Hi, my name is Henry Mead and I have been working as a garden and landscape designer for the past 40 years. After leaving school I worked as gardener for a couple of years and then enrolled on the MA course in landscape design at the University of Sheffield in the UK. I then worked in a number of landscape design offices in the UK and the US before taking my professional exams and becoming a chartered member of the Landscape Institute, the professional body of landscape architects in the UK.

By this time my wife and I and our two children had settled in south London. Next, I joined the team of landscape architects in the UK’s largest architectural firm based in London where I led landscape design teams working on a range of commissions many of which were honoured with national design awards. During this time I was fortunate enough to design a wide variety of gardens and open spaces in the UK and overseas. These included the redevelopment of the grounds of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, public parks in China, healing gardens for new hospital developments, private gardens, courtyards, roof gardens, winter gardens, playgrounds and sports grounds, wildlife gardens, school grounds and university campuses, water features, community gardens, public squares, plazas and streetscapes.

In addition to my professional work, for many years I have been tutoring graduates to prepare them for their professional exams to qualify as chartered landscape architects.

In recent years I have been concentrating on the design of private gardens and I am thoroughly enjoying the experience working collaboratively with private clients and becoming more closely involved in the details of design.

Alongside my work as a designer, I have become increasingly interested in the potential of teaching garden design as an on-line course, as a convenient and flexible option for individuals who may not be able to afford the expense or time to study full-time. This has led me to create this series of courses on garden design which draw upon the skills that I have learnt during my career.

My wife and I like to travel whenever we can, sometimes on our cycles, which we combine with visiting gardens in the UK and abroad. I also spend much of my time keeping up to date with the latest film releases, exploring London and on the never-ending task of designing and redesigning on my own garden.