Thomas Hoblyn is a landscape and garden designer specialising in classical design for contemporary lifestyles. Tom specialises in large rural estates, country houses and townhouses with modern day requirements. Historical restoration and a keen interest in the natural environment play equally important roles in his landscape design. Since training at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Tom has gone on to win three gold medals at Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court.
Garden design is a second career for Thomas Hoblyn. He first trained in agriculture in order to take over the family farms in Cornwall. During his training he worked on many large farms in the Westcountry and therefore has a clear understanding of parkland, rural landscapes, woodland, shooting estates and agriculture.
However, a love of plants and nature took hold of Tom and, much to his family's dismay, he decided to re-train in garden design at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew; a three year course that not only focuses on garden design, but also plant knowledge, arboriculture and park management. After graduation, Tom gained further garden design experience working for two eminent garden designers before setting up shop on his own in 2001.
Today, Thomas Hoblyn Garden Design has grown into a core team of five people: Ros Hering has been with Tom for five years, originally having trained as a garden designer, but is well on her way to qualifying as a landscape architect at Writtle University, She is our creative head and works closely with Tom on all design projects. Landscape architect Ian Jakeway has recently joined the team, bringing with him a long experience in the industry, having worked for some very high profile landscape architect companies. Our newest employee is Aamir Komara, also an architect, who brings excellent CAD and 3D software skills to the table. Steph is our project manager and comes from a construction background and therefore is brilliant at handling budgets, contractors and cracking the whip in the design studio. Judy has looked after our accounts for the last six years on a part-time basis. We have a constant stream of freelancers, work experience students passing through the office that always bring new skills to the company and regularly use specialist people for on site project management, structural engineering and developing complex constructions.
Our niche tends to be on the rural side of things, small and large estates and farms. Woodland management, lakes, wildflower meadows, deer parks, shooting are often elements that need to be considered in the design process. Historical knowledge and a deep respect for the past is extremely important as often the projects will be restorations of fascinating estate elements such as walled gardens, rhododendron walks, ancient woodland, pleasure grounds and arboreta. Our design is of a classical nature, respectful of the past yet practical for today's needs. Land art has long been an interest for Tom and the rural landscapes make this a practical and elegant addition to the design.
It is such a wonderful thing that people are still keen to take on these wonderful estates and make them work in a modern day environment. Discreetly putting a tennis court in the walled garden without upsetting the head gardener or a swimming pool in the orangery. Working with neighbouring farmers, land agents, conservationists, planners and sourcing gardening staff, are all tasks to be embraced as part of the design process.
Recent projects include: developing an arboretum that will contain a comprehensive Quercus collection (oaks), restoration of three Georgian lakes, reintroduction of deer into newly restored parkland and a productive walled garden that will, one day, supply the local farm shop. Tom is also in the process of developing his first piece of land art in Essex.
Tom started off exhibiting at Hampton Court Flower Show in 2005 and this year will be doing his third large show garden at Chelsea Flower Show and holds three gold medals, two silver gilt medals and two silver medals.