TO THE SPIRIT OF EACH PLACE, JUST AS HE HAS DONE WITH THE GARDENS HE HAS CREATED FOR EACH SITE. THIS FEELING FOR THE LAND LEADS TO A GARDEN THAT IS IN HARMONY WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS, AND THE BOOK IS A FASCINATING INSIGHT INTO HIS DESIGN PROCESS.”

“WE DESIGN INCREDIBLY ATMOSPHERIC AND TRANSPORTING GARDENS, WITH WONDERFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL, CRAFTMANSHIP AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTING, PARTICULAR TO EVERY CLIENT AND GARDEN.”

Arne Maynard

Arne Maynard